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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to get a dog..

157 replies

bigbitch90 · 21/02/2011 14:25

with a 1, 2 and 3 year old?

I've had afew comments from family and friends saying I shouldn't have a dog with young children. Hmm
I'm buying it as a puppy from a friend and have done alot of research online about the breed and its an ideal family dog and excellent with children. It wont have the run of the house as I have stair gates up so can keep it away from the children say if I'm cooking or cleaning.
So.. AIBU?

OP posts:
SunshineisSorry · 21/02/2011 19:12

If you had researched the breed properly you would know it is not a dog that would fit well into your family set up. The fact that you have never owned a dog before and are considering a SBT as a first dog with three young children who will take up all your time, so you wont have time to train the dog indicate that you are extremely niave, nothing to do with your age.

Totally unfair to the pup, and ulitmately unfair to your chilren when the dog becomes a problem and you have to rehome yet another staffordshire bull terrier, you'll break their hearts.

I am an ex veterinary nurse, worked with dogs for many years, i have owned two rotwiellers, one with serious issues that i managed to retrain. There is no way on this earth i would own a staff, they are just too mad and i don't have the time to train one.

Vallhala · 21/02/2011 19:14

"Why are people still breeding these dogs?"

Because Mog, most of them are utter bastards in search of a fast buck in my not inconsiderable experience.

The rest are misguided, naive fools. (Also in my not inconsiderable experience).

midori1999 · 21/02/2011 19:16

OP if the dogs are not KC registered, I am afraid the breeder is not a responsible one. Also, perhaps you can clarify to me what the heck the 'working field' is for Staffies?! Confused It's very rare that a good breeder owns both the stud dog and the bitch being bred as it would be a massive co-incidence that the dog and bitch they owned (even if bought as puppies for that purpose) would be a good enough match for each other genetically, temprementally, conformationally and in terms of health. Also, breeders don't normally do repeat matings because of what it does to the gene pool, so having a 'breeding pair' (there's no such thing in dogs!) even if they were perfect for each other, would be a waste.

Staffies are the only breed the KC have implored people to stop breeding, because the situation with then in rescue is at crisis point. At any time around half of dogs in any rescue will be staffs and staff crosses.

It's clear from your post that you do not know much about health testing in breeding dogs. As you are considering a Staff I would strongly advise you to make sure that the parent dogs are both fully tested for L2-HGA. Puppies that suffer from this disease can be dead by 6 months old or suffering from delibating illness which includes siezures and can include temprement changes. Parents can be carriers, so may seem perfectly healthy.

One of the reasons breeders charge so much for their pups is both to ensure that proper thought has gone into buying a pup (as not many people would or can spend several hundreds of pounbds on a whim!) and that the new homes can afford the upkeep of the dog. Plus, it costs a heck of a lot of money to rear a litter properly. For me, an average sized litter (8-10 pups, large breed) would cost around £2000 from mating to leaving me and that is as I already own a lot of the expensive equipment needed and without any complications such as a cesarian being needed.

Oh, and by 'socialisation' I mean what socialisation will the puppies have prior to leaving the breeder?

Honestly, if you want a pup, I think you need to do a heck of a lot more research and put it off for a bit whilst you do that research, which would make your friend's puppy out of the question.That would also give you time to save up for a properly bred puppy. I'm not suprised your friend is offering you a pup, people cannot give Staff pups away unless they are very, very, very well bred these days. They are ten a penny in rescue and that includes puppies sadly. Sad

BooyFuckingHoo · 21/02/2011 19:17

oh dear lord.

BB90 please please dont get this dog. you haven't a clue what you are doing. this much is obvious from your posts.

if there is one thing that you do, please listen to Valhalla. she knows dogs and the dog world inside out. there is very little she doesn't know or can't find out pretty damn sharp. she works entirely for the good of the dog and she absoloutely 100% means it when she gives advice like this. she is saying this all for a reason. please please don't brush off what she is saying. you have asked the question because people you knew were telling you not to have a dog and most of the people here are telling you not to (teh ones that are telling you to go for it, i am actually quite astounded by the ignorance of some TBH)you have been given great advice. please take it. for the sake of the dog.

CalamityKate · 21/02/2011 19:18

I'm confused - in your OP you said you're buying the puppy from a friend, but you say the friend owns the Dad but not the Mum?

coccyx · 21/02/2011 19:19

Novelty will soon wear off and hey presto another poor dog to rehome

Original poster
bigbitch90 · 21/02/2011 19:22

Sorry - The dad owner is selling them because he wants them to go to good homes, hes really funny about that.

OP posts:
Original poster
bigbitch90 · 21/02/2011 19:22

I wouldnt rehome the dog

OP posts:
CalamityKate · 21/02/2011 19:23

So what input is the bitch owner having? What if they disagree about who is suitable to have a pup?

Is he worried that the bitch owner WON'T make sure they go to good homes then?

BooyFuckingHoo · 21/02/2011 19:24

you mean the mum owner isn't getting anything for rearing these pups and putting her bitch in pup?

BooyFuckingHoo · 21/02/2011 19:25

why did he breed his dog with a dog whose owner he doesn't trust? he doesn't sound very responsible TBH.

