Our first Rescue Staffie

I am so upset and wonder if I could have some positive comments. We are collecting an approx 5 yr old staffie from the Dogs Trust next week. He is adorable and loves people but we have been advised not to let him run with other dogs to begin with and for him to wear a muzzle. Already, a friend{!!} has said we shouldn't even think about rehoming him and we have nearly fallen out. He is a stray and apparently had a 'run in' with a Springer. None of this has put us off having him but how do we cope with the anti staffie brigade and is there any advice regarding the socialisation with other dogs please? We are ex Lurcher owners so this is all new to us!!

Well done on the rescue. As for dealing with friends who demonise and hate Staffies, there is a solution. It's quick and effective and it works wonders. Tell them to f**k off.

Others will advise on dog socialisation better than I can, and of course his history will need to be considered, but IMO just introduce your dog to other dogs one at a time in a controlled environment before going further.

Socialise as much as possible but ensure that first meetings are controlled on lead. The next thing to do is make sure recall is good, this can prevent all sorts occuring when it is no fault of your own dog. Start off with a long lead so that you can control him whilst practicing recall.

As for the negative comments, let people judge when they have got to know him. Most like my neighbour thought Staffies were the Devils own but now she adores my Flo and won't have a bad word said about her.

as for having a run in with another dog, all dogs have run ins regardless of breed and Staffies are no different, what is different is the way they play which can look agressive but isn't, you'll learn the body language given time.

Welcome to the forum, you'll get lots of sound advice here

Fantastic news about the rescue! Lovely to hear about dogs getting a new start in life. Please don't let any idiot (sadly there are a lot) get you down. Stay strong and remember the forum is always here for you. Sadly i think a lot of us have dealt with nasty comments or looks, but trust me when you have the love of a darling staffy you will know you did the right thing and it will make any negativity worth it! Also I wouldn't worry about the Springer incident. A staffy will always, always get the blame even if the other dog barks, bites and the staffy just stands there it will always be the staffy to blame. I used to get very upset if I felt people judged my girl, now I just ignore everything and you will find decent, real doggy people out there who will love their dog playing with yours. We met a tiny puppy recently and the owner said oh wow he loves playing with staffs! If you do want to educate people just get them to look at what the Rspca say about staffs. You will have a huge amount of love and fun coming into your life, enjoy!. P.s.  don't forget the photos!

Thanks ever so much. It's my birthday and I feel like crying! I can't believe how horrible people can be. As for telling them to f off, I will gladly do that but Gaz says I'm already a potty mouth! I will look forward to getting some helpful advice.

Happy birthday! Your best birthday present ever is coming next week

Hey... Happy Birthday

Thanks. You're a lovely lot!! Not sure about his name though - Kale - would it be wrong to change it?

I changed my girls name to Misty, I wanted her to have a new name for a happy new life. She was only fourteen months so I don't know if that would make a difference?

As long as it's something with a similar name it won't be a problem but i guess he will get used to whatever you call him in the end. We changed my girls name but it doesn't matter cos she's Deaf anyways

I rescued mia from aged 3 and can understand your anxiety you have to realise what works well for your dog . Depending on the experiences your dog has had id give slow introductions firstly to an older calmer dog perhaps a friend has one? Then try smaller dogs . Its also important to relax on walks . As a first time owner id give these a read http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/socializing_your_staffords
I would also recommend a good book on dogs body language .

Good on you for taking a rescue staffie! That's another one out of kennels... woohoo!

I volunteer for the local RSPCA affiliated centre so have seen a fair few rescue staffies, and also understand how these run-ins with other dogs happen. I don't know how long Kale has been there but even if it's only for a short while he will have found it stressful. The only ones who seem to cope roughly are puppies when they are not alone and even then it's hard.

Dogs in rescue centres are surrounded by strange dogs giving off all sorts of anxiety messages. Although I know we and other kennels do try to help them socialise and find buddies, it's not easy due to time so the dogs end up incredibly frustrated. That frustration, stress, anxiety, etc., plus a lack of consistency in handler, can lead to some iffy dog on dog reactions. It's all worry and lack of confidence, leading to the 'I'll make myself all scary looking so you leave me alone'.

Especially when you have, as in your case, a stray, there is no real way of knowing how a dog will be in a home environment and how long it will take him to settle down. Most dogs relax amazingly quickly and put all the negative past behind them from day 2. Some take a little longer. But many dogs will have to make adjustments, and that includes in their socialising with other dogs. Don't ask too much too soon, and keep relaxed yourself and that will help him.

