Staffys are they really a dangerous dog?

[Bigboy]

I own a 15 week old staffy bitch (Nipper) they are supposed to be one of the most loyal and loving dogs a human can own. So why have they got this vicious tag attached to the breed. There are stories where they do attack (sometimes for no apparent reason) I believe it's down to the training or lack of it. I know some sick people will have a staffy for fighting other dogs, could this be one of the reasons as it is partly inbred to fight.. And how can I keep Nipper ( who is a loving pup) gentle and loving? I also know any breed of dog can turn.

[happysaz133]

Dogs do only attack for a reason, but the papers when they report these 'horror' stories, rarely give the full story, making the Staffie (and some of the other more powerful breeds) out to be a breed that is unpredictable and cannot be trusted. This creates drama and sells papers, exactly what they want.

There's always a reason, usualy down to poor socialisation on being abused by humans. It's always the humans fault that a dog attacks, not the dogs.

You can help Nipper be good with people and humans by taking her to puppy classes. There they learn good socialisation skills with other dogs, they will meet other humans, and also learn commands for training. The key is socialisation. Good luck!

[vinya12]

I think staffs got there bad rep from pit bulls who were breed for fighting, the staff has a smiler look. Also many young teens mainly boys think it's cool to have a staff as they think they look hard. Staffs that bite often are made this way by an owner who wants his dog to be bigger and braver then his friends. Staffs are great dogs and I have known and rescued quite a few, all were loving and kind. But like all dogs they need good socialising from a young age with people and dogs. Also never leave any dog with a child unsupervised. Staffs are not nasty dogs but they have had a lot of nasty owners. I used to have a staff pup named nipper too. I rescued him and he went on to a new home

[Bigboy]

Good point happysaz. when i bought Nipper it's mother greeted me and I picked Nipper as she was the runt of the litter and being nipped at by the other pups. When i lifted her out of the box. The mother seemed to approve by licking the pup ( while I had her in my arms) then mother gave me a lick on my hand as if it say " it's ok look after her (aww!) I try nad socialise Nipper as much as I can with other dogs and people. As for dog training classes Iam not in work at the moment and wondered if there's any free classes or really afordable classes I could go to to enhance the training of Nipper?

[Jake2006]

I keep thinking of that lovely Staffie on 'The Underdog Show' Poppy who was handled by Julia Sawahli (sp). Any dog can be dangerous, even the smallest dog. Happysaz is spot on with her advice, it would be good for Nipper to go to Socialisation classes etc.

So long as you behave consistently and he knows his place you'll have a wonderful dog.

But its this kind of media nonsense that dogs the breed no good

How did the Staffordshire terrier fall in with the wrong crowd?

The Staffordshire terrier is fast becoming the weapon of choice for urban thugs. Malcolm Macalister Hall reports

The Staffordshire terrier is fast becoming the weapon of choice for urban thugs. Malcolm Macalister Hall reports
It looks moody, tough and mean, and it loves a scrap: stocky, muscular, big head, strong jaws, and short, no-nonsense coat. Put a heavy studded collar on it, clip on a chromed chain-link lead, and it's the street-accessory of choice on estates across Britain. The Staffordshire bull terrier looks the part: uncompromisingly urban, hard as nails.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/how-did-the-staffordshire-terrier-fall-in-with-the-wrong-crowd-406915.html

A lot of people just believe whatever is printed in the media or appears on TV - after all if its on TV it must be true, mustn't it? Ridiculous but that's how the poor staffie has become steroetyped.

I'm sure Nipper will turn out to be a thoroughly loveable family pet - any pictures?

[Bigboy]

HI Jake. i don't think any dog should be used a fashion statement Ever.
but peer pressure ( which I have never liked) seems to appeal to teens.
I will try and get a some pics sorted but only have Tv internet So I can't use a web cam, but I do have a email address and a mobile phone so I could see if I could get some sent from my phone to my email address. Then comes the technical stuff Ie: tranfering the file to this forum I wouldn't know where to start on this. Any ideas?

