staffordshire bull terrier, why?
- Thread starter Dr House
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Soldato
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I've known a couple of people with staffies and they have both been the most placid dogs I've ever come across (apart from my mum's greyhound
) As others have said, it's how they are trained.
Man of Honour
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You beat me to it.
Sorry dude but if you're not first you're last and I'm often last.
Soldato
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Staffies aren't deemed dangerous dogs, as others have said its owners that give them a bad rep - I'm not even a dog fan but lets not buy into the daily mail opinion of the breed please!
I'm not sure staffies are all that dangerous per say... while things could certainly go pear shaped if one of them did kick off I'm sure there are plenty of other breeds considered to be rather more aggressive.
Papillons can get quite nasty - but they don't really have the appearance of being aggressive dogs.
Papillons can get quite nasty - but they don't really have the appearance of being aggressive dogs.
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While I do agree with this it just seems that having a SBT around your family does seem to pose a level of risk that is higher then other dogs so why take the risk when you can get the same level of loyalty and companionship form another "saver" dog breed.
All the reports on TV about SBT attacking children seem to suggest that they were completely friendly placid dogs, it seem that SBT attack smaller dogs like J-FRO's did from time to time.
One of my mates has the Staffy and the only thing she would harm is her bed with her whip of a tail... People need to get it out of their heads ( not aimed at op ) that Staffys are bloodthirsty savages that kill everything in sight, Any dog can suddenly change and be violent, even a cat could do that...
Papillons are not likely to rip off the face of a child in a fit of temper either......our old one used to get snappy, but he simply didn't have the power or ability to do anything other than that. A 6 year old child could overpower a Papillion, a full grown adult woukd have trouble with a bull terrier.
This is my point, every dog has some risk of turning nasty but it would be close to impossible to over power a SBT.
Soldato
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I'm sure there was a study somewhere about the viciousness of dogs, and actually stuff like the terrier came out as generally a more aggressive dog.
They're just so small that people don't even think of them as aggressive dogs.... I can't quite find the list now.
Anyway, we had a Staffy when I was a kid. It was well trained, and it never did anything wrong. It got kicked by a horse once, and when it was a pup it got attacked by an Alsation, so it wasn't good around Alsations. But apart from that it was a lovely dog. Being a child, when I first heard about Staffy's being this 'violent' breed of dog, I honestly thought people were making it up. Up until that point (I was quite young at the time), the only experience I'd had with a Staffy was lovely.
Staffy's are often bred for fighting etc... so it's just a case of people spoiling the reputation of a good dog. They're just as loyal and caring as playful as any other dog I've met. In fact, my mate had a Golden Lab, that to be honest, wasn't as well trained, and as such, by the time it was quite big, was much more likely to harm someone than the staffy we had. Both were playful, but the Lab had a tendency to nip at things playfully. Problem is as the family had allowed it when it was a pup and therefore it was kind of cute, it didn't understand that now it was a lot bigger, it could actually harm people... On the other hand, the staffy had been taught to keep it's mouth away from people, and it did. Simple really.
Also, people saying stuff about struggling to overpower a staffy, what about a Labrador, or an Alsation or even a Husky.... Also, massive dogs...
kd
They're just so small that people don't even think of them as aggressive dogs.... I can't quite find the list now.
Anyway, we had a Staffy when I was a kid. It was well trained, and it never did anything wrong. It got kicked by a horse once, and when it was a pup it got attacked by an Alsation, so it wasn't good around Alsations. But apart from that it was a lovely dog. Being a child, when I first heard about Staffy's being this 'violent' breed of dog, I honestly thought people were making it up. Up until that point (I was quite young at the time), the only experience I'd had with a Staffy was lovely.
Staffy's are often bred for fighting etc... so it's just a case of people spoiling the reputation of a good dog. They're just as loyal and caring as playful as any other dog I've met. In fact, my mate had a Golden Lab, that to be honest, wasn't as well trained, and as such, by the time it was quite big, was much more likely to harm someone than the staffy we had. Both were playful, but the Lab had a tendency to nip at things playfully. Problem is as the family had allowed it when it was a pup and therefore it was kind of cute, it didn't understand that now it was a lot bigger, it could actually harm people... On the other hand, the staffy had been taught to keep it's mouth away from people, and it did. Simple really.
Also, people saying stuff about struggling to overpower a staffy, what about a Labrador, or an Alsation or even a Husky.... Also, massive dogs...
kd
To the people who say "it's completely down to the dog owner". Unfortunately, it isn't. It has been proven that different breeds of dogs have a differing amount of aggression towards owners, strangers, and other dogs. For example, this is why Dobermans are always guard dogs, because they are genetically more aggressive towards strangers. However I don't actually know where the Staffy sits in all these rankings.
