Just found out that puppy is partly a banned breed

[EvilGoldfish]

(Reposted from dog section as I didn’t get any replies yet and I’m really anxious!)

I know we should have done things properly to start with but my heart completely over ruled my head sad

We were on a waiting list for a Staffordshire bull terrier puppy, when my niece told me of a family she knew giving their 10 week old staffy female away as they couldn’t cope.

I went with full intentions of taking her to a local rescue as the details sounded dodgy (no microchip, no vaccinations, no contact details for who sold her to them) but I couldn’t bear the thought of her being picked duo as a bait dog. They had her in a tiny cat cage, no toys/bed and on adult butchers food. The first thing she did when they let her out was run up for a belly rub.

Obviously, she is completely adorable and I ended up taking her to the vets to be chipped, 1st vaccinations and to get checked over.

I know all puppy owners can say this but she is so responsive to positive training, loving and eager to please. She has only had two accidents in the four weeks we’ve had her, she sleeps at the foot of our bed and usually only needs to get up once in the night. Her little tail wags like crazy the second she sees anyone, including strangers and other dogs (dogs from a distance as her second vaccination is next week) but especially children. We are starting KC puppy scheme classes in a few weeks.

I feel like I have to predefend her as we have just received the wisdom panel DNA results. The breakdown is as follows (can’t post pictures yet?)

36% American Pitbull Terrier
21% Staffordshire Bull Terrier
18% American Bulldog
15% Rottweiler
3% Presa Canario
2% Boston Terrier
1% Bulldog
1% Dalmatian (?!)

I’m absolutely distraught. I’ve contacted the RSPCA (anonymously) for advice but wanted to know what others would do in my position? While I wait for the RSPCA response I wanted to try to figure out what my options are (google returned a LOT of conflicting advice).

Is she going to be taken from me when she gets bigger, even if she is a perfect family pet?

What are the chances of her suddenly turning into a rampaging beast, despite her being a very good natured puppy, and will be trained/socialised well?

So go with what the vet thought and forget the test ever happened - but do keep a close eye on her behaviour as she grows, just in case.

Register her as a Labrador cross and tell everyone that's what she is.

Don't say anything , and never ever ever be out in a comprising situation ,plenty of socialization with dogs and people.
Train train train , practice walking ( not pulling ) and if the dog shows any signs of aggression take precautions ie muzzle in public . Other wise enjoy your dog ! It's only 36%

As I understand it determining if you have a banned breed does not rely on a DNA test but rather certain head measurements. Unless someone reports your dog for being a banned breed you are unlikely to be scrutinized. I agree with PP that I would train your dog to wear a muzzle and keep it on a lead. Find a secure dog field near you where your dog can enjoy off lead exercise without her muzzle, she may make friends at training classes with another dog you could share the cost with (the owner obvs) and give her time to play with anther dog, socialisation will be important. I would also do lots of training and be very quick to respond if you spot any issues.

You sound like you are taking things seriously and looking after your dog well so chances are you will have many years with her as a lovely pet. I would never leave ANY dog unsupervised with children.

I'm a firm believer that the majority of "bad" dogs are made not born but if you own a breed with a "reputation" I think it pays to be extra careful.

If she doesnt look like a pitbull, throw the test away, don't mention it to anyone else and don't worry about it any more. Raise your dog properly and it'll never come up again. My DH suggested getting our dogs DNA tested but I don't think they're at all accurate.

Very few Staffies are actually Staffies these days. My great-aunt used to breed them 50 odd years ago, and true Staffies are actually very small dogs. Same sort of size as a Westie but stockier. I'd wait and see what the RSPA advise.

American bullies aren't banned yet AFAIK are a breed derived from pitbulls so will have pitbull DNA. So maybe she's a bully×staff and not banned breed at all.

I'd just ignore the results if I were you and enjoy what sounds like a gorgeous dog

The law doesn’t judge pit bulls, or the other three banned breeds, by DNA, but by appearance. The law also applies to cross-breeds. So if a police officer sees your dog and believes it to be one of the four, they can seize your dog and place it in a police-appointed kennel until your court case is concluded.

You must then either prove your dog is not one of the banned breeds (for example if you own a Staffordshire bull terrier, which look a little like pit bulls, you can prove this with a certificate from a breeder), or you must prove your dog is not a danger to the public.
teamdogs.co.uk/articles/how-to-make-your-pit-bull-terrier-legal-in-the-uk Lots of info on this link

Do you have children, or are you regularly in contact with children (i.e. could the dog have access to children?)

If so, I'm sorry but in your position I wouldn't risk it.

I love dogs, but if that DNA test is correct then this one has more pit bull in her than anything else.

There are far too many tragic stories of someone's "gentle" dog suddenly flying off and mauling a child. It can happen to anyone - this is a predatory animal at the end of the day.

If you are childless, plan to remain that way and don't have kids in the vicinity of your home, then maybe there's an argument for keeping the dog, but always use a muzzle, train it well and don't let it off the lead.

