could i get a staffy?

hi im adam, im 14 and for a long time now ive really really wanted a staffordshire bull terrier. to me they just seem like the perfect dogs!

the only problem is that both of my parents work from 8-4 and i am also at school from 8-4 (meaning i leave home and get home at these times). obviously my parents have some days off and my dad only works on certain days but it still means that if we got a staffy it would not be with us all the time.

what i was considering doing was getting a staffy at the beginning of the summer holidays (maybe around 3/4 months old or if that is too young maybe about 5/6 months old) so I could then spend two months with the staffy looking after it. by the time i will have to leave it at home it would be about about 5/6 months or 7/8 months, depending on the responses i get in this forum telling me which age would be appropriate.

ALSO, we would get a dog walker who would come half way through the day to walk the dog for some time before bringing him back (we are already aware of a dog walker who can do this, as he does the same for my neighbours dog 2 houses away).

of course, i do not want to be one of the horrible owners who has an unhappy dog, and so i am asking this forum where i am sure i can find help, just to make sure if this would be okay or if there is anything else i should do.

1 last thing is i think my mum has been influenced quite a lot by the bad press that staffies get. i, personally, am aware of how it is completely about the OWNER not the breed of dog, but I dont know if my mum is informed on the matter.. does anyone know of any ways i could show her or inform her that staffies arent as bad as they are sometimes made out to be?

Thanks a lot!

Hi and welcome from me and Tilly
First and most foremost you are taking on a big commitment by getting a dog , regardless of what breed you have. The most important thing is that the dog is a family dog , to be looked after by all the family. If your mother is unsure then you are on the back foot to start with. First thing I would do is show your mum the forum , and let her have a luck at the many success stories we have on here and also the many problems experienced, call it a n exercise in dipping your toes in the water. If your mum doesn't change her mind then the Staffy is not for you.

hia from me and sasha
hia adam as dave said in his reply you really have to get the whole family to agree to take on a dog may it be a staffy or any other breed,you sound like a sense able young man but at your age do you want the responsibality of a dog,what happens as you get older and want to be out with your mates all the time and then girls will come along(and they will!),if its a family dog then you can all help out with it,lots to think about,good luck

thank you both

i have about 80% persuaded my mother already i would just like to make sure she completely knows that if raised well staffies are great dogs.
if we do get a staffy, it would definitely be when both of my parents are fully certain that they would want one.

i do think that although i would obviously like to go out and see mates every now and then, i would still always have time to play with my staffy or take him/her out on walks. i could even fuse the two and bring my staffy to the park and play some football with my staffy and my mates!

im definitely prepared to take time and make sacrifices for my dog, i really would love to get a staffy

It sounds like from your first post you are thinking of a rescue ?? you really need to get that other 20% from mum, like I said introduce her to the forum

Hiya and welcome from me and Moo

Dogs are great especially Staffs, but as mentioned you have to have your family on board 100%.

They are a tie, but I know I wouldn't be without mine, I live alone and work full time, my mum helps out with her and I also use walkers. Your situation sounds ideal and I feel an older dog 10mnths + would be great.

You could always suggest to your mum to visit a local rescue and maybe walk a few to see how she feels about it all, the last thing you want is to re-home a dog and to find out 6mnths later that you can't keep it.

There is also the financial matter, they can be very expensive.

Get everyone on board and your actual situation sounds fine to me. Good luck

i was considering either a rescue dog or a dog from a breeder that is very near to me. it seems to be a good breeder and they have a website http://dardanians.com/

also, as i said in my original post, would it be okay for me to get a staffy at the beginning of the summer holidays aged about 3/4 months so that by the time we had to leave him/her alone the dog was 5 or 6 months? and would a 5/6 month year old dog be okay staying at home with a dog walker coming to walk them half way through the day? or would i need to get a dog older to do this and how old? the younger the better for me but i would hate to have a lonely and depressed dog!

anyone? lol

Can't say any more then my original post. I would definatly rescue 10months+ still young and easy to train but just that little bit older.

