To be frightened by my friend’s new staffy cross?

[Sistersammy]

A friend of mine has just rehomed a staffy, crossed with another large powerful breed. She has 3 children, age 9 and above. She doesn’t know the dogs background, as the rescue centre couldn’t be sure.

I think this is a terrible idea. I’m not against this dog being rehomed, but I really don’t think a rescue centre should be re homing dogs with this level of strength and power, with an unknown possibly traumatic history (as the dog was abandoned), to a family home.

My DH thinks I am unreasonable for feeling this way. I no longer want to visit my friend with my kids, as I’m frightened. AIBU?

No way would I be going

She is a fucking idiot, I would not be friends with her for that reason

Agree a terrible idea and I cannot believe people
do this.

I’ve owned dogs all my life - even when they’re a known quantity, there is a risk.

It being around her kids is her business. But there's no way I'd allow mine around there anymore. Just invite them to yours.

I'm surprised the centre allowed her to re-home a dog with little background info and 3 children. I contacted a few centres when we were looking and all said an outright no to children under 11. Not that I was looking for a big powerful dog either!

Yanbu.

No way would I, or my children, be going round there!

Your DH doesn't seem to have much imagination, or sense 🤔

As a staffy owner, the prejudice that lingers on mumsnet is really disheartening sometimes. There's a mindset that if it isn't a cockapoo or toy breed they must be a monster.

That said, your children and you're entitled to make any decision regardless of breed. Just don't demonise staffies or rescue pups in thr process.

People are responding to all the facts given:

Staffy crossed with another large powerful breed
Abandoned so likely traumatic start
Unknown actual history
Places in a house with multiple kids despite all the above suggests organised through a inexperienced / very very irresponsible rescue

Why is it prejudiced of people to say this is an unnecessary and foolish risk?

Do you think this dog should be placed in a house with multiple children based on the facts above?

Every staffie I’ve come across has been a peaceful furry potato.

I have dogs and i work with dogs , your friend has been totally reckless doing this, and the rescue has acted with absolute irresponsibility homing an unknown quantity in this domestic situation.
There is no way that my children would be in a house with a powerful breed dog of unknown background and i imagine also unknown breed -staffie cross is used too commonly to describe a dog like this, especially when you know how decent a breed most staffies are and so people are lulled into a false sense of security.

I'm guessing that if the rescue centre were happy to rehome the dog to a family with kids, they've tested the dog with children. And frankly, most Staffies (and a large proportion of dogs from 'powerful' breeds) are about as aggressive as a turnip.

If you're frightened, you don't have to visit, of course.

I love a staffy and have never met a bad one personally, but YANBU. Are you absolutely sure that they've just given her the dog this easily?! Most rescues/rehomers go completely the other way and make it very hard to adopt. I'd be genuinely surprised/disappointed if she hasn't gone through a lengthy process with lots of meetings and assessments etc.
Have you met the dog?

It's a staffie, not a crocodile.
Plenty of staffies live with kids.
I think some people are confused, a staffie isn't an XL bully.

We had a staffy. Softest and most obedient dog ever.

One came running up to me a week or so ago, id not seen it coming and I screamed. She lay down, totally subservient. We realised she was lost so took her in and found owner via Facebook.

I used to have a toy poodle. Hated everyone but me and almost every other dog. One day a staffie got in his space so he told him off. I thought for sure the staffie was going to attack. Nope, it layed down, completely submissive and tried to lick his face!

I have a soft spot for all bull breeds, and we have a large bull breed cross now BUT they are very powerful and I wouldn’t have them around children (our youngest was 13 when we got him)

Adoption centres test all dogs in all types of situations. They wouldn't rehome a dog to a family if they weren't sure it'd be ok. Staffies are the most gentle dogs, they're known as nanny dogs for a reason. You're going to pass on your neurosis to your children!

The rescue she got the dog from would be a deciding factor, not the breed.

Places like the RSPCA, Battersea, Last Chance etc, I wouldn't trust their judgment on what home is suitable for a dog with a barge pole. There have been multiple instances of these rescues rehoming dogs in completely unsuitable situations and the dogs attacking.

Spaniel Aid, local Goldie club, the Bernese rescue etc? I'd trust their judgment as smaller, breed specific, rescues put time, effort and energy into carefully checking the dogs in all environments.

Its not the breed its how she got the dog
All of these awful cases of fatal or serious attacks are where the dog has come from somewhre dubious
No reputable rescue would rehome a large breed with an uncertain history to a home with young children

Big strong dogs aren't monsters, but they need experienced owners and dedicated training and exercise. OP's friend has 3 DC and doesn't sound experienced so OP is right to be very nervous.

Toy dogs will often happily bite you. Difference is though, their bite is not backed my much force and often won't even break the skin. The risk of a powerful dog biting is much more severe.

There’s nothing remotely ‘neurotic’ about the OP having serious concerns about the judgement of a rescue that would rehome a big, strong dog, of whose background nothing is known, to a household with multiple young children.

I’m not in the UK and don’t know anything about the legal status of staffies there, but here they’re a ‘restricted breed’ who need to be muzzled in public, walked on a short, strong lead and with someone over 16 who is able to control them.

I would not be visiting and I would not be letting my kids visit

We often dog sit for our neighbours Staffy, like mosr Staffies he’s scared of his own shadow, but the scariest thing in our house is our sons glasses case, big scary monster!

I am amazed that the rescue has allowed the dog (with little known history as well as breed) to be re-homed to a family home. It puts the dog at risk as much as the children. Most rescues are very strict about re-homing dogs to homes with children, many refuse. The only exception would be to an experienced reputable dog trainer/ behaviourist.

I wouldn't be allowing my children round. Instead invite to yours.

It’s strange. I’m a large ‘scary’ dog breed owner and in real life nobody bats an eye, she loves kids, other animals, and meeting new people and I don’t see any of this Mumsnet attitude in the wild.

She actually comes into school with me as a ‘class pet’, she’s helped to demystify dogs to children (and some parents!) who have been scared of them.

Staffies arent large so I think you meant its been x with 'a' large breed.

They can be powerful tbf but ive always managed to control my SBTs if they've lunged for a sandwich or whatever because they are quite small.

Yanbu though its up to you whether to visit or not. I did ditch a friend who was being dramatic about my SBT who id had since a pup and tbh it was such a relief to not have to suffer her over the top reactions to my dog again.