How did you discover/fall in love with staffys?

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So I know on here we absolutely love our staffy companions but I was wondering how everyone discovered/fell in love with the breed? Have you always had them or what was it that made you decide to get one?

We had lots of dogs at home growing up, different types of collies, terrier type mongrels and a jack russell (basically all the waifs and strays my mum brought home!) but I knew nothing about staffys really until my sister got a staffy x springer about 4 years ago. I fell in love with her, she is so beautiful and I'd never known such a loving dog. Since then most of the staffys I've met are the the same, so happy, friendly and loving so I knew that when the time was right for me to get a dog, it would be a staffy!! And because there are so many in the rescue centres I wanted to re home one (obviously I get that from my mum!). And now here I am!!

So what's your story?

Reading some of these brought tears to my eyes! It really is quite moving how some of you came to love your Staffy! and the amount of love each of you have for them is just awesome.

I myself do not own any animals at all. My Husband came home from work one day and raised my hopes to high heaven and told me to go to the AKC website and type in "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" So I did. He then asked what I'd say if he told me he was offered to have one for free. At that point I told him BRING IT HOME! I haven't owned a pet since my neighbor murdered my dog when I was 10 years old. My parents couldn't cope with owning another animal, after our beloved Ebony ( a Black lab/Mutt) was killed in earnest. Ebony hated our neighbor, he was a very mean man that constantly yelled and tried to hit my brother and I. One Day Ebony broke his chain and lunged at him to protect my brother and I, while he didn't bite him, he vowed to kill our dog for the mere threat of him biting him. And he did.

Anyways. Flash forward. I stormed the internet searching for any and all information I could get on the breed and it eventually brought me here to this forum where I've landed graciously and have done most all the rest of my research. When we were both all worked up and excited, collar in hand to go meet and greet with the 6 week old pups, we found out that the irresponsible breeder had allowed his two dogs (Brother and Sister---from the SAME liter) Breed. When I found out the dogs were that closely inbred I refused to bring one home....

Here we are today, we still do not have a dog. But my Husband and I have agreed that when we do get one, it'll be a rescue and it will definitely be a Staffy. For now I'm getting my fix on the days I get to spend with a few clients that have one.

I grew up around dogs, my dad was forever bring home the waifs and strays, always had a few dogs, until I was about 15, when our Bull Dog Benny passed my mum didn’t want any more.

I had never been much involved with the ‘parenting’ of any of the dogs, I would just play with them being that I was only a child, but after my 22nd birthday and a quite brutal break up I managed to talk my mum in to looking at dogs after promising that the puppy would be my responsibility and I would be the one walking it and feeding it

I told a little lie and said that staffs didn’t grow to big as I originally looking for a pug …. So we went to the Stafford Litter and first we were introduced to Franks dads who was a beautiful big bundle of kisses wrapped in a smooth black coat of fur, Franks mum was a gorgeous brindle Staffy, super friendly and more than happy to let you see her pups … introducing Frank ….

He come waddling out bum going side to side soft black fur running up his body with his little white socks, belly and nose … then my mum seen it … the white rain drop mark on the back of his neck … just like her cats marking and that was it the deposit was left and 1 week before my 23rd birthday I brought him home …

Tara’s story is much shorter, I wanted another dog, for my and for Frank, I had been on here an had read the stories and the massive issue of Staffys in rescue centres, and contacted the StaffordScotland Team, and they matched us with Tara, we scheduled the meeting and she come to live with us after that.

I wouldn’t have any other breed now!!! I love everything about them!!

xx

dan12345 wrote:I walked into a very horrible house, Looked in the corner there was the two saddest and beautiful eyes i have ever seen, she was underweight, full of scratches bites ect, litteraly she had been 'bullied' and abused the small life she had at the time, the person who orignally owned her had 4 others staffys, betty was the 'runt', the bottom of the pack if you like, her dinner was eat, she was never allowed out the cage, mind my language but stunk of * and *, but because she had blue in her she was kept for breeding, the women who owned her was a poor excuse for a human let alone a owner, she left her in someone elses house,and refused to collect her due to her owing money,she was another statistic, how i found out about her ill never know, the only time iv beleved there was a god, I literally walked into a house and left with her, she was sat in a corner with her head down, i went to stroke her and she flinched really bad, i nearly cried so i took her, as we were walking down the road its was the was she looked at me as if you say 'its all over thank you'. she could tell i would love and look after her, i find it hard to explain, 5years on and shes fell alseep giving me afterwork hugs whilst i write this.

I know this has a happy ending but it still made me cry!

