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Staffordshire Bull Terriers
18 Answers
We was going to get a Jack Russell from a rescue centre but so far we`ve not found one suitable enough, we have been offered a Staff who needs rehoming because the owners work all day. I have spoken to the owner and he has 3 small kids and says the dog is excellent with them etc, and that the dog chews anything wooden when it`s left alone. I am going to see it tommorow,any Staffy owners comments would be most welcome...thanks in advance
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Sorry to disagree with you Dukeydog. Staffy owners will nearly always say they are suitable for children, espeically if they want to get rid of one. I personally don't think they are suitable to be around children. Yes, I am sure they can be lovely dogs, but they were once bred to fight and when they do can easily kill a child. Terriers are lovely but very head strong dogs and need to be kept in their place or things can quickly get out of hand. If you have children why not get a breed more suited to being around them. Whatever you end up getting, please do put the effort in to train your new friend. See if you can find a clicker training class nearby. It is great fun and you will end up with a more reliable dog. Best of luck.
Someone at ringcraft had a fourteen week old staffy pup last night. It was going for everything in sight, and we could not get near it to 'go over' it. Owners were amused by this, god help them when it is fourteen months.
If I were going to get a Staffy I would want one from a puppy, and have seen both parents and other relations, checked that they were both health tested for HC and L2-HGA, and that their temperaments were sound.
As for the chewing, why did they put up with it? Do you think you will be able to stop this?
Please consider very carefully if this is the sort of dog you want to take on -other people's problems can be difficult to erase.
If I were going to get a Staffy I would want one from a puppy, and have seen both parents and other relations, checked that they were both health tested for HC and L2-HGA, and that their temperaments were sound.
As for the chewing, why did they put up with it? Do you think you will be able to stop this?
Please consider very carefully if this is the sort of dog you want to take on -other people's problems can be difficult to erase.
Agree with lankeela.
Would add one thing - DO NOT believe totally the people who are giving the dog up. People very rarely give all the real reasons for giving dogs away - don't forget they want rid of the dog!
You would be better off getting a dog from a rescue as they will be more honest with you.
I rescued a GSD directly off the people, their only reason was that the wife could not stand her following her around the house.
She was emaciated, had a massive tape worm, vomited frequently (result of tapeworm I think), had severe HD - I could go on. They also said she loved the car - she was carsick after five minutes - I had to build up the journey times like with a puppy!
If you end up falling for the dog, or feeling sorry for it, then one of the first things I would do is take it to the vet and get a full check on it. Do not trust it around anything (kids, dogs etc.) until you know for yourself that it is safe. Forget everything the previous owners have told you.
Let us know how you get on.
Would add one thing - DO NOT believe totally the people who are giving the dog up. People very rarely give all the real reasons for giving dogs away - don't forget they want rid of the dog!
You would be better off getting a dog from a rescue as they will be more honest with you.
I rescued a GSD directly off the people, their only reason was that the wife could not stand her following her around the house.
She was emaciated, had a massive tape worm, vomited frequently (result of tapeworm I think), had severe HD - I could go on. They also said she loved the car - she was carsick after five minutes - I had to build up the journey times like with a puppy!
If you end up falling for the dog, or feeling sorry for it, then one of the first things I would do is take it to the vet and get a full check on it. Do not trust it around anything (kids, dogs etc.) until you know for yourself that it is safe. Forget everything the previous owners have told you.
Let us know how you get on.
Carakeel, are you for real ????
how can you make a comment like that ?!?!?
ANY DOG IS CAPABLE OF KILLING A CHILD !!
ive got a Stafford and she has a VERY VERY nasty side to her. she is dangerous with children and animals, but i know she`s a nasty dog. i often wonder if she`s part pit bull but she also has a side to her that is soft as butter. she will sit on my lap and behave like a puppy. this is a dog that weight 50lb of pure muscle..
as a breed, the Stafford is one of the most loyal and loving animals you can have the pleasure of owning.
as a guard dog, they are fearless and would die before they allowed anyone to harm their owner.
if i were buying one i would want a puppy. bring a dog up how you want it to be and to be mastered by one master.
my dog has NEVER wrecked my house and is as clean as a new pin. they need a good wash to keep the smell down though. they can fart and burp for England !!
to say the dog is a potential child killer is an insult. in fact im disgusted that ANYONE would post an answer like that.
