Talk to me about Staffies

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sonjafoers

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We currently have 2 rotties boys after losing our girl last year, and the elder male is now starting to slow down a lot. It's not quite time yet to get another but it's getting closer so I am thinking about what to get.

I would really love an EBT but my husband is not convinced. A friend of his used to breed them and having had long chats it's probable that they cannot cope with the amount of exercise we would give them. It's not an issue to me but OH loves to take the dogs away walking for a few days and this is one of the reasons we aren't getting another rottie.

We have both considered a dobie and it's high on the list but it may be more practical for us to get a smaller dog.

So any knowledgeable staffie owners out there please talk to me about them - I want to know all the good bits & the bad bits. I'm in no way interested in all the adverse news reports etc etc, I want to know what I can expect from a well bred dog brought up to the best of my ability. She would need to integrate well with our existing boys and eventually be able to be out & about for most of the day, not run into the ground but mooching around the stables and having 3 walks a day.

She would also need to be left at home at times, with the boys of course, and this would be for a max of about 4 hours maybe a couple of times a week.

If you have any pics too that would be great :D
 
I have to staffies , a brindle bitch called ruby and a white boy called Iggy ( as well as a rottie called Boo).

Ruby's shy, likes to do her own thing, likes our dogs but isn't interested in any others but as long as they ignore her she's fine. She's a star at the stables, follows me around and doesn't pa attention to the horses. She loves walks and would walk all day every day if she could, likes sticks and balls and is very vocal when she wants something eg walks, wheelbarrows, shovels. If ruby gets in a fight she will try and fight to the death.

Iggys our youngest he's one and a bit. He's as soft as anything. Wants to spend all of his time sitting on your knee, licking your face, holding hands / paws with you. He loves to play and annoy the others, likes to chew, has always been really friendly with other dogs although is starting to get a bit more choosey about his pals. He gambles about like a big pudding. Iggy and ruby sometimes scrap ( nothing serious , he sometimes annoys her lol ) he just jumps on her back and pins her down.

I was never a fan of staffies but when we got our rottie they were the dogs she seemed attracted to and we wanted a friend for her. They are the most friendly, loyal funny dogs . Our two are completely different in many ways but theyre great dogs and I'd have another of OH would let me. He on the other hand thinks they're generally pains in the butt!
 
I love them! I would have one, if I could.
My ex had one and she was such a little sweetheart! She couldn't be with other dogs, but that was a personal issue, not something that describes the breed. It was nothing to do with my ex either, the poor girl had a traumatic past apparently. She was also very over-weight and my ex was trying to get her fitter.

She was more like a baby than a dog! She loved cuddles and would even hug like a person! I can not stress enough how sweet she was. I was more upset about leaving little Cleo than I was my ex!!

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Thank you guys, I know they are fun people loving dogs which you have both confirmed. It's also interesting to hear that Ruby sounds a bit more independent dilbert, our rottie bitch was like that so I wonder if it's like rotties where the girls are a bit more aloof and the boys are goons :)

Nah I love your photos, she looks like a real character. Shame you couldn't have dogknapped her when you & your ex parted!
 
sonjafoers said:
Nah I love your photos, she looks like a real character. Shame you couldn't have dogknapped her when you & your ex parted!
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I would have done if I didn't have Annie! Goodness knows what happened to her as the main reason we split was he was going to Hong Kong to be with his parents. Of course poor Cleo couldn't go. He was a sensible chap and he loved Cleo more than anything, so I know he'll have done the right thing, but not knowing is awful :(
 
One of my mini bulls lives in Hongkong with her english owners,when the new job abroad came up there was never any question Nancy was going too.:)
 
We've got s 2 year old staffy x we got from the local rescue centre back in November. She was in a right state when we got her, she was picked up as a stray and was throwing her self at the bars barking at the rescue centre. They wouldn't rehome her to anyone with children.

