potential new owner

Hi, please can anyone help. I lost my own dog in July due to kidney failure, he was 12 and a mongrel. I have been to see a 3 year old staffy dog yesterday at a private address and today I brought it him to my house for a trial. I have two children aged 8 and 10 and the oldest child is a little nervous of him due to him mouthing, he seems to greet everyone this way plus he is just very excitable with everyone he meets. I am sure with a little training we may be able to overcome this. My main worry is everyone else's perception of this breed, they tell me how unpredictable they are with other dogs and the damage they can cause to another dog. My last dog would run away if another dog showed any aggression towards him and I really need some advice please. The current owner can no longer keep the dog due to a marriage break up and having to move, she has assured me he is dog friendly and just a big softy. When I took him today we never met any other dog whilst we were out walking so I am non the wiser. any help would be most welcome. He is such a lovely dog but I just need to make the right decision.

staffy can be like any other dog it depend how they jave been brought up, if you have kids you may want goto a rescue centre becasue they should test the dog before rehoming.

I agree totally. With ANY rescue dog ALWAYS get them checked out and go in with as much knowledge as possible ESPECIALLY when children are involved. No matter what the breed.

Staffys are amazing dogs and the reputation is VERY wrong. Any dog can do damage. There was a news article of a westie doing very serious damage to a child.

Teach your children respect and appropriate behaviours for the dog just as have to teach a dog the same with the children.

Call your lcoal staffy rescue. I'm sure they will more than willing to help. Or cLl a local dog trainer. Do a search on here for things you can do to stop mouthing . Until you know and feel you can trust this dog do not allow boisterous play around the children and again that goes for any dog!!!

A little note my dog is very reactive to the environment. She gets very excitable when new people come in. I know that I can distract her by calling her and making her sit for a treat. So use that as a distraction I also put her collar and sit and hold her for a few mins while she calms. This really works well. Also turning your back on them if they jump. short sharp yelps when they mouth. And immediately stop any interaction with them until they are calm. And be
Consistent

Hi there and Welcome from Me and RoXy

Hiya

I agree with the above. ANY dog can be agressive. You just need to check their background fully. If the dog has not been mistreat in any way there is no reason it would be nasty.

Your children are a good age too to take on an 'older' dog.

Welcome aboard! Staffies can be Dog Agressive, but should NEVER be Human Aggressive. The two are COMPLETELY different things. Even a dog that is bad with other dogs can be wonderful with people. My little man, Saxon, happens to love all people and animals. He is also great about being really gentle with younger kids. It's really sweet. Just be sure never to leave ANY dog alone with children. You have no control over a situation that you aren't monitoring! Good luck finding the perfect dog for your home!

P.S. At 3 years old the personality/temperament is pretty set. So you won't have to worry so much about the dog developing dog aggression if they haven't shown any signs by that age.

thanks for all your replys much appreciated. We spent the day yesterday at our house with the staffy and he is so friendly with everyone he meets, he just wants as much fuss as he can get, but when first meets and greets people he mouths them like a puppy would and can be quite firm in doing this which people them automatically pull their hands away and immediately he jumps up at them to get their attention. Not sure if he is too old for him to stop this. We live in a village and just about every other house has a dog and it was just a pity we never got chance to meet one to see how he reacts. the owner said he shows little interest in other dogs but its not really him that worries me, its irresponsilbe owners that let their dogs charge up and im frightened this staffy will retaliate and a huge fight will happen or is this me thats being naive to this breed and listening to people who have no knowledge of them either just empty opinions. so once again thanks for everyones comments and this site as its really helpful.

Hi and welcome from us and Suki. No dog is too old to learn a new thing. Everyone in the household must enforce the same rules though so the dog doesn't become confused.

I have recently taken on a year old rescue dog and he mouthed terribly when we first got him home. He is getting much better now though. I just say 'ahhh' very loudly and he stops immediately.

I hope that everything works out for you

Hiya and welcome from me and Moo

When my boy Saxon mouths me, I say "OW!" or "NO!" and he starts licking me furiously by way of an apology. I got him when he was 5 months and he has improved a lot since then. Just work with him, make sure everyone knows the rules and how to enforce them and he will eventually get the picture. You just need patience, he won't get it right away.

As for an other dog attacking him, that depends somewhat on the dog. Some will try to retreat, others will go right on the defensive. If pressed, though, most Staffords will fight back. It's in their genes. If you live in an area with a lot of aggressive off leash dogs, don't let your dog off leash because you want to be able to control the situation.

Hi and welcome from me and ruby!