Staffy rescuer-to-be

Hi everyone! My husband and I are halfway through the adoption process for a rescue Staffy from the RSPCA and I'm setting up our home to welcome him, pending "Perfect Match" approval (which we feel very optimistic about).

He's 5 years old and extremely friendly and playful, but kennel life has stressed him to the point where he's chewed on the bars and broken his canines. He's on meds to manage his anxiety but kennel life is still miserable. I'm hoping the anxiety will lessen just by being in a quiet home but he may still be traumatised from the experience. He's been there 6 months, poor thing.

I've been seeing ads for Mr Fluffy Friend anti-anxiety beds - does anyone have any experience with them? They also say he's very intelligent and they've been giving him puzzles to relieve the boredom and stress. But I'm finding the selection of puzzle toys overwhelming! I'm not sure where to start, so any Staffy-appropriate recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I have past experience with other breeds (Irish setter, collies, German shepherds and various crossbreeds), as well as abused and anxious rescue dogs (golden retriever and deaf Aussie). However, I've never owned a bully of any kind. I've done loads of reading but I'm hoping the forum will help me get a better understanding of breed-specific needs.

Thanks for listening. I'm sure I'll have loads of questions once he's actually here, so I hope I'm not a pest! LOL

Hello & welcome!

Firstly, well done you for rescuing a stafford - do you know his history? What's his name?

Many dogs come out of rescue with anxiety issues & most settle down very quickly once they realise they're safe now.

You could try a pheromone spray like Pet Remedy...
https://www.animeddirect.co.uk/pet-remedy-mini-calming-spray-15ml.html?msclkid=072a68c9180c18a7adf40cc8ded4e867&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20Royal%20Canin%20Breed&utm_term=4578572648971131&utm_content=RC%20%7C%20Breed%20Food

Or (or as well as) a calming chew - I found these extremely good for my Bull Terrier who had anxiety issues...
https://nutri-paw.com/products/calming-treats

They're not cheap, but they really do work.

I don't know about the bed - do you know if he's a chewer or destructive?

Caryll2 wrote:Hello & welcome!

Firstly, well done you for rescuing a stafford - do you know his history? What's his name?

Thank you! His shelter name is Coco but we'll change it. He was surrendered by an owner who couldn't meet his needs apparently. No history of abuse or anything horrific, fortunately.

The pet spray and calming chews both sound good. I'll add them to the shopping list!

Caryll2 wrote:
I don't know about the bed - do you know if he's a chewer or destructive?

His carers said he wasn't particularly destructive, and he's chewed on the bars of his kennel, but that's out of stress and frustration. We're hoping he'll be able to relax once he's home. Maybe we'll get a less expensive bed to start with and see if he destroys it. LOL He apparently has a squeaky toy that he loves and carries with him, so he clearly hasn't chewed that to ribbons.

He sounds a real sweetie!

Let us know how you get on & what name you decide on!