Once family are 100% though.

getting a dog at the start of the holidays would be good as it would have some one with it for long period of times,as janey said a rescue one of 10 months or so would be good and yes some one to come in half way through the day would be very good.just sit down as a family and talk it through,you have all got to agree,staffys are brilliant dogs,very child like turn your back for 5 mins and your best pair of trainers could be ripped to bits!you got to be prepared for every thing!

stella wrote:getting a dog at the start of the holidays would be good as it would have some one with it for long period of times,as janey said a rescue one of 10 months or so would be good and yes some one to come in half way through the day would be very good.just sit down as a family and talk it through,you have all got to agree,staffys are brilliant dogs,very child like turn your back for 5 mins and your best pair of trainers could be ripped to bits!you got to be prepared for every thing!

so do you think it would be okay to leave a dog like 5-8 months old alone if somebody could come to walk it half way through the day? or would i only be able to do this with a dog that is say 10 months+

if you or your mum walks him before you all go out and then some one come around in the afternoon to take him her out also

Steve wrote:if you or your mum walks him before you all go out and then some one come around in the afternoon to take him her out also

when you say walk before we go out do you mean quickly take the dog out to go to the toilet because i could do that and i could also walk him/her in the afternoon

It will need a fairly good walk in the morning and when you get home. A dog walker through the day would be a good idea too as it will be left alone for so long. I think the idea about going to a rescue with your mum would be be a good idea, you will need all your family to be 100% as there will be times when you need them to walk the dog, and if you go to college or uni they will end up taking most of the care. It will need to be a family pet. If your family are onside then I cant see why it wont work.

Hi and welcome, can't really help with the age bit as iv always rescued dogs 11 months+ there is one day a week when mine are left from 8.45 to 4 and I come home at lunch to walk them, I leave them with chews and bones and the radio on and they're fine.

Like the idea of taking your mum to a rescue centre to meet some staffs..is there anyone you know with a staff that could bring round to your house to meet your mum..my mum is wary of my staffs, its because they are such a powerful breed, but then she doesn't have to live with mine so you really need yours on side.

If you rescue one the rescue will find one that suits you all and your situation..good idea to get in the summer hols.

Iv had scooby nearly 2 months, he is 3 and I'm finding him fairly easy to train, iv had maisy 17 months, she's 2 and she's harder to train!

Well done for coming on here and looking in to it properly

Hi and welcome to the forum from Rocky and me.

If i could just make a small suggestion, it may well be an idea if you do rescue a Staffy to get one that is slighly older than you said you idealy wanted.

The benefit of this would be that he/she would already most likely be housetrained and used to people being at work for some time during the day. This is only a suggestion I'm only trying to help you make an informed decision.

adamstaff wrote:

Steve wrote:if you or your mum walks him before you all go out and then some one come around in the afternoon to take him her out also

when you say walk before we go out do you mean quickly take the dog out to go to the toilet because i could do that and i could also walk him/her in the afternoon

they cant be qquick walks goodd 45mins walks

On a Monday, my busiest day, mine get 20 mins in morn n at dinner then 45 to an hr tea time, the rest of the week they get 2 45 - 60 min walks a day. if you can rescue one that has no particular hang ups, you should find they soon settle into your routine and you'll find your way of doing things that suits you all..

Speak to you local rescue centre and walk some of the dogs, I got Ledger nearly a year ago he wasn't in the public viewing kennels but we were matched based on my work commitments as his previous owners had left him upto 8hrs and like me they didnt have a garden (he still wont wee in the yard) so he is happy waiting til we get to the park (about a 30sec walk away). When I'm not working I take him out 4-5 times a day or when he wants to go which is usually just as I have settled to do something.

My mum was wary of staffys but just her visiting the rescue centre changed her opinion and since Ledger rose to his nanny dog status when she was ill recently she has been well and truly won over.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

Hi & welcome.

As everyone else has said, an older rescue would maybe suit you better. Please don't think that a staff can get by on a 'quick' walk in the morning. It's my experience that they need at least 2 walks a day (preferable 3) of at least 45 minutes, preferably longer, with periods of free running during those walks. Anything less will result in a bored & unhappy dog.

adamstaff wrote:i was considering either a rescue dog or a dog from a breeder that is very near to me. it seems to be a good breeder and they have a website http://dardanians.com/

I notice that this breeder will not sell to anyone under 19 years of age, so your parents will have to be the owners of the dog - are they aware of this? You'll find the same problem with rescue kennels.

