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?

DNA test? What DNA test? Say nothing and enjoy your lovely dog. 🤫

@VaizyCrazyDaizy

Sorry but I worked in a vets and met the most wonderful bull terrier types but who had savaged either another dog or bitten a child especially or an adult usually a male. They have an inbuilt instinct that no amount of training or care can get rid of. The vet I worked with often would try and rehome a dog brought in for euthanasia but many times these types would reoffend and end up euthanised later. I love staffies and have had two rescues myself but they were of mystery parentage too and although cared for and never mistreated by me they would still react to children racing around so had to be locked in another room. They love peace and quiet and usually the one owner!

Just adding another perspective to this - I worked in a veterinary hospital for 3 years - our worst behaved patients were a Jack Russell & an Old English Sheepdog. I narrowly avoided being bitten a few times - by chihuahuas and a very angry Maltese who seemingly never left the handbag it was carried it. There were some very badly socialised staffy and bullying breeds being used as status dogs, who were very dog reactive. When the trend shifted to huskys, akitas and malamutes, we saw those breeds being used as status dogs and those breeds being reactive. The staffies with responsible owners, well trained and well socialised, were usually lovely dogs. I personally think early training & socialisation is a huge part of how a dog turns out.

I'm sure you'll be a good owner OP, but there is a very good reason it is a banned breed. I couldn't sleep at night for fear of the what ifs. Especially having children. Never mind worrying about the dog being taken away, worry about liability or it hurting someone.

So long as your pup has a good upbringing there shouldn’t be any reason why she’d be an issue. After all, the most docile breeds can be dangerous with poor socialisation and training.

This with bells on. The nastiest dog I ever came across was a neighbour's poodle. Never known such a vicious thing, and I've been around dogs my entire life.

Ok, hopefully this works! The imgur link:

imgur.com/a/jCz2mQC

I’ve just checked the microchip papers and the vet has registered her as a Staffordshire bull terrier, should I get this changed or just leave it? The vet did says she thought she might be crossed with a Labrador but we wouldn’t really be sure until she was older.

I wasn’t sure when we got insurance so put her down as a Staffordshire cross.

Leave it as staffy, and enjoy your pup.

And she is STUNNING!! 🥰

@EvilGoldfish I'm glad you've found them useful! We were in the premium puppy group for a few months, we're now in the "after party" group for graduates of puppy group - it's free and great emotional support when dealing with adolescence!

I'm sure you'll be a good owner OP, but there is a very good reason it is a banned breed.

But other than a dodgy DNA test who is saying the dog is a banned breed?

Just adding another perspective to this - I worked in a veterinary hospital for 3 years - our worst behaved patients were a Jack Russell & an Old English Sheepdog

I'm shocked about the OES! We had one when I was little and he was the daftest, most loving dog you could ever meet. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the box but he always looked after me. He stopped me falling down a hill on one occasion by putting himself in front of me and if my Mum was cross with me he would back me into a corner and stay between us. On those occasions he was known as 'bloody dog' by my Mum.

She is gorgeous OP!

Oh, she's a darling

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

To lie and say she is a lab cross is unfair , hopefully she will be a lovely dog but she is not a lab cross.

But no one knows do they? She's had a DNA test that going by some of the comments on here isn't reliable.

Why? The pup is what used to be called a mongrel. Not a clue what kinds of dogs I had growing up as they were all mongrels and never had a nasty one amongst them.

This, she's mongrel, the best type of dog as far as I'm concerned.

Enjoy your dog OP

She is not the type of mongrel that were 10 a penny years ago , when the adults on here were kids - usually hardy ,decent dogs. This dog is a mixture of breeds that are relatively new to the dog world , they are often bred as a status symbol and purposely for their potential aggressive nature . I am not suggesting that this pup is guaranteed to be a bad lot , of course not , she may become a wonderful ,well-behaved family member . But i think the owner should be honest about what her dog is.

Vet is a professional... Go with their advice.
Why argue?
We had a Rottweiler for 10 years. Never attacked more than a stuffed duck..