STAFFORDS ARE BRILLIANT DOGS NOT CHILD KILLERS..
how can you make a comment like that ?!?!?
ANY DOG IS CAPABLE OF KILLING A CHILD !!
ive got a Stafford and she has a VERY VERY nasty side to her. she is dangerous with children and animals, but i know she`s a nasty dog. i often wonder if she`s part pit bull but she also has a side to her that is soft as butter. she will sit on my lap and behave like a puppy. this is a dog that weight 50lb of pure muscle..
as a breed, the Stafford is one of the most loyal and loving animals you can have the pleasure of owning.
as a guard dog, they are fearless and would die before they allowed anyone to harm their owner.
if i were buying one i would want a puppy. bring a dog up how you want it to be and to be mastered by one master.
my dog has NEVER wrecked my house and is as clean as a new pin. they need a good wash to keep the smell down though. they can fart and burp for England !!
to say the dog is a potential child killer is an insult. in fact im disgusted that ANYONE would post an answer like that.
STAFFORDS ARE BRILLIANT DOGS NOT CHILD KILLERS..
the thing is, if you are a sensible owner then you keep your dog away from a situation that could be potentially dangerous as im sure funkymoped does. I think i am right in saying that he doesnt have small children so its not an issue. NO dogs should ever be left alone with children no matter what breed and i agree that a breed does not make a bad dog, an owner does.
I've got 2 and would never swap them for anything. One is 6 and we rehomed him as some friends had him and couldn't cope. We've had him for about 18months and he's the most well behaved boy. The girl we got from a puppy and she's adorable but hard work until we starting puppy training. With any dog you get out of it what you put in. And you can most certainly teach an old dog new tricks so if you were to go for this Staffy I would still recommend training. How well do you know the people who doesn't want it anymore? As mentioned before you can't trust them entirely because they obviously want to get rid. But as Staffies CRAVE attention it might well be that it's a true reason. And poor dog is obviously showing signs of separation anxiety by eating his/her way through the house.
Could you not have a trial period, say a week?
Could you not have a trial period, say a week?
lankeela.
i know my dog is dangerous.... for that reason i wouldnt trust her with toddlers or animals. we own a cat that rules the roost. the cat is 12 years old and weighs about 10lb but it puts my dog in her place....
i could have ignored to mention my dogs attitude and given ELVIS a load of twoddle..
the man wants TRUE to life advice about Staffords. i gave an honest answer.
as a breed in general, they are perfect pets. as i mentioned before, loyal and loving. strong as an ox and built for like a brick out house.
my dog was seperated from other animals as a pup because she was infested with mites when we collected her from the breeders.
both her parents were viewed and liked by us. good build and temperament.....
i would advise new owners to work the dog regular. they NEED to work.
i know my dog is dangerous.... for that reason i wouldnt trust her with toddlers or animals. we own a cat that rules the roost. the cat is 12 years old and weighs about 10lb but it puts my dog in her place....
i could have ignored to mention my dogs attitude and given ELVIS a load of twoddle..
the man wants TRUE to life advice about Staffords. i gave an honest answer.
as a breed in general, they are perfect pets. as i mentioned before, loyal and loving. strong as an ox and built for like a brick out house.
my dog was seperated from other animals as a pup because she was infested with mites when we collected her from the breeders.
both her parents were viewed and liked by us. good build and temperament.....
i would advise new owners to work the dog regular. they NEED to work.
Thanks for your replies...here`s the story
I went to see the dog and the woman told me the reason for wanting to rehome it was because it is left alone all day and they feel it is not fair on the dog.
She asked me more questions than I asked her!
