Why are rescue centres full of staffies?

[lecce]

Just that really. We are currently looking for a rescue dog and have no criteria other than that we have two dc aged 4& 6 and, having rarely sat on our own sofa together over the last 10 years , we would like something a fair bit smaller than the beautiful, sofa-hogging lurcher we recently had pts. We would also like a dog with more of a playful disposition than he had (he was a fantastic dog - not a criticism of him) and for the dog to be as young as possible, definitely no older than 2.

I have been ruling out staffies without really thinking about why. I suppose I had assumed they were aggressive. However, the more I look, the more it seems that we may be waiting a very long time for a dog unless we consider a staffy and I keep seeing all this stuff on websites about how unfair their reputation is.

Is it? Does anyone have any experience of this breed? Can they be great family pets?

Google nanny dogs? I did. Very informative but not in the way you SBT owners might have thought. It's a myth. A dangerous one.

There is a good reason why the got the title Nanny Dogs. My family has always had staffies, some even from rescue centres and with the right love and handling they are excellent with kids. In my 32 years none of the staffies I've known and looked after have bitten anyone. I would say not to get one if you are insecure around dogs, since they require an experienced handler if from a rescue centre.

I thought nanny dogs were the names given to pit bulls. This talks about the myths surrounding pitbulsl and Staffordshire terriers. It seems a bit vague but has some references etc;

A Staffie bit the ear off a girl playing in a forest near where I live. I own a Staffie. A love,y Staffie. But Staffordshire Bull Terriers are VERY strong and were bred for fighting. I am not going to deny that. They have strong jaws, a strong bite and can be hard to overpower. They are bred to go again and again at another animal and to be the predator. It would be irresponsible to own one and deny it.

My rescue staffie is my baby! She was very very badly treated, used for breeding, malnourished, beaten, covered in cig burns, has a scar on her leg from a rape cage.

She is dog aggressive but with the help of a behaviourist and a few trusting dog friends and a lot of time she is getting better around other dogs, we have had to teach her how to play with ropes and balls.

In the house she is the most loyal, affectionate, trusting, loving dog, we thought long and hard before getting a staffie and done quite a bit of research and I don't regret it for one minute!

This whole nanny dog story seems more like a myth to me - and this blog seems to be able to explain that it simply isn't true - and with sources: thenannydogblog.blogspot.com/

I suspect that there are loads of staffies in the rescue centres as it's a popular breed.

Personally, I wouldn't want a staffie or other pit type dog. I don't mean to offend, and if I am, then I apologise in advance. But pit type dogs have a certain image which reflects back on the owner. In the same way as some people will think that chihuahua owners are a bit like Paris Hilton, pit type dog owners will be pigeonholed too.
I know several dog owners who will not let their dogs near a pit type dog. Because they assume things that may or may not be true. Less people will have problems with dogs that aren't pit type dogs, like retrievers, spaniels, lurchers and so on.

If someone judges and owner based on the breed of their dog, then its their problem and I'd rather they kept at a distance rather than infect me with their prejudice. I've yet to get that reaction though, if anything when I got out with her I can't move more than ten feet without being stopped by folk wanting to stroke her and fuss her lol.

The only experiences I've had with staffies have been negative, from the one that visited next door making my children too scared to play in the garden (it barked incessantly in a vicious sounding manner) to the one that squared up to ds1 in a park, so much so that I had to call it off, and then it squared up to me, before the drunk/high owner wandered over and said 'it ain't his fault, he's been brought up like that'

Staffies are ubiquitous round here among the feckless, drunken, drugg addicted people who habituate the parks on a sunny day and make everyone else's life miserable.

Soooo

No thankyou.

My grandparents used to have staffordshire bull terriers when we were children and they were lovely dogs. They lived in a council flat in staffordshire and my grandpa had loads of tattoos because he used to be in the navy. How this is relevant I have no idea.

People is deprived areas can look after their animals properly you know. All white working class men aren't aggressive thugs either

My two dogs would probably kill a cat if they could ever catch one. They don't get the chance.

They are rescued Lab mixes. They would roll over for tummy rubs for a child though, and very carefully wash it all over.

So you just can't generalise about dog breeds. Or their owners.

yy my neighbours dog is notorious for killing rabbits
a really dopey golden retriever!

Not all staffs are owned by feckless drug addicted youths you know. I'm certainly not young, drug addicted or feckless, I'm a law abiding mother of 3 kids.
I'm quite sure that most dogs owned by a feckless drug addict would probably have some undesirable qualities, simply through lack of training, or training of the wrong sort, but you could probably say that most children of drug addicts would have some undesirable habits due to lack of boundaries and discipline, but it doesn't make them bad kids.

Oh, and my dog barks in a very vicious sounding manner every time someone knocks on the door. I then open the door and she bounces out and proceeds to greet the visitor with great enthusiasm and much licking and slobber. In fact id hazard the only way she would ever harm anyone is by drowning them in dribble.
If there was one thing I could change about my dog it would be her over enthusiastic greeting of anyone and everyone who walks through the door.

