The survey i did on SBT

These are a few written responses about peoples feelings and experiances, sorry if something you wrote is here but noone will know it was you if you don't tell, i don't know myself!!




I own an SBT who was attacked by 2 SBT who were allowed to run off lead when they were known to be aggressive. Unfortunately the owner put their welfare at risk by being irresponsible. Jail the owners not the dogs.
Owner of two rescued Staffies and they are the most lovable dogs ever. They have both changed the opinions of media reading Staffie haters once they have met them and seen what the breed is really like when trained and loved properly!

I have an SBT he is so friendly and good natured. Hes brilliant with my two children and so faithful to all of us. He gets on great with other dogs.

I have two. They are the most loving boys imaginable.

a true staffordshire bull terrier can not be trained, by a proffesional, to be an attack dog. they a friendly, esspecially with kids. any stafford that does not concur with this should be humainly disposed of as it is not worthy of the name
I find that if a staffy is brought up correctly and had time to put into them they make fantastic dogs, they are a strong breed not an aggresive breed which makes them easy to use as status symbols
I have found the breed to be loyal, faithful and wonderful with children. I trust my staffie with my 4 year old granddaughter.

i have a fair few friends who have owned or do own staffords, and all were/are lovely,friendly people orientated dogs.

Sadly my dogs have been attacked 5 different times by staffs, I don't blame the dogs at all just the idiot owners who don't do enough socialisation with them or give them enough exercise/stimulation

i own a 15 week old STB and she is more gentle around my two kids than my mums labs
we have a staffie and shes brill.shes the most affectionate dog i know.we have known her from birth and had her from 6 weeks old,shes now 12 and shes lovely.

All the ones I have met have been very friendly.
met a few and they have always been very friendly and shown me that big staffie grin. not a bad dog at all.

Have 3 times attacked my young dog.

My best friend has a Staffy and she is the most gentle dog I've ever met!

Attacked by one and my dog has been attacked several times

Yes I fostered a staffy pup and while she was fne with my children she didnt get on with my other dog (labrador) and that was not through me making her aggressive, she had a genuine dislike for other dogs so I found the answers to these questions somewhat difficult. Take number 2 for example. For the most part im not scared of them but if I saw an untrained one with a unsavoury owner then yes I would be scared.

My staffie is 2.5 years old and the most amazing loving little dog she couldn't be aggressive if she tried.
I own 2 and have known people who have owned them for 20+ years. Friendly and very, very loyal which is why some idiots use them as status/protection symbols.

I have 2 staffies, my boy is just the most wonderful dog ever. He will welcome ANY dog into his home and happily share his bed with it. He is living, loyal, very clever and great with my children. He has been attacked several times and does little to defend himself-a real ambassador for the breed! My little girly is also great with other dogs and the children, she is still a baby who had a rough start so is still finding her way.

Have owned a sbt and an english bt in past, they were both fab dogs and fantastic with my girls. Peoples perceptions were mixed some loved him some not. Was once hit by somebody with a walking stick because he ran up to speak to his dog, with his usual 'smiley' face, poor wee soul ran for his life, he couldn't understand what had happened. (guy nearly got a taste of his own medicine)
our daughter adopted one,Daisy,unknown background,found as a stray. She loves people,is very well behaved ,but isnt good with other dogs

They are really great dogs

Bad experience when one attacked a female Springer Spaniel, and grabbed her around the throat, I will hear that dog's screams until I die. It took 4 big guys to eventually get the Staffy off her.

Some SBTs are dog aggressive, one of my dogs was attacked by one without provocation. I think you need to distinguish between dog-on-dog aggression, and dog-on-human aggression.

I have found them as a breed to be very untrustworthy with other animals but particularly other dogs. Certainly not a breed that I would ever advise for a first time dog owner and one that does require early socialization.

My OH always said that he hated them and they were aggressive and we could never had one...but having actually met a couple of lovely ones he's changed his mind. Think a lot of others would do the same if they spent time with them, and realise they are normal dogs.

There are hundreds around this area. I think that they should still be allowed but only to those who are guaranteed to look after them and train them. Not to these idiots that wander about intimidating people.