Hi and welcome from us and Suki.

I would think a rescue dog would be best for you. Pupies are nice but they require lots of training and they can be 8 months or so before they are housebroken and also can have seperation aniexty issues when left alone. The rescue center can help you with finding the dog with the best tempermant that is used to being on it's own for during the day. The dog walker is a great idea.

The breeder that you posted looks really reputable. Their upcoming litter is going to have some gorgeous puppies! If you do decide to go with a breeder, they seem like a good option. An older dog might be a bit easier for your first Staff, though.

Rescue is also a great option. I got my Saxon when he was 5 months old. He was still a bouncy puppy, but he was fully houstrained and partially crate trained when we got him. He bonded to us and picked up commands quickly. Two months after we got him, I went to Finland for two months and my boyfriend cared for him during that time. He got up early in the morning and took him on a long walk, went to work at 9, came home on his lunch break to let him out, then took him on an other long walk when he got home at 6. They were long days, but Saxon did really well.

As long as you make sure to give him plenty of exercise and attention, he should do great! Getting him at the beginning of holidays to give him time to adjust is a great idea.

If you have a local dog/staffy rescue, maybe you could take your mam along, and speak to people about the breed. She may also be able to meet a staffy. I'd also show her the members pic and video's here. You all need to sit down and talk things thro. All dog, what ever the breed, need a good routine. Regular walks and things. My advice would be is, do your research, talk it through. Good luck x

I got a rescue staffy, 2 weeks ago, she is 2 years old and she has settled really well. I had never owned a staffy before but have had dogs before and I can tell you that staffie's are very different, I learn something new every day - and called on the advice of this forum many times in the short time I have had her. She is a sweetie and she is very small, a bit like a robust Jack Russell

Can I just add another thought to this. You say you are only 14 - both my children went to university and I wonder if you are planning to go down the same route which could mean you living away from home and the care of the dog would be left to the rest of your family so you need them 100% on board. Good luck if you go ahead - owning any dog will bring lots of rewards for the effort you are prepared to put in.

Caryll wrote:I notice that this breeder will not sell to anyone under 19 years of age, so your parents will have to be the owners of the dog - are they aware of this? You'll find the same problem with rescue kennels.

Bump.

Your parents will have to be the owners of the dog whether you go to a rescue or a reputable breeder, and quite rightly so. I have nothing against someone of your age having the responsibility of having a dog, but rescue centres and breeders see all too often the problems of young people taking on a long term responsibility of a dog and not being able to carry it through to the end. All sorts of things get in the way - as mentioned already, you may want to go to uni for example.

I'm not saying you would be a bad owner - quite the contrary, you sound very dedicated - but you have to understand the viewpoint of the breeder/rescue centre.

Hi I'm Denise from the kennels Dardanians
Became aware of this thread via my website, as i have a tracker on it and the external link leading to my site was this thread ... so here i am.

Adam your parents would have to convince me 100% that a stafford is the breed for them. It may be classed as 'your' dog. but they will be its owners and will be brought accountable to me with its well fair.
The idea you have of settling the pup into your routine is a good one before you go back to school ( 5/6 months old or there abouts) But not all pups are 100% house trained at that age, and will have accidents in the home. They may even decided to play with their poo creating even more of a mess for you to come home too . The 1st couple of days if this happens you just brush it off as one of those things and get on with the cleaning up. But once the honeymoon period is over it will start to grind you down.
Little stafford pups are hooligans, and will test you to see what they can get away with, they may be little and young but their clever little things and will soon have you wrapped round their little finger ( or paws toe should i say lol ).

But with saying all this you need your parents on side, as its their home the pups to be living in and destroying.
You sound a good kid, one thats seems not like the other youngest that just want a stafford as their 'hard'.

