Rescuing a Staffie

ZootHornRollo

Hi,

there is a 1 yr old Staffie !!!!! at our local dog rescue centre. we are considering rehoming it.

we have a collie which we have taken up with us and the two got along fine for the 15 or so minutes they were together in the outside area at the centre.

we have our heart set on the dog but got home and started to do some research.

we do agility with the collie and have been told that staffies make good agility dogs, one big tick in the box.

our big concern is that there seems to be a lot of advice to keep the dog on a lead at all times or even muzzled. is this due to reputation, that it is likely to start a fight or the danger that if the dog gets into a fight it can do serious damage?

am i right in thinking that staffies don't fall under the dangerous dogs act?

having a dog that cannot be let off the lead really does not fit in with what we are looking for in a dog. so it would be a mistake for us to home this dog only to find that we need to take it back again in a couple of months time, not fair on the dog. we understand that there will be a period of months with any dog we home where it will need training and will be on the lead almost all of the time we are outside.

any help appreciated.

ZootHornRollo

the !!!!! in the above post should read female dog!

Trollydolly_2

Hi there
Just to say, no staffs are NOT on the dangerous dog act thingy.
I am a dog walker and out of all the dogs i walk i have two staffies from two different families and they are by far the most well behaved and loving out of the groups i take.
The best place for you to look and get info is https://www.dogpages.org.uk
This is a site aimed at people who have or want a rescue dog and i know there are lots and lots of staffy owners on there and also numerous threads on the chat forum about the breed.
Please dont be put off this breed, they make wonderful pets and are great with children providing you know the background of the dog etc etc.
Please take a look at that websites chat forum they are all great and really helpful. Also there are many dogs on there looking for homes so if that one is not right for you there may be one on there that is.
Good Luck!
Ignore peoples ignorance, these are wonderful dogs in the right home.
Also there is no law that they should be walked on a lead at all times and more so no law that they should be muzzled. Obviously if that is recommended for that particular dog then there is a reason but it is and should be based on DEED not BREED. It is not something that can be generalised for the whole breed it is down to individual dogs and more importantly the behaviour of the individual owner.
Hope that helps

Raksha

Staffies who have been poorly socialised do have a reputation of not asking questions first but diving in with sharp pointy teeth. Some female dogs may be more difficult with female dogs, but this isn't just a Staffie thing.

Hopefully the rescue will have assesed the dog whilst it's been in their care and have a good idea of how she is with other dogs of different breeds/genders/ages as well as how good her recall is. Recall ofcourse is something that you can work on training wise. Agression to other dogs is a lot harder to solve by training, but it sounds as if she has a good basic temperament, which is common in a well socialised Staff.

Sagz_2

Staffs are certainly not on the banned dog list of the Dangerous Dogs Act.

I've know lots of staffs and on the whole have found them to be well balanced dogs, slow to anger and easy going. That said if they do bite they have strong jaws and can do more damage than a less well muscled dog.

If you already have an agility dog then you know the importance of basic training and how to motivate to get the best from your dog - just what a rescue dog needs!

Take the advice of the rescue centre staff as they usually know their dogs well and want to help you make the best decison for all concerned.

Hope it works out well for you (and the rescue dog!)

pether2907

i have 2 girls therent on the ddl and it depends on the dogs personality if they need to be muzzled obviously take your time getting to no her first.

ZootHornRollo

many thanks for your informative answers. i am still in a bit of a quandry trying to decide wheather to take her.

she seems to have such a bubbly, playful personallity. we just don't want to let her down.

one of my real worries is that i have read that they don't back down when challenged. There are a few collies at our agility training that can come across as a bit aggressive but they are all noise and bravado. They don't actually fight and rarely even snap at each other, just flick out their tongues as collies do! and ours can be guilty of it sometimes too. i wouldn't like to think that our staffie would get a hold of them.

kr15snw

In my experience a staffy needs a muzzle as much as any other breed of dog. It just depends on the actual dog!

One of my friends has a staffie and he doesnt need a muzzle and walks wonderfully off the lead. But then he has been trained. But I know people who have to have their dogs on a lead, and they are varying breeds!

I wouldnt be put against him because there are some bad examples out there. Get to know the dog first, and with training (nearly) every dog can walk without a lead. (Even if it takes years of back breaking work:P)

ZootHornRollo

thanks kr15,

its not so much the walking off the lead, our collie is pants on a lead, we've tried everything - but she will walk along to heal fine without one. its the risk of attacking - provocted or not - another dog.

it concerns me that a lot of what I have read seems to indicate that once challenged they don't let up.

can anyone with staffie experience tell me if their dogs can happily be let run off lead in a place like a park where there are many other dogs and people about, or do you find yourself keeping them on the lead just in case.

ZootHornRollo

should i take the lack of replies to mean that they can't be let off the lead when there are other dogs about?

Alibi_2

I let my staffie off the lead all the time and she's fab. But I have had her since she was 8 weeks and she has been very well socialised with other dogs and trained well. She will run up to strange dogs and throw herself on the floor in a very submissive way, check the other dog out, if all is ok then she'll have a chase and a play with them, if the other dog shows any signs of aggression she runs back to her mummy!

Could you ask the rescue centre if you could take the Staffie in question to one of your training sessions to see how the dog reacts?