Owned a staffy x for 15 years. Amazing dogs. I know of two staffies who killed each other, due to the owners idiocy in keeping dominant males together in a stressful environment.

My dogs and myself attacked

I have known people with SBT's most of my life and can honestly say that I have never come across an agressive one. My husband and I recently fostered a SBT and can honestly say that he had the most beautiful, gentle, friendly and loving character that I have ever come across in a dog. I am often intimidated by young male staffy owners but never the dog itself.

Me and my oh have 2 male sbts aged 3 and 5 along with an 11 year old female collie x corgie, they live with a 2 year old cat and 2 rabbits, they have great temprements and adore each other we have never had a problem with them.

My brother has a sbt which is my sbts half brother hes been round several times and they adore him. My ohs brother also has a 6 year old male staffy and they get on fine no problems. A dog regardless off breed is only as good as the owner makes it, if the dog is agressive for whatever reason the owner should know and take control measures too ensure the dog does not attack another dog or person aagin this stands for all breeds big and small. I am totally against BSL and think it needs abolishing and replacing with a new law that targets the owners.

They make lovely pets and are very loving towards children.

On 4 separate occasions off-lead SBTs have attacked my dog (on-lead) and myself. I believe its a mixture of a dog bred for fighting, and being poorly trained that gives them their aggressive reputation. It's rarer to meet a nice SBT than an aggressive one in my experience. I own a hound, and I have had to work hard to train him not to follow his nose but to return to me on command, for example. If SBT owners don't accept their dog is a fighter by nature, and work hard to train this out of them, they end up with an aggressive dog.

I have a staffy cross and rescued him at 6 weeks old. I have socialised him correctly and trained him well without a trainer and can honestly say he doesnt have any aggression issues at all, no fear issues and is the most gentle dog i have ever known.

As with all terrier dogs, they are quite highly strung and therefore need a competent responsible owner who can train them appropriately. They are not bad dogs but many are bought because of their looks and reputations and are brought up to be agressive dogs. As a fighting dog they are a force to be reconned with as they are very powerful so this is not a good combination with a bad owner who trains them top be aggressive to other people or animals.
Most I meet are very dog aggressive and the owners can hardly hold on to them let alone control them. These dogs are not status dogs but rescues.

I work in a dog kennel and a dog shelter and I interact with many different breeds of dogs including SBTs. Some dogs are well behaved, others are not. It's got nothing to do with the breed and everything to do with how the owner raised the dog, if it got obediance training and if it was socialised properly with other dogs.

Have met many while walking my own dogs as a whole they are lovely, well socialised, happy dogs. A few have been dog aggressive but this has been due to the owners encouraging them to be.
i own two and not once have they shown any aggression, with other dogs, strangers, or children.

There is a staffy up the road who is lovely and my rottie loves to play with her. I've never come across one that isn't well behaved and friendly.

I have owned two, both great family pets, well socialised etc. My oldest staffy was badly attacked and injured by another staff whilst she was on lead, so I always avoid them now I have a smaller dog.

Beautiful dogs very mis-understood. Just like GSD's, Rotties and Dobes in the 70's. The craze for Status dogs will move onto another breed in time - Akitas seem popular at the moment.

I personally love SBT's.When raised correctly they are the most loving loyal and gentle dogs. The problems is there are so many idiots that own them and have made them aggressive that even I get tense when I see them in the park, you can just never tell if they have been raised correctly or not. It's very sad.

No personally but my niece had them and they were great with her kids.

I have a sbt x and out of the12 dogs i have has in my life she is the best, most loving dog i have had.

Every SBT I have met has been a well behaved, friendly dog.

I have owned staffs all my life .. Every staff i have owned and every staff i know are all gentle, well behaved and amazing dogs .. Its the owners that cant be bothered to train these dogs that deserve the bad press not the dogs!

I have been bitten and my dog was savaged by an out of control Staffie. My dogs have been attacked several times. I think Staffies are much more dog aggressive than other breeds.

I personally own a staffy x and know a few other people who have the too, and i have never experienced any form of aggression from any of them.

