Hi to all this is our first post.
We are looking to add a dog to our family soon, we have a 5 year old daughter and 2 cats, we are really unsure of what dog would suit best as a family dog, we are looking for a medium to small pup and quite like staffs although we have never owned one before, we have read up on them as a breed and everything we have read suggests that they make wonderful family pets, but as we have never owned one before we are wondering if they are the right breed for newbies.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

KerryandJoe.

It would be best to get an older dog from a rescue centre if its your first dog. puppies and young dogs are a handful, and use there mouths to learn, so they chew and can often chew on  your hands. My sister got her first pup last year, and is already finding it hard to cope with the bouncy older puppy he is now.  Getting an older dog will mean not having to deal with puppy hood ,having a more calm dog and giving a dog who needs it a loving home. also if after having the older dog for a year  you decide to get a pup to go with it, the pup will have the older dog to learn from, making it easier for you.
Good luck.

I don't agree with you at all there, Vinya :)  Admittedly, an older dog from rescue could be calm and sensible - but it could be one with "issues" that a novice owner might find difficult to handle.

To the OP, you could contact your local Staffie club and find out if there are any local breeders that would be happy to have you to visit to "talk Staffies".  Lots of us in the RR clubs are happy to do that - we'd rather people knew all about the breed and it might mean that they don't make a terrible mistake and end up with a breed that doesn't suit them at all. 

Personally I don't think a Staff ideal for a first time dog.

They are wonderful with people (as a rule), but very full on and require a lot of training to make them enjoyable companions.

Unfortunately as a general rule they are not always good with other dogs, (they were originally fighting dogs) and to ensure they are requires a lot of socialisation and understanding of canine body language and mind.

Also there is the problem that they are a much exploited breed with many being bred for the wrong reason by people who have no knowledge of what they are doing, as a hard mans status symbol.

Such litters or those bred down from those may well have more temperament and health issues than a well bred one.

Also parents should be DNA tested fro L2HGA and Hereditary Cataract I believe, be eye tested for PHPV, and I would say Hip Scored (as should all breeds) though hip scoring seems to be done rarely in this breed.

On the other hand a well bred and trained Stafford can be one of the most rewarding companions, very loving, full of the joys of life, real comedians, and very devoted.

totally agree with Brainless ;)

I also think that finding the right breed for you as a new dog owner is something that should be explored a bit more than just looking around at what is on your local streets ;)  It's one thing if you are totally in love with a breed, but quite another if you are picking a breed because it's the only one you are aware of ;)

Have a look in the KENNEL CLUB website at all the different breeds, make a list of what you like and couldn't live with (eg slobber ) whether you like dogs with a lean leggy appearance or a shorter, heavier appearance, long short hair, curly or straight, lots of grooming or little, very active or 'lazier', friendly with other dogs or not, etc.  then find the breed clubs at the bottom of the page, they will tell you about health testing and help you find a responsible breeder.

You will live with your new pup for a long time - many of mine have lived to 18+ years so it's important to get it right ;)  for your sake and the pup's

Hi and welcome.

How about a boxer ?

Very good with children and again i agree with getting a rescue one..i've had 2 from boxer rescue and they were fantastic, i was also bought up with them and i know them to be very good with children.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

I understand what you are saying ridgielover . But most rescues make shore they match the right dog to the right family. I too would not suggest a staff for a first time dog. have you thought about going to a place like Discover dogs? there's one at Crufts, you get to meet all the breeds and can find out witch one is right  for for you.

I think you also need to bear in mind your life style.  How much time can you give and also how active your are, as certain breeds of dogs are more active than others.

Some willr equire more time and the running cost varies with different breeds (feeding etc),  There are lots of other factors to consider aswell as the breed of dog.

in addition to some of the things Dill has already mentioned:

Barking: are you ok with it, do you have close neighbours?  It can be a question of lifestyle and training but some breeds do bark more than others!  If you live in a busy place where your dog will have clear views of the street or access to you front gate/fence/garden then terratorial or warning barking can be a nuisance, although some of us have just as much trouble with squirrels as we do with passers by!

