A few things I need clearing up.

Molly hasn't been with us 24 hours and is doing pretty well. Not eating but is drinking, no toilet yet but I'm sure that'll come once shes a bit more settled. I told my mum who is a little sketchy on staffies in the sense that she doesn't trust them.

1. Staffies are completely unpredictable and instead of scratching or nipping they will simply rip your throat out! I know this is her over reacting but how unpredictable are they as a breed? Surely all dogs are unpredictable in the sense they can't say "now look, I don't like that, bugger off or I'll nip you!"

2. Bitches don't like their back ends being touched and again will rip our throats out if we touch her back end while she's on heat?!? Again I know she probably won't rip my throat out but is it true she will become aggressive during season? I do plan on neutering her but that won't be happening until next month at least so she may or may not come into season at all while with us.

3. Staffies are subject to BSL laws.

4. It'll take months to tell if she really is "child/cat/working family" compatable and I won't know if she's dangerous for months until it's too late! Surely, if she did eat children for breakfast she'd have shown some signs of aggression and likewise with cats. Being left for any period of time I understand might take some work and I will be investing in a kong!

While I was deciding if staffies were for us I did do extensive research as I always do when considering anything even with my fish I do a lot of research into everything about them to give them a good life and to make sure they are compatable with me and my family, but I am kinda questioning myself now. Is any of her statements truth and are they all solvable?

Does that answer your question ??

1) You can predict they will be a nightmare , will love , will play, will cry , will sulk. Nipping can't be ruled out but generally only in a puppy which all dogs do. The behaviour is no worse or better than any other dog.
2) Tilly sleeps with her bum in your face by choice and I still have my throat, I assume you have rescued so has she not already been neutered ?? Tilly just sulked and wanted a cuddle all through her season
3) Codswallop
4) If you have a rescue , it may take a bit of time to find out what she likes and doesn't like and this is no different to other dogs. You get out of them what you put into them . Never trust any dog around children unsupervised. But it has to be said that the Staffy is 1 of only 2 breeds to be acknowledged as child friendly with the Kennel Club

Thank you! Lol. The BSL thing I knew was tripe!

Well said Dave - generally staffs are only dangerous if you're made of biscuit. Enjoy your staffi Leanne, she's the best choice you could make!

I agree with DAVE.

1, Ive never had my throat ripped out we have 2 staffords, my brother has 2 and my ohs brother has two aswel as a few of my friends havign staffords....

2, dont have a female but my brothe and friend do again not had their throats ripped out.

3, Staffords can come under bsl laws as the pitbull type law covers stafford crosses for instance a stafford cross lab can some under this, and some none breed standard staffords can come under this too even with papers staffords can be taken if they are taller and meet the characteristics of what this silly country deem pitbull type. if you have a breed standard stafford you wont come under this but alot of staffords are taller than the breed standard due too poor breeding.

4, bull, hooch had never been around a cat until i moved in he was 4 and he hit it off with tango straight away, again hooch had never been around rabbits until he was 5 and hes fab with my 5 buns, stanlie was brought up with them. They love them and have never been or shown signs of agression. Also they are known as teh nany dog mine are fab with children.

What Dave said!

I've still got my throat, by the way, & so have my oh & two kids. My two kids learnt to stand by grabbing Bandit's scruff & pulling themselves up. He never so much as grumbled (although he did give me one or two pleading looks) and he was already about 9 years old when my first was born.

Utter shizzle

What a load of

dave g wrote:What a load of

Now come on, speak your mind, don't beat around the bush!

My four children are still living and requiring much $ but strangely this has nothing to do with my dogs... My three dogs are only dangerous to those who don't like a good licking. My bitch loves her rear scratched and I can tell you that these are some of the most stable minded dogs out there. Sounds like you mother and some of our family has been reading the same "stats." However, I'm not even sure they would defend the home if a burglar got in. I think they'd ask to go with them and have a treat. I like Dave's response!

I really like what Dave and Ben have said. I think it important to mention that, as with all dogs, your attitude and effort are vital to a happy relationship with your dog. A staffy needs lots of excercise, boundaries and affection ( a tired Staffie is a happy one and we all are better with some rules and lots of cuddles). You need to be totally committed and you will reap the rewards. Your whole family should be on the same page too.

