Staffys - tell me honestly, do they deserve such a bad rep

[tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz]

Evening all

So we're looking for a dog to adopt and the rescues we're watching seem to have lots of staffys (why is this?!) We're considering going to see one this weekend (x with Shar Pei). He's four and according to the rescue shows no health or personality concerns associated with this breed and is pretty much a staffy through and through.

I've always loved this breed but DH is wary due to their rep.

Can you tell me honestly what they're like? I read something interesting on BBC which said they are actually s breed the kennel club recommends around young kids so that was a surprise!

Also a good friend of mine was attacked by one a few years ago requiring stitches and although I haven't asked her yet - I'm s bit worried what her reply would be tbh - I'm concerned she may refuse to walk her dog with us/come to her home. This is really niggling me enough to not consider him

Our staffie is the softest dog ever....she's our 2nd, the first was also a rescue, he was about 2 years old and we knew nothing about him....I remember being worried and wondering if we were doing the right thing
We got used to people crossing to the other side of the road!
Only thing he didn't like was cats
They are great dogs and I can't imagine having any other sort

@Indoctro cute though. A neighbour has an elderly JRT and honestly I am not sure he could bother to chase a squirrel if it sat 2 feet away from him and insulted his mother - ha ha

@BasiliskStare yeah they are cute , luckily so it I don't think anyone would own them wee monkeys

@Indoctro - wee monkeys is a good description.

All best

We have had 3 (2 crosses, 1 full) along with other breeds. My favourite dog, intelligent and easy to train, good family dogs, each of ours largely ignored other dogs or ran away from boisterous ones, soft as pudding. The reputation is from bad owners training them to be aggressive combined with their muscular stature.

Shar Preis have a reputation for being aggressive

I have never had one but I love staffies and all the ones I have come across and known have been an absolute deligth. Even the homeless guy's staffie outside my local shop is such a sweetie. Homeless guy is slightly erratic (alcoholic) but treats his dog beautifully, I always give her a treat when I pass, she is 18

I've met a few Staffies and they always seem to be pretty soft and just want attention and cuddles

Not my kind of dog because I don't like how they look, but I've not ever encountered an aggressive one

@CanIPleaseHaveOne

My neighbour of old had one. Much loved family dog. One day, out of nowhere, he broke though the fence, raced though a garden, across a road, attacked and killed a small dog being walked by an 11 year old girl. Nobody will forget screams from the child, and the sounds of the dog being killed. The child was also in extreme danger as her dog was on a leash and she was trying to save it.

When it goes wrong with that breed it goes spectacularly wrong. It seems to be always unpredictible and almost impossible to stop once it starts.

We dont live there anymore, not because of them but it is a relief.

Oh my goodness, how horrendous :-(

I didn't like Staffies due to their reputations but when I met my DH he had a two year bitch - rescued and actually she was a lovely dog until she died at 15. She wasn't over attached or clingy but she did lose all patience with other dogs as she aged - I think it's because she became deaf and her sight wasn't great so she was easily startled by other dogs bounding over so we had to keep her on lead more. I had a dog already when we moved in together and they got on brilliantly, shared a large dog bed usually.

I was never even growled at in 13 years either, however the cocker we have now has done so a few times (teenager).

I would never own a staffordshire terrier. I have witnessed one about 15+feet away spying and then flying over to another staffie who was lying quietly under a bench where it's owner was sitting. They had their backs to the dog rushing up so the attack was completely out of the blue. The dog lying down was startled, shocked and went straight into defending itself. It did not listen to it's owner's recall.

There was one hell of a fight between the 2 staffies as neither would stop, biting and tearing at each other as the second dog reacted to defend itself. People and children were very upset, there was blood everywhere apart from the noise of snapping and snarling. It was vile. The owner managed to pull his dog away eventually leaving an old chap who was just sitting quietly with his dog shaking and shocked.

People who haven't seen a situation like this won't know how frightening, awful and disturbing it can be. But it happens and in my experience there was no provocation whatsoever.

I have an 11 year old female Staffy cross, she's around 17kg and I adopted her when I was pregnant with my first after my other dog died unexpectedly.

She is genuinely the most placid, docile dog, amazing with my two toddlers who just absolutely adore her, she has never even looked annoyed by the kids never mind growled at them although I have been careful and consistent to teach them that she deserves space and respect and to be gentle when patting her. Staffys are amazing dogs, fabulous with people and kids and certainly don't deserve the reputation they get but be aware that they can be difficult with other dogs and if you want to socialise with other people who have dogs that can be problematic but then plenty of breeds don't like other dogs.

In response to all who try through most rescues to rehome a staffy. If u are happy as I was not, but not all are the same but most are.
If u are happy to wait like this they are fine. I went over to a Darlington rescue and saw a staffy of my dreams having lost a beauty at 11 yrs old I'd only had just under 2 yrs, but she got Cancer in all her glands and I was faced with her loss that day and I sobbed as I left vets and I took her home to be put with my rescues that went before her at my land.
Going back to the rescue where I saw a staffy bitch age 3 some good while after, and I sat in reception and filled application form in, and i was not sure about 1 part the reception man there helped me to do this and sent the form over to head office, I left it 2 wks and phoned I was told no decision had been made yet on who had dog, but my application was 100% good as I'd had a great number I had rescued over my lifetime and was a dog trainer ,lived in a country village ideal for dogs and id had my garden fenced especially for the rehoming request.i had from the rescue centre although I said that living on a road that adjouned onto another road that could be busy and be dangerous to dogs mine werei never leeft in garden loose, that was my safety rule, however i bought fencing had a gate made and paid quite a bit to get job done, and waited a few days longer. I had a top class vets reference, after 2 wks I had heard nothing so decided to go over t rescue centre and see what was happening on dog i wanted, and i was told she had gone to her forever, home and more to the point.

My application form was not to rehome that particular dog ?

It was to rehome any dog they had, not even a Staffy they said to me.

I said I did not want any dog as lovely as they all were. i wanted a staffy bitch.
The girl on reception just ooked at me and said wel thats our system here, and I was 1 of a lot of people who had applied for that staffy, so there was probably 50t, 60 or more people turned down who could have got another dog of their choice that is so important when u apply for a dog u want not wa
Hat the Rescue want to allocate you with which is their choice, they seem to think they can choose you.

I object to such a choice that some of these Rescuse seem to be operating in and when you think k there are thousands of staffies either in pound awaiting their if they are not rescued or look at the freezds papers where many are for sale all over England.

I Consider that as a shear disgrace. As I adhore Staffordshire Bull Terriers like in the 1950 to 1992 years before breeders started this cross breeding.

So if you apply for a dog I. Rescue be prepared for the decisions that can be bestowed upon you .