WTF? My roommate's normally friendly dog just turned violent.

[NightTrain]

I was just out walking Mystique, my roommate Patrick's 50-pound pit bull.

In the month I've been living here, Mystique has shown herself to be one of the friendliest, gentlest, and most affectionate dogs I've ever known. She loves people, and she often licks Patrick's two cats.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Mystique suddenly turned violent at the sight of another dog! All it took was one look at that dog, who appeared to be just a puppy, for Mystique to emit a primal roar and charge at the little guy. In fact, she ran at him with such force, she yanked her leash from my hand!

Thankfully, I caught up with Mystique, grabbed her leash, and quite literally pulled her away from the other dog before she could hurt him. And once he was out of her sight, Mystique reverted to her normal, loving self.

Now we're back in the condo, where Mystique is nestled on the floor beneath my computer table and nuzzling my bare feet. It's as if the encounter with the puppy never happened.

Since Patrick works all day and attends college classes at night, I've taken it upon myself to take Mystique walking so she doesn't answer nature's call in the house. But after what just happened, I'm afraid to take her out again!

So tell me, experienced dog owners: any idea why that puppy made Mystique go ballistic? :shrug:

[achtung_circus]

1. Pit Bulls are dog-aggressive

bred to be to ensure good fights. Some of them have other triggers, usually unknown until triggered. That, their popularity with brain dead tough guy wannabees and the damage potential they have make them a challenging breed to own.

[shraby]

2. What would anyone want a pit bull for?

Those dogs are too unpredictable and by virtue of their size can be extremely dangerous. I could never be comfortable owning one even if I'd raised it from a tiny pup.

You're just lucky a child didn't trigger the dog.

[NightTrain]

11. You'll have to ask my roommate; it's his dog.

He raised Mystique from a puppy and trained her to be a loving house pet--not an attack dog.

Up until this evening, my biggest problem with Mystique was that she often gets too affectionate--such as jumping up on me when I'm lying in bed and licking my face until I have to wash it. And she has always been wonderful to the neighborhood children!

When Patrick gets home tonight, I'm going to tell him what happened and ask if Mystique has done this before. What else can I do?

[Richard D]

3. Probably the breed

Pit Bulls tend to be pretty unpredictable.

[MrScorpio]

4. Pit bulls in particular are hard wired to attack other dogs

They may be great around people and your cats, but for other dogs (Unknown) their desire to kill is inescapable

[dogman]

5. Some dogs don't like other dogs.

It's their nature and more common in some breeds. that's one reason this breed is used in dog fighting. Some don't like certain ages, sexes or even races. They have to be trained, but that might take a lot of time and work.

[carpediem]

6. it's the terrier in her

I have owned 2 part terrier mixed breeds and both have flipped out at the sight of other dogs. Our border collie just looked/looks at them like they were/are crazy.

Our first terrier, a 20 lb mutt, took on my sister's 105 lb rottweiler on a regular basis - and won. She would stay under the rotties belly and bite upward and the rottie couldn't move fast enough to get her back.

Both were fine in our house, very loving and tolerant of people and other animals in their own surroundings.

One thing that has helped is wrapping the leash around her belly (it goes from the collar down her back, around her belly and back through the leash on her back.) It doesn't make her any quieter, but it stops the lunging, because when she lunges it puts pressure on her tummy. (recommended by my sister, a vet, because it is self-governing).

[Feanorcurufinwe]

7. Dogs have their own social dynamic

and it is hard for us to really understand it.

BTW, has Mystique ever had puppies? I had a dog once that I bred, she had a nice small litter, only 4, and she was a good mom, but after that, she hated puppies, you know, towards the end of the weaning process when they have teeth... well anyway, whenever she met a puppy after that she would try to hurt it - once. That was usually enough to instill a lifetime fear of her in that dog.

[Wcross]

18. Oh yeah, I can see a female dog hating pups!

My poor girl had only two and could only take four weeks of nursing before she had enough! The two little guys were relentless in pusuit of milk!

[Alenne]

8. I volunteer at an animal shelter

and I can tell you it just happens. There are dogs there that get along with most dogs but will see a particular dog and turn crazy. I've seen it happen with chihuahuas, pit bulls, and mutts.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. pit bulls are often raised to be dog aggressive

his previous owner could have raised her as a fighting dog

[yellerpup]

10. I raised pitbulls in the early seventies

Hand raised, no violence, no spanking, treated them like babies... When the female had puppies, I was playing with one of them and she evidently had a moment of jealousy and "nipped" me on the forearm. They have such bite, it bruised me to the bone. We lived on ten acres, with plenty of room. Our closest neighbor had an old German shepherd, very sweet old fellow who had socialized with both dogs since they were puppies. One night, they went next door and literally ripped him apart. The neighbor, understandably, was livid. While we were deciding what to do with the dogs, the very next night, they again went to the neighbors house as the neighbor's company was getting into their car to leave. Again, the dogs attacked, only this time they attacked people. If the neighbor hadn't had a wooden leg and kicked them off his guests, god knows what they would have done. The next day we took them to a cattle sale and gave them away to separate ranchers as guard dogs. I'll never know what made them so volatile. They are impulsive and not very smart. I would never recommend a pitbull as a pet. Breaks my heart, but they can't be trusted in the long run. Hope this helps. Sorry.

