Advice needed

han2505

Hey all,

Well were off to another rescue centre tomorrow and we've decided that we want to get a staffy.

Am wondering if anyone owns one and has any opinions on them?

We have researched them and our friends own them so we know quite a bit but wanting some more advice.

Please can you also let me know rough estimated costs per month for them. Have put aside £100.00 but want to know approximate costs.

Thanks all x

WeirdoMagnet

Well done for looking for a rescue dog. There are loads of Staffs needing forever homes. I've never had a staffy, but they are gorgeous and known as the Nanny dogs, such is their love for Children.

These recent threads might help you: Getting A Dog and also Price of jabs etc for a dog.

And here is the Kennel Club Breed Standard (not particularly relevant for a rescue dog, but does give you details of its temperament). Also check out the breed society for traits and rescue dogs available.

If you don't have any joy with you visit tomorrow, have a look on DogPages, and The Oldies Club for lots of dogs in need of homes.

Good luck with your search, and let us know how you get on!

Georgie

Stephb1986_2

my brother had a staffie it was a fighting dog before his mate rescued it and gave it to my brother a few months ago it got free and attacked another dog for no reason ripped half of its face off, my brother has a 3 year old girl so had to have the staff put down incase it attacked a person instead of another dog sorry to bring the bad news though

Stephb xx

WeirdoMagnet

Stephb1986 wrote: »

my brother had a staffie it was a fighting dog before his mate rescued it and gave it to my brother a few months ago it got free and attacked another dog for no reason ripped half of its face off, my brother has a 3 year old girl so had to have the staff put down incase it attacked a person instead of another dog.

It doesn't follow that because a dog is agressive to other dogs, that it will be agressive to people. It also does not follow that just because a staffie is in rescue, it was previously a 'fighting dog'. Reputable rescue organisation will assess each dog as an individual exposing it to lots of different everyday situations, and interview and homecheck potential owners to ensure that it goes to the most suitable forever home.

The real issue in this case is that the dog had been initially 'trained' to fight other dogs. Those taking on any dog need to take account of their lifestyle and decide what type of dog will best fit.

orlao

Staffies are lovely dogs. I agree with Georgina that they are usually fab with people but like any dog there might be socialisation issues etc regarding other dogs,i guess the difference with a staff having a fight is that they can do so much damage because there is SO much power in their jaws!!!!

Well done for looking at rescueing......if you go to a reputable rescue they will have already assessed the dogs and there are so many looking for homes:eek: that the right one has to be out there for you:A

O x

BTW my friends staffie chewed their bed to matchsticks in under an hour....so a dog thats old enough to be past the chewing stage could be very MSE:rotfl:

candygirl

I have two adorable staffies that i've had from puppies.They have been brought up with other dogs, and are on the whole ok with dogs but fantastic with people and kids.
If you do have a problem with a staff, it's usually with other dogs not people.
We rescued one from the RSPCA a couple of years ago and they said she was great with other dogs, but she nearly killed my 2 as she had been baited to fight as a pup.If you're going to get a rescue staff, it would be best to go to one of the sbt rescues as they vet them properly with other dogs, cats and people.Let us know how you get on, and post some pics when you get one, they are the best:D

Tortieshell

I've also been looking at rescue dogs, in particular rottweillers and I cant stress how many staffs they all have! They are very energetic and need a firm hand but are very loving too.

These type of dogs are not dangerous unless they have had previous bad owners who have taught the dogs to be such, a rescue centre is best as they assess the dogs personality before rehoming.

