Any info on staffies??? General Chat

Hiya there..as you may know, Im looking to rescue a friend for Flower, and we have been looking at greyhounds. But recently, We have both been taken in by the staffies!! There are so many needing homes...its so so very sad...:-(

My OH is considering a staffie now...but I would only be willing to take one on if I knew more about the breed...I know many of you on dogsey have staffies....please help???are they generally good with other dogs???

Any info on the breed would be gratefully accepted

Thank you

xxxxxx

There is a terrific article by one of our Dogsey members which start you off nicely in your research

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=12954&highlight=staffie

Several members own Staffies and will hopefully come along soon for a natter to help you as well

what can i say about staffies.

obviously in my opinion they are just the best dog EVER but they certainly arent for everyone.

if you have no objections to a dog lic,ing, jumping up and always wanting to be with you (@ preferably on ur lap)then the staffie is for you, however if you dont like being bowled over, battered by a concrete head who would rather walk in to you than go round you then dont get a staffie.

On a serious note though, if you are considering a rescue which would be wonderful as there are SOOOO many in rescue, then you will need to pick carefully, as many staffies in rescue can be difficult to rehome with other dogs, but please dont let that put you off - i am sure there are plenty that are good too.

You will mostly find 2yrs olds + in rescue as most people who get rid do so at their teenage years as they can be very boisterous dogs and need strong handling, or will be 5+ as they are calming down a bit.

I dont know whether you have met any staffies and spent time with them - hopefully another dogsey member might be able to let you meet theirs - i would but am in scotland so not ideal !!

i am not going to lie and tell you that staffies are great with other dogs - alot of them arent but i genuinely believe much of that is due to socialisation and many many staffies live with other dogs quite happily, again i suppose it depends on how much work you want to put in.

I can only speak from my experience with rescuing my staffie - Bruno came to us at nearly 2 with issues - mainly that he was dog aggressive and difficult to walk, well he is still dog aggressive ( although we have walked with other dogs in the past and i have let him offlead with a friends bitch who he adored, so for him it was fear aggression and ONlead aggression however its a very difficult thing to cure, and so he is walked on a lead in all public places. He does pull on the lead, always has and to be honest probably always will, we have tried so many things with him and a few have certainly improved his pulling but as yet we have not stopped it. they are VERY strong dogs for their size, but gentle when they need to be:
ie: with my baby bruno knows to calm down and be careful - instinctively he does this - i cant fault them with people IF socialised and brought up correctly in my personal opinion they make the best people friendly dogs you can get. they adore you.......incredibly loyal friend for life.

i would suggest contacting the breed rescue in your area for staffies, as they tend to rehome and know their dogs better than perhaps those in the pound - or certainly use that as your first port of call - they also will be able to advise you on temperament and what their rehoming policy is with other dogs in the home.

I hope that this helps to give you an idea, they arent for everyone which is why so many end up in rescue but once you go staffie you wont go back !!!!

A totally amazing dog! I have my first staffy now who is 8 1/2 months old and in a word he's amazing i always knew they were amazing as my brother has had one for 11 yrs and he is so good with kids i just had to have one. I find it difficult to understand why some people don't like them? one thing they do want to give all the time though is kisses and as said before mine loves to jump up on my lap or on my computer chair, i think he still thinks he's a baby. All in all if your after a dog who'll love you to bits, smother you in kisses and be a total softie then a staff is the perfect pet for you! The only thing i would say is that some are dog aggresive and what makes it difficult socialising them is some people will cross the road when your comming! Don't be put off buy this though cause they are 110% worth the extra effort.

Some great advice given,
We have always had staffords in our house,wonderful, loyal,full on in your face sort of dogs.Very intelligent and clever,I sometimes think mine believe they are nearly human.They love human company especially children and don't like to be left for long periods of time.

They can or can not live with other dogs,some are fine till they mature and you need to be aware of this at all times.
Never ever leave a stafford unattended with another dog,they tend not to go looking for trouble or start fights but if they do get into a fight,they can do alot of damage in a short space of time and can be difficult to part.

I currently have two staffords,dog and bitch who live in harmony with each other but I would never leave them alone ever,they are supervised at all times,including out in the garden etc.....they are crated at night,seperatly and if I go out during the day.

I would also suggest you go through your local SBT breed rescue.

Thank you all for your advice...I always think its best to hear first hand from owners of the breed!!

When we come to rehome another doggie I will deffinately be interested in helping a staffie out..

The only thing putting me off if im copletely honest is I may struggle when it comes to leaving them both together if there unattended. Although I generally am always with Flower, I do leave her in the garden to play on her own!!

I guess I will just have to know as much about the dog I pick as possible...and find the right suiter for Flower...at the end of the day the final decision will be hers!!!!

Thanks everyone.. xxxx

oh yes and one other thing be careful when you go to look at staffies because


















you'll fall in love very easily with them :smt008
good luck! Kristian.

Ain't that the truth,they certainly have a hold on you,a breed apart in my book definatly!
Good Luck in your search!;-)

Hello
Sorry only just caught this thread. I have Staffs two bitches and can I say I would not change breeds however THEY ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE.
However the best way to go if you do decide to look into a Staff then contact the Breed rescue closest to you, they are an invaluable source of information.Yes lots of Staffs are in rescue but they are not a breed suitable for. But if they are for you Breed rescue will help you find a suitable dog for your circumstances......please don't just go and pick one from the local dogs home (no maytter how much they tug at your heart) go to rescue get advice get help get the right dog for your family. There are older dogs there as well as youngsters.

Karen

hey, thank god for a staffy thred!!!ive got a 4 month old and i love him. ( my first staffy ) but always loved them . he is a great little fella, the other day he chewed my leg rope in half off my surfboard but i couldnt go crook on him
but ill tell you one thing , they need alot of exercise to tire them out !
his great with my 3yr old son , although he has bowld my son over a few times now . two words GREAT DOGS.

Thank you all!! This thread really is showing the love for staffies..!! We will deffinately be looking into them when we go to rescue. I will keep you all updated, the most important thing is that Flower gets on with the newcomer....!!! xxxxxxx

get the youngest one you can though .
staffys are cool . hunter ( my pup ) went for a run and jump on the lounge last night but fully came short ans stacked it . so funny !!

I have 2 Staffys and what a great dog to have,,,,Most loving ..Affectonate...loyal dog i have ever had..They love kids and are a soft as lights..Would not be without them..Alot of people see them as being aggresive but to me this is not true my dogs r soo soppy it unbelivable.. A dog is what u make it in my eyes...Mine r treated like babys ..

You have some good advice,i have had staffs most of my days.I have a rescued irish staff.He is brilliant,in most ways.Great with my boxer x staff.Great with my new member,a 8 week lurcher,by the way all are boys.Great with my grandson.But can be aggressive with other dogs outside.He is great till a dog growls at him,then there is another side to him.Read up on the breed,learn all you can that way you can't go wrong.Take your children with you,let them play with the dog.Then take along your dog,see how they get on.Most dog homes will let you do this.Don't just go and pick a staff,because he is cute.Find out what you can.Good luck in your search.By the way i'd never do without my staffs.Great breed.