You have come on here to ask other Stafford owners advise which i'm sure your take on board .. so you have gain brownie points in my eyes for that

The planned litter i have already has a waiting list in place, so i can not promise you and your parents a pup, as their already sold. But your welcome to bring your parents to mine to meet my 5 Staffords. Get them to see the breed and ask questions about them. You need to work on your parents and get them to love Staffords warts and all as you do

thank you very much to everyone!

yes if i get a staffy it would definitely be with my whole family 100% on board and it would not just be my dog but would be a family dog.

im very grateful that so many people have taken the time to help and reply, and ill take every point on board, thanks!

Hey Adam , hope you are finding the advice good and as you can see we don't want to lecture you, just point you in the right direction and we hope you appreciate that , as much as we appreciate your responsible and mature attitude by asking these questions rather than going to a BYB and taking any old pup and worrying about it later. People like you , if it all works can go so far to promote the responsible youth of today rather than the thugs that see our dogs as a weapon of choice (though if it was me I know a tickling stick will do more damage than your average Staffy )
If you tick all the boxes (Parents on side, determination, lots of long walks and devotion) The staffy will make you the happiest person in the world, I am sitting here typing this with my little girl laying across my feet and giving me the eyes There is nothing more rewarding than a bit of Staffy Love when you return home.
Hope it all works for you and please keep in touch with us , we like to keep updated as unfortunately so many people join because they have a question , get their answer or don't agree with the advice and then dissapear

@@ Denise - Thanks for the responsible advice given hopefully we can all work together to ensure our doggies get some good homes and less of a hard time from the press - keep us updated with the pics because those 2 parents look like they are going to give some beautiful pups

All very good advice above for you Adam.

I would be a bit different and suggest you leave it a few years! When you're 18 you'll probably want to be off out with your mates all the time, drinking and chasing after women

What about leaving home to go to Uni etc... What happens to the dog then?!

Wait till your 23+ and if you still desperately want a dog then go for it... and you won't need anyones approval either!

ps. Staffy's are indeed perfect dogs

Thanks Dave will show them off to you all when the little munchkins arrive

I'm sure Adam will do the right thing, he may turn out to be a brilliant responsible owner than most adults we see getting our breed into trouble and getting it plastered all over the media.

Denise wrote:Thanks Dave will show them off to you all when the little munchkins arrive

I'm sure Adam will do the right thing, he may turn out to be a brilliant responsible owner than most adults we see getting our breed into trouble and getting it plastered all over the media.

Look forward to those pics Nice to have a Breeder on board to give some input to the forum, we don't really have to wait for those pics though , any puppy pics will do , we need our daily fix of puppy pics on here so feel free to post away

lol @ Dave will post pics of my last litter ( as i know where they are in my pc pmsl )

Denise wrote:Hi I'm Denise from the kennels Dardanians
Became aware of this thread via my website, as i have a tracker on it and the external link leading to my site was this thread ... so here i am.

Adam your parents would have to convince me 100% that a stafford is the breed for them. It may be classed as 'your' dog. but they will be its owners and will be brought accountable to me with its well fair.
The idea you have of settling the pup into your routine is a good one before you go back to school ( 5/6 months old or there abouts) But not all pups are 100% house trained at that age, and will have accidents in the home. They may even decided to play with their poo creating even more of a mess for you to come home too . The 1st couple of days if this happens you just brush it off as one of those things and get on with the cleaning up. But once the honeymoon period is over it will start to grind you down.
Little stafford pups are hooligans, and will test you to see what they can get away with, they may be little and young but their clever little things and will soon have you wrapped round their little finger ( or paws toe should i say lol ).

But with saying all this you need your parents on side, as its their home the pups to be living in and destroying.
You sound a good kid, one thats seems not like the other youngest that just want a stafford as their 'hard'.

