staffys and other dogs

Hi guys,

How does the staffy breed generally be with other dogs. I have been doing plenty of research on the breed before getting a pup and it's one thing that keeps popping up is that they generally aren't the best with other dogs ( is this just down to the media giving them a bad wrap ) ? .

Ian

How does the staffy breed generally be with other dogs

don't know what the experienced will tell you ..

i rekon it does depend on how well they are socialised as pups
and their later experiences with other dogs ..

e.g. my Lady is fine with most dogs ..
except for small terriers like yorkies and the like ..
she was ok with all .. untill an off-lead yorkie went for her ..
now ( i'd guess ) she sees all similar dogs as a threat ..
so when meeting tries to dominate them first thing ..
so far no blood .. just a lot of growling and snapping ..
she's mostly on-lead ( unlike the majority of small terriers met on our walks ) ..

"Lady"s my first staffy .. so maybe other more in-the-know shall enlighten you henceforth :-)

The most important thing is to socialise right from the start. A puppy should never be removed from the litter until at least 8 weeks old as they learn a lot of their social skills at this age through play.

Puppy classes are fantastic places to carry on the socialisation and to learn about your puppy as much as he/she will learn about you.

All Staffies are different. My girl has a dislike for collies and black dogs but not in an aggressive manor she will just watch them and give them the widest berth. She is also quiet happy to tell other dogs off which can look bad but has never resulted in so much as a nip. Staffs play roughly too and this can look quiet aggressive also but as you learn about your dog you'll soon realise that it isn't nasty.

In my honest opinion, there are no bad Dogs just bad owners that don't train or look after their dog properly. If you believe the Press then Staffs are Devil dogs and all other breeds are angels, trust me, there are many breeds that are really not dog friendly at all.

I'm biased, it's true but having been around Staffs for many years now I really couldn't suggest a better loyal loving companion. Just make sure the training and socialisation is good.

I agree with Ian and socializing is the key to them getting along with other dogs. Suki is great with 99% of dogs but there are a few she just does not get along with. In fact, there are quite a few people who come to the dog runs and parks where we take Suki to let her help them socialize their dogs. Here is a link that will help

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/socializing_your_staffords

They do play on the rough side so understanding body language is also important

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/dog_body_language

Thanks for the info guys ! Such a great site with people having wealth of knowledge

I will add that some Staffies just don't like other dogs. I socialised Axl from a pup and he has doggy friends that he will happily play with but he just doesn't like dogs he doesn't know. There's no reason for it its just the way he is. When they are like that it's important to keep walking them around other dogs and not avoid the problem. We are still working on Axl and he can now walk past 60% of dogs without growling and barking but it's a work in progress. I just didn't want you to think that all Staffies are okay with other dogs because sometimes they just aren't and if you have one its a possibility that you may have one that can't get along with dogs it's a case of knowing what you may come up against! Saying that there are plenty that do like other dogs as said above!

I don't think staffies are any different to other dogs in this respect, apart from the good point from JStaff that they do play rough. I wouldn't necessarily have a staffie with a chihuahua, for example.

You'll spot from my avatar that we have a lab x retriever, as well as a staffie and a staffie x GSD. The rough play that goes on makes others blanche.

At the rescue centre where I volunteer, they mix dogs together as much as possible, including the bull breeds, and as long as the size isn't too way off it seems to work. They'll have staffies and huskies together, for example.

The thing is, they don't know they're staffies. They're dogs, and that thing with 4 legs over there is a dog. They won't look and think 'that's not a staffie, so I don't like it'. So as the other say, socialise, socialise, socialise, and you'll be fine.

The thing is, they don't know they're staffies. They're dogs, and that thing with 4 legs over there is a dog. They won't look and think 'that's not a staffie, so I don't like it'. So as the other say, socialise, socialise, socialise, and you'll be fine.

I'm going to go against the grain here (sorry Liz for picking your sentence!) as this needs to be addressed. I don't understand why everyone is saying "just socialise and you'll be fine"... maybe he will but I really think there needs to be more realistic answers than the ones above. We all know that staffies are not always the best with other dogs and no matter how much socialising we do it doesn't always work out all fluffy cotton tails and butterflies.

My point is this: No matter how much we don't like to admit it, there is a deep down imprinted "fight" instinct in Staffordshire Bull Terriers, it's there in all of them but in some of them it's a little closer to the surface than others. I'm not saying all Staffies want to fight but the instinct is there, just as the instinct in collies is to herd things and the instinct in German Shepherds is to guard. Staffies were bred to fight long ago and that breeding has not left them completely so there is a possibility that you could end up with a staffie that simply does not like other dogs no matter how much socialising you do and you need to be prepared for it.

The reason I am saying all this is because I don't want to say "it'll be fine, just socialise them a lot", that's not necessarily true and if you did get a staffie and it turned out to be dog aggressive later in life for no reason I wouldn't want you to be stuck with a breed of dog you don't want

True and valid point debs. My first Staff was set upon by two that she had previously lived quiet happily with (That's how she ended up with us) so it can be something that happens out of the blue.

Yes Staffs were originally a fighting breed and you're right, it can be closer to the surface in some which can become an issue as they get older and bolder so certainly something to remember as is the fact that Chihuahuas have a tendency to bite ankles. My point is that with good training and socialisation these issues should be managable.

Going from my own experience, my Flo will happily trot along with Dogs she knows (the socialising bit I guess) but will get grumpy with strange ones that bother her. This is managable through distraction and forward looking on walks. But you are correct, a Staff isn't suitable for everyone and they can carry some inherited baggage sometimes.

That was all I was trying to say, thanks Ian, you have put it much better than I did

You will encounter problems with other dogs no matter what breed its how you handle a situation if one occours what matters staffies are loyal , clever, dogs.