She was very skinny. had no socialistion, training. Was terrified of all sorts, lound noise, people, the vets, busy places, dogs. She has come a very long way since we got her. But still needs a lot of work mainly on the dog socialising front.

The only time she is nervous now is when dogs come up to her and when she goes out at night. The only reason I took on a staffy this time was there were so many in the rescue centre. She a really nice dog, her favourite palce is sat on your knee and she's another face licker!!

Have a look on this form, there are lots staffy fans on this site. Very frendly and they don't care if its a pure breed or a cross breed, they have people on who don't even have staffies. As long as you love them!!

http://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/


King of the clastle!
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On her holidays!!!
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Heaven!!
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I have a nearly 3 year old Staffie bitch, she is so loving, lively and fun. She has been brought up around children and horses and has never shown the slightest bit of aggression to anything. She even won the friendliest dog competition in a large class at an agriculural show.
Two days ago when I went to check on my horses, she completely (out of character) disapeared. My husband and son joined me in looking for her and she was eventually found with blood all over her as she'd killed a lamb! I'm absolutely gutted and still can't believe our loving, friendly dog has done this.
 
I have a staffie bitch who was found dumped at 12 weeks old. She is the BEST dog i have ever owned.She is so friendly,loving ,loyal and completely trustworthy with all my livestock...cats,chickens.horses and small kids. She lives very happily with my two jack russells
She has been so easy to train and is much admired where ever she goes. She is so sociable and kind and has no aggressive traits whatsoever. They really do not deserve the bad reputation that they are given.The answer as with ANY dog is to socialise them as much as possible when they are young.
I am now so smitten with this breed that i know that i would not hesitate to have another tomorrow .Please consider a rescue staff,there are so many out there that need a decent home...i promise you won,t regret it.
 
Another staffy fan :) Milo is our 4th dog and easily the most loving and loyal. He gets in with our 2 little terriers and our dobie bitch. He was in a pound and then rescue centre for 7 months before we got him. He will be 2 soon and we have almost had him a year. I'm a staffy convert now. He is full of energy and fun. But after a long run happy to sleep on the sofa all evening. Adores people and will lick your face for hours if you let him. He can get quite excitable at times but will still listen and do as he is told. I would not hesitate to have another staffy - super dogs :)
 
Lovely dogs with people - not so much other dogs. Our staffie does love to visit the neighbours dogs etc, but is very quick to get into a fight with other dogs as well. We got a cattledog x when she was about 8 months old, he is submissive, but she (the staffie) has a go at him if he gets more attention, or if he has food. We have to feed them seperate them to feed them and pat her first and more often. Otherwise than that she loves have a dog for company.
 
Obviously a big Stafford fan and have 3. If you come to Stafford welfare then they will talk to you about your requirements and of course you get the opportunity to mix your dogs with the new one.

So. Staffords. A proper Stafford is no bigger than 14" at the shoulder for a bitch and 16" for a dog. They are high energy dogs and would revel in the level of exercise you are suggesting. Even my 12 year old needs at least an hour a day. You are also seeing more and more staffords in agility too. My 3 are proper yard dogs and have learnt to respect the horses. Like all dogs they had toget taught! youngest one will hack out with me now as well.

Highly people focused so never do well in kennels hence often not showing themselves off well in that situation. Highly intelligent as well. They must be properly and heavily socialised from an early stage and the one thing you never do with a Stafford is " leave it to sort themselves out " in a fight. Staffords have long memories and, if attacked, will not forget. I have been in big arguments about this when we had a young Stafford dog. Fellow dog walkers on the rec were all for letting the dogs sort out who was top dog. Never let that happen and Alfie stayed the nice laid back chap he started off as.

Any help you want, pm me. Happy to talk through processes, help source dogs etc..!



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We have a six year old Staffy bitch who is fantastic. She is great with other dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, guinea pigs, hens, and adores people. The only problem we have with her is that she loves people too much. She has good recall, but once in a while she sees a human in the distance and decides she just has to go and say hello, and legs it! Goodness knows what the poor person thinks when they see a Staffy coming towards them at full pelt!

