Dog issue (Staffie)

Randomface74 · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:05

If your kids were more like 10 and 7, I'd consider it.

Based on one of them being 2, not a chance I'd let that dog in my house.

Put your foot down.

Andrew_McP · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:05

I am sure that most dogs of all kinds are wonderful creatures. But some have been bred down particular traits which make them more efficient attackers when provoked or commanded.

Staffies, like many breeds, have been bred to have particularly powerful jaws, proportional to their size. For that reason I wouldn't want one unattended around any child. But then that's true of all dogs. It's just that a Yorkie would take a lot longer to do serious damage than a Mastiff.

4T5 · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:06

jamief said:
A Jack Russell might nip, but a staffy could quite easily remove a hand.

This is what Always worrys me & why I take no chances with my Frank, Like has been said if most other dogs have a bite/nip it leaves no more than a pinch mark but when a staffy dog bites it locks on & causes Severe damage, I could not live with myself if I let that happen to my dog or to a person/child etc so I take no chances even though I have lived with Frank every day for the last ten years.

Maximum Triceratops · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:08

4T5 said:
This is what Always worrys me & why I take no chances with my Frank, Like has been said if most other dogs have a bite/nip it leaves no more than a pinch mark but when a staffy dog bites it locks on & causes Severe damage, I could not live with myself if I let that happen to my dog or to a person/child etc so I take no chances even though I have lived with Frank every day for the last ten years.

Ok mate, you seem to be the most appropriate person to ask, would you let the dog in if you were in my shoes?

Aeleys · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:12

Maximum Triceratops said:
Ok mate, you seem to be the most appropriate person to ask, would you let the dog in if you were in my shoes?

I think you need to make your own mind up, we can give you advice and storys all day long, at the end of the day its your house and your kids.

You are allready "worried" so then you are over half way settled that the dog is a monster and will do anythnig and everythnig to harm your kids, tell her to leave it or stick it in the garden.

Maximum Triceratops · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:14

Aeleys said:
I think you need to make your own mind up, we can give you advice and storys all day long, at the end of the day its your house and your kids.

You are allready "worried" so then you are over half way settled that the dog is a monster and will do anythnig and everythnig to harm your kids, tell her to leave it or stick it in the garden.

Thats the thing though, shes passing through on her way to Oxford so its gonna be with her, so I either ask her to leave it in the car, in the garden or not to bother coming lol, just dont want to sound like a **** but my kids come first of course.

Bit of a mixed bag of responses too so its becoming a bit of a dilema

Randomface74 · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:16

It's not a dilemma.

If you tell her to leave it outside, you feel like a bit of a dick.
If you let it in, and it attacks, you're screwed for life.

mollymoo · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:17

Maximum Triceratops said:
Thats the thing though, shes passing through on her way to Oxford so its gonna be with her, so I either ask her to leave it in the car, in the garden or not to bother coming lol, just dont want to sound like a **** but my kids come first of course.

Bit of a mixed bag of responses too so its becoming a bit of a dilema

Let it come round but supervise your children around it and you will be fine. You wouldn't leave a 2 year old on its own anyway so it shouldn't make any difference. It will be fine in my opinion, just exercise some caution.

Aeleys · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:19

Maximum Triceratops said:
Thats the thing though, shes passing through on her way to Oxford so its gonna be with her, so I either ask her to leave it in the car, in the garden or not to bother coming lol, just dont want to sound like a **** but my kids come first of course.

Bit of a mixed bag of responses too so its becoming a bit of a dilema

Asking her to leave it in the garden is fine, as long as it's not raining or if it is, at least give the dog somthing to go in/under. it's for what a day?

no harm, and your kids will be safe

4T5 · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:20

Is the little girl that lives with the dog coming along & What are your kids like around dogs/animals ? Are they reserved or a bit Hypa ?
Also what is your ground floor layout like ? Are there plenty of escape routes for kids & dogs or is it a bit tight with loads of chances of being cornered ?

dowie · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:20

Tom0 said:
Nothing to do with breed, it's still a dog and you're being perfectly cautious. You don't know the dog.

If it were me though, I'd give the misses and her friend some faith. Just try to make sure the dog isn't left alone with the kids that's all.