[Jake2006]

You are asking the wrong person about technology - my hubby is a computer scientist so I don't need to know LOL. But I'm sure the mods will be able to help.

does your phone have bluetooth? If so its easy to transfer it to your email but I'm not sure about other methods of transferring data packets onto the web.

good luck

[vinya12]

when you take your nipper to get his Vaccines at the vet, ask if they know of a pupy training class. my vet runs his own and most vets know of where you can find one. they don't offen cost much, some are just a few pounds

[Bigboy]

You are asking the wrong person about technology - my hubby is a computer scientist so I don't need to know LOL. But I'm sure the mods will be able to help.

does your phone have bluetooth? If so its easy to transfer it to your email but I'm not sure about other methods of transferring data packets onto the web.

good luck It does have blue tooth! ( and even if it didn't i could still send via MMS to my email address) It's the transfer part to the forum that I wouldn't know what to do. Thanks :)

[skunkstripe]

I will try and get a some pics sorted but only have Tv internet So I can't use a web cam, but I do have a email address and a mobile phone so I could see if I could get some sent from my phone to my email address. Then comes the technical stuff Ie: tranfering the file to this forum I wouldn't know where to start on this. Any ideas?

Bigboy, If you have an email address then once you send the pics to yourself there must be some way for you to save them to your computer. Once you do that you can attach them to a post OR you can upload them to a location on the internet (for example the gallery here on the forum or one of the picture hosting services like Photobucket.)
This thread should help.
http://www.dogforum.org/showthread.php?t=5566
If you still need help, please post in the Site Technical Issues section (http://www.dogforum.org/forumdisplay.php?f=19) and we can walk you through it.

[sheplovr]

Staff's are great dogs, powerful, loyal, protective and loving. Blame the owners naturally for the way they bring up a dog that is in the catagory of being agressive, I hate that word!! Shepherds fit that and mine are babies.

Bring your pet up properly well socialized and forget the town talk. The Chow gets the same rap, it is wrong because some of the breeds were never taught properly to respect, not protect all the time. Good luck to you...:)

[Bigboy]

Thanks Skunkstripe. I will talk tommorow. Cheers :)

[Spicy_VV]

It always concerns me when unsure people get these breeds. Its always best to learn of a breed beforehand. But at least you are asking questions and wanting to be certain.

I just see it a lot. I want a Rottweiler but heard they can turn on you, is it true? Well then why would you want that breed?

I'll do my best to help dispel any doubts you have.

I own a 15 week old staffy bitch (Nipper) they are supposed to be one of the most loyal and loving dogs a human can own. So why have they got this vicious tag attached to the breed.

Because of their looks, they look powerful, strong and somewhat intimidating. Especially by some people who wish to make them look tough.

Because of their history, the bull and terrier crosses were very widely used for dog fighting. Unfortunately now even still many are. People often don't understand fighting dogs and think they are mean or dangerous.

Since they have been owed by bad people and over bred those people have ruined their reputation by using dog to make them feel tough. They make aggressive dogs and other poorly breed them so they have a bad temperament. This leads to attacks which the media loves to capitalize on.

There are stories where they do attack (sometimes for no apparent reason) I believe it's down to the training or lack of it.Dogs never attack for no reason. Sometimes it isn't apparent but there is a reason. Some people miss ques or don't understand dog body language. Other times there might actually be a health reason behind it.

Lack of training doesn't have much to do with it. It won't typically make them turn on people and attack. They've been bred to be very friendly and trustworthy breed. I've rescued lots of bullies who were neglected (which means no training/socialization of course) and met many others who were never trained and they've been very friendly and just wanted attention. Lack of training should not make them turn on people, they are a sweet breed by nature. They typically love people and its not something trained into them.