Assess your likely walking places: some dogs will be very happy with street walking and play time with other dogs (not always under control) in public parks; others may be better with fields and footpaths to gallop in.  Some breeds/groups are known to have issues with recall which can be a particular problem in small public places, nr busy roads, OR when catching sight/smell of a rabbit.  For example, we live in a fairly remote village with a lot of livestock so I particularly wanted a gundog to minimise the risk of chasing which we have with our mongrel :)

I know that budget isn't always an issue but it can be useful to check insurance on several breeds/types.  Whether or not we agree, some breeds have higher premiums than others and could mean the difference for you between one breed and another.

My life is structured around my kids and dogs but, with previous dog owning experience, I think I made good breed choices.  I certainly know that there are breeds that def wouldn't suit us as a family!  It might be helpful for you to visit with other dog owning families or talk with other owners, and often people you meet in your local park or at the vets are quite good to talk to about the benefits of their chosen breed.  Finally, find a local training class; you'll need one when you get your puppy anyway and they can be a mine of information about what dogs work well in different situations and what might be good for a novice owner.  Whatever you decide, good luck.

Hi Kerry and Joe
I would recommend a Cocker Spaniel for a first time dog.  They are so friendly and would trust all the one's I know with children and if you get one from a pup then basically you mould the pup into your life.  There are reasons i suggest this breed as from experience i know many families with children that have this breed for a 1st time dog and all of them are absolutely delighted with them and can't praise the dogs enough.

I hate to say this but feel (obviously only my opinion) that a Staffy is definetly not a good 1st time dog to have.  Sorry but i have had a very bad experience with one of these and i know you shouldn't tar them with the same brush, so to speak, but they can be aggressive with other dogs if not 100% trained/under control etc - basically a Staffy nearly killed one of my dogs in a completely unprovoked attack and it is something that i will never forget.  Obviously there must be good breeders of Staffy and if you do decide on this breed then please make sure you go through the breed club.

Good Luck for future on whatever you decide.

> I would recommend a Cocker Spaniel for a first time dog

I agree and whenever asked by colleagues, neighbours etc I would always recommend one of the popular gundogs as a first dog. Labs, golden retrievers and cockers are popular for a reason :-)

Hi

A puppy might be better for you as you have a young child, although you may find a rescue that has a suitable dog. You could try Battersea Dogs Home, they do test the dogs and I think they are rather inundated with Staffs at the moment? 

Try talking with the Staff owners/breeders on here or speak to their breed club. Meet some people with staffs and see if you can spend some time with them.

I recently did this with a breeder (Lapphunds) and it was interesting to see the breed first hand and ask questions.

For my first dog, I ended up with a very nice secondhand Belgian Shepherd cross and we did obedience together for 4 years and she was the most fantastic family pet.

Good Luck :-)

Unless you have your heart set on buying/training a puppy, I think you would be crazy to not atleast consider a rescue dog. Obviously you would need to find exactly the right dog to suit your family, but the staff at rescue centres will help you do this. There are so many homeless dogs out there at the moment that need a loving family, some of which by no fault of their own. If you like the look of a staffy then keep an eye out for a family/cat friendly one from a rescue centre. You may come across a completely different breed or cross breed that you fall in love with right away. Just something to keep in mind :-)

Do check out dogpages (google it!) - it's a rescue/rehoming site.  Excellent people, lots of different rescues and you'll get great advice there (just as you are here, before anyone tells me off :-P) - you may even see a dog that could suit your lifestyle.  I found my oldest dog on there two years ago.

To the OP.