Of course the breed is a factor - any breed can attack but some breeds will likely do a lot more damage if they do. I'm well aware that staffies are friendly but if his kids haven't previously been introduced to the dog and he's not going to be there then I can understand the OP perhaps being concerned - kids with dogs are an unpredictable mix and a kid running around and or yelling can easily be interpreted as an attack by the dog - especially if its a kid it doesn't know.

J-FRO · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:26

I had a staffie once, he was the craziest dog ever and hated other dogs. With children and people though he was as friendly as you like and just always wanted attention and his belly being rubbed.

Lovely dogs, real dogs

Maximum Triceratops · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:31

4T5 said:
Is the little girl that lives with the dog coming along & What are your kids like around dogs/animals ? Are they reserved or a bit Hypa ?
Also what is your ground floor layout like ? Are there plenty of escape routes for kids & dogs or is it a bit tight with loads of chances of being cornered ?

My eldest is good as gold, my youngest I could easily see him ragging the dog to bits as hes a little terror at times, typical 3 bedroom house so lots of corners etc, its going in the garden, my mind is made up not taking any chances through looking like a bit of a dick, better safe than sorry, thanks for the replies all

Maximum Triceratops · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:32

billysielu said:
It's not a dilemma.

If you tell her to leave it outside, you feel like a bit of a dick.
If you let it in, and it attacks, you're screwed for life.

This is true so as above

^

_dogma_ · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:33

4T5 said:
This is what Always worrys me & why I take no chances with my Frank, Like has been said if most other dogs have a bite/nip it leaves no more than a pinch mark but when a staffy dog bites it locks on & causes Severe damage, I could not live with myself if I let that happen to my dog or to a person/child etc so I take no chances even though I have lived with Frank every day for the last ten years.

Not sure if you actually meant this or not but locking jaws are a myth, they are just very persistant. Also, Frank looks like a lovely dog and it is very good that you are such a responsible dog owner

OP- The dog has been around children, unless your wife is a bit of an idiot and leaves the kids alone with the dog or let them poke it in the eyes or something then it should be nothing to worry about. You are definitely over-analysing the situation and you have it in your head that the dog is a monster no matter what anyone says.

King Damager · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:33

Stafford get a bad rep because their owners train them in a certain way. Admittedly the breed is a more aggressive one, however not such that you should be worried if its trained correctly.

When I was a kid we had a staffie (before they were seen as this horrific breed), and it was the most playful dog you've seen. In later years when they were getting a bad rep, people would come into the house and it would run and jump up at them playfully in the same way a normal dog would... The people of course just pood themselves and ran...

If you know the owner, it's not an issue. I'm wary of staffies with chavs or in a rough area, but otherwise they're nice enough dogs.

Apart from 4T5 how many of you who are so against the idea have actually owned staffies as dogs...

kd

Fenris · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:37

4T5 said:
when a staffy dog bites it locks on

So called "Jaw locking" is a myth, no dog can do this, they are persistent but nothing more. The same goes for myths involving their bite pressure, it is nothing special.

Maximum Triceratops · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:39

dirtychinchilla said:
Hahahaha well I'd not recommend that!!! If you bark loudly enough, smaller or more timid dogs often don't like it. It's also pretty funny to bark at dogs when they are trying to lord over you etc

Ok lets set the scene - you are my mate at mine for a chat and the dog latches onto my kids leg, I immediately stick my finger in its arse and you start barking like a dog

my son is saved lol.

Tyron · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:43

Maximum Triceratops said:
Hi,
So my other half's best mate is coming to see her tomorrow before she heads back home to Oxford, problem is she has a Staffie and shes bringing it with her.
I have 2 kids (five and two) and naturally alarm bells are ringing and to be quite honest I dont want that dog in my house with my two kids around despite the fact it is apparently very friendly and loving and the wife's mate has a five year old that was brought up around the dog with no issues.
I have told my wife about my concerns and that I dont want it in the house, am I being overly cautious or would you guys have said the same thing?
Foor what its worth I do like dogs and like Staffies as a breed but just thought I would ask GD's opinions on this

You could always take the kids out for while she's there or put a movie on your computer in a different room for the kdis to watch. Many options.

4T5 · 9 Apr 2012 at 13:44

Locked on as in biting hard into something not literally, Locked on with a key.

It's so regular that any decent points are ignored on here whilst somebody trys to get a Right next to there name it's really getting boring.