Sazzle wrote:

dan12345 wrote:I walked into a very horrible house, Looked in the corner there was the two saddest and beautiful eyes i have ever seen, she was underweight, full of scratches bites ect, litteraly she had been 'bullied' and abused the small life she had at the time, the person who orignally owned her had 4 others staffys, betty was the 'runt', the bottom of the pack if you like, her dinner was eat, she was never allowed out the cage, mind my language but stunk of * and *, but because she had blue in her she was kept for breeding, the women who owned her was a poor excuse for a human let alone a owner, she left her in someone elses house,and refused to collect her due to her owing money,she was another statistic, how i found out about her ill never know, the only time iv beleved there was a god, I literally walked into a house and left with her, she was sat in a corner with her head down, i went to stroke her and she flinched really bad, i nearly cried so i took her, as we were walking down the road its was the was she looked at me as if you say 'its all over thank you'. she could tell i would love and look after her, i find it hard to explain, 5years on and shes fell alseep giving me afterwork hugs whilst i write this.

I know this has a happy ending but it still made me cry!

I agree Dan. Fair play to ya fella

By accident...went to a rescue for a little dog, saw a tiny crossbread and asked to meet it...the kennel staff accidently bought out echo, my first staffy! I felt so guilty saying it wasn't the one i meant that i took him to the exercise area and half an hour later was sorting out home checks! Had him for 9 years till cancer stole him fro. us.....when we felt ready for another dog in our lives there was no other breed i would consider!

sonics family wrote:By accident...went to a rescue for a little dog, saw a tiny crossbread and asked to meet it...the kennel staff accidently bought out echo, my first staffy! I felt so guilty saying it wasn't the one i meant that i took him to the exercise area and half an hour later was sorting out home checks! Had him for 9 years till cancer stole him fro. us.....when we felt ready for another dog in our lives there was no other breed i would consider!

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found a staffy running down the side of the a12 in thetford on the way back from a job. being an animal lover - not a great staffy lover - i stopped, opened the van door he jumped straight in. Anyway me and my mates got this staffy sat in the front of the van with us, looking at each other like what do we do now?

took him to a travellers camp just up the road, as thought he could be theirs. no not theirs, but they had chickens for sale. so my mate spends a good 20 minutes chasing chickens round a pen with an old toothless travelling bloke, eventually comes back with 6 chickens in a bulmers box.

anyway back to the staffy. take him to the police station in thetford got treated with the now familiar devil dog b*llocks ' we cant take him'. rspca wasnt open. so we're driving back to derby with a staffy (named him bruce on the journey home) and 6 chickens. couldnt make it up.

anyway to cut a very long story short, got home mrs fell in love with bruce straight away, id already fell in love with him on the way home. We kept him for 6 weeks until we found his very grateful owners, luckily he was chipped. they turned up with flowers, chocolates and a 50 pound reward, bless em. Turns out bruce had bolted when one of their grandkids let of a party popper at a bbq straight out the back gate ended up on the a12, where the story began.

Anyway 2 weeks passed, me and the mrs were pretty depressed there was literally a hole in our lives where bruce the staffy had been. So we went out and got our new pup Bruce big smiles all round. Thats how i fell in love with the breed, pretty nice story i reckon

Ah yeah, great story Thanks for sharing

I didn't choose Lily, she chose me. We had dogs all our married lives and the last one - beautiful mongrel boy Jason -went a few years back aged 18. This was the first time we hadn't been tied with kids or dogs so we decided that we would enjoy our freedom. But years of freedom still left an empty space that needed filling and I started looking on local websites for a rescue. The one dog that kept popping up time and time again was a Staffy and I felt sorry for the plight they were in. So I saw a lovely Staffy on Liverpool Dog Rescue website and asked about him and he had gone. They said there was another one that had been found in Lincoln and was due to be pts along with a couple of others and the call went out to rescues and Liverpool said they would take her. When I went to see her she was bouncing all over the place very friendly but really too lively for me as I'm in my sixties and was looking for a more sedate dog that wouldn't put too much of a strain on my knee as I was waiting for a replacement. I told them that it was a shame but I couldn't take her but she wouldn't leave me alone. So what else could I do, I took her home wondering what on earth I was doing but I did have this overwhelming feeling that I got her for a reason.

But here is the funny bit. My daugher told me the other day that both her and my son were worried about me as I was becoming old far too soon, I walked slowly and was happy to sit in the house with my dodgy knee. Fast forward 12 months since I got Lily, I walk at least 5 miles a day in all weather, feel totally energised and am not ready yet for any surgery. I have lost almost a stone and feel fitter than I have done in years. She makes me feel good and I love that she loves me - she's still as mad as a box of frogs though!

Pollyanna wrote:I didn't choose Lily, she chose me.

