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Original poster

Have just got a staff pup,,,,,,,

107 replies

pucca · 13/03/2007 10:59

Can anyone offer any advice about training this breed and all other puppy related things?

The pup is a 11 week old bitch, very cute, looks like a cow (the colour).

Just wondering if anyone has a staff who could give me some pointers?

TIA

OP posts:
MellowMa · 15/03/2007 10:56

Message withdrawn

SparklyGothKat · 15/03/2007 10:58

mine is naughty, though he is very good with the crate, do you think its too late to start training class with him?

Winestein · 15/03/2007 11:16

All I can say is, by 'eck Rhubarb - you must be short as when Staffies are stood on their hind legs they come up to your waist.

We have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. My partner did loads and loads of research into the breed (he wanted one, not me at the time). I can't remember much about the puppy training bit as he is old now (we had the Perfect Puppy book mentioned earlier - tis very good - but there are 2 basic rules specific to the breed:

  1. Never underestimate a Staffordshire Bull Terrier
  2. If you love them, leash them.

The underestimation bit allows for everything. If you think "he will never [do that]..." he will. Staffordshire bull terriers can break through weak fences. Staffordshire bull terriers will run after dogs that they see on the horizon. They do eat victorian spoon backed chairs,a s we found to our cost, to the tune of £1200.

The colour you have is ot recognised by the Kennel Club by the way - although it is a lovely colour

PS So many things are coming back to me about the early puppy days now I am writing this. You must be mad!

deepinlaundry · 15/03/2007 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Winestein · 15/03/2007 11:43

It is sad deepinlaundry. People do tend to buy them without knowing what they are getting themselves in to. Also, the trend described by the article Rhubarb linked to is the surface of an increase in hideous acts of torture to the breed - pages I will not be linking to.

It is nice when people (like Pucca) ask for advice from other owners of the breed - shows real responsibility IMO

Winestein · 15/03/2007 11:54

Ooooh.. just looked at Sparklys and Puccas profiles. I'm coming round to snuggle your dogs! [rofl at the thought of half the people who have contributed to this thread cringing at that) Especially Sparkly's as he is almost the spitting image of mine when he was an adolescent!
Pucca - when you said yours was the colour of a cow I thought you meant a beige colour, but you meant Friesian! Very nice

magnolia1 · 15/03/2007 20:01

Blimey, took me 24hrs to ge back to this thread
I have a lovely staffie and a staffie crossed springer.
So much I want to write but will get very angry Dh is laughing at me for getting so angry reading this thread.

Pucca, staffies are fabulous family dogs, they are brilliant with kids and if scialised well will get on with other dogs no problem. My staffie plays with every dog she sees. She never runs off and is always gentle with smaller breeds. I have 5 children one of which is a 15 week old baby and she is so very gentle with him

I reccommend crate training as they are like most puppies that want to chew when bored/teething/or just for the sheer hell of ripping apart your favourite shoes!!
Its also a good idea if you have kids and teach the kids that the crate is the dogs place and they are to leave them alone. My dogs go and lie in their craes when they have had enough of the chaos

Also reccomend a haltie lead or similar as they do love to tug on a collar/lead and don't use a flexi lead when they are fully grown, unless you want it to snap as they are hurling after squirrel

magnolia1 · 15/03/2007 20:02

omg my keyboard is soooo crap please excuse the sp!

meeeeow · 15/03/2007 20:19

OMG some people are so narrow minded! Any breed of dog can bite just as any breed of dog can be tame and friendly. It does depend on background and upbringing etc.. For those who have been attacked by staffies would obviously have a biased opinion. I was attacked by a border collie when I was young. Does that mean I have to avoid all border collies? What about alsations and rottweilers? They used to have a bad name like staffies so what breed is next on the hit list?

meeeeow · 15/03/2007 20:28

oh and staffies and pit bulls are different breeds

Chloe55 · 15/03/2007 20:41

No dog can be trusted (I do have a dog BTW) but I am afraid I have to agree about certain dogs being more of a potential danger. Yes, all dogs have teeth and can be strong, however, staffies/rotties/akitas to name a few would completely overpower a strong adult so children would stand very little chance if they were to turn. I am not saying that people shouldn't have these breeds around children but I certainly wouldn't. Each to their own really.

Dog temperemant is of course due to nurture but also due to nature. Just as we may snap at our children when they piss us off, so might a dog, only they'd leave their mark.

I'm sure you don't need reminding to never leave your dog with your children Pucca, it is common sense after all and I think it is an absolute necessity to go to behavioural classes from an early age. Also, defnitely get her speyed, microchipped and vaccinated, as Mrsjohnsim explained they are notorious for being the ideal dog to steal.

For the record my best friend's staffie bit her 3yrold on the face (he is, or should I say seemed, such a lovely lovely dog). She needed 6 stitches

Chloe55 · 15/03/2007 20:45

You may not have liked some of the opinons on this thread but hopefully it has opened the eyes of some people who maybe trust their dogs a little too much to try and be more cautious. We've all heard the far too frequent horror stories of dog attacks which are swarming the press at the moment.

