Advice from Staffie owners

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Hi everyone,

I’m posting here because I’d love to get your thoughts.

I lost my Golden Retriever girl 15 months ago now.

I’m quite experienced with dogs and did loads of agility and obedience with my Golden, who was quite simply PERFECT.

For the last 2 months, I’ve been looking for the right breed for me and my little family. As a mum to a 19-month-old daughter, Staffies came onto my radar through my childminder. My daughter's childminder has a 2-and-a-half-year-old male Staffie, and after meeting her, I naturally did a lot of research on the breed, which I must admit looked "a bit scary" to me at first. I wanted to be absolutely sure about leaving my daughter (who was only 3 months old at the time) with this amazing childminder, but especially with their Staffie ;-)

And to my surprise, he turns out to be incredible. After 18 months of childcare and now that I'm ready to bring a new mate home, it's the Staffie that I'm really interested in!!

However, after visiting a training centre, I’d like the opinion of Staffie owners. After all, you’re the real experts since you live with them day in, day out.

I work Monday to Friday but I’m home for 2 hours at lunchtime. I’ll be dropping down to a four-day week (80%) soon, so I’ll have Wednesdays off in addition to weekends, evenings, and lunchtimes.

I’m planning to join a dog club on Saturdays to do obedience training with my future dog.

Obviously, I’m looking for a dog that’s gentle with children and a size that we can take away with us on weekends. So, I want a dog that will be "friendly" with people and other dogs. I should mention that I plan to socialise them as much as possible. I live exactly 100 yards from the local woods where there are always dozens of dogs running around...

I’m looking for a playful dog that we can have a laugh with! Frisbee, balls, etc.

I’m also looking for a dog that doesn’t bark much. To be honest, moving from a "big dog" to a "smaller dog" makes me a bit nervous on this point. Little ones always seem to be barkier when the doorbell goes... etc.

Being completely realistic, do you think a Staffie could be our next family mate?

Thanks in advance for your replies!

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12 answers
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    • Bahija
    Bahija Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone! I’ve also got two Staffies, a boy and a girl, both neutered. I’m 54 and it’s absolute bliss. I’ve also got a 15-year-old female Malinois and they all get on like a house on fire. I live in a house with a garden and we head to the woods for a walk two or three times a week. Their obedience is great, even off-lead. Honestly, out of all the different breeds I’ve had in my life, the Staffy is by far my top choice now. They’re funny, athletic, loving, obedient, calm, and intelligent—and I really want to emphasise this—not aggressive at all, even with other dogs. The problem is really the humans who don’t let them live or develop as they should. I’ve seen, and still see, such idiotic behaviour from owners... only last week I saw this awful woman out with her Staffy, forcing him to follow her and actually kicking him. There wasn’t a speck of aggression from the Staffy; he was just pure terrified, peeing himself. Where’s the decency? Honestly, I think she’s just a frustrated, silly cow taking it out on a poor dog because she’s a coward and it’s an easy target. My point is that with this breed, like so many others, our lifestyle and how we treat them makes all the difference. I was a bit wary at first, like some people are, but they’ve changed my life. I’m more active, I’m smiling again—basically, I’ve got a new lease of life. I’ve even made new friends because of them. And honestly, no damage to the house, just lovely harmony. My partner is a dog handler and has five Malinois for work... we all go out for walks together and I can assure you there’s never any trouble, just plenty of laughs because they really are such clowns. Anyway, everyone has their own view, I’m just sharing my opinion and experience. All the best, everyone!
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    Pierro 34 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi @sweetycaro, I saw your post. I’m looking for a Staffy myself and it’s true that the blue ones are absolutely stunning. Do you have a breeder you could recommend? Thanks.
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    Bahija
    Bahija Icon representing the flag French
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    Hello! For my 51st birthday, my partner got me a Staffie. He’s two months old and has already been accepted by my two girls—a Malinois and a Sheltie—who are 12 and 13 respectively. They’ve really taken to him quickly. He’s already house-trained; he’s been home for a week now and hasn't had any accidents indoors. He follows the big girls everywhere, actually. They’ve found their energy again and keep a wise eye on him... I’ve got a good-sized garden and we go for long walks in the woods come rain, wind or snow, at least seven times a week. Anyway, I’m delighted to be here and looking forward to meeting fellow Staffie enthusiasts! 😁
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi @sweetycaro, We’ve had a little female Staffy for six months now, and she’s the perfect addition to our family of both two and four-legged members. She settled in really well with Charly, my Cocker Spaniel who’s seven years older than her. She’s got a very playful personality but respects the rules set by the dominant male. With us, she’s a total cuddle bug—she can never get enough snuggles or kisses. She really is a dog that’s incredibly attached to her owners, but her enthusiasm makes her a bit of a bulldozer!! It’s vital to give her as much time as possible to burn off steam... because she’s just bursting with energy, which can make her a bit boisterous. Other than that, she’s extremely obedient, and even a bit sensitive when she gets a telling-off; we can take her anywhere. She’s a sweetheart. At nine months old, she’s almost house-trained; she can hold it in, but she doesn’t tell us when she needs to go out yet. She’s a cracking dog, and I agree with @titss: "she has a powerful jaw and her toys need to be top quality, otherwise she’ll destroy them in a minute." To sum it up, she’s a dog full of wonderful traits and she’s just bursting with joy!
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi sweetycaro

    We’ve had a little female staffy for six months now, and she’s the perfect addition to our two-legged and four-legged family.