Of course training is important for the best chances of them being well mannered. You don't want them jumping on out people out of excitement, scratching people, toileting in the house, and its always good to have an obedient dog. Especially if they were to ever get loose, you'd want them to come when called or stop before reaching the street.

Sometimes lack of socialization could cause a bite if the dog were too shy and fearful, they might get nervous and bite out of fear. Most of them still love people and would be more then happy to see a person and actually get attention, but sadly others don't end up this way. Especially when poorly bred. Poor breeding really destroys temperament, combined with people who will raise them irresponsible and even want them to be aggressive.

I know some sick people will have a staffy for fighting other dogs, could this be one of the reasons as it is partly inbred to fight.There isn't a correlation between the 2. Fighting dogs were bred to not bite a human, even when being separated during a fight or when in great pain after a fight while being given medical treatment. They also had to be trusted around strangers and the owners would often have children who might play with the dog. So they needed a dog that would be stable with people but want to fight other dogs. HA and DA are two different things. Some dogs could have both, but they can certainly have one without the other, especially a bred that was bred for one and not the other. They know the different between a person and a dog and shouldn't be aggressive towards people.

Whether are not they are inbred doesn't have to do with fighting capabilities. I dog might want to fight or be used for fighting whether it is inbred/linebred or out crossed. This is just the same as if its human aggressive or attacks a person, they could be inbred or out crossed. An inbred dog can also be just as loving as any dog.

And how can I keep Nipper ( who is a loving pup) gentle and loving? I also know any breed of dog can turn.Your best bet is to socialize Nipper so that she will not be scared or nervous of new situations/people and so that she can get used to them and know that they are ok. You will also want to socialize her to other dogs too. It is best to start training young, like now so that she can learn as she grows and turn out to be a good adult. You can't guarantee for certain that Nipper will stay the same as some dogs develop behavior problems when older. Dog aggression often might not start showing until around 2yrs. I've seen other temperament problems not develop until later as well. So even with proper handling she could have a problem, if thats the case its your responsibility to get at the root of the problem to help her overcome it (along with a trainer or behaviorist) or work with her the best you can.

Most Staffs are very loving dogs by nature and really good with children. I don't think you will have much to worry about.

[Bigboy]

Spicy_VV The last bit of your reply does worry me saying that this behaviour could show it self 2 years and above even though at 15 weeks she is doing ok.What could cause this change in Nipper when she is older?

What I am dreading is another dog taking a nip at my dog, would this make her turn and start being aggressive from that point??

[Melamaphine]

Hi Bigboy,

I wouldn't worry about your staffy becoming nasty, it sounds like you have the right attitude and as everyone else says a bad owner is what makes a bad dog. I used to be wary of staffies myself because i'd only ever seen the ones held by the local lads on chains until I met one that changed my view entirely.

My boyfriend's mother has a staffy called Shabba and she is just gorgeous. She looks like a big thug, but she couldn't be softer - especially with people. My rescue collie has really given Shabba some reasons to go for her before, and yet Shabba just looks to us to stop her being annoyed by Simba.
I dogsit her quite a lot, and she slots into our house perfectly (i'd keep her if I could!). Simba and Shabba curl up together on the sofa and nap on top of eachother.

I think the main problem with staffies is that they have more strength to do damage than other breeds, if a staffy goes for another dog it's far more likely that it will do serious damage. They really are a lovely breed, but as with most bull breeds they require a firm, responsible owner to make sure that they develop into the right kind of dog. Most people think they can't get on with other dogs, but here they are perfectly happy...

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg86/melamaphine/n61306707_34004970_5777.jpg

[Monkey]

Spicy_VV The last bit of your reply does worry me saying that this behaviour could show it self 2 years and above even though at 15 weeks she is doing ok.What could cause this change in Nipper when she is older?

What I am dreading is another dog taking a nip at my dog, would this make her turn and start being aggressive from that point??