Depends on each dog i suppose. Iza gets on great with every dog even ones that bark and snarl ( Jack Russell's ahem ) she just smiles at them but i think she prefers bigger dogs, they seem more playful with her.

I'm going to go against the grain here (sorry Liz for picking your sentence!) as this needs to be addressed.  I don't understand why everyone is saying "just socialise and you'll be fine"... maybe he will but I really think there needs to be more realistic answers than the ones above.  We all know that staffies are not always the best with other dogs and no matter how much socialising we do it doesn't always work out all fluffy cotton tails and butterflies.  

My point is this:  No matter how much we don't like to admit it, there is a deep down imprinted "fight" instinct in Staffordshire Bull Terriers, it's there in all of them but in some of them it's a little closer to the surface than others.  I'm not saying all Staffies want to fight but the instinct is there, just as the instinct in collies is to herd things and the instinct in German Shepherds is to guard.  Staffies were bred to fight long ago and that breeding has not left them completely so there is a possibility that you could end up with a staffie that simply does not like other dogs no matter how much socialising you do and you need to be prepared for it.

The reason I am saying all this is because I don't want to say "it'll be fine, just socialise them a lot", that's not necessarily true and if you did get a staffie and it turned out to be dog aggressive later in life for no reason I wouldn't want you to be stuck with a breed of dog you don't want  

Pick away, Debs. But I might just pick back...

I'm not at all saying that every staffie will be great with other dogs. There are always exceptions to every rule. However, I would still argue that most staffies are fine with other dogs provided they are taught properly from the word go. That means no early weaning, no bad experiences, care round the fear periods and lots of socialisation with all breeds from as early as possible. And from a basic 'do I like other dogs' point of view I don't think they are vastly different to many other breeds

I know staffies were bred to be fighting dogs but for me that means they were bred to be brave and tenacious, not looking to pick a fight with something they don't like the look of. However, and this is where we meet, I do agree that when staffies and other bull breeds do fight, it can be very different to a spat between non-bull breeds. This is where I agree that decades of selective breeding kick in, they easily go to full fight mode and when they do they won't give up.

To be honest, most of the staffie dog on dog 'aggression' I've seen has been either as a result of prior experience, through frustration at not mixing with other dogs and, the biggest cause of all, worry and fear. All of these, if a pup is trained and managed right, can be managed. As an example, Millie has just gone through the 2nd fear period and she is by temperament one of the most randomly fearful dogs I've ever met. She's hard work! Out of the blue, she started growling and barking at other dogs (aged 7 months!). If we'd got worried, started pulling her away, not tackled it head on, I'm fairly sure we could have developed a dog problem with her. However, my response was to not walk away or intervene in any way, but to engage the owner of the other dog in conversation until Millie discovered that she was safe, at which point she'd start to play. I went out looking for friendly dogs to walk with. 2 weeks later and we no longer have any sign of even nervousness.

What do you have to be prepared for as a staffie owner, even if your dog is a complete dope, is that others will assume your dog is aggressive and about to rip the throat out of every other being on the planet. That's where it gets tricky because you sometimes hit glitches socialising because of idiots like this.

Apologies to iandublin for your simple question ( ) turning into a deeper discussion but it's really interesting. What I think it says is that taking on a staffie, of whatever age, you need to be aware that there are issues surrounding staffies with other dogs, and that there is a risk it might be hard work especially at the beginning. They are so worth it, though!

Apologies to iandublin for your simple question ( ) turning into a deeper discussion but it's really interesting. What I think it says is that taking on a staffie, of whatever age, you need to be aware that there are issues surrounding staffies with other dogs, and that there is a risk it might be hard work especially at the beginning. They are so worth it, though!

Yes sorry from me as well! and Liz is right (at least we agree on something lol!) they are worth it and personally I would always have a staffie in my household

I will say if you plan on a staffy read a lot of books picking a puppy is quite important looks at the parents temprament ask about dogs health too staffs are worth the hard work and training but at the end they grow to be a well balanced dog.

have to say that no matter how well a dog is socialised some just do not like others. my previous 3 staffies were great with other dogs without much socialisation but tessa, although she is a hell of a lot better now, just does not like them. sure she no longer goes nuts when one comes near her but when they do she is all puffed up hackles up tail up very suspicious ready for trouble. although it has been very very hard work to get her to this point i have to accept that she is never going to be running around playing with other dogs.

Wasn't expecting all the feedback

Thanks a mill guys

A simple answer from me, staffs are no different towards other dogs than any other breed. But like us a dog doesnt like everyone they meet

Very true, we can't honestly say we like everyone we meet, but don't ever think the socialising part of their lives is anything less than 100% necessary. This goes for all dogs not just certain breeds and I'm not sure that people always fully understand what a dog needs, they sometimes guess and are most likely inconsistent and this causes behaviour that is unexpected. Books are interesting, but all too often contradictory, I've got a dozen on Staffies they do contradict each other at times because of personal bias or experiences. The older dogs were bred for their required purposes and the modern dog is also bred for its purposes. There's a guy that most people will have heard of called Cesar Millan and he has a blue coloured APBT called Junior, and he refers to him as a dog in a Pit Bull suit, this is what I mean, there's no reason why properly socialised dogs of any breed shouldn't be able to enjoy life with others be they two legged or four. In the same way, any breed can turn out unsuitable if the reverse is done. There are other reasons for odd behaviour of course like health or training or occasionally their genetics but this is fairly rare. I've experienced the old rubbish of Is he friendly? or the change in direction or crossing the road stuff etc. but when given a chance Stanley shows them how mistaken they were to tar all with the same brush, even on the bus he gets all the attention, it's a bit embarrassing at times. What ever the breed, socialising, being consistent and training, along with exercise and guidance will see you right in the end.