Dog good, owner bad

It turns out there may be another aggressive Staffie (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) using the park that Pluto and I and all our doggie and doggie owner friends are using so I’ve made the decision to call the dog warden and warn them of what’s happening. Apparently this dog was egged on by its owner to go for another dog. An older lady also told me there was dog fighting in the area. Pluto has a bit of Staffie in him we think. The belief is that these dogs are aggressive by nature. They are not, they are protective, but if you have an aggressive dog (any breed) you have a dog in a permanent state of anxiety and fear and uncertainty. In other words, you have a very stressed animal. Aggression is not a natural state. Staffies were popular at the turn of the century when they were kept by working class people for their protective, stoic and loyal qualities. During this time England had its fair share of slums and there was massive overcrowding in the inner-cities; the dogs themselves also lived in these overcrowded and chaotic conditions – any signs of aggression towards a human or another pet and the dog would as often as not, been taken outside and killed. Consequently, aggressive traits were likely to have been bred out of the dogs. They are generally fun and loving dogs that mix well with kids and other pets. Once again it is the owners that are the problem. Inhumane bastards that see living creatures as disposable status symbols.
Anyway I prefer to do something rather than just sit here worrying, and you know when people start to talk about not using the park anymore and of being “frightened”, that something very definitely needs to be done…
Pluto was a bit of a slow coach on his walk today but generally in very high spirits. Our dear friends and neighbours bought him a new toy on Monday and it’s his new best thing ever. (He is, I’m afraid, a fairly fickle creature with a basket full of toys that have all at one stage been his new best thing ever!)
Personally I’m feeling much better as well - much more energy anyway. Now I need to focus on my ever increasing work load and get organised!
TOP TIP: If you walk your dog at night, buy a large Maglite torch. Expensive I know, but not only is it practical to have a torch for evening / night walks, but they are very heavy and if you are attacked (and I hope that never happens) they are good defensive weapons. I'm not advocating violence and you should only ever do what feels right for you, but safety is an issue nowadays and it doesn't hurt to be prepared.