Behaviour toward other dogs

Even though staffys are very owner/human affectionate , how do they go with other dogs?

Are they generally passive or agresive towards other dogs?

They can appear aggressive Dave but 9/10 it's the way they play. They can bare teeth growl snarl but it's just their way.

I have only seen real aggression once when my previous Staffy was set upon by her two former house mates both Staffies and that isn't something I would ever want to see again to be honest (And the reason she came to live with me).

The key is early socialisation. If you get this right you'll not go far wrong. In most cases it's the owner at fault and not the dog.

In addition to the above, I'd also say that staffies can be great worriers, so if they aren't well socialised or for any other reason are concerned about other dogs, they can express that concern in a way that appears to be aggression. It's a dog's way of saying 'I'm not sure I trust you, so keep away'. This isn't a staffy thing, you see loads of breeds doing the exact same thing, but when a Yorkie does it people laugh, which isn't the reaction you get when a staffy does it.

So as Ian says, lots and lots and lots of socialisation as soon as you are able, with different dogs in different places and you should be fine.

Another problem you can get is that they like dogs too much and then hurtle across to some poor unsuspecting little fluff dog and flatten them. Chaos isn't the most graceful when saying hello, and I'm afraid we do have to keep him on the lead more than we'd like because of it.

Puppy training starts Jan 4th and going out in the big real world is 2 weeks after he last vacs.

Bug isn't great with other dogs, but I believe that this is 99.9% due to fear. I don't know her background as she was a stray, but she will avoid other dogs at all costs - taking a wide berth if off lead or lying down and going into panic mode if on lead. I feel that this is in part her temperament (she is generally nervous) and in part due to lack of socialisation/negative experience.

Bug actually was attacked by another dog this year, her dramatic displays of aggression to keep dogs away from her did not come to light, in fact she curled up between my legs and stayed there until we got the dog off of her. They may look tough, but as Liz has stated they're really very sensitive and nervous, which can be a problem in the wrong hands. They are also extremely human bonded and willing to please - hense why it's so easy to train them to be aggressive/antisocial.