How much do Staffies really shed?

Hi All

I am new to this forum and although I do not own a staffie (Yet!) I do plan on getting one, however I have one little issue... My boyfriend of almost 3 years is allergic to dogs and I am a student who is looking to study veterinary nursing next year lol complete disaster but you cant help who you fall for!

Bascially Ive been looking at breeds with little to no shedding (Yorkies, Westies etc) However I am a big dog person, as is my partner so I want a bigger dog, or as he puts it, one he cant accidentally stand on and break lol. (Joking!)

I love staffies and from volunteering in a veterinary practice for the past year I have fallen in love with the breed.

My partner likes the look of them and I am hoping to go to a local shelter and volunteer to walk some staffies, to see how my partner copes with them (allergy wise).

I don't plan on getting a dog now but im seriously missing having a dog, honestly a house is not a home without one! I am heading to england next year to study veterinary nursing, which I have been waiting 5 years to get into so i am really excited so it wont be until 2017 until i can consider a dog, as i will have graduated - i want a secure and financially stable house for my future staffie to grow up in, thus i am holding it off until my career is settled and I can settle down, as it would be unfair to get a dog then disappear for 4 years only to come back every year for a few weeks etc (obviously someone would be babysitting) but its not right in my eyes.

Also, I really love the blue and white coloration! however I have heard from friends who have worked with staffies that they have found/ heard that blue staffies are prone to more behavioral problems - however i am a firm believer in how the dog is raised that determines its personality (however i understand that some traits can be determined by genetics etc) I also love the brindle and white or the gorgeous sandy colour.

What sex is best? (oh controversial question ) The reason why I ask I would love a dog for a change as i have always had bitches in the past - I will have the dog castrated/spayed as it is part of the family not a source of income. What sex would you recommend for a first time staffie owner? or does is matter/ down to personal preference?

I know i'm a way ahead of myself - however I do like to be organized and plan well ahead, nothing wrong with a little research before committing to something lol.

Anyways I ramble on!

Any advice would be appreciated!

Kind Regards

Isa

Hi,

They shed quite a bit, but it can be helped with daily grooming.

Colour has absolutely nothing to do with behaviour so that is wrong. Don't worry about that.

Same with gender really, both will be a handful as pups. But as long as they are brought up firm but fair they with be angels when they are older.

I prefer the shape of a male dog personally, though I have had females in the past too

I have moved your topic to the Chat Section also

Thanks Matt I see your from Northern Ireland too! lol.
Ugh really? antihistamines for the boyfriend then no i would groom him everyday.

Thanks for your response!

Oh great another N. Ireland member.

I am quite fussy with the shedding if I'm honest. But if you groom him early in the day before hoovering etc it's not hard to clear up.

There are def worse breeds for shedding though. I had read they don't shed a lot before getting Logan, but that is a total myth

Good luck anyway, they are the best breed there is. Once out of the puppy stage they are super easy to look after too

Thanks Matt

Logan is stunning! Love the name too!

Yeah I know they are fantastic the best wee dog ive ever come across was a labrador/staffie cross (best breeds in the world in my opinion) do you know of any breeders in Northern Ireland as I am worried about buying from here due to people misusing them unfortunately .

Thanks again!

IsaBear wrote:Thanks Matt

Logan is stunning! Love the name too!

Yeah I know they are fantastic the best wee dog ive ever come across was a labrador/staffie cross (best breeds in the world in my opinion) do you know of any breeders in Northern Ireland as I am worried about buying from here due to people misusing them unfortunately .

Thanks again!

To be truly honest with you...there isn't many good breeders in N.I But you will be able to get a good dog if you search properly before buying.

There is a website called champdogs which is quite good at times, but again not a lot from N.I.

There are some absolutely mighty Staffs in rescue centres over here. There was one in Rainbow in Londonderry a while back and she was nothing short of show quality, how they end up in centres I'll never understand.