These dogs are dangerous, no matter what people say or how sweet and gentle they are.

I’ve just looked up Wisdom DNA - it is a US-based company so the ‘worldwide’ results they screen against are going to have an influence - there will be more recorded results for American Pitbulls than Staffies.
I was thinking this.

Honestly, I'd not worry about it. You are clearly going to handle and manage her very well and responsibly, and she sounds good-natured and responsive.
Just be careful, as a responsible owner would with any breed, and I think she'll be fine.
She does sound gorgeous

You've got a lab cross. Put the test to the back of your mind.

www.k9rl.com/can-identify-pitbull/

For all of saying does the pup look like a pitty, have a run through that quiz. It's not always so clear.

And imo those tests are rubbish. Don't treat her any differently than you have been, don't worry about muzzles, and just be sensible like you would with any dog.

Pit bull is a type , not a breed

The other thing is, American Pitbulls are not inherently bad dogs, just as Staffs don’t really deserve their reputation. It’s poor owners and training, and lack of supervision, in the main, that result in problem dogs (of any breed). The reason Pitbulls are banned is to do with the force of their bite and that they hold on, causing more damage than other dogs, and that they are above averagely likely to be dog-aggressive compared to other breeds. Other dogs that aren’t banned have these traits too. So great socialisation and training is your friend.
I’m sure she’ll be a lovely dog, try not to worry.

I'm definitely no expert on dogs, but surely if you train your dog properly, socialise them regularly and expose them to lots of different things, people, places, animals then they will be absolutely fine?

Not the same thing, but during lockdown my lab was kept away from other dogs and she did start to change and become a bit less automatically friendly towards other dogs. Sometimes growling at them. We mitigated this by putting her in a dog daycare place once a week where she basically just plays with other dogs all day and it has made an enormous difference, she loves it as well

Our last staffie was a "lab cross" she was a rescue and wonderful, if anyone commented on her body shape we would say it was the lab in her.

I also had a police officer live next door to me and he loved her and never once questioned her breed!

Also as per Mumsnet rules we need a photo of cute puppy

@AdamRyan that’s interesting, I didn’t know that thank you. The wisdom panel did have a family tree thing where it said one of her parents was an American bulldog mix.

DH has suggested that alongside the never mentioning it again, keeping her secure and safe and training her well, that we should invest in a pink sparkly harness or something to make her look ‘fluffier’

She’s beautiful though, if I could post a picture yet I would.

Have you ever watched pitbulls and parolees?
Enjoy your ddog.

my niece told me of a family she knew giving their 10 week old staffy female away as they couldn’t cope.

So what?

I knew a family who gave away a spaniel puppy because they could not cope.
Another one, ditto with a mongrel.
And yet another, with a labrador.

And I've known plenty of fabulous, loyal, bright, safe Staffies - many of which would actually have some Pitbull blood - because it's harder to distinguish the distinct breed type between Pitbull & Staffy than people imagine.

Just focus on bringing her up right, Environment means more than breed. Good luck, & enjoy your lovely Lab/Staffy cross :) you sound like exactly the kind of responsible dog owner that every dog should be lucky enough to have.

The police don't use DNA tests to determine if a dog is a pitbull - they go by "type", which is essentially an assessment of the dog and its features (ratios of different areas of the body etc). You could theoretically have a dog without a drop of pitbull blood but a mix of other breeds which was unlucky enough to confirm to type. Funnily staffy x labs often look a bit pitty.

DNA tests for dogs are to be taken with a pince of salt as there isn't a complete profile for every single breed yet so it's a bit hit and miss - even my human Ancestry profile changes its mind every now and then as they gather more data.

She was sold as a staffy so that's what I'd register her as at the vets, on her microchip and for her insurance.
Positive reinforcement training, consistent socialisation, & never putting her in a position to be reported. Staffies get judged on sight by a lot of people so they do have to be model citizens.

I really really recommend a Facebook group called Dog Training Advice and Support - www.facebook.com/groups/374160792599484/?ref=share
They were invaluable for our dog as a puppy and now as an adolescent. I joined their puppy group which was such great support in the first few months.

Upload your pic to imgur and share a link here 😊

OP she's just a crossbred dog, bin the DNA thing and enjoy your beautiful pup.

My DB's dog years ago was half Staff half Pitbull. This was back in the days when you had to muzzle them.

As they wanted to use him as a stud dog they didn't get him neutered and therefore he couldn't be around male dogs and he could also be aggressive towards other male dogs.

He was a lovely natured dog otherwise though.

In your case I'd just train her very well but be mindful e.g. around small pets (like guinea pigs etc) - not going to say what happened there but was probably partly DB's fault for not keeping an eye on him.

Animals are unpredictable. It only takes that split second for something to scare or surprise the dog and you would be criminally responsible for the outcome. The likely hood of this increased by the fact your dog had an abusive upbringing.

I would do everything the rspca says and also report your sisters ‘friend’ for breeding illegal dogs plus the animal cruelty. (Keeping a dog in a cat cage etc)