2 young rescue staffies living together?

Hi everyone,

I will have a good read through here (there's so much it might take a while!), but I have one question that I'd like your views on.

We had a messed up through abuse staffie x (Bobbert) for 5 years, and he was brilliant with our other dogs and those visiting our home.  He could play but it never went too far, and except at the end when we think he was in pain, he never bit any of them. He was our 'problem child', in that he needed a lot of work, he wasn't great with dogs we met out and would also attack a person if he felt it necessary, and his nervous energy drove the house.

In April, we took on another rescue staffie, Chaos. Possibly a cross as he's too big for a 'proper' staffie, but for argument's sake let's say he's a staffie. He is an absolute delight. He's good with people, kids, dogs (although a bit full on sometimes, he's only about 18 months now).

When Bobbert went he left a vaccuum. I love my other dogs, but missed that special need he had for me. We decided to adopt another and one dog, Daisy, just said she was it. Daisy was a staffie x heavier bull breed, broad shoulders and very broad behind. She was very nervous and used to wet herself in the kennels when she met someone new.

We brought her home and, after being careful about introductions and making sure play kept low key and didn't boil over, all seemed well. More than well. She and Chaos adored each other, she was fine with visitors, their dogs, people and dogs out on walks, everything except kids, not keen on kids but nothing more than a growl (noted!).

She immediately bonded with me, possibly over bonded, and I was keeping an eye to make sure she didn't start to get possessive. She would wake me in the middle of the night to make sure I was still there, and she'd try to wedge herself between me and the keyboard to get attention. I tried to find the line between reassuring her but not letting her demands always get what she wanted.

After 3 1/2 weeks of what seemed like the most amazing dog ever, she started to flip. Only with Chaos, but she started to lunge at him over me and over food. A fight broke out with them locked head to head, neither wanting to let go. My husband and I managed to separate them by lifting the back legs and yelling 'pull' for that second they both let go. No real damage done anywhere except some nicked ears.

Big warning heeded, I booked a well reputed trainer and in the meantime was super vigilant over triggers (me and food). There were 3 incidents avoided, then 2 weeks ago and just before the trainer was due to come, she flipped at him 'for no apparent reason' - I put that in commas as there would have been a reason for her, but we couldn't see it.

Because of the previous incident, I'd researched how to separate them should this happen again (including reading stuff on here) and the method that I thought sounded worth trying and should be relatively safe was the 'wedge something substantial between them' one. I took a huge memory foam dog bed, while my husband tried noises like the smoke alarm up close. Chaos let go then saw there was something between him and Daisy and, you've guessed it, went round the outside and got my arm. When he let go of that he got my other hand. Fortunately, I'm still sore and will have some scars but no worse.

I'm afraid we then opened the back doors and shoved them outside while my husband took me to A&E. We were convinced at least one would be killed. Neither was, but we decided to have my gorgeous Daisy pts as we feared that her growing possessiveness and flip without warning was just too dangerous for her to be rehomed again, and she clearly couldn't live with Chaos. I hope no one is outraged at that decision, I promise you it wasn't taken at all lightly. We adored her.

We won't be getting another dog in the near future, Chaos is physically amazingly well and also appeared emotionally intact, but we all need to let that experience well and truly receed (we have another dog, a lab x, so Chaos still has a buddy). We will probably get another in a couple of years or so.

The question is preying on our minds now though, because of other people's reactions as well as our own traumatic experience - is it common for 2 staffies to have this sort of fight? Daisy's issues were her own, but Chaos was by no means a shrinking violet. We both love staffies, they probably have the best characters of any dogs I've met (and I volunteer at a rescue centre so meet loads), but we couldn't go through that again, nor would we want to do it to any of our current dogs.

Some people have bandied the 70-30 ratio about, 70% of the time 2 staffies together are great, 30% they're a nightmare. A 30% chance of me landing in hospital again, and a 30% chance of a seriously injured dog, is quite high!

Sorry for the long post, I thought the background would be helpful.

Thanks

Sadly due to the reason the Staffy was originally bred for (I will not go into here) they can have issues with other dogs. Having said that they can also live perfectly harmoniously together.

Earlier this year I was attacked by a dog while out walking Rocky on my own. I was in a quiet area with no one else around and this dog just appeared by my side. Rocky can be reactive to other dogs and very protective of me. Thankfully the owner appeared 15 minutes later and my arm wasn't too bad. Rocky just had a few bumps on his face, he got off quite lightly.

My hubby and I have a rescue Staffy cross lab ?? Rocky was not socialised when he was younger, we adopted him at 9 months old when the damage had already been done, he was neglected by his previous owners and shut in a crate all day. It has been hard work to socialise him in the last 4 years we have been with him but it has been worth it.