Original poster
bigbitch90 · 21/02/2011 19:25

This is her first dog and first litter, as hes experienced i presume thats why I think she just wants the profit to be fair doesn't care where they go thats why hes homing them

OP posts:
midori1999 · 21/02/2011 19:25

No-one who gets a dog thinks they'll rehome it.

It sounds a very odd situation and I wouldn't touch one of these dogs with a barge pole. I appreciate that is can be very hard to weed out good breeders from poor ones and that people don't always understand why KC registration is important when buying a puppy, but please, please, please do not support breeders like this. It is because of them so many dogs are in rescue and being put to sleep. If they can't home their pups they will eventually have to stop breeding them.

People can have the absolute best of intentions and still be crap breeders.

DooinMeCleanin · 21/02/2011 19:25

Lots and lots of lovely puppies here. I'd thoroughly reccomend a lurcher or sighthound as a first puppy. And it just so happens Many Tears have one atm, called Hughie Smile

Please op, for the love of all things holy, do not get a stafford puppy. It doesn't matter how much you have read, you are not prepared for a stafford pup. That is why they end up in rescue, not because they are bad dogs, or because they are dangerous, but because of the sheer amount of time and energy they take.

The pup who drove me to tears regularly was a stafford.

BooyFuckingHoo · 21/02/2011 19:26

so he chose to breed his dog with a bitch whose owner doesn't give a fuck about what happens to the pups?

i am getting angrier with each of your posts.

midori1999 · 21/02/2011 19:27

It just gets worse, once again, I wouldn't touch themn with a bargepole.

CalamityKate · 21/02/2011 19:27

So he allowed his dog to mate with the dog of someone he doesn't trust, and who is only in it for the money?

This gets more and more dodgy-sounding by the second. TBH you all sound like exactly the sort of people who shouldn't have dogs.

YankNCock · 21/02/2011 19:27

We got our SBT mix from the local dogs home as a 9.5 wk old puppy and my DS was 15mo at the time. I've had dogs for most of my life, while DH never had one.

A lot of people said I was 'mad' as well, and our pup is a lot of hard work. Training is all day, every day (mostly about what is appropriate to chew--NOT MY SHOES). The food, the pet insurance, vet bills, flea/worm control, etc are not cheap.

He is great, but then I knew what to expect getting a puppy, while DH did not. He has said a few times 'if I'd known how hard it would be, I wouldn't have done it' and 'when does having a dog start to be fun?'. We've had a few fights about this. Mostly it is DH being a bit overdramatic.

If I had it to do over, I might have left it a bit longer, and that is with just ONE child and a full understanding of how much work puppies are. So I think being inexperienced and having THREE very young children, I'd say YABU.

BooyFuckingHoo · 21/02/2011 19:28

"TBH you all sound like exactly the sort of people who shouldn't have dogs"

totally agree.

another dog in rescue in less than 6 months Sad

RIZZ0 · 21/02/2011 19:28

I knew the answer to my question would be SBT.

Just can't be arsed TBH. Listen to Valhalla, she make much sense. Bye.

SunshineisSorry · 21/02/2011 19:28

bigbitch

How much is the pup?

What age will it be leaving its mother?

What feeding regeime will you follow?

Do you know how much its vaccinations will cost?

How much is dog insurance? Will the breeder do the first lot of vaccinations, does the dog come with six weeks free insurance?

Have you met the mother at all? Hmm

What about worming? will you do that every month for the first six months?

What about having the dog castrated or speyed, how much will this cost.

What will you do to introduce bite inhibition, all dogs puppy bite, its fucking painful, when you are 2 year old can you imagine being bitten over and over by a mad staff puppy? How are you going to get over this?

Will you crate train your dog?

How will you toilet train it?

How much exercise will it get?

How long is the maximum recommended time to leave an dog alone for?

What will you feed it on? A decent expensive diet or rocket fuel from the supermarket?

How much per week do you anticipate spending on your dog food etc?

Flea treatment? How much per month?

If you decide you cant cope, your dog will be most likely put to sleep, can you live with that?

BooyFuckingHoo · 21/02/2011 19:29

needing rescue in less than six months. not in.

SlubberdeVelcro · 21/02/2011 19:31

God what a sorry state of affairs.

This is terrible BB, can't you see that now?

If you go ahead and buy this puppy you are supporting an unscupulous breeder. You will be actively (by the power of whatever money transaction there is) be encouraging them to breed more puppies.

More SBTs.

Do you believe on a moral basis, if not from a purely practical one, that this is not a good decision.

SunshineisSorry · 21/02/2011 19:31

OMFG "its her first dog and first litter!" Someone has a litter of pups with her first dog and you think she is a responsible breeder.

Please don't encourage these wankers by paying them good money for these pups. You know nothing about the dogs genetic background they could well be from fighting stock.Dont do it.

CalamityKate · 21/02/2011 19:31

another dog in rescue in less than 6 months

Another whole LITTER in rescue in less than 6 months, probably.

Let's face it, the owner of the sire, who is SO concerned with the litter going to "good homes" is letting a puppy go to the OP, who sounds about as unsuitable as it's possible to be. Chances are the rest of the litter will end up going to similar people.