Rehabilitating the Staffie
Monday 28th November 2011, 7:29AM GMT.
There is nothing like a Staffie, writes Peter Rhodes.
When you stroke a Staffordshire bull terrier or walk him on a leash, you realise the breed is quite unlike any other dog. A Staffie buzzes with spirit and is packed with loyalty, courage, boundless energy and a great sense of mischief.
Agriculture minister Jim Paice is leading a new campaign to “reclaim the dog’s good name” after a series of horrific attacks and dog-fighting scandals.
A Staffie, well-raised, can be a great companion and a friend for life.
And I wish, as a lifetime dog lover, I could end this piece there.
But the fact is that the best you can say about any dog, no matter how much of a softy he seems, is that he hasn’t bitten anyone yet.
My father had a sweet old golden retriever who endured years of games and teasing by children and grandchildren and never snapped once. But when some well-meaning passer-by reached into the car to stroke him, that old retriever almost had the stranger’s hand off.
And when a Staffie snaps, he doesn’t just bite.
The genes of hundreds of years of bull-baiting come to the fore and he goes into the attack with a single-minded ferocity which is terrifying to behold.
I love Staffies but I would never have one in the house.
And while part of me wishes Jim Paice well, another part of me fears that his support for the Staffie will come back to haunt him.
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Do you actually pay people to write such
ill informed drivel
RSPCA chief vet Mark Evans said: “Staffies have had a terrible press, but this is not of their own making – in fact they’re wonderful dogs. If people think that Staffies have problems, they’re looking at the wrong end of the dog lead! When well cared for and properly trained they can make brilliant companions. Our experience suggests that problems occur when bad owners exploit the Staffie’s desire to please by training them to show aggression.”
Enough said.
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Well said Bill, I couldn’t agree more! It’s articles such as this that fuel the fear and loathing of Staffies in society. Anyone who has ever owned a Staffie knows that they are one of the most loyal and loving dogs AND if you look at the Kennel Club of Great Britain they are one of only 2 breed which the Kennel Club recommend as suitable for families with children.
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Staffordshire bull terriers were bred specifically for destroying other animals. They embody generations of evil cruelty. This is a breed of animal that has no. place in nature, and should be purged from the animal kingdom once and for all. How many children have to be maimed every year so that morons can keep these monsters as pets?
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Another Ignorant comment from someone who obviously knows nothing about the breed!!!If you research in to the background of all dogs you will find several other breeds that have developed far away from their origins, who are now ‘family’ pets! ANY dog has the potential to bite, which is why children should be taught to respect them and never be left alone with them. I am certainly no moron and my dog is no monster…..and there are certainly plenty of humans who should be purged from this earth before any animal!!!!!!!!!!
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What an ignorant comment, I have had 3 of these beautiful dogs and apart from them being mischievous there is nothing that would stop my little girl from playing with them! They are loyal and brave. If they have a sensible owner they will be a noble Dog. Taught to be violent and aggressive any dog can be a monster.
Unfortunately “medium dave”, I think you should comment on things you actually know about. MORON
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I have a beautiful almost 2yr old staffie and she is wonderful with my 3 young grandchildren! full of fun and affection is all she shows them. I have had dogs all my life but she is def 1 of the best ever!
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Medium Dave. Where do I start?…
Staffordshire bull terriers were bred specifically for destroying other animals.
NO THEY ARE’NT!! Do you really believe the Kennel Club would allow a breed like that in to its hallowed doors? Your mistaking Staffies with Pit Bulls, and even then, its down to the “Moron” training them!
My Staffy was recently attacked by a Sheepdog, just simply walking down the road minding his own business. A SHEEPDOG! So come on Peter, next week I want you on here telling us all what a bunch of Morons Farmers are as well.
Dave, please explain to me exactly WHERE you base your unintelligent opposition towards the fifth most popular breed of dog in the Country?
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As a stafford owner i have nothing but praise for the breed and i have as many as 4 other friends with family households who also own staffords.
Its the same for any dog its all about how you raise them, much like a child!
The Stafford has in recent times been singled out as a bad breed i think unfairly!
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Bull baiting etc is a heritage a staffy has long left behind, try a hundred years or more ago.
I am one of those so called ‘Morons’ Medium Dave who own two staffies a long with four labradors. We live in a cottage in the countryside. I run my own business. My husband is a well educated professional. I am a responsible person in everyway and also with my dogs of course.
Not one of my dogs, staffies included, both past and present, have ever caused any trouble with any other living being.