Genes can do that, look at the parents and older half siblings etc, if they have it your dog is prone to get it. If they work well with other dogs and are above the age of 5, chances are yours will too.

1. Make sure Nipper never has to deal with stressy dogs, dogs that wants to tackle her or be on top of her too much etc. Always calm, self secure dogs with tons of patience. If she has good genes, this will help her develop the same characterstics.

2. Avoid dogparks with tons of loose dogs, a small scuffle can be enough to egnite any terrier type of dog, it is basicly a ticking bomb.

3. Lots of leashwalks with tons of different dogs, this will help her learn the body language of others.

4. Do not force her to play with dogs, if she shows that she is uncomfortable, take her and walk away, if the other dogs is uncomfortable with her, take her and walk away. This to avoid any negative experiences what so ever.

5. All this might still not help, I snipped Missy before her first heat cause I don't want NO HORMONES what so ever to flow in her. This so she hopefully don't develop no female aggression, she don't seem prone to it, she is very sharing with all dogs once she has got to know them a little bit. However this is still no guarantee for me. My neighbour had an old staffie female, she loved all dogs as young, she liked most dog when she grew older, but for each year she bothered less and less, once the female hit 8, and any dog came close she went nuts. She did not want to deal with them what so ever, only dog she tolerated was Tasha cause Tasha was so respectfull. They however did not play, nor even sniffed, they just walked around with us in the leash. The owner was a bit sad cause she liked to socialise with people on the dogwalk and afterwards she decided to take a lab next time.

Oh and if she isnt spayed I think I can recomend to do that prior to first heat to reduce the risk of aggression.

It's a bit of a dice toss which sucks, cause they are the greatest dogs in all other aspects. I saw a pitbull cross on animal police yesterday he had 33% of his body burtn away in 3rd degree burns he STILL let them handle him with wagging tail. And that's why I love them, why they amaze me!!

This is also why I love to look at spicy's pictures.. I see properly breed and handled pits with a wonderfull and delightfull body language and it seems like they are not that prone to aggression. I just wish more people took breeding serious like that.

[skunkstripe]

Now that's odd-I was sure I had posted a reply this morning and now I can't find it! :p

Anyway, a dog's 'personality' will often change at about 2 years because this is when they become an adult and lose their puppy behavior (well, most of them anyway). Puppies are hird-wired to be submissive for survival, they depend on older dogs (or humans) to give them food and make sure they are safe. When they hit the age of 2, sometimes if there is a propensity to dog-on-dog aggressin, this is when the darling puppy sometimes becomes a monster.

Also when dogs "turn" it is often related to a medical condition. I con't find the link now but I recall reading that many autopsies on dogs that had suddenly become aggressive showed that there were things like brain tumors or medical conditions causing extreme pain (which a dog will often conceal).

[Spicy_VV]

Monkey and Skunkstripe both had great replies to your question.

Basically a puppy is just that an immature puppy. They will often change and mature, not just in pit type breeds. With maturity can come temperament changes.

Preventing a fight can really be a life saver. If she is bit she might fight back but it doesn't mean she will turn to wanting to fight. That all depends on her. Some dogs will because dog aggressive after an attack because they are actually putting on a bluff and want to avoid a confrontation. So they act as big and nasty as they can towards another dog. Some of this breed type will want to fight as a breed trait, so if they are allowed to be attacked or get into a fight you might have a harder time with them in the future wanting to fight.

So your best bet is to try to prevent it as best as possible. Like mentioned don't take her to dog parks, don't let her play with dominant dogs or ones who will bully her.

You should still continue to socialize her, let her play with respectful dogs, walk her with other dogs. Lots of bully breeds do really enjoy the company of other dogs and can get along with them. They like to run and play with other dogs, its great exercise for them too.

[BrittanyLover7]

With plenty of love and social time, Nipper can grow in to a very nice dog. My friend has two perfectly friendly Staffordshire Terriers. Just watch how you train him. Avoid any overly harsh corrections, a simple pop on the lead and sharp "No!" does the trick. Puppy classes and a trip to the local dog park(on lead)are also good as long as he has all his vaccinations. Hope this helps!

