People are just Unbelievable !!!!!

I was out last night taking the dog for a walk, so went over to the park... anyway cut a long story short. There were 2 women over the park with a mixed breed dog just slightly smaller then a staff...
And as soon as they saw me and my boy.... they picked the dog up and then proceeded to give me a filthy look and carry this poor dog off. One part of me was laughing and the other side made me really angry, this is just typical of narrow minded fools that listen to the TV and read the Sun... I was most disgusted to be honest.... the funny thing is they had to walk quite far to get to where they were going... and was struggling with this dog all the way and you could see it was getting heavy but they wouldn’t put in on the floor until nearly out of sight!....

Has anyway one else ever had this happen to them?

I have had a fair few dirty looks from people but nothing too severe - you must've felt like saying something to them - stoopid women have no idea!

Usually Jade is plodding along with 2 luminous balls sticking out of her gob so people have a little giggle at her as she looks so silly. Staffies are quite common in my area though so people are more used to seeing them.xx

There have a been a few times when stupid people have picked up their little dogs cos they have seen us enter the moor (with our two on a lead!)

I can't be arsed with people like that anymore.

x

i have had it done a couple of times when i have had diesel out at the park and when people see me coming with diesel they put there dog on the lead and walk away..its true what you said there very narrow minded...

Since I have kept pitbulls in the 80's back home in Canada, rotties up until about 10 years ago, and now the staffords, I know only too well that feeling. I have had people let their little dogs attack mine and then tell me it's what I deserve owning a "dog like that". People picking up their dogs and kids and/or crossing the road when they see me coming with even an 11 week old pup (pitbull). I think most of the time now I just laugh at them, sometimes out loud, but what it does do is make me appreciate the times I happen to meet an open minded person and give them the other side of the story to think about. It's amazing the looks on their faces when they realize what an awesome dog I have. I do remind them that it has alot to do with owners and not to assume that every stafford they meet will be like mine, but not to assume either that it is a raging killing machine like the media would have them believe either. It's like assuming every black person is a criminal or every muslim is a terrorist.... the friends we would miss out on if we all thought that way. I believe that every decent staffy owner is an enriched individual due to what they have to endure from the public that are like cattle led to water by the media.

Hi Engladian,

to be honest most of the time i laugh it off, but on the other hand its really upsetting to think people think like that. some of the dog owners in my village are fantastic they really look past all that media hype and see my dog for what he is a big old softy, then you get the other side where they will glare at you and like you say cross the road. i had a situation the other night with 2 german shepards with a poor women with no control it was a horrible situation the 2 dogs where stalking mine and i really thought they where going to attack. i got my dog out of the situation as quick as i could, but it could have been really bad. as i was walking home the lady in question came out to apologise to me, which i was really glad she did. she also told me there taking the shepards to a trainer now and they are going to muzzle them. she also said to me what a lovely natured dog mine was. which was nice she did say that she was frightened when she saw my dog, and she apologised for that as well. changing the subject a little. i lived in canada for a few years, i lived in Hamilton, ON, i really miss it to be honest. thats one place i would really like to be back in, especially with the way things are over here in UK... anyway on that note i'll say good bye and hope to speak to you soon......

Hi Felix;
I think you should write the story of the incident down on a piece of paper exactly the way it happened, frame it and put it on the wall. It is such a rare ocurrance to have an experience like that and on the days you encounter people that really get your dander up, go home and read it to remind yourself there are decent people out there willing to see past the exterior of our breed. On the subject of Canada, being as big as it is I have never got to Ontario yet. I'm from the western coast about an hour outside of Vancouver in a city called Chilliwack, in a valley nestled against the mountains. Unfortunately Ontario is under the grips of BSL but British Columbia isn't. For as much as I have met some great people here I really miss home and can't wait to move back there.