That’s how much of a moran I am, and how dangerous my dogs are!
You need to look at the other end of the lead and stop sterotyping this breed of dog through ignorance and media hype and whats more their owners.
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I grew up in a house that aways had at least one staffie & now have two of my own. (I guess that makes me biased)
Anyone who REALLY has anything to do with them quickly realises how gentle they are with people, they are not called the “Nanny dog” without reason
One of the reasons there are so many abandoned Staffies is that the morons who get one based on the opinion that they are a “vicious” dog soon find out how wrong they are and how difficult it is to get them to be aggresive towards people and they quickly abandon them.
(btw the vicious reputation is oft as not driven by the press – I have seen many reports of attacks attributed to Staffies, but when you see a photo of the animal it’s clearly a pit bull or some other cross bred dog that may have a little bull terrier in it)
The very worst that can be levelled at Staffies is they can be very aggresive to other dogs..but rarely people.
Mr Rhodes this is lazy misinformed journalism, you have just rolled out the usual cliches used against the breed.
As you do point out all dogs can potentially bite people..but in my opinion The SBT is less likely to do so than other breeds, and It hurts to see a breed that is so loving & loyal to their owners given such bad press.
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Bull baiting etc is a heritage a staffy has long left behind, try a hundred years or more ago.
I am one of those so called ‘Morons’ Medium Dave who own two staffies a long with four labradors. We live in a cottage in the countryside. I run my own business. My husband is a well educated professional. I am a responsible person in everyway and also with my dogs of course. Not one of my dogs, staffies included, both past and present, have ever caused any trouble with any other living being. That’s how much of a moran I am, and how dangerous my dogs are!
You need to look at the other end of the lead and stop sterotyping this breed of dog through ignorance and media hype, and whats more their owners too.
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Best dog i ever owned, but has since passed away, its all about bringing them up correctly just like kids, i find kids more offensive and aggressive these days more than staffys. dogs are better than people.
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Totally agree,the staff needs firm and constant training due to their excitable nature.I very often find kids badly behaved and obnoxious -rather they were banned from areas not my dogs.
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Medium Dave, your ignorance is astounding. How many people are killed in car accidents each year? Perhaps we should get rid of traffic off the roads? How many children are abused and killed by their own parents each year? Compulsory sterilisation for everyone reaching puberty to stop this happening again?
Get a grip and do some research!
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Wow, the monster loving, child hating bear bating crowd are out in force. My response is simply to quote the highly educatde and proffessional HelenK:
“That’s how much of a moran I am, and how dangerous my dogs are!”
“That’s how much of a moran I am”
“MORAN”
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OK so being a reponsible person and a responsible dog owner makes you a moran – go figure!
Wow what sort of vitriol do you save for the irresponsible, non law abiding people in this World? I dread to think lol….
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and yes, I mean ‘Moron’ but you’re having so much fun with my spelling mistake I thought I’d let you run with it further if it saves you from making any other ridiculous, ill founded comments ;-)
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Medium Dave. Grow up you ill informed little man!
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If spelling is your specialist subject you may wish to use spell check in the future!!!
1) bating I assume you mean baiting
2) educatde I assume you mean educated
and 3) proffessional I assume you mean professional. Whos the moron now!!
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Ha-check out your spelling !!professional..Only one f..Educated not educatde…
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Firstly I have owned Staffies for the last Twenty years along with Whippets and a Lurcher NO PROBLEMS never attacked bitten or hurt another living thing. Secondly I am not a Moron as Medium Dave ( who hides behind a false name) puts it and who should get his facts right before he shouts his mouth off.I am a respectable Grandmother who has worked hard all my life and own my own home. And thirdly as the reporter put’s it himself ‘Any Dog is capable of aggression’ in the wrong hands so why once again is it THE STAFFIE in the firing line!! Don’t judge until you have been in the presence of a well brought up loving breed. You really should have done a bit more research before writing this disgusting one sided breed racist article !!!
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Medium Dave or whatever your moronic name is! I suggest you get your facts straight first before you write such rubbish! Firstly, Staffies are NOT bred to fight or destroy other animals – quite the opposite in fact and it is usually other so called friendly “designer dogs” that are aggressive towards my Staffie!! Secondly, neither me or my accountant husband are morons for owning this wonderful breed. The words pot, kettle and black spring to mind!!