[Roxy n Marlee]

They all give off a warning sign. Something I have learnt owning three!

Yes they have a bad rap, it is easy to turn a bully breed agressive by feeding it angry, bad energy, sadly :(

But it is equally as easy to have a loyal loving bully too.

As it has been said before and seen it for myself, harsh correction is not good, these dogs, like most mirror us, but in this breed it's not good when the owner is bad.

[Bigboy]

Wow! Some great replies Guys. NO harsh correction. Certain things will change. So is shouting out then? Staffys can wear you down to the point where you could shout. So are members saying soft correction in a soft tone? To me that sounds a bit silly and I would think the dog would walk all over you!

[Roxy n Marlee]

Wow! Some great replies Guys. NO harsh correction. Certain things will change. So is shouting out? Because Staffys can wear you down to the point where you could shout. So are members saying soft correction in a soft tone? To me that sounds a bit silly and I would think the dog would walk all over you!

Calm and assertive. Calm being the main word here. You can correct just as well with the correct posture (stand tall) and being calm.

It's called positive correction. Oh and lots of exercise and training will help ;)

[Borzoi mad]

Hi Bigboy , You have been given a lot of great advice here so I will not repeat it.Suffice to say that I have found most staffies to be fun loving and friendly to other dogs and to humans.

The only time I have ever come accross an aggresive one was one day walking my two borzois Sam and Ludmilla(both now gone to the bridge) along the high Street where I live there was a guy coming towards me accompanied by a a staffie who had the leather and brass harness. which sometimes I think is only used to make the dog look hard . As we got near the staffie 's
owner shouted to us "Your dogs may be big but see this one of mine he could Kill both of them, your's have no courage but this boy of mine is a Killer. He then ordered the staffie to kill and it
lunged anarling towards my two, but fortunately my hubby sussed what was was about to and stepped to the other side between my dogs and the staffie and we managed to proceed without any damage being done. I just felt so sorry for this staffie having this idiot for an owner, and wondered what it's future would bring. The owner was shouting back that his dog would succeed next time. People like him should not be allowed to have dogs. I feel it is the people like this owner who are to blame for the bad name the breed sometimes gets and not the breed itself. This was not a young guy but someone I would say in their late 30's.

I do hope that your girl continues to be loving when she reaches those terrible teens. and provided she has had plenty of socialisation and calm and assertive training I see no reason why she should change. Try not to worry too much about it as the feeling goes down the lead to the dog and if you become tense when you meet other dogs then your girl wil sense this.

[staffilover]

I think staffs got there bad rep from pit bulls who were breed for fighting, the staff has a smiler look. Also many young teens mainly boys think it's cool to have a staff as they think they look hard. Staffs that bite often are made this way by an owner who wants his dog to be bigger and braver then his friends. Staffs are great dogs and I have known and rescued quite a few, all were loving and kind. But like all dogs they need good socialising from a young age with people and dogs. Also never leave any dog with a child unsupervised. Staffs are not nasty dogs but they have had a lot of nasty owners. I used to have a staff pup named nipper too. I rescued him and he went on to a new home

i will jump straight in here...

staffys are "pitbulls"

"pitbull" is not a breed, but a term used to group 3 breeds of dog.
american pit bull terrier
american staffordshire terrier
staffordshire bull terrier
some include the english bull terrier.

first there were staffordshire bull terriers that were bred for fighting, then came the american pit bull terrier. why oh why do people choose to distance themselves so much from the american pit bull terrier when in fact the staffy and the apbt are related.

there are no bad breeds just bad owners, rotties are also responsible for attacks, but they werent bred for fighting..

the english bull terrier has little bad press, there are few attacks by the english bull terrier, maybe its because the scum dont choose this breed.
yet they were bred for fighting. a little too expensive maybe, so the scum choose staffy crosses and apbt's.

