To have fallen in love with Staffies?

[WellAlwaysHaveParis]

I went to a dog show earlier today, and loads of people had come with their dogs to spend the day there.

I met some people with Staffies, and the dogs were absolutely beautiful. One of them was so calm and quiet, and she would just let people pet her and stroke her, and the other one was a bit overexcited and would jump up and lick everyone who stroked him 😍

I’ve never had a dog before, as we’ve always had cats, but I’d love to have a dog one day.

I’d definitely get a rescue dog, as we’ve always had cats from rescue centres, but the idea of having a big rescue dog like a Staffie worries me a bit, as I’m not sure how I’d train it. I know Staffies have a bit of a bad reputation, but I’ve heard lovely things about them and would really love one one day. I just wouldn’t know where to start with training one and looking after one as I’ve never had dogs before.

Would I be unreasonable to think about getting one at some point? Does anyone on here have one?

(Part of this thread is a ploy to ask for your Staffie photos 😍)

A male GSD- way more protective and would actually be able to cause injury if felt like needed to protect me. Yet people stick their hands/fingers into his face and mouth daily.

They look "cuter"? (And are on "lists" in two Swiss cantons, btw.)

Plus, if they are such great pets, why are the rehoming centres overflowing with them? Why did the original owner not want to keep them? There has to be a reason for this.

They're bred indiscriminately and in large numbers by idiotic backyard breeders who think a litter of staffy puppies are a great way to make a few hundred quid and top up their low income or benefits.

When they discover that the demand for staffy puppies simply isn't there, they are either sold cheaply to irresponsible owners who should never have got a dog and later dump them, or they are taken direct from breeder to rescue centre if they really can't get a tenner for a puppy.

The issue is not one of something being inherently wrong with the breed, it's the oversupply, underpricing and resulting sale to unsuitable owners that causes them to end to in rescue centres in substantial numbers. They then stay in kennels for longer than little fluffy dogs because of the reputation they've undeservedly gained.

“The dogs that attack and kill children are family pets.”

Actually they rarely are, they’re uncles’ pets in a chaotic household or the mother’s brand new partner’s pet or a pet picked up in a pub a few weeks before or acquired as a stray a fortnight before.

“why are the rehoming centres overflowing with them?”

Well firstly if you include crosses, they are by far the most numerous dog breed in the U.K., so that in itself accounts for why there’s so many.

They’re also cheap and overbred so easy to get hold of and have no resale value... they’re not a breed you see people trying to get their money back on on resale websites, they dump them or send them to rescues instead.

And because they’re cheap and easy to get hold of they’re bought by people who haven’t necessarily put a lot of thought into whether they’re cut out for owning a dog after it’s not a cute puppy.

They’re also bought by people who want them to be agggressive and got rid of when they aren’t.

On top of that, people are prejudiced against them, so they’re hard to rehome and end up staying in rescue centres longer.

It’s basically a perfect storm of how to fill rescues with staffies.

However, when you research Staffie attacks in which children are killed, it's not the "gang" dogs that are responsible. The dogs that attack and kill children are family pets.

Dog attacks against children by any breed or cross-breed are always dominated by the family-pet-that-turned. It's the situation children where exposed to dogs most often and where they're most likely to encounter (or be left with) a dog on their own. Do a search and you'll find a report of an 8-week old Labrador puppy that killed a newborn child - but you don't find the same hysteria over Goldie from Blue Peter. (might be showing my age here).

Plus, if they are such great pets, why are the rehoming centres overflowing with them? Why did the original owner not want to keep them? There has to be a reason for this.

They're the third or fourth most popular breed in the UK so there's lots of them to start with. They get rejected by backyard breeders after they've got a couple of litters out, they get rejected after being bought as status dogs (possibly because they're not as aggressive as the owner wanted). They're bought because they're good with families, but family circumstances change and sometimes the dog has to go.

If you look at shelters the over-represented breed at the moment is the Husky, the status dog of the last couple of years. I'm also noticing a lot more crosses involving big powerful breeds like the Mastiff and Dogue de Bordeaux - and something like a Labrador-Mastiff cross is something I'd personally be more wary of around people than a Staffy.

As I said up thread..

The dogs involved in attacks on people are almost ALL.. owned by utter idiots, thugs, criminals or complete morons.

The one I can think of where the dog was owned by a police officer.. she'd still fall into the idiot category having not considered that moving her sister and small children into the home might unsettle the dog who was not at all used to children, and then the dog and child were left unsupervised whilst the adult in question had a bath..

Of the others..

Rottie - bought in a pub as a guard dog, chained in a garden, killed a small child who was left in the care of.. other children, who had been told not to play with the dog and had gone out and done exactly that.

Rotties - lived on a pub roof, guard dogs, left in the care of a newborn babies parents who were house sitting - dogs not socialised, not used to babies, with free unsupervised access to the baby.

