Ruff deal for the Staffie

They're being dumped in record numbers and branded a "yob dog", yet Staffordshire bull terriers are ideal family pets, say experts. So why is this nation of dog lovers turning against them?

Extremely reliable, highly intelligent and affectionate, especially with children. It's not a description most of us would associate with Staffordshire bull terriers, but it's how the UK Kennel Club sums them up.

In fact, the breed is one of only two from over 190 it recommends as suitable with children, the other being a Chesapeake Bay retriever.

But while the thought of a doe-eyed retriever makes people feel all warm and fuzzy inside, a Staffie - as they are commonly known - often leaves them cold.

Somehow these little balls of muscle have gone from being considered good family pets to canine outcasts among large sections of this nation of dog lovers.

Staffies and Staffie crosses are being dumped in record numbers and not enough people are willing to give them a new home. So how did the sociable dog that likes to be loved fall out of people's affections?

The breed is a bit of a contradiction and that is a big part of the problem, says the Dogs Trust. While their natures are loving, their perceived physical similarities with banned breeds - such as pit bulls - has resulted in them being tarnished with the "dangerous dogs" label.

"Because of their appearance, certain types of people think they've got themselves a fierce dog and in fact they'd far rather be in front of the fire having their tummy tickled," says breeder Veronica Brown.

A result of this misguided association they have become a "macho" fashion accessory among some young men, say welfare groups. They are a "psuedo pit bull" for those who want to look hard.

Cashing in

"They have become a status symbol among some youngsters and the type of person who gets one for that reason is not likely to be the most responsible owner," says Ali Evans, from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

The consequences for the breed are worrying, say animal charities. Selling them has now become a lucrative business among certain groups and people wanting to make some quick cash are intensively breeding them.

"Some people now consider them as a source of income and are breeding them in their back gardens," says Ms Evans.

A pure-breed puppy with documentation to prove its Kennel Club registration and a health certificate costs around £600, so there is a market for cheaper dogs. Many are cross-breeds but still look the part. And looks count as the dogs are also being used as a protection, say animal charities.

That's not to say that Staffies can't be aggressive and dangerous. They can. Like all dogs, there can be moments of aggression which, coupled with the Staffie's strength, can lead to serious injuries. There have been many reported cases of Staffies attacking children, but these days the dogs are often trained to be more hostile. Owners build up their strength, making them hang off sticks to increase the power of their jaws.

It all fuels the negative image the dogs have now acquired and makes them harder to home if they are dumped by owners.

Mistaken identity

Birmingham Dogs Home says pure-bred Staffies and their crosses make up at least 40% of all dogs that end up with them. They make up a third of all dogs handled by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, which has branches in London, Berkshire and Kent.


Staffies are often mistaken for pit bulls, such as this
The media also has a part to play in attitudes towards the breed.

"Sometimes if there's a dog attack, they'll use a photo of a Stafford in the paper before the true identity of the dog has been made," says Ms Brown.


The dogs are being villainised, say responsible owners. Lorien Hill is mum to a five-year-old, Lucas, and has a Staffie, one of three she has owned over the years.

"Billy looks all rough and tough on the outside, yet he's the most gentle dog ever and in touch with the emotions of those around him," she says.

"They call them nanny dogs and that's because they're like babysitters. When Lucas is in the garden, Billy sits near him just watching."

She agrees they are often just a status symbol. As a result people assume Staffies are aggressive and make assumptions about why she owns one.

"Someone at the school gate was sarcastic to me about my dog," she says. "They said 'good you didn't get an aggressive muscly dog then'. People just assume.

Villainised breeds

"I think things are changing and they're beginning to go out of fashion as the hard boy thing. That might be why there's so many in the shelters, because a lot of people are put off because they're seen as a chav dog."

Staffies are not the first breed of dogs to be villainised. German shepherds, dobermans and rottweilers have all suffered bad press.

"What they all have in common is they are big and strong," says the RSPCA's chief vet, Mark Evans. "A smaller dog could be just as aggressive but there is less chance of it being a life-threatening attack."

As a result it does not make the headlines, he adds.

""We need to educate people about how to care for Staffies and also the wider population to dispel some of the myths," says Mr Evans. "What a dog is like is not down to their breed it is down to their owner."

the link 4 it new about staffys http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7239464.stm

Stuart, Gloucester wrote:These dogs should be banned full stop. They are like walking around with a loaded gun. My puppy was attacked by one recently, a five-month-old cocker. Did the Staffy just bite? No! It bit and clamped on and would not let go. I had my hands in the Staffie's mouth but could not release its jaws from my puppy's leg, even with all my might. My hands were obviously cut and I have a vet's bill for hundreds of pounds for repair to my dog's leg. They are dangerous. Even my vet is sick of treating other animals attacked by them. Who buys them? People who want to be hard. I don't need a dog for that...

hate people like this grrrrrrrrrrr let ban this bloke too

Soline Druffin, London wrote:I do not agree that Staffies are not dangerous dogs. I have two Jack Russells and walk them twice a day. The only dogs which have attacked them without provocation or advance warning are Staffies. In our local park a Staffie has recently attacked children playing football, one of them so badly he needed stitches. Staffies may be good dogs at heart, but because of their strength if they are not trained properly they get out of control and then become dangerous.

any dog can be a dangerous dogs

Anon wrote:In my local park, many people walk their dogs off leads. It is not acceptable, my children have the right to safety. I also think it should also be brought into the school curriculum to teach children how to behave around animals, in closed and open spaces. I have owned many different breeds, as I love dogs. I would not want to own a strong powerful dog. Dogs like people can be unpredictable. Laws, strong regulations and big licence fees should be as standard in owning any dog.

this will not stop dogs attacks, get tougher on the owners is the only way

Kate, age 14, Gloucester wrote:Walking our Staffie-cross in the countryside, a man walking two labradors saw that our dog was a bull-breed and let his dogs off their leads. What was he trying to prove? The two labs came over and growled at our dog (on a lead) and a fight broke out. I was so scared as the two labs were biting my Connor's face so he had to bite one of them in the cheek. Because of his breed he got the blame and ever since certain people shout abuse at me in the street. They shout "Those dogs don't deserve to live".

labradors can be nasty in the wrong hands like any other dog

stupid people... i dont like to judge a dog by its breed but i would say your more likely to be bitten by a jack russell than a staffie. My girlfriend was bit in the face 3 times on 3 different occasions by jack russells when she was little.

a few years back around a lil girl was bitten on her face by a labrador ans she need lile 20 stitches that dint even make the newspaper

Over here it's the same. But I must say that more and more you hear and see the stories of the captured staffies and what happens to them. And little by little people realise what a stupid law we have that only staffies with a "paper" may live.

Dhaysi has been attacked three times twice by two different border collies and once by a lab - Dhaysi had two puncture wounds in her head and was screaming like a banshee when the border collie attacked her

But of course these dogs dont sell newspapers do they

sam been attack by 2 boxer at the same time when he was 10 months old, he been attack by rottie x alsation and number of little dogs and they say staffie are nasty

Enzo was attacked by a rottweiler when he was about 5 months old, luckily we had my girlfriends dads GSD x Mastiff for the week so she saved him

Hes also been bitten by a jack russell and west highland terrier but he wasnt bothered by them and just walked on

stich was attacked by a pit...
the pit was only about the same age sa stich 5months or so old..
now he has the tip of his ear of... iv never seen the man since it happend.....
now im just extra carefull on and of the lead....

as for staffs geting a ruff deal that is allways going to happen 90%of the time....wich is a shame...