[Spicy_VV]

Wow! Some great replies Guys. NO harsh correction. Certain things will change. So is shouting out then? Staffys can wear you down to the point where you could shout. So are members saying soft correction in a soft tone? To me that sounds a bit silly and I would think the dog would walk all over you!

You need to use a firm assertive tone. Shouting or yelling really don't accomplish much. Most often its a waste of energy. People who shout usually do so because they can't control their dog and even then the dog just acts deaf.

I don't think its likely for them to walk all over you. Another breed perhaps, not this type. Most of the pit type breeds are eager to please and very sensitive to their owners. If you shout at them they will act as if you've beat them and might have hurt feelings for awhile. They could also become distrustful of you or anxious around you if you were to shout often for every correction. They ultimately want to make them happy. They just need some guidance and training. As it said give a sharp NO, not a loud yelling NO. The dog is not deaf. You don't need the dog to cower down or feel threatened.

Borzoi Mad that is just crazy! I can't believe a person would actually do that. Poor staffy. I'm glad your dogs came out ok and no harm. I would have reported him. I would have wanted to take that dog from him!

Staffilover good point, I found that post very odd but you summed it up rightly.

[bright eyes]

with a staff they are very loving and loyal and what they write in the papers is crap about them. any dog breed can turn on people not just staffs, but with a staff as long as you are firm with them from the start you will av a fantastic loving, loyal and a dog who will give you lots of laughs as they can be so funny at times.. They get slagged off by people who know nothing about them. so take no notice. treat your dog well and you will av a great loving dog.

[Roxy n Marlee]

I have done alot of research on the breed and here are my views...


They are a terrier, they get excited very easily, they need a leader not an owner, The terrier was breed into them for the no fear hi prey drive.

One time being used for baiting bulls and rat/badger and other vermin's catching. When this was banned they turn to another sport, fighting.

This is in their blood and can/may creep in at anytime. As once shown on the Cesar show, were a Rottwiller was place in a enclosure with some lama's, his herding instance kicking without any training, as this was once something the breed had once done.

I hate to say this, but unless you bought from a reputable breeder, you can end up with fighting blood in your dog. With the Irish still shipping pit bulls, now the size of our staffies. To add the fighting dogs are just as loyal to their leader and can be easily be train, but they have a hi prey drive!

They are loving dogs and very loyal, but they cannot be allowed to be our guardians, or protect a young from stranger or dogs, cos trust me I know that in the past if anyone came near my toddler in any unfashionable manor my dogs would have protected him. I have stepped and told them it is not their job.

Be a good leader and go training. And you will be a good ambassador for the breed :)

Here's some rules I follow:

Never let the dog walk out the house before you, no matter how many times you have to go back, don't leave unless your infront.

Eat a cracker while looking at your dog berfore feeding it, when the dog is sitting nicely and you have finished your cracker it can eat.

Never walk over around your dog, make them move, don't allow your dog to lean against, paw you. You invite the dog for attention they do ask us.

Hope that helps, search a few of my post. A good link on dog parks and why we should at least stay leashed in un controlled dog areas!

http://www.realpitbull.com/parks.html

[bright eyes]

before getting my first staff 17years ago i done all the research u av done as my daughter was 4years old and i took my dog training. i agree with some of what u say but not all.. you get out of a dog what u put into them and my staffs av never been agressive to any humans or other dogs. evry dog of any breed are capable of being aggressive but at the end of the day not every dog of any breed are the same .if you are going to be a dog owner you have to be responsible from day one and teach it to be the way you want it to be . if theres a problem seek advive and try and get it sorted out . u say u researcher the breed and so did i but my point was the people who slagged them off are going by hear say with out getting to know how the dogs really are.

[xnaomix55]

the way to keep nipper a loving dog is to treat it with lots of love and respect.