I’ve seen enough dog injuries not to overreact when I hear of dog attacks, but the near decapitation of a ten-week-old puppy by a Staffordshire bull terrier in Colshaw Farm broke my heart.
Both dogs were walking with their owner, who had recently adopted the bull terrier when the attack took place.
The traumatised owner said: “The dogs were getting along fine and I had them playing out together the day before.”
And those were the perfect ingredients for the tragedy that took place.
Pack animals do not play, they practise fighting and if you observe closely enough you will see that ‘play’ becoming increasingly boisterous with charging, neck biting and dominance.
It’s the number one cause of dog-on-dog aggression and the most common reason owners call me for help. Whenever your dog is playing it should be with you.
The owner says both dogs were released from their leads. Once free, the handler would have little or no control and one bite from the older dog was enough to kill the unfortunate puppy.
Staffordshire bull terriers need careful managing around other dogs and this should have been the prime consideration.
All pups need supervision around adult dogs (including mine) and should certainly not be ‘playing’ with an unknown terrier.
All it takes is one incident to seriously damage a puppy or in this case terminate a life.
Let’s not blame the breed for this catastrophe. I’ve worked with many excellent Staffies trained by owners committed to their education.
Providing you understand the breed and provide constructive exercise, education and leadership, there is no such thing as a bad dog.
If you need help I will be holding a dog behaviour clinic at Morley Green Club, SK9 5NT, on Saturday, August 31, between 1pm and 4pm. For a £10 contribution to animal support volunteers, your dog will receive my undivided attention.