    She’s settled in really well with Charly, my cocker spaniel, who is seven years her senior. She has a very playful temperament but respects the rules set by the dominant male.

    With us, she’s a total lovebug—she can never get enough cuddles or kisses.

    It’s true that they are very attached to their owners, but her enthusiasm makes her a bit of a bulldozer!!

    It’s vital to give her plenty of time to burn off her energy... because she’s bursting with it, which makes her a bit... boisterous.

    Otherwise, she’s extremely obedient, and even a bit sensitive when she gets a telling-off. We can take her anywhere; she’s an absolute sweetheart.

    At 9 months old, she’s almost fully house-trained; she can hold it in, but she doesn’t quite let us know when she needs to go out yet.

    She’s a lovely dog. I agree with @titss, they have powerful jaws and their toys need to be very high quality, otherwise she shreds them in a minute.

    To sum up, she’s a dog full of wonderful qualities whose joy is just infectious!

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    Hi @sweetycaro We’ve got a female Staffie who has just turned one. She’s an absolute joy. She’s our first dog and she’s lovely with everyone. She’s incredibly affectionate, fully house-trained, obedient, playful, and full of beans. We take her everywhere with us quite easily. When we’re playing, she’s a bit more gentle with me than she is with my husband. She’s great with kids, too. She’s a blue, and luckily she hasn’t had any skin issues at all. She’s very hardy and hardly ever barks. She’s never been destructive in the house, but she does have a really powerful jaw, so her toys have to be top quality—otherwise, she’ll have them in pieces within a minute! She loves playing with balls, frisbees, and her Kong ball. She’s just as happy out for a run as she is having a snooze.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Evening,

    I’ve had my Staffie for 16 months now and it’s been pure joy. He’s a very well-adjusted dog and has settled into family life perfectly. He can be a bit boisterous with adults, it’s true, but there’s not a mean bone in his body. He’s lovely with children and other dogs. He loves playing just as much as he loves a nap, and he's always up for a walk or a run outside. He hardly ever barks—he's a rubbish guard dog because everyone is his best friend...

    You do need to make sure you have enough time to walk them so they can let off some steam; that way, you'll have a calm little cuddle bug at home.

    At the start, when we were out at work during the day, we used a crate for him. It might sound a bit harsh, but if they’re used to it from the beginning, they don’t see it as a punishment (obviously, you should never put them in there as a telling-off). It also really helped us keep our flat and furniture in one piece...

    I'm actually thinking about getting a second one in the near future, the breed is just that amazing—and this isn't my first dog.

    When it comes to training, they’re an easy breed and very intelligent. You just can’t let yourself be fooled by those big eyes and that little face; you have to be firm but gentle and it’ll all go smoothly. With a few treats as a reward, you can get him to do anything in no time—he’s definitely ruled by his stomach!

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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    You're very welcome! If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks so much for your reply CLIU! It’s really helping me think things through.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi Sweetycaro! Personally, I’ve got an Old English Bulldog, but my brother has a one-year-old Staffie, so I know the breed quite well. I can tell you right now that even though they’re compact dogs, they’re absolute balls of energy (she wears out two Australian Shepherds, aged 1 and 1.5, just by playing!). They are brilliant with children because they’re so careful around little ones—it’s actually incredible to see the change in their behaviour! My brother’s dog (Jine) is quite boisterous with us adults, but as soon as she’s with kids, she completely changes and becomes so gentle and attentive. I was honestly gobsmacked when I first saw it! ^^ They’re real "Velcro dogs" who love being close to their owners, and they're very sociable with other people and animals too (though do keep an eye on cats, as they can find them a bit intimidating because of how boisterous they are). There’s a reason they’re nicknamed the "Nanny Dog" over here, if that puts your mind at rest! ^^

    One lovely thing about Jine is that she never barks! She vocalises sometimes—it’s more of a whiny, pleading sound than a bark—usually when she’s feeling a bit frustrated ^^ I think she’s only ever barked once at the cat during a scrap (the cat isn't sociable at all, and a clumsy, boisterous dog isn't exactly a match made in heaven! ^^)

    I can promise you’ll have a right laugh with a Staffie! They’re proper little clowns and always up for a walk or a game!

    Your plan to get professional training is an excellent idea—it’s actually essential. I’ll be honest, Jine had a bit of a difficult "teenage" phase (chewing things, selective hearing, and not knowing how to behave with other dogs), but that was mainly because my brother didn’t put enough work into her training when she was a puppy. They’re seeing a pro trainer now and she obeys like a dream; it’s really impressive ^^

    They’re incredibly hardy dogs too. I believe there’s just a sensitivity in certain lines to skin issues, but it’s quite rare—I think it’s mostly an issue when there’s a lot of "blue" in the breeding history.

    The downside of a Staffie for me is that they stay "big babies" for a long time. House-training usually takes a bit longer than with other breeds... but it’s all manageable with the right methods!

    I think that’s about everything. If you have any other questions or want to chat with my brother directly, don’t hesitate at all! ^^

    Oh, and one last tip: since they’re becoming such a trendy breed, I’d strongly urge you to contact a reputable breeder who health-tests their lines and where you can meet the parents, etc. =)

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