I have never heard her growl, she has never shown any aggression towards anything, and is very clownlike - she will do anything for a bit of fuss!
 
Not mad on them - a bit too clingy/attention seeking for me. Prefer labs who seem better able to accept that you're not going to pay attention all of the time. Staffs always seem to be quite vocal as well, which would drive me crazy.
 
I have had an EBT and my what a dog he was!he would be out with me all day and had a huge character full of comedy even to the way he sat on the sofa lol.I would have another one in a shot considering he lived to a grand age of 14 and almost got to 15 i lost him to cancer.I will see if i can dig out some pictures of him.He was an athlete and even gave my friends labrador a run for his money on stamina i loved him to pieces.Like every breed there like marmite you either love them or you dont mainly because of the way they look but they ARE a very one person dog and at times he did take his protective roll a bit too seriously sometimes.I do have two staffies also and love both my boys Ive had my older boy since a pup and my younger from birth,both are brilliant with my son and brilliant with my horses and are like trains and go out with me on hacks and are still up for it when we come back.I would recommend either breed as there great and despite there size are a huge family member to have around.:)
 
All the above being said please remember ALL dogs are different. I have done a lot of rescue work and fostered a lot of dogs mainly staffies. Roughly in total I have had about 10 staffies through my house from pup to adult, female, male and neutered male, deaf, no one the same. My own dog is 6.5 yo black brindle neutered female she is the best staffie I have ever had everyone comments on how fab she is when I take her to shows she is perfect with other people and dogs and animals, perfect on the lead and 100% off the lead recall, manners, training - you name it. BUT I put all the work in to get her like this from when she was a puppy she was brought up with a deaf staffie both the same age and I think it helped having 2 pups together, so much so that whenever I foster pups I always ask for 2. They can turn their paw to anything and are very loving and loyal. Mine is not very vocal, none of my dogs have been as they are trained not to be, unless they hear something outside/suspicious etc.

You will get one from a rescue no problem and sadly you will have the pick of what you want as rescues are full to the brim with them. also check out this website which is a collaboration of lots of rescues looking for homes/volunteers etc

http://forum.rescuehelpersunite.co.uk/
 
I have a 6 year old staffordshire bull terrier called Mason. He is my first dog, and I re-homed him age 14 months as his previous owner found him too strong- but she hadn't actually tried to train him at all.
I compete with him in agility, and he has upgraded to novice with UKA for steeplechase as well as agility/jumping.
I walk him with lots of different dogs, off lead and although he has been attacked several times, he will not retaliate and will go out of his way to avoid a fight. I also have had other dogs stay at my house inc another male sbt and a collie puppy and have never had a problem.
He did get chased by a sheep once! His favourite breed of dog is Bichons, he adores them and they mostly like him a lot too!
Mason is very people friendly and adores kids - they are known for being great with kids.
 
Don't like them at all.

First experience of them was many years back when two of them ripped my cat apart.

Since then ive never met a particularly nice one. Only ever see them out walking charging around with owners who have no control. One a few months back charged across to my dog- shes not nasty as such but just likes to be left alone and not hassled- this dog chased her and got in her face until she finally gave a quick snap to tell him to 'p*** off' to which he went for her and I daresay if I hadnt have been there hollering at him it would have turned nasty.

Someone I know has one, touchy dominant attitude on it, charges around smashing into your legs etc, no respect for your space.

I would like to meet a pleasant, well trained one to possibly change my perspective but at the moment I wouldnt touch one with a bargepole.
 
Mum has a true Stafford and he is absolutely fab. He is a lively robust little dog who loves everyone and every thing.

The only thing I would say and its not necessarily a negative is that he is boisterous when playing and may overwhelm a small ' lighter' dog.

He plays really well with my girls but they are Bullmastiffs so can hold their own so to speak.

If I was to take on another rescue I would go for a staffie. I've never met a nasty one.
 
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