Pitbull type dog - owned by a drug dealer, cared for by his mother a dealer and habitual user, known to be terrified of fireworks and brought into the house on new years eve, and then left with a toddler who was hugging himand feeding him crisps - this dog had previous for attacking children and the toddlers parents KNEW this, KNEW grandma was a user, expressly forbade the dog and child to be in the same room together.. and chose to leave their daughter there so they could go out. This dog was raised and trained to be aggressive and violent.

American Bulldog mix - owner in prison, owners parent caring for dog, child unsupervised with dog again feeding the dog crisps in the middle of the night, responsible adult asleep on sofa. Again, dog raised and trained to be aggressive, previous complaints made about all the dogs in the home and the owners attitude and behaviour.

The common denominator in dog attacks on children, is not the breed of the dog, it is the type and mentality of the owner.

Oh fgs really? They're in rescue centres because twats overbreed them to make money...because other idiots want puppies & refuse to spend the time & money researching proper breeders who will back their dogs for life. That is NOT the fault of the dog. And the issues these poor souls have is, guess what? Because of the idiots that breed/sell/own them then dump them.

There are also lots of other breeds in rescue...please do tell me what the reasoning behind those are?

The top breed for attacking humans is NOT the staff. And usually when a family pet - of any breed - attacks a family member there is a reason. I recently read a story about a lab who had been in the family years but 'suddenly' turned on the 4 year old. A post mortem revealed a pencil stuck so far in the dog's ear it was in constant pain. Not one person took the time to find out why the dog got so fed up of a 4 year old constantly in its face.

Dog attacks happen for a reason. Be that illness, being fed up of being poked or in some cases as with idiots wanting street cred, because they are trained to do so. I am very firmly of the mindset no bad dog only shitty owners. We constantly focus on the wrong end of the lead

He have a rescue staffie mongrel. In the three years we’ve had him, he’s become more loved by each family member than I ever imagined possible. Including sit on the fence, not sure I want a dog, DH!
He is all of the heartwarming things other posters have mentioned.

BUT I was shocked at how strong he is, and I ride horses (think shetland pony strength). He nearly pulled my arm out if it’s socket when he suddenly tried to chase a squirrel. He now wears a head collar on walks, so doesn’t pull at all. It’s also true about their reaction speeds. My boy can go from dosing on the sofa to being alert/poised in a fraction of a second.

YANBU. I had a rescued staffy cross. She was bouncy and a lethal weapon against mice and spiders, but also a total soppy lapdog and incredibly calm and patient with children.

She wasnt as quick to learn as my labby cross when it came to training, but once you got the concepts through her head, significantly more obedient

"I speak as someone who nearly lost a dog to a Staffie attack. He was saved by his wide greyhound collar as this animal took him down like a deer and was only released by the Staffie's owner stamping repeatedly on it's head. The scene was a blood bath."

Horrible isn't it? When that lab gripped my SBT and wouldn't let go, even when I was kicking it and trying to pull it off by its ears, legs, anything I could get hold of........awful. and the stupid twit of an owner was crying and screaming for help because i was hurting her dog, even tried blaming my girl who did nothing but have the gall to walk past her dog,lucky I had witnesses around who knew my dog and told the woman not to even bother trying it on.

"Plus, if they are such great pets, why are the rehoming centres overflowing with them? Why did the original owner not want to keep them? There has to be a reason for this."

Of course there is, they are fairly cheap to buy as pups unless you get a blue and once they get over the challenging pup stage they are wonderful if they have been trained. The stereotypical owners of this breed (who have moved on now to Akita's, huskies, those wrinkly ones and such, so they will be the next devil dog du jour) can never be arsed with training so the results a teenage dog who is a knobhead, but just needs time and patience to get them on track. They are either shut away as breeding machines, used as bait dogs, or dumped in a rescue for someone else to sort out.

My friend's cat was ripped apart by their neighbour's staffie and spent 3 days at the vet's dying afterwards

A lot of dogs will go for cats. I know a German pointer and a labradoodle that have killed cats. I think my lakeland terrier would have a good try, too, if she ever caught one. She still leaves the occasional dead rat in the garden and she's an old lady now.

A colleague has 3 working springer spaniels, two of them attacked a cat that strayed into her garden. That really surprised me, given that they will put up birds without any attempt to catch them.

and my cat was almost killed by my neighbours chihuahuas while their staffie didnt join in.

My staffie was attacked by my neighbours labrador.

Why was mine rehomed to me?

Well because the aforementioned "type. Of person" got him as a pup and then threw him out of a moving car when he was a few months old.

He was scraped off the road and put together again with metal pins - all paid for by a vet nurse in the practise he was taken to. She kept him for 5 years before her life turned to shit (as can happen!) And he came to me.

I've just been on Pets4Homes (absolutely not a good place to buy a dog) to see what staffies are selling for.

