Thinking of getting an American Stafforshire

[shahgols]

Hi everyone, I have been looking at adopting an American Staffordshire and have been looking at some really cute ones at different rescues. I have a question though, I have read on several Staff sites that they are very dominant over other pets in the same household. One site said that they should be monitored at all times. Since I have two other dogs (one a boxer and another a daschund), I am all worried now. I saw a couple of Staffs that were mellow and sweet. They didn't pull towards other dogs that were walking by but they were looking at them as if to acknowledge them (not with extreme intent/attention). Am not sure if they are the kind of Staffies that these sites are talking about. I thought that I should ask on a board where there are plenty of people who have lots of experience. Thanks in advance for your help.

[KatzNK9]

Hi & welcome to the forum. Great to have you with us. I'm sure plenty of people will have some good advice for you here. When I was younger, my roommate had a Amstaff who was a lovely dog who loved all animals but he was properly trained & socialized from a young pup. Other than that, I don't have any specific experience with the breed but do know they can be absolutely fabulous & loving dogs. Over the years, I've known many friends who have different bully breeds who are all great dogs.

Taking in any rescue is an uncertainty; however, even the most extreme cases can usually be properly socialized to fit into the right home with the right training. These bully breeds can also be more difficult than most to integrate into a household of other animals. I think you need to look at any dog as an individual rather than attaching any "breed prejudice" to them.

You should also consider your locality and check to see if there is any breed specific legislation in your area. I'm not suggesting, in any form or fashion, that I agree with such BSL; however, it does exist & you should be aware of any laws in your area & be prepared to realize that at any time these laws could be introduced in your area as cities and counties are jumping on the bandwagon like flies are attracted to honey. It is very unfortunate that these regulations are gaining in popularity but it is better to be aware, in advance, rather than becoming attached to a dog who will later put you in legal jeopardy.

There are bully breed owners here in the forum & I hope they can jump in here to help you make your decision. I'm sure they'll have more specific information to give you & possibly assist you in how to properly introduce a staffie into your household.

[Sabledog]

it all depends on the dog itself, not the breed, any dog has tendencies to be dominant or agressive, it how they are raised and treated that makes the difference, pick one based on how well it does with YOUR dogs do a meet with them and let them interact, if you see anything out of place, like stiffness in any of the dogs, raised hair on the back, nervous, over excitable those are warning signs that may lead to a fight, if your dogs get along right away, circle, sniff, bow when playing or roll over to your dogs, those are all great signs!! dont pick one based on what you want pick one based on what your DOG'S want after all they are the ones who have to put up with the new addition lol you are going to have to have some things that you want though like house trained, leash manners, if they get into the garbage or if the dig (all thing are up to you if you will tolerate bad behavior lol) but make sure you get a little history on the dog and how it was treated or raised. it will help you understand the dogs behavior alot better.

[AnimalHouse]

Personaly, I have a AmStaff. And he was Kinda.. Off with dogs for the first cpl years after I rescued him. (I got him at 1yr old) And then as time passed,and I learned how to control a hard headed breed, things got better. He is Very smart! And in a Cpl years he is Perfect with other dogs now. He went to doggy daycare,and goes to the dog park! He usually walks around the dog park like no one else is there. I call him the Daddy dog. He tolerates puppys/Kittens very well! If a cat/kitten hissed at him, he would run away!

[Shankly]

Hi Shahgols,
I have a staffie (english variety) and as people have already said it really depends on the dog as to if it will attempt to be dominant over other dogs. My own dog will not attempt to be dominant over a fully grown dog who is confident in itself, but if a nervous dog is around he will attempt to show that he is a dominant dog (usually involves mounting the other dog). Where as my brothers staffs are all extremley confident in themselves and do not feel the need to show a dominant side with other dogs. I would say if you do get one to be careful in how your staff plays with the daschound as some can be boistrous (spelling?) and the staff and the boxer playing with each other may be to much for such a small dog.
Dont think I am trying to put you off as I'm not as they are wonderful dogs all you need to do is make sure you pick the right one for your situation.

[shahgols]

A big thank you to all of you for your informative posts. You are right, I should look at each case individually. My girl has the spring-break off soon so we are thinking on fostering this Staff that we like in that time so that she can monitor them. I'll definitely keep all of you updated. Thanks again everyone.

[staffilover]

hi
i own 2 staffordshire bull terriers {males}
i dont have any problems with mine but i do follow guidelines with feeding etc
i never feed them close by each other and stand and watch while they are eating...any dog can be possesive over food, bones etc.
i dont give them bones because the older one zack {the father}
tends to sit with his and waits for bailey {the son} to come and get it
then he will growl at him to warn him..so i dont risk it..
he does it with treats too so i have to be on gaurd so to speak..
as someone already said it all depends on the dog....when i take zack out
i loose him off on the fields and he totally ignores other dogs, he's just interested in his stick..but im aware of other dogs coming to him....
its just a matter of training and watching for signs...

love staffilover xx