But I'm sure we are all very sensible dog owners who never leave their kids unattended with their beloved pet

Original poster
pucca · 15/03/2007 21:08

Thought this thread had died of death so suprised to see there have been many posts since i last read it

We have bought a crate for her, and she has lots of toys to chew, i have explained very clearly to my dd that she is not to go near her when she is playing with her toys (bought a few books on the breed and read it there) also have told her to leave her be when she is in her crate, this is what we bought the crate for actually for time out for the dog when she wants some peace (her safe area).

We are going to a puppy class tomorrow night, so that is already on the go, and i aim to socialise her as much as possible with other animals and people.

The reason for starting this thread, was to add to my knowledge of the breed, as of course you never know everything! and i do want to bring her up correctly.

OP posts:
Chloe55 · 15/03/2007 21:11

Sounds like you are doing everything right Pucca. Good luck with your training and I'm sure she will make a lovely pet for you and your family.

Winestein · 15/03/2007 22:11

Oh, I remember the days of puppy training classes now you have said that... What larks, Pip We won the local obedience show

One last word - go with the flow of your dog as you get to know her. For example, as an adult I have no problems with having my adult Staff on a flexi lead as he doesn't pull and isn't bothered about going to see other dogs - usually walks straight with a somewhat aloof air past as some lab or whatever straining at their lead to get him!)
Mine was socialised extremely well and upon reaching young adulthood could not be trusted with other male dogs - I know of some bitches who can't be trusted with other bitches too. You have to remember they were bred for fighting and it is in their natures - brilliant if you get one that isn't inclined (my dog's staffy pal is like that). He still has an affinity for......wait for it...... Shetland Ponies after he introduced himself to the local herd (mind you, he does look a bit like a Thelwell Pony so perhaps he is confused) and Westies, regardless of their sex.

Seems like you are doing all the right stuff already though! You will have a lovely family pet

Chloe - where on earth do you get the idea that a Staffy would completely overpower a strong adult? They are only small dogs you know, weighing about 18 - 20 kilos when fully grown.

Winestein · 15/03/2007 22:12
  • straight past with a somewhat aloof air
kittylette · 15/03/2007 22:14

i got lynched by someone the other day for suggesting i get a cavilier king charles spaniel -- apparantly that breeds awful for kids and many bite

enjoy your puppy

Nikki76 · 15/03/2007 22:15

I love staffies! My grandparents have had two - on their second one now. I've heard they are called the nanny dog and the story that I heard was one woman got up to answer the door once and put baby on sofa propped up with cushions to stop falling off and when she came back from answering the door, her two staffies had positioned themselves, one on either side of the baby! How cute is that! Mind you, as much as I love the breed, still wouldn't leave alone with babies/toddlers. In fact, wouldn't trust any dog alone to be honest...

hercules1 · 17/03/2007 11:06

I wouldnt have a dog myself that was bred for guarding/fighting but I know they have a good rep with kids. But anecodotally a staff killed another dog in my local park last week and today in another park a staff kept trying to go for one of mine and then started jumping up at me. I had to tell the owner to put him on the lead. Thankgod I didnt have my dd with me.
Another reason I wouldnt have one is because we wanted two dogs and to be able to walk a dog off the lead and these shouldnt be.

jhyesmum · 17/03/2007 11:11

I know that staffies are brilliant family dogs.

I have a rottie and he is the best. My DS and him are inseperable.

hercules1 · 17/03/2007 11:13

I also met a child's a&e nurse in the park once who said that most of the facial wounds they get in from dogs are caused by staffs.

Now, Dh would love a rottweiler but I would never agree. I know they make great family dogs but you need to really know what you're doing.

jhyesmum · 17/03/2007 11:26

We have had our rottie since he was 8 weeks. He was 1 when DS was born.

We have always treated Chunk (the dog), like part of the family. He was taught right and wrong from the off, just like DS.

As long as you start as you mean to go on then there shouldn't be any problems.

I know that Rotties, staffies and other dogs like this have a bad rep, but, what people do seem to forget is that little dogs can actually be worse than the bigger dogs.

hercules1 · 17/03/2007 11:33

Absolutely agree about little dogs but don't necessarily agree with some of the other stuff you say. I don't treat my dogs like part of the family. We treat them like dogse.g they dont get to go upstairs etc. But they are well cared for and trained properly.

jhyesmum · 17/03/2007 11:40

Each to their own. We all have different ways of doing things. It doesn't mean one way is better than the other.

Chunk doesn't have the run of the household, not by a long shot. He's not allowed on beds and sofas etc.

But he will always be a huge part of our family.

Madoldcatlady · 17/03/2007 20:14

I know what you mean about little dogs being worse. But you never hear of a child being killed by a yorkie do you. They might give worse nips and be more irritable, but they don't have the strength to kill like a staffie/rottie.

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