Staffies - breaking down human barriers!

I'm a quiet, book mad computer nerd who's fairly shy around new people, so having a dog has been good for me because he helps me to talk to people out on walkies. Usually I would just look at the ground and scurry past!

It's funny who stops to talk to us, too. The people I'm used to communicating with, ones like me who I went to school with or worked with, will sometimes instinctively pull their dogs away from Charlie because they think "Staffy = Danger!" When I say he's friendly with dogs they will nervously let their dog near then smile, but quite quickly carry on walking.

However, the (I'm trying to say this without offending!) "geezer" type blokes who, as a lone woman, I wouldn't have said hello to and who wouldn't have said hello to me either, will stop for a Charlie-cuddle and tell me how lovely he is!

It's good how my dog is helping me to meet new kinds of people, nice people. Dogs don't have the prejudice of us people..

I have to agree, the people who stop and give max a cuddle are mainly the kind of people I would normally not approach (and they would prob. not approach me either). I like it!

I should take advice from Charlie - "A cuddle is a cuddle, whoever it comes from!"

Yeah they do help to break down barriers and get us talking to all kinds of different people

glad charlie is helping you to talk to people,we could talk about our dogs and what they get up to all day

can understand this so much, and can relate from the other side of the coin. because of the dogs all the people that would normally have avoided even giving eye contact now speak with me. I'm not much of a people person either but my friend count has more than doubled because of the dogs.
It's nice to be chatting to an elderly couple about dogs and then turn the corner and have a couple of drunk but nice lads cooing over them.
they are a real ice breaker and bring people of all sorts of backgrounds together because of the common bond which is dogs.
on our park walk we have a variety of people who would normaly mix like oil and water, police officers, council workers, those of questionable work ethics etc etc but the common bond we share of dogs somehow brings us all together on this neutral ground. it feels a bit like a masonic lodge sometimes where nothing we do is taboo to any other member but if it was outside the dog circle it would be frowned up lol

I find its the people I expect to be wary of staffies that shock me with their love of them, older people especially

That's lovely they do bring us so much help in many different ways. Great to hear

Having a dog definitely gives you more confidence

Im the same with my pony! I have went to random places on my own and talked to strangers which is unlike me lol

I would definitely agree with this. about 3 years ago I got a staff x lab for my friend Henry. Henry has aspergers syndrome and has always found it very difficult to talk to people. Before getting Neo he wouldn't leave his house for days, now he has a group of people he meets to dog-walk with every day, goes to training classes and has a reason to get up in the morning. It the best thing any of us ever did for him and I'm so happy that Neo got a new start and Henry got a confidence boost!

Me and hubby have made many new friends because of having Rocky with out with us, people we most probably would not have met otherwise. We now have a new circle of doggy friends we see twice a day at least.

They are definitely great to get a conversation started Breaks the ice to talk to strangers out in public Glad to hear Charlie is helping you out!

For sure having a dog is a good way to meet new people and also breaks down the media stereo typical image of staffies to the general public. I'm lucky as round my way there is a good regular group of owners I meet so its helped me to get to know the community since I moved in last year.