One thing I have learned is that the younger you can socialse the puppy the greater chance you have of an adult dog that will happily live and generally get along with others.

I am sure the rescue centre would allow you to introduce the dogs there on neutral ground to see how they on first before rehoming while in the presence of trained members of staff should anything happen between the dogs.

No need to apologise, the background certainly helps.

Thanks, Kathy. What has left us rather rattled is that for 3 1/2 weeks Chaos and Daisy could simply not have been better friends. They played together with toys or just rough and tumble, they cuddled up together, they took treats next to each other. Even after the first fight, they were so close, within 15 minutes they were lying alongside each other, touching, in the conservatory. If it had been just a personality clash we would never have had her pts. They were just so close and then she'd flip.

As say, I know that a lot of this is due to Daisy - I have never felt such a profound need for security and I feel most of her reactions were to defend what she felt she needed. My worry is all the war stories that we now start to hear about staffies together.

Definitely one option is to look at a rescue pup some time in the future. We've got some in at Danaher at the moment - they're about 5 weeks old and very scrummy. It's too soon now. I just need to feel more confident that we wouldn't be letting ourselves in for more grief. I don't want to think negatively of staffies, but this sort of thing does rattle you.

hia Liz i have never rescued so not much good,it does sound like poor Daisy had issues that would set her off,god knows what some of these rescue dogs have been through ,i would say a young rescue pup,possibly a bitch might be better for your boy.my girl does'nt like other dogs as she was attacked a few years ago and now is very nervous of them but when my son's ex and her staffy pup lived with us for 6 months she took to him with just a few minor issues.do keep us updated with how you get on

Hello. So sorry to hear this story was Daisy health checked? I had an American Bulldog on kennels that displayed similar mood swings, he had a brain tumour. Sometimes there are things going on that we can't see.

I've fostered lots of staffies with Bis, and when in kennels I would rehome two bull breeds together, but only with experienced owners that could meet their needs. They can live harmoniously, for sure, my behaviourist lives with a family of 9 bull breeds! But if it goes wrong, the stakes are high. They need sepearte training, heavy exercise, decent diet etc to thrive. All bull breeds are different - my girl is typically stubborn but not as hot headed or reactive as some I've met. With her, I'd choose carefully to take in a placid younger male. It all depends on personality and training IMO. I will always rescue - but we do have to remember that sometimes horrible people keep these dogs, and that can be a risk.

Thanks, Rachel. Yes, she had been seen by the vet several times. When she came into the centre back in April, she was a real mess. The story was that she had been living with another bull breed dog (Rocky) and that he'd started to pick on her. Rocky was also signed over at the same time and didn't have a mark on him. The Daisy we saw would have fought back, so there's something in the story that doesn't ring true. She was also terrified of people and didn't like children, so there was clearly more than was being let on.

To add to the picture, Rocky was human aggressive. The staff put quite a bit of time in with him, under the advice of our behaviourist, and he seemed to improve but one day attacked a volunteer who was walking him. Hmmm...

She was treated for her bite wounds, some of which were quite bad and infected, and she saw the vet later on for a skin condition.

There are some really great words of wisdom in your post, Rachel, and I think you've hit the nail on the head - when it goes wrong, the stakes are high.

I doubt if we'll get another dog for a year at least, but there will be plenty to think about when we do. And if it's a staffie, I now know where to ask first!

Thank you all, you're great.

I feel for you we recently had to have our little boy pts (he was only 3) we got him from someone who had kept him cadged we got him at6 months so really tried everything we could but he could be fine (but always kept away from too much contact) then he would walk stiffly and if in the way you would be growled at, he was da and very nervous of everything but it sounds hard but I think we did the best thing for him and our house and walks with Skye are soooo much quiter and calmer. I have worked with many dogs throughout my life lots da but he was a challenge and it seemed only I could handle him.
We will stay with just Skye and enjoy the wonderful cuddly dog she is.
Love chaos and enjoy him they are a wonderful breed when treated right

Thanks for that, Clare. I'm starting to wonder if staffies can be more profoundly affected by early human damage than some other breeds. My Bobbert, who was with us for 5 years, had a first year of hell, followed by 3 years of purgatory, and was always very difficult with certain things.

Where in Essex are you, btw?

My wee mia before i got her was previously kept in a kitchen in a crate till she was three defo does affect them as a staffy is a sensitive dog .

Hi Liz I'm in Wickford
Where abouts are you Essex is such a big area

Tiptree. Not that far really, only about 40 mins...

I did rescue a collie cross and although he was miss treated he still wasn't as influenced by his previous experience
Buster on the other hand was I feel was very mixed up and possibly had some kind of mental problem. There are many staffies that have gone through the same as my boy but haven't reacted the way he did.

Your boy looks lovely amazing how close we are