Staffies

MellyB_2

Paradigm wrote: »

Yes & I'd be one of them! I'd much rather have a puppy that can be trained to how I want it to be rather than take in a rescue with no idea of how it's been treated, the issues it has & have to spend time I don't have correcting said problems!

Much easier to start with a blank slate

While I wholeheartedly applaud anyone taking in a rescue dog they're not for me.

As for Staffies, while they are not my breed of choice I have yet to meet one that isn't friendly & well behaved. Even when out with my dogs I have yet to see one that's aggressive, the same can't be said for bloody Westies!!

Ha! I know what you mean. I have a rescue Staffie and he is the absolute love of my life! So soft, friendly and adorable, he sleeps on our bed (stretches out and regularly kicks me in the back when he wants more room!) and keeps me company when I'm on my own. My fiance, playfully went to bite me on my knee and the dog did a low growl at him as if to say 'Don't you bite my mummy!' - made us both laugh!

Now my mum's westie was a different matter! He was a little pyscho! Regularly used to bite her. To think people are scared of my dog.....it's the little ones that are the most vicious!

MellyB_2

Minxy_Bella wrote: »

I've got an 18 week old Staffie boy and he's a joy!

However, I was most disheartened at our first puppy class to be told that the biggest problem that I would face is other peoples' attitudes to him and that I would never be able to let him off the lead in public in case there was an 'incident'.

I am trying to socialise him as well as I possibly can but I find that other people often veer away from us. He has been attacked by dogs several times - him on the lead, them off - and not once has the owner apologised to me. Unreal!

I think that is just something we have to put up with..
We were walking our staffie the other month (he's not massive - just medium sized) and a woman was walking on the same path coming towards us and she walked into a hedge to avoid us!?! Very strange - what did she think he was, some sort of Hound of the Baskervilles dog?!! Silly sod.

Raksha

Minxy_Bella wrote: »

I've got an 18 week old Staffie boy and he's a joy!

However, I was most disheartened at our first puppy class to be told that the biggest problem that I would face is other peoples' attitudes to him and that I would never be able to let him off the lead in public in case there was an 'incident'.

I am trying to socialise him as well as I possibly can but I find that other people often veer away from us. He has been attacked by dogs several times - him on the lead, them off - and not once has the owner apologised to me. Unreal!

How sad. When I ran puppy classes we had loads of Staffies, and they were generally a joy off lead with other puppies. Whilst 'dog trainers' are perpetuating that myth what hope is there?

suki1964 wrote: »

Actually no you cant get gun dogs from rescue, not if you are seriously working your dog and want your dog to be recognised as a good working dog

I am a member of this site - http://www.itsaspringthing.co.uk/ who work fund-raising for Springer Rescues and re homing springers, and many of the dogs on there are rescue dogs who are now happy in working homes. So yes, it can work out.

foreign_correspondent

Raksha wrote: »

How sad. When I ran puppy classes we had loads of Staffies, and they were generally a joy off lead with other puppies. Whilst 'dog trainers' are perpetuating that myth what hope is there?

Too true - these things can so easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy - ie. if you believe, because of a pups breed, it will never be good with other dogs, you are likely not to try and socialise it well, and then likely to end up with a dog that is not good with other dogs.

I have known plenty of collies, terriers, and other breeds who cannot be trusted with other dogs.... probably because of poor socialisation, or negative experiences, but we dont seem to generalise about these breeds being no good with other dogs, thankfully.

elsien

Just wondering if anyone out there knows if there is much difference temperament wise between English bull terriers and staffies?
I'm an EBT gal through and through (love the look of them,) but when current mutt passes onto better things (with luck not for a while but she's 12 so who knows) I'll be looking for a replacement from a rescue.
Mother who looks after the dog when I'm working refuses point blank to be seen with a white one, which narrows the options a fair bit, so I'm wondering if I can't find another EBT to suit whether to look at staffies instead.
And if so, is it mainly the looks that are different, or what?

foreign_correspondent

Elsien - I dont know, but all the bull breeds were bred from stock used to do similar things - I am sure I have read that the staffie is more closely related to the british bulldog than the EBT, but older picture of the EBT (before the curved muzzle became so exaggerated) closely resemble a staffordshire. There is a lot of interesting reading on the net about the ancestry of the various bull breeds, but I have no idea how well researched it is.