Good luck and post some pics when you get him/her!

zombie_tennants

my aunt had a staff, wasnt trained to fight or anything, was a nice dog

but

very heavy and energentic, contantly full of energy and really pulled on the lead, i took him to a local park when i was a teen and he attaked a small dog and locked it in his mouth, i had no idea what do do i thought it was going to kill it so i chucked im in a lake to stop him, so screy and the owner was in floods of tears....he also grabbed a cat out of a bush unprovoked and started swinging it in his mouth....

not my sort of dog anyway, he was treated well but was hard work

duchy

My next door neighbour has a Staffy (although she pretty much thinks she lives here too at times ). From an objec tive point of view-they need loads of exercise as they have boundless exercise and love chewing up anything they can find. We have a collection of odd chewed shoes that appeared from goodness knows where when the last winds brought some of the local fences down !! She's probably one of the most loving dogs I've ever come across.
I think provided you have the time, energy and space for them and experience to not let them walk all over you as they do need discipline then they make great dogs-but I can also see if you don't have those things a Staff could be a nightmare both for the owner and anyone living close.
I'm a cat rather than a dog person and I'll admit my heart sank when I saw her the day my neighbour moved in but apart from been literally knocked off my feet when she's been excited to see me and replacing fencing she's managed to shove her way though in her eagerness to be social (and the scattered chewed up garden furniture she leaves in her wake) there have been no problems. I wouldn't have one myself as I don't have the time needed but I can see why people love them as a breed.

orlao

han2505 wrote: »

Please can you also let me know rough estimated costs per month for them. Have put aside £100.00 but want to know approximate costs

I would think £100 should cover all the bills easily as long as there are no health issues that wouldn't be covered by insurance......

My 3 dogs ( 2 JRT and a rottie) cost me approx £30 pm in food and treats, Autarky dried and Butchers tinned.They're not insurded, for various reasons! but except for a very expensive bill as the rottie had to have his cruciate ligaments repaired I just put £25pm aside for vet bills. Flea and worm treatments for all 3 work out at £120 pa or £10 pm......so I can't see how £100 pm won't cover the bills once the one off purchases ( bed, lead, jabs, toys etc) have been paid.

MrsTinks

Firstly just because a breed is used by some irresponsible people to fight doesn't mean all dogs are used for this In fact by going through a reputable rescue you'll get a dog that has been temperament tested. Often fighting dogs will never be 100% trustable in my view and have to say that if you do go for a Staffy then go through the rescues and not someones "mate"

Staffys make great pets though and although strong and stubborn at times they can be absolutely perfect pets although the ones I have known seemed to do better in pairs...

Cost wise - INSURE IT! So far I've had to make claims on both the dog insurance and my cat insurances and for what I pay for insurance I'd still be "saving" up for those amounts for a further 7 years... Ok I have a hyper GSD/BC cross who is accident prone - however with a staffy I'd want a good 3rd party cover too just in case - not that they are aggresive - just if another dog attacks them and they bite back there is a good chance they will do a LOT of damage
Insurance should be no more than £15 a month I would have thought... i you get a dog from the RSPCA then use the insurance you can buy through them online- you get a good discount and money back on Quidco

Food - this depends on brand really... I buy a 18kg bag from costco as it's got less addatives in it than anything else and it's less than £15 (i forget the exact price but it's very cheap for what it is) and this will last my dog a good few months - longer if I add veg to her bowl which I do most of the time.
So food for me is probably about £5 a month (bargain!) plus any treats. I have teken to making her treats myself as I like knowing what goes into them sad i know lol

Beds... buy a single duvet from Tesco and a value cover - shouldn't be more than £12 I think and you can take the cover off and wash it I just fold Kira's in half and she loves it You could make 2 if you wanted by cutting in half and stitching them up

Don't buy cheap leads or collars and invest in a harness - it's a strong breed! You don't want them to get away from you because you have a badly fitting collar or the leash breaks!
Buy flea and wormstuff online - much cheaper. I don't treat for fleas during winter but I do worm all year round. Then you have jabs... keep them up as if something happens and you have to put the dog in kennels then they will insist on seeing its vaccination card! (not to mention the fact you don't want your dog to get ill ofcourse...)

£100 should easily cover the costs of a dog so long as you resist buying loads of toys and treats all the time Oh and definitely try the Oldies club! The chairwoman there is a major staffy fan and has 2 of her own at the moment last I heard She's also invoved with Staffy rescue so could possibly point you in the right direction (Tell her Tine said hi hehe)