Deb

Hi Deb,

Your right you know i will do that, its those times that make the difference ! for her it was that point of going past what the media Protrays this/these breeds to be, and she now looks at it with different eyes. For me i havent been to your side of Cananda but i would love to go, as i hear its wonderfull i can imagine you miss it dearly. its certianly different over here. i meet some wonderfully people and miss them allot. i hope to go visit there again one day. but i would deffiantly try and get over the BC....

Felix

I never get this most the children in my street run towards me and shout maddie they love her. If anyone as virgin media on tv on demand is a programme called dogs on death row i watched it interested but some of the stories got my blood boiling and they was dogs biting that wasn't staffs x

I cant watch things like that - it would play on my mind like mad!!

Funnly enough its not so much the children there great with my boy... its the grown ups that are the problem

i find it hard to watch programs like that it really upsets me....

.

i hate it when that happens they should do there home work and not just lisen to the press

here, here beedham......

If they are walking a dog and they don't know your dog, better safe than sorry. The 2 shepherds may have wanted to say hello but you "got your dog out of the situation as quick as you could". Its no different. Everyone should look out for their dog first of all and worry about what others think second. Equally, why would you let it get to you? It means you have the field to yourselves.

we have 2 staffs ,mum and son, they are soft as s---e and so loving so when we get a bad reaction which is at least a 50-50 chance in the narrowminded town we live in, we get a bit annoyed. steve my hubby is calmer than me but he gets angry cos he has tattoos so people look and think thug. you can see them looking us up and down and passing comments but unfortunately im a bit fiesty so they are usually sorry they opened their mouths, im not a nasty person but i wont tolerate anyone bad mouthing my dogs when they are so well behaved.im 48 and i think i get worse as i get older . im a great believer in not judging dogs till you know them.i know i should ignore it but its not always easy this is for the idiots out there . i feel so much better now xx

I actually get annoyed with people that DON'T have their dogs under control.

I love Murdoch to bits, but the fact remains that whilst he is a cuddle bunny with people, he doesn't like other dogs and is unpredictable in his reaction to them. He is therefore kept on his lead at all times. Unfortunately other dogs often come running over with no control from their owners, and I sometimes end up having to drag Murdoch away from an escalating situation.

I think there needs to be a balance, but to be frank I'd rather someone gave me a look and dragged their dog away out of reach, than have to deal with an issue if Murdoch snapped. I could end up having my dog put down as vicious because some idiot didn't control their dog, and weren't able to get it away from mine.

Yeah I have noticed a lot of smaller dog owners in my area tent to not use a leash thinking their dogs will behave. Its usually the yappy ones that give Bonnie and Max grief on their walks.

Same sort of thing happened to me a while back actually, I took my staff Stella to my local woods and I had just let her off her lead, there was a large family with buggies and a horrible child screaming "there's one of those devil dogs" and I just gave the family a filthy look. They had a gorgeous labroador, tied to the side of the buggy, never let off poor thing. We went for a lovely walk round for about an hour and and came back through the same area we had started, the family were there with the poor dog still tied to the side of the buggy and there was also a group of scouts building things with the logs and branches on the floor, Stel did her usual thing and had to go and investigate and say hello to everyone in the group and give them a kiss and it was just a classic scene, the family watched on and I just walked past them and smiled. I love it when a staffie shines through, Stell always does.

Sometimes I do go for walks though and you can see the panic on their faces, children screaming etc, it is pathetic. I also went on another walk again one of our usual walks and I am a great believer in educating people and there was a family, parents, kiddy in the buggy and a little toddler walking beside. He wanted to say hello to Stella, so I had hold of her collar and bent down to his level and let him stroke her, she adores kids with a passion and she loved it. The dad said what is she, she's lovely, what is she, I said proudly she's a staffordshire bull terrier, and he said oh one of those, and I said yes one of those, and he said well I have changed my opinion, so yet another convert I am happy to say!!!!

Staffs can be dog aggressive and I just think that if you remain calm, look out for signs, usually it is ok but I am always aware of things around me, after all with my staff she is really just protecting me, which isn't a bad thing.