The
Breed type
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is medium-sized dog generally
standing between 13-16in and weighing 25-38 lbs, short and muscular with a medium sized square head and short muzzle. Ears
are normally rose or half-pricked. Eyes are round, of medium-size set forward.
The Staffie loves to play work and give love back. It is
a very good family dog, known for its affection, tolerance and protection of children. This helped the breed become known
as the Nanny Dog for its excellent nature with children.
The breed is generally very good with other animals, however
as with every dog appropriate training in the form of good, early socialising is essential to avoid any potential for problems
later.
Puppies need to be stimulated particular in play and things
to chew – otherwise they will chew something you might not want them to. They are very responsive to training at this
young age and are intelligent enough to learn quickly through reward based training.
Toys should be strong and well made and must not contain
any small items – such as squeakies that the dog could swallow.
Being robust, energetic, intelligent and fearless the dog
may well find itself attempting things it is not capable of doing – jumping down from a high point, walking through glass, diving into scrub. So you need to be careful that you do not inadvertently allow your dog
to injure themselves.
Every member of the family needs to know how to handle the
Staffie, and that means that the dog should only be in households where every
member of the family is able to be firm and confident in leading the dog correctly.
Very small children while normally safe with a Staffie will not be able to correct a naughty dog.
Training as with every dog is important, however with a Staffie
if you do not set rules early on your dog may become difficult to handle and even stubborn! All responsible owners of any
dog need to ensure their dogs are well trained to avoid problems later on.
If
you think a Staffie has a problem -
you’re
looking at the wrong end of the lead
There are several things to consider. First, as with any
dog, irresponsible ownership will lead to problems. This can affect any breed. This leads directly to the second issue, the
status of the dog among certain groups who wrongly consider the Staffie as an aggressive, fighting dog. This generation of
owners have purchased puppies often from unscrupulous breeders and discarded them once they have lost interest. They purchased
their puppy as a status symbol, part of a fad, an accessory to their macho image. They often do not train their dogs, or incite
behaviour which is unacceptable for any dog.
One of the most troubling issues is that many breeders of
other types of dog, notably the American Pit Bull are passing their dogs off as
Staffies. The two breeds are completely different but not too dissimilar in appearance. They may breed Staffies with mastiffs,
pit bulls and other dog types to try and get around the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Happy Staffie Rescue are committed to working hard to redress
the imbalance that has seen many Staffies portrayed as nasty fighting dogs. We agree with the RSPCA who have recently launched
a campaign to rehome Staffies because of the growing numbers coming into rescue centres across the country. The RSPCA rightly
points out that the breed has had a bad press, not of their own making. Further information about the RSPCA position can be
found here.
