Question:
My 17-year-old son has bought, with our permission, a Staffy puppy. But boy are we getting some negative comments. She is now 10 weeks old and a fully-fledged part of our family, but why this reaction from people — are there any grounds for it?
Karen
Answer:
Unfortunately Staffies (Staffordshire bull terriers) do suffer a bit in the reputation stakes, which is not entirely fair, of course, but due to their breeding (they were originally bred for dog fighting) and potential risk to injure they are considered more dangerous. We have all heard the shocking stories of dog attacks (especially on children) and Staffies have been involved more than a lot of other breeds. The other problem is Staffies that are crossed with other fighting breeds such as Pitt Bulls — many people can’t differentiate. Also, just due to their physical shape and jaw strength, if they attack they will cause more damage than smaller, more placid breeds.
It should be said though, that any breed can be aggressive and it is more to do with breeding from non-aggressive parents, and how the dog is treated. With good socialisation and training, Staffies are amongst the friendliest breeds of dog but they have an instinct of hanging on and shaking if they do attack. And most attacks occur with children because they don’t understand how to act in a non-threatening way with a dog and are at face height.
So, I would urge you to take her to puppy pre-school for socialising and obedience training and for you to learn about dog behaviour and psychology so you are in control at all times and can prevent and unfortunate incidents. Then you can happily enjoy your Staffy safely.
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