Staffordshire bull terrier question

supersmurf | 17:42 Mon 29th May 2006 | Animals & Nature

21 Answers

Hi, I am a new owner of a beautiful little 14 wk old staff male. Whilst out walking him on his second walk a guy stopped to chat with us and said something about Staff's should not be walked very much until they are 6 months old!?...this sounded a little odd to me as i would have thought walking and training your puppy was better started as young as possible...immunizations in order of course!...anyone have any advise regarding this matter?...many thanks

Supersmurf

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Ethel

This excellent site makes mention of young bones being soft bones and too much exercise can cause problems. Lots of other good advice too:

http://www.staffords.co.uk/sbtbc/guidelines.ht m

electricblue

Never walked our rotts till they were over a year,vet advised us of that cos of bandy legs,and we have never had problems,they are all perfect!

orange-gnome

It's a bit anal to be honest...of course you should walk your dogs...just don't over do it, don't let them run around too much outside, so just keep him on the lead and just a gentle shortish walk.
They need exercise, they need to get out in the world and meet other dogs, get used to traffic and strangers etc or you could end up with a neurotic, unsocialised dog!

electricblue

Mine are fine,they were socialised just not walked,i tend to take the advice of my vet,unless i see a BIG problem,,

kipchik

Once again a difference of opinion,does that make one of you wrong OR just two different opinions,

drgnrdr

2 diff opinions...it depends on what your experience was, if I raised rotties and I was worried mine would get parvo, which they are prone to do and have had that happ, then I would not want them running around on a sidewalk not knowing who was on same, but if I never had trouble with it and I did have or know rotties that always turned out aggressive and unsocialized because I/they kept them cooped up and living in a bubble then I would want to do the socializing and parvo be damned, just watch where I walked, kept them out of wet areas and grass. Small bits of excercise is fine IMHO they need to have it or they will get bored and the excess energy has to go somewhere...your shoe..furniture..etc..Also from everyone I've talked to their dog got something from the vet more often than just a walk around the block, which if you think about it, where are all the sick dogs? like going to emergency for broke toe come out with a flu.

Vet usually are not trainers and they don't know how sometimes to tell you how to socialize/exercise them safely. But trainers out there know how important exercise/play/socializing is. But I have seen 5 diff vets and trainers give 5 diff opinions, it depends on their experiences also.

I would let them walk and be careful to not over exert(heat of day a no no, have water) your pup they can only go so long anyway, they nap alot. Take it easy and build up the stamina slowly.

orange-gnome

I wasn't saying you were anal electric, sorry if it sounded like it.
I was trying to say that in my OPINION I think the concept of not walking your dogs until they are such an age is a tad on the anal side. Just because you could get a thousand pups all being walked from a young age and you might get 4-5 who develop a problem and these are only ones who go on big sprinting runs during their walks.

happy_face

Congratulations on your pup. You must be so excited and you've picked a right little loveable one there. I'm the proud owner of a 6 year old male staff and an 8 month old girl staff. I love staffs as they're so kind and fun (in the right hands of course, but then it's the same with any animal). I got our girl when she was 5 months old and since then we've been out for walks, short and long. And she plays with the male and they run in the fields and fight and take tumbles. She hasn't had any probs and she's so full of energy that she definitely needs it.

As mentioned before as long as your boy is all up to date with vaccs I would definitely take him out for walks but as he has only got small legs as yet, little but often and on the lead.

I would also recommend puppy classes as not only do you get an obidient dog but also because it stimulates the puppies so much and they get knackered and love to learn.

Pop along to this website which is all about dogs. It's fab:

http://orangedog.forumup.com/index.php?mforum=orangedog

ytrewq

We have a 4 month old st bernard puppy and the same applies that they should not be walked until 6 months, but he is very lazy and would sleep all day long if we let him. He gets walked most days to a park which is a couple of minutes away and we sit at the entrance so he can meet other dogs and people.

supersmurf

Question Author

Thank you all very much for your advise, and thanks smiley face for the congrats n yeah we are having great fun with him, my partner and i have the perfect excuse now to disapear off into fields of long grass for rambling walks with our little fella :-).

He is now 14 weeks and loves his walks and is really good with cars n roads...doin the sit thing n stuff...but he is sooooo not sure about horses...lol.....bless him! he nearly sh*t a brick the first one he saw.

Anyway thanks again all and enjoy ur pooches

Super smurf

supersmurf

Question Author

Thanks Ethel, just had a look on ur link site n its is very good...thanks for the advise...walks will be a bit shorter till he is a year old from now on ;-)

Dunno what they would say about the way he hurtles about the garden tho...lol

thanks again all

Supersmurf

orange-gnome

Hi, Supersmurf

I just wanted to add on here that just because you see something on a website even a staffie 'specialist' site doesn't make it right. You can find opposing opinions on many sites run by experts. Thats not just for you, its just that lots of people are all too keen to follow any advice given by 'people who know what they are talking about' . I know breeders who have been breeding for years and still give out their 'expert' opinion that puppies should be fed on weetabix and scrambled eggs alone until they are 10 months old!!!!!
Not to say that I don't think it's a good idea to keep your walks a bit shorter and gentler...its a sensible thing to do, just so long as he still gets to socialise and exercise, which I am sure in your clearly loving hands he will!

happy_face

have just had a look at the website Ethel recommended. I am shocked to read that the so called Staff council is saying it's alright to hit your staff with a newspaper.

You should never hit your dog and if you take it to classes you quickly learn easy little tips on getting your puppy/dog to do what you want without ever needing to hit it

supersmurf

Question Author

Thanks for your post orange-gnome, I totally agree...i think following any one persons all be it 'Good advise' would be foolish.

We are very happily enjoying our walks with our little man n nothin or no one is gonna deter us from that, that is why we got him after all, to spend time with walking n gettin out in the country for a lil RnR.

He loves his walks n loves meeting new people n makin new friends with all the dogs he just cant wait to throw himself on his back to let them tickle his tummy..(he hasnt worked out the tail end sniff thing yet).

I would feel cruel to say the least taking any of that away from him, so no..we wont be stopping walking him, good advise is just that eh...advise, its up to the individual to decide what they feel is best and each dog is very different from the another...and mine would beat me with a newspaper if i tried to stop him gettin out in his new found world :-).

Thanks to you all n keep talkin ;-)

Supersmurf X

happy_face

Good for you Supersmurf. Sounds like you're a well balanced doggy owner and I'm sure the little'an will grow up to be a lovely balanced boy too. Especially if he carries on with the tummy tickling, he'll have all the ladies after him.

Would love to see a pic of him to reminish. Haven't you got one you could post. Use photobucket.com

supersmurf

Question Author

Some pickies of our lil man