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause any offence and probably could have put in something of a disclaimer. I know there are nice staffies out there. But so many people seem to have them, here, people with whom I would not wish to associate so it gives the poor dogs a bad name iyswim...and I wonder why they are so popular among the uncouth.

Huskies do seem to be the new staffies, don't they . There are loads of young huskeys where I live, some owned by people who appear to be responsible and 'dog educated' but many who do not

My point about people making assumptions based on appearance and the dog/car/anything people have is not silly or prejudiced. It's reality.

If someone drives up to you in a Bentley or Rolls Royce, you'll assume they are rich.
If someone's well-dressed and in a suit, you'll assume that they professionals. If someone's unwashed and in tattered and dirty clothes, you'll probably assume they are homeless.
And the same about the dog breed they have - an Afghan hound will make you assume one thing about the owner, a rottweiler and dobermans will make you assume something else, and the same goes for a staffie.

Where I'm from, the staffie is a breed that certain people get because they want to intimidate others. A chihuahua is not intimidating. Neither is a cocker spaniel.

It's not silly. It's anthropology.

It's sad there are so many in rescues.

Also sad so many people judge on the breed. Breedism.

My lovely staff is also on my profile.

Threads like this make me go and cuddle her.

I agree with Vibbe. Although I don't assume things about the owners because they have a certain breed of dog - it's the other way round, I assume things about the dog because of the owner.

I KNOW the people I am seeing with staffies are most often, homeless drug users because it's a small town and it's obvious in their behaviour and habits. Everyone knows they are behaving like this.

The dogs are I assume an attempt by them to have guard dogs, or something. It makes me think, those dogs have been chosen because you can train them up to attack children. Which is, sadly, probably true.

It doesn't mean all staffies are trained that way. But I would consider them more likely to be capable of attacking a child than say, a labrador.

Judging somebody on their possessions only works if they've been picked to give off a certain image - that isn't why most people get a dog. People pick dogs as to how suited they are to their lifestyle and which traits they want, how they look comes way down the list of requirements for most dog owners.

It may sway you over whether you pick a collie or a rottie (similar original purpose, intelligence level, activity level) but you don't get either of those breeds if you're only wanting a dog that will walk for an hour and sleep the rest of the day, however much you admire how they look.

I wouldn't, but not for the "aggressive" notion, but I have known three staffies and they've all been noisy so and sos! They do that whiny barky thing almost like babies babbling, only much louder! Do all staffies do that, is there a reason for it? I'm interested!

I also got headbutted in the nose by one causing the most unbelievable pain, but that could have been any "excited to meet a new person" dog.

Having witnessed two SBT's fighting and seen the owners inability to get their jaws apart (one had to get a crowbar and use it to open the jaws) - no thank you.
I was walking my dog at the time, by the sea. I was so afraid that they would turn on my dog I picked him up,waded into the water and put him in a rowing boat.

One of the most frightening things I have ever seen, and I've seen plenty of other dog fights in my life.

There will be a lot of friendly, loving SBTs out there. But think about it, if you walked into a vet's or a rescue, and asked them to recommend what sort of dog to get, with small children in the house, what are they going to say?

Oh yes, I think a staffie would be ideal for your family?

No - and if that's the case, what reasons would they give.

Actually a sbt is one of only a few breeds that is recommended by the kennel club as being suitable for a home with children, and if you ask a vet they will probably tell you that, if they know anything about the breed that is.
Most thugs got staffs because they look hard (I'm not denying it) they are short, stocky, and are gobby buggers. Also look great in a nice butch lead and collar with studs for added hardness.
The truth is they are usually as soft as butter in temperament, love people, especially kids, and their faults are usually through boisterousness and wanting to play.

I work in a vets and have dealt with hundreds if not thousands of Staffies. They seem to be the dog of choice for idiots.. It is rare to find a well trained staff in my area!!

For me the reason I wouldn't have one is that the majority I have met have been dog aggressive. Not saying its not impossible to meet a nice one however in my experience most are difficult to introduce to others and dont make good multi dog household dogs. I would not want a dog I couldn't trust not to bite someone else's pet hence would never want to own one. I am aware this can be turned around but I feel it's in the temperament of the staff to be dog aggressive. I have met some lovely Staffies bred and raised by lovely people who still for no reason want to attack other dogs! They are also very strong dogs and are hard to overpower if they do turn (and I've met some evil ones!) Obviously all dogs can be dog/pet aggressive but for some reason staffs seem to be more prone to it.

In a single pet household however I would certainly consider a staff. I don't believe dog aggressive=people aggressive!! I find Staffies can be good family dogs though despite this issue if owned by an experienced confident handler, if you can deal with the screaming noises they make :-)

Greyhorses, my staffy is dog aggressive when on a lead. She was attacked by another dog when she was being walked along a road. Off lead she is fine and will run and frolic and generally be a happy little dog.

TwattyBollocks is right about the gobbiness For months mine would go ballistic when the window cleaner came, there was one occasion where I needed to talk to him so I open my back door and she (the dog) rushed out, the poor bloke looked terrified until she dropped to the floor in front of him and rolled over for as belly rub! ~Everytime he'd seen her before that was when she was inside and he was out and she would be snarling and barking at the window!