I can't see her making too much noise if someone broke in. She barely makes a noise if someone knocks on the door. I havnt heard her bark yet lol. My mum is not a complete novice to dog ownership. I grew up around dogs both crosses and pedigree but never staffies. When I was a kid staffies were not feared but rottys were. If someone had a rotty people would avoid them! I'm pretty certain these same things were on the list for them too! If I remember rightly they tried sticking rottys and dobes on the dangerous dogs act list too.

Lynn thank you we've started as we mean to go on with her. She's 18 months so still got plenty of learning to do but she's pretty good. My rules go like this, no pulling, no biting, no eating people food, yes you can lie on the sofa aslong as you don't pee on it! It works both ways my daughter, oh and I won't pull her, bite her, eat her food (or take it away from her!) or pee on her bed

I think many people are misinformed or have "breed prejudice" as a recent poster put it. They are afraid and it's easy to worry when you hear their fears. I'm sure when your mom gets to know Molly she will reconsider.

The Staffies I know can be excitable and boisterous, but I wouldn't say unpredictable. Any dog can snap or jump.

Callie is currently in heat (ugh) and like Dave's Tilly she is mopey, snuggly and whiney, I would say needy. If anything she is less energetic. (Can't wait till she's back to herself).

You are right about the not being left for any period of time, Callie has a very sweet, loving temperament BUT I wouldn't trust her not to chew the house down if unsupervised.

Oh and for the record , before Tilly we had a Border Collie X , never owned a Staff and got Tilly on the strenght of the only Staff I ever really knew my cousin's girl Jess.
We got Tilly as a pup whilst my OH had a very active business as a childminder with kids from 9 months upwards at the time and then Tommy again whilst in the same business , does that sound like we have no faith of our breed around kids. My OH is giving up the business now one of the reasons to spend more time with the dogs

Well it's already begun. Other half walking Molly for her evening walk and I get a phone call off him. He was gone but 5 bloody minutes. Neibour had approached him with her dog on the lead. Molly completely still quiet and in complete control goes to sniff him. She backs away quickly and says "It THAT a STAFFY?!?" "yes" oh replies "Oh I wouldn't trust them, they dangerous they are! Killers! Neibours dog was killed by a staffy!" News to me. The little yappy thing that tries to bite my ankles as I walk past was perfectly alive yesterday... "Do you really think I'd have a dangerous dog with my children?" oh asks "No, well you don't know do you. They are not to be trusted" So OH on his high horse now says "well no, but I wouldn't trust any dog alone with a child anyway, not even a yorkshire terrier" points at her dog. "even something as little as that could take a face off a child but you wouldn't leave him anyway would you?" and strolls off leaving the woman stunned!

LeaKyGDan wrote:my daughter, oh and I won't pull her, bite her, eat her food (or take it away from her!) or pee on her bed

I think that's fair enough!

We all know staffs are one of the most human friendly dogs your gonna get but let me just clear up the bsl thing that people get hun up on.
Bsl is just part of the dda, section one. Staffs do not fit the critera and you can download a pdf from defra which describes and gives advice on banned types.
Now what most people forget is that dda covers "all" dogs and isnt breed specific. You can have a jrt banged up next to a rottie for the same "crime"
Its all geared around keeping your dog under control and people not feeling threatend. Some parts are real crap while others make perfect sence which i why im all up for a rewrite with a common sence approach

Like I said in regards too staffords a stafford that is breed standard short n stocky will not come into type, but one that's out of breed standard we all know there's a lot around mine included can fall into type even kc reg one, pitbull type covers a lot or breeds and cross breeds. For more info dda watch has a lot info on their site about it all if you want too know anymore they are the experts on it all. x

I'd be pretty upset if my content and well behaved staff got banged up while the Westie that lives next door but 1 who is actually quite nasty gets to live on being nippy and quite frankly, mean! Luckily staffies are popular here and even though this stupid woman took it apon herself to talk some bull to oh she made kissing faces at Molly and molly being still a puppy at heart thought she was playing! Some people!