We have a Staffie Cross adopted from rescue. Everything about her, including the way she tracks in diagonal lines tracking on her flexi lead says she is some sort of Bull Lurcher. She looks like a mini rather puny Bull Lurcher, acts like one and even has a bit of a sight hound profile to her body. We had her DNA tested and she came back as 1/2 staffie with other types of bull terrier and German Shepherd ancestry. I don't accept this for a minute as being accurate. Your pup looks lovely and I'm sure she will be a credit to you.

She is gorgeous. So glad you rescued her from her horrible owners

wisdom panel DNA results.
Money for old rope. Enjoy your nice looking Staffie x Whocaresanyway. Looking at the white chest and feet, and the slightly finer head, and going on the "common things are common" what are there lots of to randomly run around shagging each other? principle I'd guess collie or maybe Patterdale, but whatevs.

She's gorgeous!

Very like a Staffy/Patterdale cross that we once had

Those tests are not reliable, most breeds come from other breed originally anyway so it’s totally understandable that some of these breeds would show in her DNA though I still don’t believe it’s accurate. We had a staffie who looked like a cross, she was a lovely dog, totally bonkers but not a bad bone in her body.

Sorry, but i think this is a non issue, the doggy dna thing has been proved to be utter rubbish.

The RSPCA have replied and I feel a lot better! They said that the BSL is based off appearance and not DNA, that she would most likely be fine. I do not need to contact the police or hand her over to anyone off the back of a dna test. But in case if I have any concerns that she may appear to be of ‘type’ when older, they gave the details of two organisations that I should speak to.

I do have dc (8 and 6) but they been been taught how to behave around dogs (my father had a nutty Dalmatian) and I’ll be taking the same precautions that I would have been anyway with any type of dog breed. Always supervised and given plenty of space from each other.

She wags her tail like crazy when the dc come home from school, doesn’t jump but sits thumping the floor until they stroke her and say hello I’m doing the training obviously but they can tell her to sit/wait/heel.

Have been chatting to DH and really what has mainly changed is that I’m now hyper aware of how she might appear to others and that she can’t put a paw wrong.

I can’t find the right reply to quote it but op has only a vague idea of what her (admittedly cute) pup went through with its original owners. So with all the best intentions in the world she will never be able to say with certainty that pup had a good upbringing. For some dogs, even once well trained in a good home, the trauma never leaves them. It just takes one thing to spook the dog to cause it to behave erratically. The added factor of the banned dna means a morally placid dog could turn unpredictably.

I think it is a disservice to your dog to pretend. I think you should take the test to your vet and talk the situation through. If the vet say yes these tests are bs don’t worry then great. If not then the licence/neutering/muzzle/training route is the way to go and having sort professional advice on how to best look after your dog would count on your favour should the worst happened.

*normally placid

The 'only 36%' Pitbull is only 36% of a dog that is banned for good reason. Keep a low profile and train the dog? Fuck that. I wouldn't want your dog anywhere near my kids and if you're sensible you'll get rid. Why would you even risk it?

I grew up with a "lab cross" who likely had something of the illegal breed in him. It was a long time ago so he was just called a mongrel. He was as soft as butter with people but could be aggressive towards other dogs. But I think that was more to do with his early experiences than anything to do with his breed (he was found on the streets at 10 months old, probably after being dumped).

Those DNA test are really unreliable. I wouldn't turn your life upside down because of the results you have. If you are concerned, do another test. The results will probably be different - which might set your mind at rest about how unreliable they are.

@Santaischeckinglists

Vet is a professional... Go with their advice. Why argue? We had a Rottweiler for 10 years. Never attacked more than a stuffed duck..

We had a brindle staffie/greyhound cross (probably bred to look hard when the classbased moral panic about Pitties was at its peak).

The most violent savagery he displayed was towards a wooden handled plunger. The cat used to lie in wait behind the kitchen door to give him a slap as he walked past.

There is a dog round the corner that was bought as a black labrador who has turned out the size of a house with a head the size of three breeze blocks. The most assertive he is has been when he's spotted me on my way home and informs his owner that it's time to say hello to his 'friend'. Even DP, who was brought up to be scared of dogs, is completely happy to have Freddie bundle over for a chat.

Conversely, I was bitten twice as a child - by a border terrier and a Yorkie for no reason other than I was small enough to be sitting at a conveniently low enough attacking height and both their owners thought it was funny for little dogs to be angry.