As for the chewing of wooden things.....It has chewed the door frame, which is understandable if it`s left inside for 7 hours every day.
I took the dog out and it was very well behaved both on the lead and in the car,apart from laying on my lap whilst driving!. She has had the dog from birth and said her sister in law owned the father, She has re-assured me that the dog is ok with kids and because she is a friend of a friend I feel they are not just getting rid of it for the sake of it.
I am collecting the dog today and I`m taking her for a check-up at the vets, thanks again for your replies
I went to see the dog and the woman told me the reason for wanting to rehome it was because it is left alone all day and they feel it is not fair on the dog.
She asked me more questions than I asked her!
As for the chewing of wooden things.....It has chewed the door frame, which is understandable if it`s left inside for 7 hours every day.
I took the dog out and it was very well behaved both on the lead and in the car,apart from laying on my lap whilst driving!. She has had the dog from birth and said her sister in law owned the father, She has re-assured me that the dog is ok with kids and because she is a friend of a friend I feel they are not just getting rid of it for the sake of it.
I am collecting the dog today and I`m taking her for a check-up at the vets, thanks again for your replies
Please don't give up! I don't know where you are in the country but try visiting one of the large rescue centres, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, RSPCA or even Battersea (if you are in London). What about the Staffie breed rescue - they usually have representatives around the country (Breed rescues can be found in most Dog Magazines).
Taking a dog straight off people is extremely risky, as you have found! They can change their minds at any time - at least you had not had the dog for a week before they asked for it back (my friend had that!, she let them have the dog back, a week later they phoned her to ask if she would take the dog again!!).
There are lots of dogs out there needing good homes - the RSPCA are putting dogs to sleep every day just through lack of a good home, so please don't give up looking!
Taking a dog straight off people is extremely risky, as you have found! They can change their minds at any time - at least you had not had the dog for a week before they asked for it back (my friend had that!, she let them have the dog back, a week later they phoned her to ask if she would take the dog again!!).
There are lots of dogs out there needing good homes - the RSPCA are putting dogs to sleep every day just through lack of a good home, so please don't give up looking!
Kita1, Staffs weren't bred for fighting they were bred for ratting and other vermin hunting. That kind of opinion and statement only gives the dog a bad rep.
I think what funkymoped refers to as working is working their muscles and mind. Like all dogs they need good walks (if you're not tired after the walk, your dog certainly isn't either) and then they need mental stimulation. Training a dog for 20mins is equivilant to 1hr walk as their mind get's stimulated. Kongs and hiding treats also works well.
Staffies have muscle and stamina and love using both. They would do tug of war 24/7 if they were allowed to. They may not be well known for obedience but that doesn't mean to say they don't do well. No dog would know obedience if it wasn't trained and Staffies do excellent in the right hands. They're terriers after all which means they love to learn and are quick to learn.
ELVIS68, I'm sorry you didn't get the dog when you had your heart set on it. It's funny how your story reflects mine so much. Our boy was offered to us by the family 3 times before we actually got him. The husband called with a month's interval and asked if we wanted him and then they couldn't part with him as the kids got upset. In the end we said not to call until they were serious as we got our hopes up all the time. In the end they realised that they just couldn't keep him as they too worked long hours and after having a chat with the kids we got him. So maybe there's still hope for you.
I think what funkymoped refers to as working is working their muscles and mind. Like all dogs they need good walks (if you're not tired after the walk, your dog certainly isn't either) and then they need mental stimulation. Training a dog for 20mins is equivilant to 1hr walk as their mind get's stimulated. Kongs and hiding treats also works well.
Staffies have muscle and stamina and love using both. They would do tug of war 24/7 if they were allowed to. They may not be well known for obedience but that doesn't mean to say they don't do well. No dog would know obedience if it wasn't trained and Staffies do excellent in the right hands. They're terriers after all which means they love to learn and are quick to learn.