Staffies tend to be very keen to please their humans, and in general, are really smashing, robust little dogs who just want to be loved! However, some have suggested that is is the Staffords desire to please which has been abused by bad owners to encourage them to fight.. poor creatures.

Slightly OT but here is a nice picture of a show of Staffordshire Bull Terriers from 1937 -these dogs look as if they were well socialised with others to have so many in a small space- especially as several of the owners are holding two dogs each!



and the actor Tom Walls with his Staffordshires:


- I love old pictures, and I think these are an interesting bit of social history...



It is such a shame that although these dogs have an important role in our heritage, and are a traditional and long standing breed, that so many of these lovely dogs end up in the pound.

elsien

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Staffies tend to be very keen to please their humans, and in general, are really smashing, robust little dogs who just want to be loved!

That's one difference then - both of mine whilst poles apart in other respects don't have a faithful bone in their bodies, complete turncoats the pair of them. (Though that might be because they'd both been passed from pillar to post so had learned not to rely on anyone.)

UKTigerlily

I've often wondered about EBT's! I've heard they're clowns & alot of fun, but the only one i've properly met was called Damian & used to come into the kenels, had to have empty kennels either side & nobody could go in with him! He was a nightmare & so I couldn't interact with him & get to know him. Staffies are very people orientated & adore their owners, useless guard or watchdogs, can be iffy with other Dogs if not socialised or from bad breeders & are fab with kids. They can be bouncy & boisterous but mine's 6 now & very chilled out, she's normally on her back. They have lots of noises & if not fed well fart lots, that stopped as soon as I got mine out of rescue but she can burp, grunt, all sorts it's sometimes hilarious the noises she produces, the cat looks at her in disgust. Not sure on other Staffs but the two i've had have had 0 prey drive

suki1964

UKTigerlily wrote: »

Nobody has said they will buy a Staffy to train to be a hunting/gundog, please read. I said *if* a Staffy was doing that it'd be exactly the same as a gundog breed & working, it may not be bred to do that but if it does (As mine will) then there's no difference. And yes you CAN get working gundogs from rescue, the Springer breed rescue rehomed one to a relative of mine that has always been a working dog. You can get all sorts of dogs from rescue & the police often take Dogs from rescue to train up as sniffer dogs. Lots of people don't give a monkeys about a stupid piece of paper, they want a pet or a dog to do a certain job & if it does that then good stuff

Jump up and down all you like but it still doesnt mean you staffy is a worker and people like myself and others will still buy from breeders to get the dog we want. Buying a dog from a breeder isnt about a piece of paper but you are just obviously too blinkered and such a know all you cant be told and so dont want to listen

Not everyone wants rescue, not everyone wants a dog whos been trained by someone else and not everyone thinks staffies are fantastic dogs

Can you not for the life of you accept that? Or do we have to suffer every post you make to this board singing the praises of a breed( no matter what the thread would be started as) that you only happened to come across last year when your search for a king charles failed

foreign_correspondent

I think again, we have to agree to disagree on some points here, but working dogs of many breeds can clearly be found in rescue, and I do seem to remember that tigerlily said when she started thinking about a dog, that staffs were a breed she had some experience of, and liked, but wasnt sure her home would be right for one (staffs are not the first dog many people think of when looking for a dog to fit into a small household with a cat).

As this is a thread about staffies I think tigerlily's dog is a fantastic example of how well a rescue dog can respond to a good owner and some kind treatment and training, which is entirely relevant here.

Of course some people will choose a breeder, but there are particular ethical considerations when it comes to breeding staffies, as clearly many of the people breeding them are not doing so responsibly, and/or too may are being bred overall....

The op asked

I have read on here (and on other sites) that they are wonderful dogs they are, so was wondering why there are so many of them in need to adoption?
I do hope my question will be answered in the good grace it is being asked, I am genuinely curious as to why this breed so much more than others,

I think that there is a shared responsibility for this problem, which lies at the door of those breeding staffies as well as those buying them, only to rehome them at a later date - this problem is clearly disproportionate, with far more staffies ending up in pounds/rescues than any other breed...

What can be done to limit this is questionable, but I think that fewer people breeding them, fewer buying, and more rescuing would all help... and maybe compulsory microchipping, neutering of staffies in pounds, and even dog licenses would help... I also think that the bad media image of staffies contributes to this problem, and that staffies which are gentle, well trained and in roles such as being a PAT dog help to counter this in some small way.

One thing is for sure, it is not a problem which seems to be reducing at the moment, or which there appears to be a quick fix for.