What a great Story , thanks for sharing

As a young kid we always had a dog in the house, it was only when Mum went back to work and there was no one in the house that we were without.. Many years went by and on visiting my Dad one day I found he'd taken on a poorly looked after dog. He was of good pedigree and with lots of TLC and good food he blossomed into a beautiful dog. He was called Rocky, he was built like Sly Stallone to.. He was a massive amount of muscle on a lead.. he would take dad for a walk, dad was 6' and 16 stone so he could pull some weight.. But was as gentle as a lamb.. He lived till a grand age until he went blind due to diabetes. From then I've always wanted a staffy.

2 more great stories, thanks for sharing guys

Aw i love these!!
At the start of our story we belived all that we read!! Staff were child biters and devil dogs!
I had always grown up with dogs, labs, GSD, collie but never a bull breed as my father believed they were too dodgy to have around children! - something i believed for a long long time
When i met my partner 4 years ago he always went on about wanting a mastiff as he had friends when he was younger that had 2, they were big soppy playfull dogs but i wasnt sold on the idea.. 2 years ago we moved into our own place with a young baby and soon noticed the family below us having a HUGE male staffy running around their garden! "Oh god babe its one of those" i remember saying to him!
But he soon changed my mind, we used to see him running around playing with their young children letting them do whatever they wanted to him, he would never leave their side while they were out playing!
I decided to look into the breed a bit more and soon learnt the truth about them! they are soppy, amazingly friendly and great with young children!! I couldnt believe i was so wrong!!
Me and my hubby fell head over heels with staffs and decided to look at rescues but none of them would look at us because of having two young babies!
A friend of mine has had to rehome her 16week old pup and we thought what the hell lets add her to our little family! we got her yesterday and shes so much better then i ever could of dreamed! we all love her to bits already!

Now the hard bit - telling my dad LOL! we're meeting him at half 1 for a walk with the kiddies... his bringing his springer (the kids adore her) But his gonna have a shock when we turn up with our little Bella lol. hopefully she will change his mind on "devil dogs" as that large male did with me

Congratulations on your addition to the family hope it went well today?

Thanks hun and it went okay... we showed up late (My hubby wanted to stop at pets at home to get her a new lead lol) by the time we got there my sisters and my dads springers was Covered head to toe in mud lol. he said oh I didn't know you got a pup? I just smiled an said we got her yesterday shes perfect. he stroked her an said what breed is she? my hubby said shes a staffy cross rottie we think at that point he turnt and said hello to our kiddies then we headed back to the car (the springers started to shiver so had to get home) the whole time bella was sniffing their dogs trying to play but she didn't get the chance
So we jumped back in the car and went back to my mums, bella was soo good she just sat around watching the kids and followed them if she couldn't see them lol. after a bath my sister brought her springer (Rosie) down so they could have a play Bella was very happy lol xx

I've read all of these and there are some brilliant stories, thought I'd share ours.
My family had a mongrel whilst I was growing up, and always wanted a dog once I'd 'grown up'.
My partner has never had a pet, and we decided we would get a rescue dog. I am a family support worker, and work with really vulnerable families, most of which have staffies, as status dogs, so when we were initially looking at dogs, I said I didn't want a staffie. Then we were at a rescue, there was a poem about staffies, how they are overbred, can be unloved, dumped when they are no longer of use, how no one gives them a second chance. Then it hit me, I work with families that others don't think are worth helping, I can see them for the things they can be, how dare I be so stupid to say 'I don't want a staffie!'
So, with fresh eyes, we saw, met and fell in love with first staffie I met, within a few weeks Deez had moved in, and completely stolen our hearts. I look at him everyday, and I am grateful that I saw that poem, that I gave my head a shake, and I saw this amazing breed for what it is, as apposed to what the media would have us believe!
I am proud to be a staffie owner!

We discussed getting a dog 'one day'. My husband works with a greyhound rescuer so thought we would rehome a greyhound/whippet type 'one day'. Then we volunteered at the local pound and walked the inmates. One of the dogs was in there for ages, no hope for a rescue space or foster, She was also getting very stressed and dog-aggressive. She got harder and harder to walk as she was SO hyper. She was a lovely staffy but the spaces filled and the managers had to consider putting her to sleep (as she should have been moved on after 7 days but there was nowhere for her). By this stage we had discussed how we could manage with a dog and birds and said we would move house first. Maddie was put on 7 days countdown to being pts. We loved walking her and thought she was a sweet dog, just stressed in kennels. We brought her home. We are moving house soon (waiting for solicitors to finalise everything). Maddie is asleep by my foot and the birds are 5 feet away fluttering and climbing inside their cages.
The best thing we ever did was get a staffy, even if we thought we wanted a whippet. She is affectionate, loving, surprisingly well-behaved (most of the time) and so funny

We had a staffy when I was born, so I grew up hearing about them.