Worth checking that too.

Thanks Matt I know its really bad over here i did some research into the health of pedigrees and some breeds are horrendous which is so sad, so i have no interest in showing etc or breeding for that matter (staffies seemed quite healthy)

Yeah there is loads in mid antrim animal sanctuary i believe.

Isa

may depend on the dog aswell as my boy not really a big sheader

Thanks Warren I suppose thats true

There are worse breeds for shedding, but they're certainly not the best either. I think you can get a shampoo that's meant to help (for the dog, not your boyfriend ), and daily brushing will help.

The sex doesn't really matter. They do have general differences, but I think the vast majority of the time it depends on the individual dog rather than its sex. I prefer males, but that's just because...well, no reason, I just do

Also, I've not heard of colour having any influence on their temperament, but blue dogs that have been bred from two blue parents are at risk of colour dilution alopecia, so if you want a blue puppy, make sure only one parent is blue

Course, if you find a breeder and are unsure, there are loads of experienced members on here that'll tell you what they think.

Thanks Tara, yeah ive come across those shampoos im a bit skeptical but ill try anything lol.

oh i know its awful though as breeders over here dont fill me with confidence - someone was selling 'blue blood line purebred puppies' for ridicioulous prices and another person was selling labradoodles for, wait for it!.....800 quid for a crossbreed! lmao i was in stiches!
I would prefer to adopt rather than buy

oh my days look at this girl!

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dog/1103858/sky#.UZegDqBvphA

IsaBear wrote:oh my days look at this girl!

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dog/1103858/sky#.UZegDqBvphA

Exactly.

There are tonnes of great dogs like that, they are no less Staffs. And you save a life.

I will be getting another dog soon and she will 100% be from a Rescue Centre.

Yeah, unfortunately rescue centres are never short of dogs, particularly Staffs. She is lovely I love that you're meant to be waiting four years and you're already checking rescue centres

I know I am bloody teasing myself I have actually fallen in love with Sky lol and she is only like 10 miles from where i am at the second god dammit lol i would love her i hope she gets a new home soon!

My Lola sheds more than Lily plus the fact that she is white it shows up more. It is dependant on the individual dog. My allergies have improved since I have had the girls, exposure to them has diminished my reaction to them so there is hope for the BF

Yay! thanks Claire that fills me with hope lol. I really really want one now! lol but i shall wait til 2016! ugh its gonna kill me

Your two are gorgeous!

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Exposure does make a difference to an allergy although it does take a while Isa

Thanks Claire Ive heard that to be true so i will remain hopeful! lol

sorry to bring it to you but they shed continuously. They have a course hair though so its not as likely to make allergies flare up as it doesnt float about too much. (im mildly allergic to animals too)

As for blues having behavioural problems, unfortunately they can because they are so horrifically bred. Breeding can most definitely influence behaviour.

HI Hayley
Thank you for letting me know Im hoping that we can build up my partners immune system y exposing him to dogs .

Thanks again!

Oh small world I am from Co.Down too (In Northern Ireland, right? lol)

yep

crazy lol. Its rubbish weather as usual!

Yeah, and it was so lovely yesterday!

I know I literally got up, looked outside, got back into bed lol then eventually got up. It really sickens me yesterday was brilliant - thats our summer gone!

My staff practically doesn't shed at all!

Hehe awh thanks Ella for your feedback hopefully my future baby doesn't either!

Hello - I didn't know this until my allergic friend told me but it is not animal hair that people are allergic to. It's the dander - this is basically dog dandruff, i.e. dead skin that they shed as we all do too.

Here is a link explaining:
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/dog-allergies

As to working out whether your boyfriend is allergic to any individual dog - I am very pro dog fostering. You can commit yourself to short periods of a week or two etc, you're doing them an enormous favour, you're not committing yourself to something you may not be ready for and you're getting to know more about how you would manage having a dog in general. Plus, best case scenario, you end up adopting your foster dog (this happened to me - best thing that ever did!).