I personally am not afraid of Staffies - I think they are lovely dogs, and I'd love to adopt a rescued one someday.
However, I will just say, I do feel a little uneasy when one charges offlead upto my dogs - I know they are not always the most dog friendly breed.

Every staffy tghat I have met has been a lovely, friendly dog.

Any dog can be aggressive. Any dog can be a loving friendly pet. Staffies are special because they are very affectionate and express their feelings and love cuddles more than other dogs do (I think:-))
my german shepherd has been attacked by three staffs twice but i don't blame the staffs. i have generally known them to be a very affectionate, playful bread

I looked at rehoming a SBT from a local dog rescue - a very well mannered dog with a great temperament, she had previously lived with children and was being fostered with other dogs and got on well with all. Unfortunately this particular rehoming fell through. I also have a friend with a SBT who owns other dogs, horses, cats and chickens. The dog gets on well with all. She also has people coming in and out of her stable yard all the time, both strangers and familiar people of all ages, and the SBT is friendly to all (in fact he is most likely to be found on his back asking for a tummy rub).

I owned a sbt for 16 years, sweetest natured dog you could meet, he was dog aggressive but was always controlled and therefor it wasnt a problem.

I have an SBT and he is the friendliest dog you are ever likely to meet. He is 12 now and he has never shown aggression to other dogs or people. He is so keen to please and I've never had a bond so strong with any other dog than a SBT. SBT’s are brilliant dogs who don’t deserve the bad reputation they have got through the media and ban ownership.

I have yet to encounter a so called viscious staffie yet. I have met some that are dog aggressive, but this is all down to socialisation, or lack of it. Dog aggression is a completely different ball game to dog to human agression and people should remember that. These dogs are magnificent.

I dont own one but all the onesxi do know are lovely friendly dogs
SBT's are great people dogs but unfortunately they are dog aggressive, my first dog was killed by one who just walked up to her bite her once and she was dead, the dog was well brought up but came from a bad litter. Owners need to be more aware of the damage these dogs can do and take measures to ensure the safety of other dogs around them.

Beautiful, loyal friendly dogs that have unfortunately attracted the wrong type of owner. ANY dog can be aggressive.

Have had two and a kinder, softer breed would be hard to find. Fantastic with children of all ages.
I work in rescue so am surrounded by them everyday,they are an amazing breed
only good things to say about them i will always have one

I have known more lovely ones than bad but I have had my dog attacked by one..Owners fault bought her two dogs incl an entire male and in season female to the park and let them off lead when my dog sniffed the female the male attacked .Only nature..but the owners fault..She could/should have prevented it

Every staffy I have encountered has been a charming dog with nothing but love for their family.

I've known several SBTs, one of which was extremely aggressive until he met you and learned that you weren't a threat. He was a rescue and clearly had come from a bad environment. I feel that this was not due to his breed but from his upbringing. I have a friend with a SBT puppy and she is the sweetest little cuddlebug you will ever meet!

My dog has staffy friends and was also once attacked by three staffs owned by the same person

My dog and others were attacked by an SBT but this was because the owner of the SBT was an idiot who walks a dog aggressive dog offlead without a muzzle - it is not because the dog is an SBT - it is because he has an idiot owner. I know many other SBTs that are lovely and friendly and just big softies.

They are the most loyal breed! It's shameful that the media has painted this picture of them - it's the owner that makes the dog behave in certain ways no matter what the breed is.

I've been involved in 4 separate dog attacks during my horse riding career and each time has been a SBT. It is not necessarily the dogs fault but it's in their genetic make-up to grab and hold... In all my experiences they do this til result of serious injury

I have two sides of experiences. Where I used to live, the SBT's that belonged to junkies/drug users were not socialised and/or encouraged to be 'mean' But I know nice 'normal' people who own the breed and these dogs are lovely, well brought up and friendly.

BSL is a scapegoat, I've known many staffies, and crosses of staffs that are dog/people friendly, stop bad owners, then you will stop bad dogs

My dog is good around other dogs, small animals, babies, children and adults. I would always supervise my dog around children and vice versa. Its down to responsible dog ownership irrespective of breed

My Staffie is a lovely and friendly dog and great with kids. Nothing like the media would have you believe. Everybody who meets him thinks he is lovely, too.