I work as a dog handler for a rescue centre and care for stray Staffordshire Bull Terriers on a daily basis so have had lots of experience with these dogs and many other breeds from all sorts of backgrounds, from personal experience;

1. All animals can be unpredictable there's not denying that from any species, but you live with Molly and will get to know her very well, you'll know what her likes and dislikes are and what she will tolerate from humans and what she won't. I've been nipped by many staffies if they've been scared and i've had to handle them or in the vets, never had my throat ripped out by one though. However I have been seriously bitten by Jack Russells, a Border Collie and a Bull Mastiff, they were just really messed up dogs nothing to do with the breeds! There are dogs that give no warning signals before attacking but it isn't breed specific, it's down to the training they have received and your Molly sounds like a very settled, socialized girl.

2. Seconding what Dave said, my bitch will sleep with her back end in your face she had just had pups when she was dumped off with us and whilst she wasn't keen on me touching her back end, again my throat was left intact when I had to check her over for the vet, although I personally wouldn't touch a bitches back end when she's in season anyway if I didn't have to, simply because it's impolite and she probably won't like it very much, but unless your dog has problems with handling or an uneven temperament it's unlikely that there would be a real problem

3. Any bull crosses can be dragged into the law unfortunately if they "look like a pit bull" as it's all down to the visuals and measurements, but I wouldn't worry too much about that. My girl is a big staffie and was tested 3 times by dog wardens and police as they couldn't decide if she was type, but i've never been stopped with her.

4. When testing dogs I always look out for the first initial reaction to cats/children/noises etc. You will be constantly learning about Molly and when you take on a rescue dog this is a lovely part of the process, but if she came from a centre she should have been tested sufficiently before rehoming anyway, and you would have noticed some warning signs by now. I only found out after 6 months of fostering Biscuit that she was terrified of buses, simply because we hadn't come across one until then, and she completely flipped out, but we handled it and I learnt from the experience. Think it's brilliant that you've taken on a staffie and you seem really switched on, you've just gotta find your confidence in yourself and your breed and you'll be on your way

Thank you Rachel she has been well trained and socialised for a rescue she's actually very placid. She doesn't like it when people shout even if it isn't at her and regardless of the tone even if I'm just shouting daughter and oh for tea she will look a bit distressed and leave the room. She's extremely good with other dogs. Even when a dog is being a bit aggressive with her she will just turn away or sit waiting for me or oh to tell her what to do. She does duck when you raise your hand but the fact she's so well trained makes me think she wasn't abused or anything although she was skinny when she came into foster. She's still slight. I don't think shes too tall and she's pretty stocky in the front. She looooves the base of her tail being scratched and her belly! She likes the luxuries that my oh shells out! I think he might be spoiling her too much!

I've read a few of your posts and she sounds brilliant so far you're lucky that she's been socialized, that's the biggest problem that I find with staffies, it's very rare that i've met a really people aggressive one that either hasn't been trained to be defensive or hasn't come around eventually with cuddles and doggy sausages

The only thing that I would suggest is to be extra vigilant in not letting her around too many dogs that are aggressive with her, simply because you want her to keep thinking that dogs are a positive thing and not a negative! My dog was completely unsociable with other animals when I adopted her, and she was doing really well with socialization until another dog bit her on the face and now we've gone back to square one as she's terrified again

Oh bless her, she sounds like a real sweetie! Again, from personal experience (Biscuit was an ex cruelty case and lay on the floor and pee'd if anyone raised their voice when I first started spending time with her) she will gain confidence with you and your family, and being the tenacious bull terrier that she is you could possibly start seeing a cheekier side to her (but she could also stay exactly the same!!) and you've just gotta be consistent with boundaries. But the fact that she chooses to leave in what she feels is a confrontational situation instead of facing it speaks volumes about her character also. Think you've got a good egg there Enjoy her!

P.S you can never spoil them too much

nearly 18 months after rescuing Ledger my throat is still intact my mum had a lot of reservations about staffys from listening to the media hype but he very quickly won her over

in response to point 2 we were watching Family Guy one night it was the episode where Peter was selling butt scratchers and kept repeating butt scratcher and when he did Ledger looked with interest at the TV so now he gets a regular butt scratch