I'm sure you can't rule out entire breeds as far as how allergenic they are. I would have thought your boyfriend would react differently to different individual dogs and it is a process of trial and error, as well as perhaps adjusting the dog's diet, and your boyfriend taking measures too.

I don't think you can make blanket rules about what different breeds/colours will be like. I think that's why so many dogs of all shapes and sizes turn up in the shelters once they are no longer puppies - I would always adopt a young adult dog as I would have a clear idea of its personality and temperament.

Also - someone gave me some very wise advice once: get the dog you need, no the one you want. I had my heart set on a vizsla but what I needed in my life (although I didn't know it at the time!) was a Staffy! I now couldn't care less what my dog looked like, or how pure bred etc - personality (for me at least) is everything.

Sorry for banging on. Rupert does malt, especially on my white duvet cover, but fairly minimally - nothing that can't be sorted with a damp microfibre cloth.

Getting a dog will change your life in the most profound, amazing way. Good luck. Keep an open mind.

Hi Rupertsbook. Your correct it is the dander that people tend to react too others are reactant to the saliva. I guess regular washing will stop dander/lessen it somewhat.

The foster idea is great . Thanks for the advice I will most definitely look into as we fostered before and he had no reaction - was a young pup who had been abused. I say we fostered well it was more I demanded they hand her over ( she punched, kicked and burned her etc ) so we trained her up as her food aggression was horrific at such a young age but we managed to let her see that people weren't a threat anymore and her food guarding stopped she then went on to find an awesome home .

I know regarding the colour etc it was something I just wanted to ask as some people kept telling me that of which I was skeptical so I just wanted to clear that up lol.

Thank you for your advice

Lisa

Awk my heart is broken went to visit Sky today in dogs trust and my partner had a reaction. Maybe Staffies aren't the breed for us

IsaBear wrote:Awk my heart is broken went to visit Sky today in dogs trust and my partner had a reaction. Maybe Staffies aren't the breed for us

Well if your partner can have a reaction like that in such a assumedly brief meeting then I think you are right and you shouldn't go down this route. At least you have researched it and found out before you home a dog that you have to send back

Thanks Dave . Your right. Now I can research into other breeds . Such a pity though as I really want one lol

IsaBear wrote:Thanks Dave . Your right. Now I can research into other breeds . Such a pity though as I really want one lol

If a staffy shedding will give you a problem , I can't really think of any suitable breeds

Perhaps a poodle (ugh) lol a yorkie, schnauzer, bichon fries shih tzu, Maltese, etc but I like my Staffies and labs lol

IsaBear wrote:Perhaps a poodle (ugh) lol a yorkie, schnauzer, bichon fries shih tzu, Maltese, etc but I like my Staffies and labs lol

these breeds still shed a little no breed is totally none shedding, and will still produce dander but they may be better for your OH

I know ugh lol a bit heart breaking thank god my career choice is vet nursing lol I will just treat all the patients as if they were my own!

My other half has had a severe reaction his eye is swollen shut I feel absolutely awful. .

does sound like a server reaction has he took some piriton?

Has your partner ever met a dog he wasn't allergic to? That might give a clue?

Meanwhile, this might help?

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypoallergenic-dog-breeds/AN01953

This article is good too - it says that it isn't really the breed, more likely to be the individual dog. The comments at the bottom may be particularly helpful as people with allergies are talking about their doggy experiences. I do hope you find a solution (as you can tell, I'm really interested in pets and allergic reactions in humans. Does your OH get hay fever too?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/the-myth-of-the-allergy-free-dog/

Hi Ella and rupertsbooks I don't think he has ever met a dog with no reaction - I had to regime my Labrador 2 years ago so I'm thinking its probably better for everyone in the long run if we don't get a dog. Which is sad as we both love them. Yes he gets hay fever too

Thanks Guys!