I owned a Rottweiler who was my best friend for 5 years, he passed away and I never thought I would look at another breed. However when I was ready to look for another friend, I went to the shelter and it was full of staffies. I noticed Shéara because he was the most quiet pooch, sat in the back of his kennel shaking. I walked him, he looked like he needed a big cuddle and that was that. We had him home within 3 days. I hadnt done any research beforehand so its all been fun and games, and I wouldnt change him for the world

These stories keep coming in, great

This is my favourite subject ever. I have read everyone's post and have been so touched by so many of them. For me - and I never expected this - having a dog, or more precisely, my dog is like a spiritual experience. I can't explain it. Sounds dumb. I sometimes wonder whether I would feel the same way if my dog had not turned out to be a Staffy.

Anyway. My sister lives in America and I live in London. I had always sort of wanted a dog but although I was getting to the point where I would be in a better position to look after one (i.e. working from home more etc) everyone would constantly warn me that "having a dog is SUCH a big responsibility." I went to see my sister in the States where everyone seems to have a dog, and for the first time it felt possible for me to have a dog too. I spent a lot of time walking my sister's small mutt and was amazed at how fast dogs learn things (I grew up with cats, never had a dog). I loved being outdoors with no real plan except walking the dog and exploring.

When I got back to the UK, I started looking on Dogsblog and became slightly addicted to it. So many breeds, so many homeless dogs. I thought at the time I wanted a Vizsla. Definitely wanted rescue. Definitely wanted to start off fostering just to see how it went. However, when I called up Vizsla rescue they didn't bother to call back for a week. In the meantime I had called a shelter in London, they were super-organised, sent someone round to do a home check the next day and - not thinking that anything would happen for a while - I was suddenly landed with an enormous ridgeback/labrador. It took about a day to understand how quickly you can bond with a dog and how unique that bond feels. After him I fostered a Staffy who turned out to be aggressive - she would started biting me and never stop. I often had puncture wounds on my arms and legs like some kind of domestic abuse victim. I was frightened of the dog and didn't want another Staffy. Or thought I didn't.

HOWEVER. When a young vet adopted the aggressive staffy the shelter immediately asked me whether I could foster "Rupert" (shelters love giving tough looking dogs soppy names, I have noticed!). This was last August. They showed me a headshot of a brindle, incredibly frightening looking dog with the most enormous mouth I had ever seen on any creature, not just dogs. I wanted to say no but my sister was coming over from America and I think I just had too much on my mind and the day she landed I had to break it to her that we had an appointment to go pick up a homeless abandoned dog called Rupert at Hampstead Heath station. She was tired and jetlagged and - she told me later - furious.

Outside the station I was introduced to Rupert: at the other end of the lead was what looked like a rabid miniature bull. Rupert couldn't walk on lead, he stank, he moved like an enormous captive weasel, he was skeletal - he had been found in Tottenham tied to a lamppost.

It was very difficult to get Rupert home. We had to go by train and tube and one of the first break through moments we had with him was when we realised he was terrified of stairs. My sister ended up carrying him down the stairs to the platform of Hampstead Heath station. Somehow we got him home, into the bath and washed him. On the train she had said to me: "I don't know what it is about this dog but I really trust him." About half an hour after we got in my sister fell asleep on a rug on the floor (jetlag), Rupert collapsed beside her (exhaustion). They were asleep like that for about an hour. I can't explain it but it was a very touching thing to see, it is an image that will never leave me.

I can't really explain why Rupert is so wonderful. He has changed my life from day one. He is happy, and not snappy at all, he is hyper but learns quickly. He is so incredibly interested in everything and affectionate. We have adapted to one another perfectly - I like roaming London and doing new things and so does he. I find that having a Staff makes my life much freeer - I feel much safer walking around dodgy bits of town, or at night, or when I am alone in parks or the countryside. Although he is just the most sweet and affectionate dog, big groups of annoying pot-smoking teenagers scatter when they see him trundling their way. Rupert has also totally reconnected me to nature. I love going on walks which I do every day. Have lost weight and feel much better. I love also having all the little chats with other dog owners, or with people who come up to me on the street teary-eyed because, "I used to have a Staff." Having this dog is a big responsibility primarily because of the bad press around them and also because of their strength. But I like the responsibility. I like trying to work towards a moment when he is a perfect example of his breed. He is amazing with kids. He loves them sitting on his back.

I do have people being annoying, frightened of or snobby about Rupert when they first see him (if Prince William really wants to do something for this country he should adopt a Staff!) but I think if you own one you have to accept that you become a public relations expert on the breed. I suppose sticking up for Staffs is one of the things I love about the total privilege of having found this amazing dog. I have had so many adventures with him ... words fail me. Sometimes I think about what might have happened to him and it gives me a real physical pain. I am so lucky.