Because of the unknown past and the adjustment time, and because you will need time to get to know him, I think the idea of having a muzzle with you is a good one. He may not need to wear it all the time but until you are confident that he is ok with others, it's safer to pop it on to start off with. As you do so, just smile at anyone else and say in a happy sweet voice that you've only just got him so are playing safe (i.e. Kale's not a vicious beast but you are a careful owner!).

Find friendly dogs with friendly owners and walk them along side each other, both on leads, and not too close. Avoid the nose to nose sniffing introduction to start off with as that can be quite confrontational in dog terms and is often a flash point. What you'll generally find is that they'll just start sniffing at smells together as you walk along.

When it gets to the point that you're happy with him, go for a longer lead and give him more freedom, but with that safety belt on, so to speak.

I tend to avoid letting Chaos off near owners who are giving him the eye as it's asking for trouble, or with very small dogs as he tends to knock them over, and I'd suggest that's not a bad rule of thumb until you become more confident. At 5, Kale might have got over the super high energy play. Or he might not!

If you're used to lurchers you'll find some part of staffies similar and some very different. Like lurchers, they love a cuddle and a fuss but, unlike a lurcher, won't necessarily take up the entire sofa while doing so and they're not as knobbly! They are more people playful than lurchers but their play is rougher. They are hoons! And while many do chase small furries, they're not liable to blast off after something that's half a mile away and reach it before you realise he's gone. The grey hairs we had with our lurcher!

And by the way, I quite like the name. I'm sick of meeting Tysons, so anything but that is fine! Ian's point of making it sound similar's good, though, as it can be easier for the dog. What about Dale?

Hee hee Ian! Thank you so much everyone, especially LizP-really helpful. I will keep you updated!!

Excellent as always liz

Hello! Welcome to the forum lovely, and thanks for the rescue!! I have a nervous/under socialised both dog and human aggressive rescue staffie! So trust me when I say I understand the hurt from suggestions against adoption and judgemental comments from people that know nothing about either you, or your dog. Bug was also a stray - unknown background other than she had been used heavily for breeding.

Name change shouldn't be a problem - teach the new one as you would any "command." I have no idea what's Bug's name was before! It is a peculiar name but it could work in his favour! As Liz says.. So many Tysons, Bronsons etc out there.

So I'm assuming the run in with the springer was at the centre? Have they mixed him with any other dogs of different size/age/gender to see if there's a different reaction. Bug doesn't like any unknown dogs for example - but can be easily introduced to male dogs her size and smaller. Doesn't like big, fluffy dogs in any form. She is walked in quiet areas, but is fairly easily managed and has a handful of dogs that she plays with regularly it's just getting to know him and his quirks

Thanks Rachael. Yes to your query about the Springer. They have managed to get him parallel walking on a lead with another dog. We are going to the adoption meeting on Sunday so we should know a little more. I have walked him round their field on the lead and yes he is strong but I was fine, however different to walking him where we live so I am grateful for all the advice. I will need advice on harnesses and leads. We walked him with their fabric harness and double ended lead which was also attached to his collar-is this a good idea. I must admit I don't much care for the leather macho harnesses so can anyone recommend a good one?

He will probably have so much pent up energy too - so many dogs are completely different away from kennels. When I first took bug in I walked her on a halti head harness with a double end lead attached to halti and collar as she would lunge at everything and was hard to handle. Now that she's trained I have a trixie harness for her -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000VBPE0Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1435937847&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165&keywords=Trixie+harness&dpPl=1&dpID=41EUjPzrftL&ref=plSrch

And an El perro collar
http://www.elperro.co.uk/shop/product-summary/collars

And a halti lead to attach to both
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004QBG2YC/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1435937979&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=Halti+lead&dpPl=1&dpID=31tPqW6gxrL&ref=plSrch

Chances are if you have bought the dog from the rescue perhaps they may give you the harnness and lead that came with the dog . The harness and lead are good for a strong dog i decided against the harness for a lot of reasons but experienced users on the forum will give you good advice as above

Several good harnesses around, as above. Personally I love the Ferplast harnesses. Loads of padding so no rubbing and really well made. Bo's two harnesses get washed at least once a week in the washing machine, and are used 5 times a day, and after 12 months they're still like new. Note they will shrink slightly in the wash the first time so for a borderline size maybe get the larger option.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0036OK7MI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

(Zooplus also do these IIRC and could be cheaper - EDIT: Oops, no they don't, I was thinking of something else!).

Rescues don't usually give harnesses, etc. away, Crystal. Too expensive!

I use the Mekuti, it fits nicely and when you use it right dogs do seem to respond. And I'm glad you're not going along the leather breastplate route, as you say they're far too macho looking.

And I'm sorry, I forgot the really important bit

Thanks everyone and especially for the birthday wishes. I'm feeling a lot more positive and looking forward to getting him home

Any problems hen we will try and help you