'Staffies are killing machines'

I was walking with my friend this afternoon. We had 5 dogs between us (3 springers and my two). We'd been out about an hour and half and were on our way back. As we came round a corner of a public footpath Tilly got slightly ahead (I mean about 4 metres at the most).

I heard a woman shouting and screaming, and as I turned the corner (literally 3 seconds later) there was a woman trying to hit Tilly with a water bottle, shouting and screaming at her. Her husband was standing to one side with 2 border terriers. All the dogs were looking bemused (none were barking, growling or even moving) and the husband was looking mortified.

My friend shouted at the woman to stop. I said to her 'My dog won't bite your dogs!'. She stopped then and said 'It's just they are so small and I read in a letter in a paper that all staffies are killing machines'.

I told her my dog is not dangerous and I wouldn't let her off lead if she was. Then she said the most shocking thing:

'I know, I used to have a staffy' Then she admitted that Tilly hadn't actually done anything.

I've encountered some prejudice towards my dog, but never have had someone try to assault her. If Tilly had done something I may have kind of understood, but poor Tilly was just standing looking at the woman as if to say 'What have I done wrong!?'

omg! i wouldve lamped her! i hate violence but if anyone touched jake in an aggressive way, i would touch them in an aggressive way. poor tilly.

it shocking how people believe everything they read in the papers, its just not fair. people need to get more educated about these things. i hate people like that...

and people wonder why they get bitten...sadie wouldve kindly disarmed her!

Trying to HIT your dogs?? WTF??

I would have found it very hard to keep my cool, well done! There are idiots everywhere I'm afraid.

I have had that negative response for years, and put it down to ignorance!!!!Now It does not bother me, if they do not like my Staffs, thgere problem not mine, although if anyone raised their hands to my dogs, that is a different story!!!I would definitely blow up....

omg thats terrible. why would have she reacted like that even tho she has had on herself. i honestly just dont understand ppl these days

poor tilly, it says so much for her temprament that she took that sort of thing and just stood there,

what a total numpty the woman must be....erm her logic being, oh look theres a wee staffie minding its own, but just in case Im gona beat it round the head
what a bloody nutter, she cant be that scared of the breed if she did what she did.

I would have left her in tears with the torrent I would have given her...

OMG, it's bad enough that anybody would react like this in the first place. without then reading she used to OWN a Staffie!

What a complete prat of a woman! Poor Tilly, what a good girl to remain calm and unfazed. I'd have totally went mental on her if she'd done that to Marius (she'd have wanted to beat me on the head with a bottle I can tell you!!!)

Don't let her actions get to you - I know it doesn't feel like it sometimes, but not EVERYONE is breed-prejudiced.

you are a better person than I to be able to not have lamped her roudn the head with a water bottle I tell you.
On what planet does one think "ah one of those staffie killing machines and then oh I think I will batter it with my water bottle !!?" of course if Tilly HAD then done anything to the woman then it would be the dogs fault wouldnt it??

What an idiot., am truly glad she no longer has a staffie if thats how thick she is.

Hope tilly is ok and well done you for keeping your cool !!

Oh bloody hell! That is outrageous! What a bloody idiot!

As other have said as well, well done you for staying cam, though I'd have went ballistic and told her a thing or two, not before lamping her with the water bottle!