Well thanks for that.
Sadly, it's that attitude which has helped the media to demonise certain breeds.
ALL dogs can go bad, and in my experience it invariably comes down to ownership/environment, rather than specific breeds.

There was a dog-attack last summer, on the route I usually use to walk my dog. I heard the commotion about 4 or 5 minutes after I'd passed there, and found out the following day what had happened.
Two dogs, which used to bark aggressively through the fence at anything that moved, had got out, and attacked another dog which was playing on the grass with it's owner's child (luckily the child wasn't the target)
Even the following day, there were bloodstains everywhere.
The attackers - two Border Collies
The victim - A Staffie which my dog used to play with, and still does (It's fine now, but lost a lot of blood at the time, needed a LOT of stitches around the neck and head)

Oh - and for the record - my dog is a Staff crossbreed (StaffxLab), which just happens to look very much like a proper American Pitbull - as opposed to the bulked up hybrids that most people think of when they hear the word 'Pitbull'
And I couldn't, by any stretch of the imagination, be described as a 'Hard-man idiot' type

The plural of anecdote is not data, you know.

Its the owner of a bad dog not the breed that's at fault. I was bitten years ago by a dog i didnt blame the dog but it was the owners fault. I would love a dog now but have a CAT that hates dogs and would attack them she was like this when she found us so its not just dogs that has bad owners cats can be just has dangerous as well. PS i do like staffies.

See, I'm the sort who will avoid a staff when walking my dog. On my own, I'm fine with them. I think most are good animals. I think most staff owners are your average person. However, despite this, over the years my dogs have had between them over a dozen serious attacks, three of which required vet treatment, and only one wasn't a staff type (I have had a dog for fourteen years and the current one I've had for 30 months... and he's had three dogs attack him for no reason, and all were staffs). Please forgive me if I feel wary when a staff comes up not on a lead when walking my dog. Sure, my dogs have had good times with some staffs, whose owners were responsible and good natured, but they've had some bad times, too. Still, if the staff seems good natured and the owner's also well natured, then I have no problem with their dog meeting my dog and playing. That's all my dog wants to do: play.

Again, I have no problems with this breed as such, but I do think that this breed does need to be owned by people who are willing to give the dogs the stimulation it needs and able to control it. Saying that, that sort of thing applies to all dogs, I suppose. In the end, a responsible owner will tend to produce a good natured dog, whatever its breed.

Yes I take your point. I'm sorry that you've had bad experiences with staffies & it's sad that the reputation of these dogs seems to have been irreparably damaged by a minority of irresponsible owners.

I've never owned a staffie-type myself but I've walked lots of them for the Dogs Trust & the vast majority have been fine with other dogs ~ maybe I've just been lucky?

Perhaps the injuries caused by aggressive staffies are worse than a bite from other dogs because of their powerful jaws?

If I meet a staffie on a lead I would avoid it & keep my dogs at a distance, but then I'd do the same with any other dog on a lead in a place where dogs wuld normally be off lead.

I have two staffys. I trust them off lead, neither of them have ever so much as barked at another dog. They'll play with anything if given the chance.

That said, I won't let them off lead when a Jack Russell is about, they've been set upon by about 6 of them. My dogs thankfully just tend to look bemused when it's happened, but where they to retaliate and return the attack, they'd be made out to be the bad guys simply because of their breed.

I know it's not all Jack Russell's, I imagine most are lovely dogs and I've just been unlucky. I refuse to make sweeping generalisations since I'm always annoyed when people do that with my dogs. But I can understand people being wary of a particular breed, if they've had bad experiences with that breed.

I think there's always going to be one breed slated, before staffy's it was rottweilers and dobermans. As long as there's idiots using dogs as weapons and status symbols, there'll be 'daemon' breeds.

I can imagine. I've got 2 Border Collies and a Staffie, and although none of my dogs are violent in any way, I'd be much more wary of the Collies having a nip at someone or something than the Staffie. The only attack that would give is an attack of kisses, the big daft git.

I love staffs, one of my friends has one with a golden retriever also, and she's soo silly sometimes, however is very obedient and comes off the road if she goes onto it... it is a quiet road, but she knows not to go there. She also knows to walk around muddy patches, whereas her friend (mr golden retriever) always decides to walk through the mud lol

I've had nothing but German Shepherds my whole life.. I love the breed and never thought of looking at a Staffy to keep.. Well all that changed last year when I was offered a 6 week old Staffy bitch....
I've had her a year now am I'm very impressed with her.. I love her to bits as she's a cheeky sod with a heart of gold.. Everyone loves her temperament..

My next dog will be a Staffy....Giving GSD's a rest for the forseeable future.. Staffies are just more 'manageable' for me.

I know exactly what you mean. At this time of year my 2 labs come back from most walks looking like they've had a mud bath, they plough through every puddle, charge through all the muddy patches, then stop for a quick scratch so get muddy ears, then skid in the mud chasing a ball. My friend's staffies detour around all puddles, avoid mud at all costs, & won't pick up a tennis ball if it's got any mud on it! I think I might get staffies next time.

I don't think they will ever be a dog I would even short list - I couldn't stand having a friendly dog people veer away from in fright