You can get an adult starting at £20 (not good with other dogs) or £50 (good with kids, cats and dogs). Numerous people offering a stud for free. Pups advertised from £200 - and not exactly being snapped up. All available in huge numbers.

That's the reason there are so many staffies in rescue, not because they're nasty dogs.

A lot of dogs will go for cats. I know a German pointer and a labradoodle that have killed cats. I think my lakeland terrier would have a good try, too, if she ever caught one. She still leaves the occasional dead rat in the garden and she's an old lady now.

It's one thing if that happens in a privately owned area like a garden.

But I do believe that dogs who go for other pets can't be let off leash in any "common areas".

I love dogs. I'd love to have one again but this kind of behaviour (which I've witnessed too often... And I am certainly not saying that you engage in this kind of behaviour) is just irresponsible pet ownership.

Staffs are the best!!!! Full of love and kisses... they make terrible guard dogs as they’ll kiss the robbers hello but some people think they look mean so it’s enough to keep them away.

Our Labrador x Staffie can get a bit over excited at times but she really is a big softy. She is great with our 10 month old and just lies there, farting and grunting, whenever he tries to grab at her.

YADNBU! They are fairly easy to train. When we first got her she was barely trained but crate training in the house, a halti for outside and lots and lots of treats later she is wonderful. As someone said previously though, don't let them in your bed as you'll never get them back out.

If you train a dog to be aggressive, it will be aggressive.

Any dog can hurt someone. Obviously the bigger they are, the more of a problem it potentially is.
Staffie's are incredibly loyal, which is why dickheads have been successful in training them to fight to the death if their owners want it.

Some dogs attack cats. Dogs have a prey drive and if they're not brought up with cats as friends, they will attack them. Most dogs are like this.
My friends beloved cat was also killed by a staff. I am still upset by this years later. But I am not daft enough to blame the dog, who should have been under control. I blame the c*nt owners, and I blame the fact cats are seen as property rather than pets, and criminal damage isn't such a serious offence that people are wary of commiting it.

I've only ever had staffs, I love them, so friendly, loving and snuffley. I will admit that one of my rescues doesn't like other dogs, or rather is scared of other dogs, and so has a tendency to growl at them, but we're working on it, he's never allowed off the lead unless he is already friends with them, and it's working, he's much better now.

Nobody trained our Staffie to be aggressive. He was just aggressive. He was trained to know his place.

Melly your dog is gorgeous!! 😍😍

I have three of the slavering beasts. The only deadly thing about them is their awful farts. I've never met a Staff that didn't have a horrific farting problem.

Objectively, one of them can get a bit narky around dogs she doesn't know, if she's on her lead. Her growl sounds horrible as well.

All three like people though and will go up to anyone for a stroke. Two of them actively prefer the company of children. If visitors come with their kids, it is the children they go to first for attention. The other one likes to sit on your feet so you can't get away and gaze up at you backwards, waiting for a chin rub or perhaps a biscuit.

The most aggressive breed of dog is agreed by many studies to be the dachshund. Of the dogs I deal with at work, I've been bitten or snapped at most by dachshunds and Pomeranians. Dachshunds have long muzzles and sharp teeth and their bites hurt. Poms less so, but I wouldn't want one grabbing hold of my finger or toe.

The dogs I meet at work are not a representative sample of dogs as a whole, I will concede.

I love meeting Staffies when I walk my dog. They absolutely love to give affection (unlike my boy who tends to play hard to get) and have always been so gentle.

I don't think fighting dogs fight to the death out of loyalty to their owners. They are put in at opposite ends of the pit and go straight into each other, not even looking at their owners, because they have been bred to be dog aggressive, then the most aggressive of them in the "rolls" (trial fights of young dogs against each other) and the most aggressive at killing bait dogs and cats get selected to fight. The strongest with the most will to grip- for over half an hour- and best fighting technique (how best to get at its opponent's throat) win and are selected for breeding.
The fights do not look like a spat between pet dogs in the park. There is no snapping, whirling, fur flying, and very little noise. No posturing body language. They just wade in and grip. And grip. And grip.

Of course not all- not even the majority of them- are bred by fighting men and the rejects should be a bit less aggressive.

At least with a rescue you should have plenty of choice. Don't go for a no-kill rescue- go for one that does euthanase, then all of the ones that have shown any aggression towards humans (not many; they are usually good with people) and the bulk of the dog-aggressive ones will have been culled leaving the more sociable ones to choose from.

I like them and in 15 years as a vet have only ever seen one aggressive towards people; they're pretty much joint top with Cavaliers as far as non aggression towards people is concerned. But they are definitely near the top as far as dog aggression is concerned. I've seen one lunge towards another dog that was still intubated lying unconscious on a recovery mat and another lunge at a very young pup; I've never seen any other breed to that. I've seen more Staffs than anything else lunge at other dogs being walked past their kennel. All of these were with owners not present so the "only protecting the owner" falls flat.