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“The genes of hundreds of years of bull-baiting come to the fore and he goes into the attack with a single-minded ferocity which is terrifying to behold…”
And the basis of this statement? Most bull breeds have a powerful jaw so can cause more damage than something like a dachshund (a breed which bites far more by the way) but that’s not what you are saying.
What is needed is for owners to be responsible. We need to teach our children how to approach a dog and to be social with them. This way children are protected more no matter what dog breed rather than simply looking for a scapedog where we can simply blame something rather than people who are normally the real cause of problems.
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Medium dave you really are an idiot!!! To judge a dog by breed is in my book no different to judging a person by race. My staffie is the kindest and sweetest dog I have ever had the pleasure of having in my family. Reading your comments make my blood boil at just how ignorant and small minded you are. You say that staffies have no place in society but I feel the same could be said for a clueless idiot like you!
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Thank you Mark for commenting. Agree totally that what is needed is for owners to be responsible ;-)
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Does this idiot actually get paid for writing this kind of rubbish? Just because a dog was used for a certain purpose in the past it does not make every dog of the same breed for the rest of eternity the same as that era. If that backward minded thinking was still used further afield today surely in his own ideals people of afro Caribbean descent would still be slaves and women would still not have the same rights as men. Past mistakes and purposes do not deem everyone as destined to be the same as they once were. Stafforshire bull terriers are no more likely to bite than any other breed and less so than some smaller nippier breeds. I wouldn’t have that small minded, ill informed imbecile in my house either and i’d rather have my 3 staffords with my children over the writer of the above piece of drivel article because at least I know that my children would be safer with the dogs than a minute with that man who is far more dangerous spreading his pathetic opinions .
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No dog is a danger only the owners who think they are hard men and dont have a clue how to look after there selfs let alone a dog
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So the staffie is the only dog with a powerful jaw is it?
I own dogs, they all have powerful jaws and will all snap if pushed.
It is interesting that if you Google “dog attack”. The majority will be Poodles and Labradors that are the culprits.
Do some proper research before posting snide comments.
Deed NOT breed… I.e. owner responsibility. Staffies are brilliant dogs and I don’t own one, so I can’t be biased.
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We wanted a Bassett Hound. We being my wife and two young children. We had trawled all the South Staffordshire rescue homes on a regular basis and been unsuccessful, so we decided to go a little further-a-field to Birmingham Dogs Home [Sunnyside], where we first met our Staffie; Bailey. She had been subjected to terrible cruelty, had almost died with most of her head and neck torn open, her raggerty ear still bore the scar of being torn in two. She chose us and after being told that she had shown no nastiness to neither animal nor human during her rehabilitation we adopted her. That was two and half years ago; In that time she has never once snapped at our children who wind her up a treat, me [who dives on her when she's knapping on the carpet or a bed], my wife who is the only sensible one in the house, but most importantly the two schizophrenic cats we also own. In fact, the only breach of the peace she ever shows, which is on a daily basis, is her barking retorts to the snappy little Jack Russell Terrier that consorts to start a fight every time we walk Bailey past its gate. And even then, with slightly more restraint that I would show were it a neighbour acting in a similar manner, she stands off – proudly – making her point.
There are no such things, in my opinion, as a bad Staffordshire Bull Terrier – only bad owners.
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Steve,
I think it’s brilliant that you have given Bailey a second chance at a decent life.
I have nothing but respect for anyone who rehomes an abused animal.
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Express and Star. Please rid your self of this writer (I will not call him a journalist). His constant flow of inane drivel just gets worse. Do us all, and yourselves, a favour and give him his P45.
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one word I guess….RIDICULOUS, not worried if its spelt correctly or not as I care more about the fact rather than the presentation.
I have had Staffords for most of my life & introduced my partner to the breed as she was one of the ill informed majority who shudder when they hear the word “staffy”…
We have rehomed two Staffords in the last 18 months & we can assure you all men,women,children,tradespersons,delivery people & posties that have visited the property have left with all limbs & digits intact….but after having a good washing from them both.
Our two beauties, Ozzy & Coco were strays bought into the Dogs Trust & required levels of training but after a short time have turned into wonderful pets…but not just pets, members of out family. Facts are that its NON Stafford owners that write such drivel about the dog & breed, you ask anyone who’s owned a staffy to tell you the horror stories of the breed…..all you’ll hear is that the snorings too loud & the wind they produce could stop a rampaging elephant in its tracks….
The dog or breed is not the problem, the idiot on the lead walks on two legs, not four !!!!!!!
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