ELVIS68, I'm sorry you didn't get the dog when you had your heart set on it. It's funny how your story reflects mine so much. Our boy was offered to us by the family 3 times before we actually got him. The husband called with a month's interval and asked if we wanted him and then they couldn't part with him as the kids got upset. In the end we said not to call until they were serious as we got our hopes up all the time. In the end they realised that they just couldn't keep him as they too worked long hours and after having a chat with the kids we got him. So maybe there's still hope for you.
happyface: Staffordshire Bull Terrier ' originally bred for bull-baiting and dog fighting in Birmingham by James Hinks in the mid 1800's' quotation from a Staffie breeders site.
From a dog encyclopedia: Staffordshire Bull Terrier 'originally bred for bull and bear baiting'.
They were originally called just Bull Terrier.
I am not trying to give any dog a bad reputation, but you have to be realistic and look at what each breed was originally bred for. Staffies have been bred to fight for many, many years, that is one reason they have such a strong jaw and muscular build (plus to 'bait' a bull takes alot of strength) - there is no vermin in this country that would warrent breeding a dog like this. A normal terrier will take care of any rats sufficiently well.
It may be illegal today but dog fighting was a very popular sport in its day, and believe it or not is still carried on today in some parts of this country. Some people are still breeding (and selling) dogs for this whether we like it or not.
From a dog encyclopedia: Staffordshire Bull Terrier 'originally bred for bull and bear baiting'.
They were originally called just Bull Terrier.
I am not trying to give any dog a bad reputation, but you have to be realistic and look at what each breed was originally bred for. Staffies have been bred to fight for many, many years, that is one reason they have such a strong jaw and muscular build (plus to 'bait' a bull takes alot of strength) - there is no vermin in this country that would warrent breeding a dog like this. A normal terrier will take care of any rats sufficiently well.
It may be illegal today but dog fighting was a very popular sport in its day, and believe it or not is still carried on today in some parts of this country. Some people are still breeding (and selling) dogs for this whether we like it or not.
is the past history of the breed an issue ?
Staffords are amazing animals. they are (in my opinion) the perfect pet. yes they have energy to spare, and will pull like a train for hours. when they start to get tired, it hits them instantly. they tend to hit the floor and wait till they are ready to move.
they are not stupid. in fact they are clever dogs, just stuborn....
work them on a harness. let them pull. work their body and keep their mind active. treat them right and you have a loyal and loving friend for life..
ELVIS, sorry to hear you didnt get him this time..
Staffords are amazing animals. they are (in my opinion) the perfect pet. yes they have energy to spare, and will pull like a train for hours. when they start to get tired, it hits them instantly. they tend to hit the floor and wait till they are ready to move.
they are not stupid. in fact they are clever dogs, just stuborn....
work them on a harness. let them pull. work their body and keep their mind active. treat them right and you have a loyal and loving friend for life..
ELVIS, sorry to hear you didnt get him this time..
funkeymoped, just wondering, if your staffy has "pitbull" in her, that would make her illegal, right? Under the dangerous dogs act?
Secondly, if you know she is dangerous, do you not think it would be a good idea to get her trained?
We have another case of a bull terrier killing a child, and you admit your dog is dangerous? What if it attacks someone elses kid? Or a family member? Would you accdept it being "dangerous" then?
These are great dogs but physically they are very, VERY capable animals. If owners of these dogs would just ensure they are safe from the word go around anyone we wouldn't have these accidents happening. It is because people accept their dogs are dangrous that it does happen. Admitting it is only half the problem, solving it is the important part................
Secondly, if you know she is dangerous, do you not think it would be a good idea to get her trained?
We have another case of a bull terrier killing a child, and you admit your dog is dangerous? What if it attacks someone elses kid? Or a family member? Would you accdept it being "dangerous" then?
These are great dogs but physically they are very, VERY capable animals. If owners of these dogs would just ensure they are safe from the word go around anyone we wouldn't have these accidents happening. It is because people accept their dogs are dangrous that it does happen. Admitting it is only half the problem, solving it is the important part................
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