[underseasurveyor]

12. Just being a terrier is part of it

Being a Staffordshire terrier adds another level to that. Aside from the fact of being a Pitt, diet may or may not have something to do with it.

Years ago when he was a younger dog between 1 and 3 years old, my always passive male boxer and yes he's neutered, I noticed he had a tendency to become very edgy and aggressive if the protein level in his diet was on the high end and remained elevated for any length of time. I'm careful to be aware of how much protein he gets. I'm not exactly sure if it was just an adolescent time or the higher levels of protein, but once I did reduced it he remained on a more even keel.

[ajacobson]

13. Do NOT ignore this.

This dog is dog reactive. Sometime we know this from an early age and sometimes it is something we discover. Now knowing this, this means life changes from this point forward: 1) You (meaning whoever is in charge of the dog at any point) have to anticipate who and what the dog may come into contact with at any time, 2) The dog is capable of inflicting serious damage on other critters (and any humans that may get in the way), and 3) You (and others) have a responsibility to manage this behavior through training and prevention. If the owner of the dog and anybody that is in charge of the dog at any time cannot do these three things, then there is a big problem.

My first suggestion would be to bring the dog to a behaviorist to determine the severity of the reactivity and to recommend a training regime for dealing with it. That may be pricey. I suggest looking on the website of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com) for a trainer referral. Not all trainers are behaviorists but most APDT members should be able to hook you up with one, depending where you are located.

I know this sounds totally hardass but in my experience of training hundreds of dogs for the Michigan Humane Society Pet Education Center over the last four years, and my own dogs for years before that, this will provide the best chance of preventing reactivity from blossoming into full-blown aggression, and trust me you do not want to go there. Please pass this on to your roommate.

Alan Jacobson
APDT #62235

[FranzFerdinand]

14. hang on

i call b*llshit on this one. here is the deal, this pit bull was not properly socialized and does not know how to react to other dogs. plain and simple. pit bulls are not pre-disposed to be angry towards other dogs, typically they are inbred to be attack dogs against other dogs or humans, for that matter.

if a puppy is properly socialized, no matter what breed, it will not attack other dogs (unless attacked). properly socialized dogs who are prone to "guarding" their owner will simply not stand down against another dog. it will attempt to hold it's own ground. it will not simply attack another dog.

i know labrador retrievers who attack other dogs. i'm an experienced dog owner of over 25 years of multiple, healthy, properly socialized dogs and have trained many from pup to old age. it's no slight on your roomate, he doesn't have an "itchy trigger dog by birth" and he simply just didn't get the right opportunities to socialize her as a pup.

whatever you do, i emplore you to have your roomate look into an obedience class for older dogs. they *can* learn to be socialized, but you've got to get her out there in a controlled environment. this sudden attack mode *will* happen everytime it approaches another dog. *please*, i'm begging you, before she hurts or frightens another dog, get her into some good, fun classes. both the owner and the dog will benefit greatly, i promise you. she sounds like she is a great dog otherwise and i'm sure your roomate is a wonderful owner. again, this is no slight against your roomate at all. i know tons of dog owners who didn't get the chance to socialize their pups and have the same results that you had. it's no big deal, keep her on a short (strong) leash in the meantime...

one last point, breeds are not inclined to be born ready to "hate" another breed. this is not true. dogs read by opposing positioning, size, stance, facial expressions and they make territorial decisions, smell decisions, a million things. they do not know what breeds other dogs are. that's just silly.

oh and one last question... do you know the history of this dog and it's parents? it's always possible that she *is* inbred and therefore, she's probably crazy ;)

[Dookus]

15. despite what the pit bull contingent says

they ARE more unpredictable than most breeds. Even well-raised, well-socialized dogs can attack for no reason. It occurs more in some breeds than others, and pit bulls are at the top of the list.

Are MOST pit bulls good dogs? Yeah. But a higher percentage of them are unpredictable and prone to unexpected attacks.

[FranzFerdinand]

17. ehh

i don't know. i hear what you are saying but, well-bred pit bulls, by standards are not attack dogs. they look mean, doesn't mean they are. they are either raised mean, they are inbred or they possibly didn't get socialized correctly.

it became cool at some time to breed a stronger pit bull. mixed with all kinds of crazy shit, inbred and inbred and inbred. like springer spaniels. those dogs are nuts when they are inbred. pit bull, bull terrier, rottweilers, boxers, you name, breeds have been spliced and spliced all across America in backyards, on the streets and in puppy mills. it's a sad decision when you need to decide whether you rescue from the SPCA or you find a good breeder...

btw, i've never owned a pit bull so, i'm probably full of shit ;)

[papau]

16. "socialized" Staffordshire terrier are not all that calm with other dogs

for any length of time.

I have never seem one accept a you sniff my rear/genitalia meeting that was not over in a few seconds.

Some dogs get up close and personal and the Pitt loses it - even those that are well trained and socialized.

They calm down quickly (the ones that are well socialized) - but in that 5 seconds of telling the other dog to "get out of my 'face'" great damage can be done because their jaws are so strong (about 10 times the bite of a "soft mouth" golden).

However I agree with the previous poster -FranzFerdinand - that well socialized Pitt will not go looking for trouble.

[sbj405]

19. Any dog that is not socialized will be dog aggressive

Sounds like the dog doesn't get out much. If you want to walk her, I would recommend a Halti or Gentle Leader rather than a collar.