I'm not saying "Staffys are bad", just simply that some dog breeds are naturally more aggressive and Staffys are more likely to more aggressive than a Poodle for example.
My opinion also:
Same goes for plenty of other breeds too.
I'm not saying "Staffys are bad", just simply that some dog breeds are naturally more aggressive and Staffys are more likely to more aggressive than a Poodle for example.
My opinion also:
Same goes for plenty of other breeds too.
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Have you ever known anyone who owns one? They are fantastic dogs and brilliant around kids. I once worked for the Borough Council for 5 years, in hundreds of houses with all sorts of dodgy characters, many with staffs too and never seen one that behaved in a way to scare me.
Then I was a postman for over 6 months and got chased by a bigass Rottweiler, a few crazy mongrels. And again, whilst delivering god knows how many Giros . Not one staff.
You are making such sweeping statements. I've been bitten more by them white Scotty dog things and by Yorkshire terriers.
Nice valid argument there... really couldn't have kept this thread alive without that comment!
I have a staffy and she is a very nice dog Gets on well with other animals and children. Very well trained and wouldn't even want to harm a fly.
They are powerful dogs though. Their jaws are massive but if the owner can train the dog it wouldn't be aggressive.
I think zengna pretty much sums up why these dogs are seen as 'dangerous'. Chavs get hold of them and since they treat them badly, train them badly, it grows up in a violent household and so on then that would reflect on the dog and the staffy would adopt the behavior of its owner. Hence giving them a bad name.
They are a very popular breed amongst the chavs!
Gets on well with other animals and children. Very well trained and wouldn't even want to harm a fly.They are powerful dogs though. Their jaws are massive but if the owner can train the dog it wouldn't be aggressive.
I think zengna pretty much sums up why these dogs are seen as 'dangerous'. Chavs get hold of them and since they treat them badly, train them badly, it grows up in a violent household and so on then that would reflect on the dog and the staffy would adopt the behavior of its owner. Hence giving them a bad name.
They are a very popular breed amongst the chavs!
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Over the years I've come into contact with lots of Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Not one of them has been openly aggressive.
They're boisterous dogs, but they are normally softies and very playful.
Some of the worst dogs I encounter for outright aggression are Jack Russell Terriers and would you believe Yorkshire Terriers.
I've lost count at how many Yorkshire Terriers have launched themselves at my legs when visiting houses, these same dogs are usually petted by the owner and are brilliant with them, but fiercly protective.
A lot does depend on upbringing, some of it is instinctive with the dog, as someone said Poodles are usually docile but other breeds aren't so welcoming.
Dogs will also pick up on a persons behaviour, if you show fear they will react. They're pack animals and will instinctively try to become the leader and this is often part of the problem with dog attacks when there is more than one animal in the house/location.
A lot of injuries are caused inadvertently. Dogs bark whether or not they're happy or angry. They will advance to greet someone they like, which often may result in a person panicking. They will 'mouth' hands and arms in play and sometimes scratches and minor bites will occur, leading to panic by the person, resulting in the dog behaving oddly.
In short they're amazing creatures, born to hunt, obedient and in most cases very lovable creatures - however you have to be sensible with them, particularly when children are around and treat them with a degree of respect.
They're boisterous dogs, but they are normally softies and very playful.
Some of the worst dogs I encounter for outright aggression are Jack Russell Terriers and would you believe Yorkshire Terriers.
I've lost count at how many Yorkshire Terriers have launched themselves at my legs when visiting houses, these same dogs are usually petted by the owner and are brilliant with them, but fiercly protective.
A lot does depend on upbringing, some of it is instinctive with the dog, as someone said Poodles are usually docile but other breeds aren't so welcoming.
Dogs will also pick up on a persons behaviour, if you show fear they will react. They're pack animals and will instinctively try to become the leader and this is often part of the problem with dog attacks when there is more than one animal in the house/location.
A lot of injuries are caused inadvertently. Dogs bark whether or not they're happy or angry. They will advance to greet someone they like, which often may result in a person panicking. They will 'mouth' hands and arms in play and sometimes scratches and minor bites will occur, leading to panic by the person, resulting in the dog behaving oddly.
In short they're amazing creatures, born to hunt, obedient and in most cases very lovable creatures - however you have to be sensible with them, particularly when children are around and treat them with a degree of respect.
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Agreed. Yorkies are the true hounds of hell.