You have come on here to ask other Stafford owners advise which i'm sure your take on board .. so you have gain brownie points in my eyes for that

The planned litter i have already has a waiting list in place, so i can not promise you and your parents a pup, as their already sold. But your welcome to bring your parents to mine to meet my 5 Staffords. Get them to see the breed and ask questions about them. You need to work on your parents and get them to love Staffords warts and all as you do

thanks denise
when you say 5/6 months do you mean that is a good age for me to get at the beginning of the summer holidays? or an okay age for the stafford to be left alone as i said? although im sure cleaning up messes wouldnt be the funnest thing, im completely aware that this would be one of the responsibilities i would need to have if my family adopted a staffy and i would have no problems doing it!

also, if i was aiming to get a staffy that is several months old would i be able to get one from a breeder? or do breeders only sell their dogs at about 8 weeks, meaning i would have to adopt a rescue dog?

if breeders would let me adopt a staff at such an age do you have any breeders that you could recommend me who might not have full waiting lists? i live in upper norwood and so i was pretty delighted when i found dardanians so close, its just a shame that your waiting list is full!

thanks again for all the help!

Denise: Many thanks for your input, that's very nice of you!

Adam: Take on board what Denise has said & you won't go far wrong.

WOW you live very close to me i'm in West Norwood/Gypsy hill My lot are regulars too Crystal palace park.

A pup leaves me at 8wks old, older if going aboard. So the pups only 2mths old.
House training starts at mine as they have access to a large garden so start to learn to do their business outside.
A pup needs to toilet after eating, playing and a nap. They only have a small bladder so can not hold its self like an adult. Plus they are yet to learn how to notify you that they need to go like wait by the front door or the garden door. Its you that have to watch for the signs ... ie the poo dance lol
If your not there most of the day the pup soon learns to just do its business indoors, or in its cage.
Even if house training is going well, and the pups using outside nearly 99% of the time, he or she can soon lapse in its house training when left on its own.

Most pups leave a breeder at 8wks. Some pups are older, but this could be due to waiting homes falling though, or a pup a breeder has ran on to see how it turns out and deciding to let it go for one reason or another.
A few do rehome adult dogs that are desexed before doing so in the case of it being a female, but these dogs are not always advertised, the breeder waits till they deem fit a new owner that has contacted them, and these dogs are rehomed for free on condition the dogs returned to them at any time if they are unable to look after it any more.

Denise wrote:A few do rehome adult dogs that are desexed before doing so in the case of it being a female, but these dogs are not always advertised, the breeder waits till they deem fit a new owner that has contacted them, and these dogs are rehomed for free on condition the dogs returned to them at any time if they are unable to look after it any more.

This warms my heart - a responsible breeder!

Denise wrote:WOW you live very close to me i'm in West Norwood/Gypsy hill My lot are regulars too Crystal palace park.

A pup leaves me at 8wks old, older if going aboard. So the pups only 2mths old.
House training starts at mine as they have access to a large garden so start to learn to do their business outside.
A pup needs to toilet after eating, playing and a nap. They only have a small bladder so can not hold its self like an adult. Plus they are yet to learn how to notify you that they need to go like wait by the front door or the garden door. Its you that have to watch for the signs ... ie the poo dance lol
If your not there most of the day the pup soon learns to just do its business indoors, or in its cage.
Even if house training is going well, and the pups using outside nearly 99% of the time, he or she can soon lapse in its house training when left on its own.

Most pups leave a breeder at 8wks. Some pups are older, but this could be due to waiting homes falling though, or a pup a breeder has ran on to see how it turns out and deciding to let it go for one reason or another.
A few do rehome adult dogs that are desexed before doing so in the case of it being a female, but these dogs are not always advertised, the breeder waits till they deem fit a new owner that has contacted them, and these dogs are rehomed for free on condition the dogs returned to them at any time if they are unable to look after it any more.

i live just down church road, so VERY close haha

so would you suggest once my parents are 100% on board, we get a stafford at the beginning of the summer hols aged about 4-6 months? and i dont know of many rescue centres around here apart from maybe battersea, so could you suggest any or is battersea my best option?

A pup from a breeder would be older than 4-6 mths old , unless it was a pup they are rehoming after running it on for a bit.

I think your best bet is once your parents are 100% behind you on the idea a rescue pup is the best option, or a near adult of nearly a year old.
Your also have the backing of the rescue you rehome from.

