Apologies for the long response!
Molliepops: I know an awful lot of people with well-behaved Staffies. They are strong dogs but so are a number of other breeds. I have been dragged along the pavement by a collie yet can control my Staffie very easily.
Tt88: Thank you for your comment and compliment on my article, it is interesting that you mention the media has influenced your opinions about Staffies, quite a few people say this. It is a shame that you have only seen stereotypical owners walking them, I hope that despite looking stereotypical they don’t behave in a stereotypical manner towards their dogs. There are a lot of unwanted Staffies and Staffie Cross breeds in rescue centres and I understand that can look bad, as well as lot of them being there because they are not aggressive, they are also very overbred. My dog was used for breeding and then dumped, you can see from looking at her rear end that she has had a lot of puppies - poor thing.
Staffie’s really are true to their “Nanny dog” name, I have witnessed Staffies and children together in harmony. They are so tolerant and patient and very gentle. As you said, any breed of dog can have an aversion to children. I was bitten a lot as a child by all sorts of dogs.
I am sorry to hear about the poor Staffie Cross puppy who is disciplined with a fly swat, that is very sad to hear and unfortunately I can only imagine life getting worse for the poor thing as if it were ever to turn on someone and bite them due to the treatment s/he has received, his/her days would be numbered.
Your last comment is very true, if Staffies were illegal the media would turn on another breed, sometimes the power of the media frightens me.
Pugamo: I too think that all dogs should be regulated to owners who can prove that they are capable of training them properly. Unfortunately I can’t see how this can be actioned effectively. I also agree that knowing how to care for the animal and knowing about the animals habits and behaviour is key. When I adopted my Staffie I was a novice and adopted a Staffie because I wanted to give one a good home and a happy life after all the negative press they receive. It was the best decision I have ever made – really. I have enjoyed training her, I have changed my life style to fit in with her needs and I am reaping the rewards. She is calm, well behaved, gentle and has a fantastic personality and at some stage in the future when I have more space I am looking forward to getting another bundle of fun to join her
Finbaar: Thanks very much Finbaar, very true. Nice to hear about your Sisters dog too.
Echo Zulu: I am sorry to hear that you feel my article is rather simplistic, I could have gone deeper into the issue but they asked for my angle as a Staffie owner and although I could have easily got carried away and wrote an awful lot more, I had to stop somewhere.
I am not sure I agree that some breeds will always have greater potential to become dangerous than others, I do think that due to their build/jaw that some breeds have the potential to cause more damage than others (as you pointed out when comparing Staffies to Yorkshire Terriers and Jack Russells) but I am not sure I agree that Staffie’s are more aggressive.
Unfortunately I feel that the majority of people don’t understand their dogs, therefore don’t train them enough or in the right way. I completely agree with you that most dogs that haven’t been train are unpredictable and can become aggressive. I know of an example of this within my own family, the poor dog doesn’t know whether he is coming or going and when he is taken for a walk he goes absolutely mad.
I think Staffie’s get the bad rep because there are a lot of them about and some of them have ended up in the wrong hands, these Staffies are not properly trained which inevitably ends up in tragic accidents. The whole dog fighting movement hasn't helped matters. In the past we have had a surge in popularity of Rottweiler’s, the media treated them in the same way they are currently treating Staffies but now the Staffies seem to have replaced Rottweilers in the medias attention. In years to come if another breed comes back into fashion I am wondering if the media will once again shift.
I would choose the poorly treated Staffie every time, both dogs would require a lot of work but once the work pays off I would be blessed with a gentle, loyal, affectionate and full of fun character beneath the large jaw and muscular physique.
Fizzee Rascal: Thanks very much!
Knarf44: Having experienced Staffie’s, Dobermans and Rottweilers I think you know what you are talking about! I am not a fan of some of Cesar’s training techniques (I prefer Victoria Stillwell myself!) but I do agree with him that it is the humans who own the dog that are responsible and that dogs can detect a weak owner from their behaviour and energy and then assume the dominant role. When I adopted my Staffie she used to try and dominate me but I used a few tricks I learnt from various training guides and she now respects me as being above her in our family.
Lovely to hear about your Staffie, definitely sounds like my Suki. She can get a bit boisterous when she is playing but that is when I step in.
CRTHD: Completely agree with you, especially your point about the smaller dogs. I often have the same experiences with small, aggressive dogs barking at my Staffie whilst she just stands there looking puzzled. I have a chuckle to myself at this point as well!
MR. Macavity: Thanks very much for that, glad you enjoyed the article.
TWS: Thank you for the compliment, I will check out DDA Watch and Allie Green as suggested. I agree with you that some Staffies do need extensive dog socialisation, it took our dog a while to get used to the habits of other dogs but that is because she had not been socialised at all prior to us adopting her when she was aged 4. Now she loves most other dogs, even if she decides she isn’t too keen on one in particular she will simply ignore it. If a Staffie is socialised from puppyhood then there shouldn't be an issue.
JulieD: I am sorry to hear this. however, as well as stereotyping Staffie owners as thugs we must also be careful not to assume the opposite, that people not fitting into that particular stereotype do know how to look after and train Staffies. Also, the background of the dogs need to be taken into consideration, have the dogs been socialised? That type of behaviour makes me question whether they have had enough socialisation. Training courses are a great idea but the owners must consistently keep up with the training at home, it is an ongoing process. Dogs let off the lead before they are well behaved and socialised can have altercations with other dogs and potentially people. I can describe at least three dogs with similar behaviour near where my parent’s live, one is a Miniature Schnauzer, one a Cairn Terrier and one a Cross Breed.
Orangebird: In my article I only mentioned Labradors because the author of the article I was responding to mentioned that his Labradors were well behaved. I do agree with you though, it isn’t fair to point out the other breeds that misbehave. Sometimes I find myself doing this to prove that my dog is well behaved in comparison which I feel bad about. I used to have a Jack Russell and she was a really good and gentle girl so I would hate to start giving her breed a bad name.
