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Location: Somerset UK
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 969
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OMG!! the line "what if it was a child ... " drives me absolutely mad. I remember when Bax had a serious punch-up with a black labrador shortly after we got him the woman up the road knocked on my door and stood there ranting at me " you can't take that dog in the meadows again - children use it and I have to protect my daughter" I promised her that he would never be off lead without his muzzle and I've kept to my word.
I walk him on his lead unmuzzled and her dog (a gorgeous whippet) who is never ever on a lead comes running up to us and I'm the one that has to be in control and make sure my leashed dog doesn't go for her unleashed dog! If my dog as much as breathes around her dog she gets hysterical! It just makes me so mad thinking about it.
Her husband also knocked on my door and told me that he NEVER wants my dog playing with their dog - not a problem for me, so why don't they keep theirs on a lead.
I'd forgotten how angry I still am about it all!
Back to cats - there is one that lives just down the road from us in the same terrace and whenever Bax chases him he'll run and then stop dead-still and then hiss. On one occasion I looked to see Bax come tearing back a terrified look on his face with the cat virtually attached to his back! Hasn't put him off though. The difference is I suspect that Bax would attempt to kill a cat given half a chance so we're extra vigilant with him.
This is what it's like to own a staffie isn't it
Originally Posted by
catrinsparkles
Sound exactly like Tonks! She can give me so much attention and look wonderful....and then she gets the scent of something and she's off! We moved to our new house almost three years ago and the street is infested with cats....she became obsessed with them and also linked parked cars with cats. We have a canal path at she back of us which has a large field/park off it. It would be ideal for walking her, canal on one side, train track on the other, but the other sides are skirted by a housing estate and parked cars. She'll stay with me for a while and then go off doing a high speed lap of honnour round the streets looking for cats! I did loads of training up there, whistles, clickers, high value treats, very long line......and then she was fine off lead for 6 weeks, until a cat stepped out in front of her and she was off. From then on I always knew I was vaguely in control, until I got distracted...and then she would be off again. She always came back within two minutes, but I couldn't risk it as I knew, from experience unforunatey, that if someone's front door was open, she would just charge straight in. I couldn't bring myself to repeat all training again as one dog on a 50 foot lead, a toddler, a baby in a pushchair or a double buggy, treats and snacks and drinks for the children doesn't lead to a relaxing walk!
The times she has caught up with a cat she just jumps up and down barking. It's the chase she loves not the catching. Soon after we moved here she was surprised by a cat, they step out on the canal path all the time looking for company and a chat with someone, she was off like a rocket. She chased it though the allotments and I could hear the cat must have stopped because Tonks was doing her frustrated Staffie scream. I caught up with and whistled her and then told her down, no shouting and put her on lead...and then got involved with some car lovers who had seen it and claimed she was going to kill the cat and was a vicious dog that should never be let off lead. I apologised if they had been scared but explained that a dog who is going to kill a cat does not come away as soon as its whistle and then sit 6 foot from the cat while its owner is being berated but people who now nothing of dogs and I would not be keeping her on the lead all the time as she was not aggressive but I would be doing more training and walking her appropriate place! All the time the bloody kept was still tarting sound rubbing itself all over passing people....hardly traumatised! Then the people got on to the ridiculous argument of 'what if it was a child?' She doesn't chase children!! 'But what if it was a child holding a cat?!!!!' Errr then I expect the cat would scratch the child!!! So cats can go where they want, when they want, stepping out in front of whoever they like.....probably because they are lonely, causing accidents with bikes (the canal is a busy through path for people going in to town and the train station) walk and poo in the kids play park off the canal, scratch my child in the play park, I even saw one stalking a kingfisher!....but it's the dog owners fault if the dog reacts to a cat stepping out in front of it!
Thankfully I then got a car again so she is now only ever walked in more dog friendly environments so if she does ever disappear for 2 minutes I I know she's only running through woods.
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