Battersea have loads of Staffords in at the moment so you could rescue one from them.
I'll happily come along with you and your family and give my name as a reference to rehoming one of their dogs and say i'll always be a back up to any advise etc

Denise wrote:A pup from a breeder would be older than 4-6 mths old , unless it was a pup they are rehoming after running it on for a bit.

I think your best bet is once your parents are 100% behind you on the idea a rescue pup is the best option, or a near adult of nearly a year old.
Your also have the backing of the rescue you rehome from.

Battersea have loads of Staffords in at the moment so you could rescue one from them.
I'll happily come along with you and your family and give my name as a reference to rehoming one of their dogs and say i'll always be a back up to any advise etc

do you mean a pup from a rescue centre would be older than 4-6 months? and thank you haha i will be sure to contact you soon! i have seen several 6 month old staffies on the battersea site and i think that would be quite a good age?

Yes 6 mths is a good age, but you may still need to house train. As depending how long the said dogs been in kennels its house training could be a bit rusty so will need re-enforcing

Gabbiadini wrote:Wait till your 23+ and if you still desperately want a dog then go for it... and you won't need anyones approval either!

As a 22 year old in Uni (who got my Saxon when I was 21) I have to disagree with this! Working in a pet supply store, I have seen plenty of people in their 50's and 60's who aren't responsible enough to have a dog. Age is just a number, what really matters is how responsible you are.

CatStina wrote:

Gabbiadini wrote:Wait till your 23+ and if you still desperately want a dog then go for it... and you won't need anyones approval either!

As a 22 year old in Uni (who got my Saxon when I was 21) I have to disagree with this! Working in a pet supply store, I have seen plenty of people in their 50's and 60's who aren't responsible enough to have a dog. Age is just a number, what really matters is how responsible you are.

Cat, I agree. But the fact is a lot of breeders/rescue centres won't sell to under 18s, and I quite understand why. A 14 year old has so many other things to do - not just school, but friends to go out with. And then there's a boyfriends/girlfriends, exams, possibly university. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it needs to be thought out really carefully & parents must be 100% behind the younger owner so that if the worst happens they are there to take over with the care of the dog.

Of course, if you are under 18 and you still live with your parents they should be 100% on board and be prepared to care for the dog if you go off to uni or something. I was mostly disagreeing with Gabbiadini's assertion that people under the age of 23 shouldn't get a dog.

CatStina wrote:Of course, if you are under 18 and you still live with your parents they should be 100% on board and be prepared to care for the dog if you go off to uni or something. I was mostly disagreeing with Gabbiadini's assertion that people under the age of 23 shouldn't get a dog.

I agree with you. It's too sweeping a statement. There are many young people who are totally dedicated to their dog! I got my first dog at the age of 14 as well, and I spent many, many hours training & walking her. If I wanted to go out in the evening I would always walk her first & get her food ready, I was up early every morning to walk her before school. It certainly can work.

Deleted post due to misunderstood comments - not doing my research

Caryll said "A 14 year old has so many other things to do - not just school, but friends to go out with. And then there's a boyfriends/girlfriends, exams, possibly university."

Gabbiadini said "I would be a bit different and suggest you leave it a few years! When you're 18 you'll probably want to be off out with your mates all the time, drinking and chasing after women. What about leaving home to go to Uni etc... What happens to the dog then?!"

---

Why is my statement "ridiculous" and Caryll's OK... they both say exactly the same thing!

Good day to you.

I must apologise for this and I am deleting my post, I did the wrong thing and made my comment without reading yours first , but to suggest that someone should wait until they are 23 to own a dog can be read wrong and that was my point , however , if I read the rest of your post it is clear that it is just helpful advice as we have all tried to give. The kid seems very keen and as long as the parents are on board I see no problems at all with a 14 year old owning a staff (with 100% support from the parents) They are old and wise enough to weigh up the pros and cons of the future . We should never discourage this kind of responsibility in a young man such as Adam , but we have all tried to do the right thing in advising for the future.
Again I apologise if my comment was deemed harsh and caused you offence, no hard feelings ><

Now go stand in the norty corner Dave

No worries dave...

...and I suppose I should have said 18 not 23, I really meant 23ish if Adam goes off to Uni!