Our mongrel is a rescue - at the time that we were able to get another dog I had saddled myself with a long 'school run' and lots of after school activities that I thought might cause difficulties with a tiny pup.  Also as it was the childrens first experience of owning their own dog I thought it sensible not to get an 8 week puppy.  According to the vet our boy was about 10 or 11 months when we got him which was a great age: old enough to be house trained but young enough to be adaptable and quite easily trained.  Apart from his livestock chasing issues he really is a perfect dog and we simply manage our walks to avoid potential problems.

However we had no guidance from Manchester Dogs Home about choosing!  He appealed to us as he looked like a similar type to a previous dog and he was the only dog in the entire place that wasn't barking.  Later on we discovered that the reason for that was kennel cough and after a week he got his voice back!  We had fully expected to make an application and to be vetted but nothing was further than the truth.  We told one of the assistants that we'd like to meet the dog properly so he was duly brought out for us to inspect (in a gangway between buildings).  After about 5 or 10 minutes we said 'yes please' after which we were handed the lead with dog attached and invited to reception.  Still without a clear thought for what was happening next, and £50 later, we found ourselves back at the car with our new family member!!  At 5.30pm on a Saturday night with no bed, food, bowls, lead - nothing - it was a bit of a shock to say the least:)

I can honestly say it has been one of the best decisions we ever made and we think he's pretty perfect BUT 3 of our friends who have got rescues simply because ours was so successful have sadly had problems .  I'm careful now who I tell our story to :)  If you are thinking of going to a rescue to look at dogs please phone them first to discuss their homing policies and practices and to check whether they offer help to match you with a suitable dog.  I did find out later that our address was one of the things that made ours so quick - there are some places they don't rehome certain breeds/types of dog but even so I would have hoped for a little more rigour...

Hi Kerry and Joe, you've had lots of advice already on the stages of puppydom, but it's worth emphasising some basic points before you ever select a breed: how much time and care you can give (grooming, training, socialising--for the puppy!), how energetic you are as a family (who will walk the puppy when the weather isn't friendly, what space you have for the puppy to play, etc), who will be around and when so that he/she gets to bond and settle in...apologies if all this sounds really obvious, but these are questions you need to answer about you and your capacity to provide a safe, secure and happy home. I may be biased, but cats are a lot more independent and they will cope with less of you and your time. How are your cats around other dogs?

Agree that Staffies are not the easiest to take on. Do take time to do your research, and talk to breeders before deciding who/what/when--they will want to keep in touch anyway once you take responsbility for a pup they've bred and will welcome your interest and questions. I was lucky to find just the breed and breeder I didn't know I was looking for, and all of that was down to taking time to find out more about different breeds and their needs. Best of luck with whatever you decide! It's been like Christmas every day since our lad arrived (yes, complete with shredded paper, broken toys and our batteries occasionally running out before his!).

Our first dog after a good few yrs was a petit griffon, got her at the age of 2 yrs old and she is wonderfull...I think we were lucky regarding her tempermant etc...She now goes into schools, hospitals, stays at the local nursing home for an hour,  etc
My friends child had a really bad accident and he would not talk the hospital let us take her in and after some time he began to interact with her

I think every one has a different op on all dogs size, breed, age
I also have 3 cairn terriers and 2 of those now visit hospitals and are also shown
Very good temperants but some people dont like them

I think you need to speak to people as you are doing and make sure you get the right dog for you

I would not of got a petit or cairns as ive never owned them or known anyone to, it just happended like fate and would not be with out them and nor would the people they give great joy and company to
God luck

Thankyou all so much for your replys and input, we have read each reply with interest and do believe that a staff would not suit our family at this present time. We have taken a look at the dog pages as suggested and feel that we will go down this route to rehome a dog, where the rehomers know each dog and the type of family/home they need.
Thank you all once again, we will continue to read through the threads gaining knowledge and will hopefully be posting again once a dog has joined our family.

Kerry and Joe.

> We have taken a look at the dog pages as suggested and feel that we will go down this route to rehome a dog, where the rehomers know each dog and the type of family/home they need.
>

That's great :)
Our first family dog was an adult from a shelter (a mutt). I had a toddler and baby no. 2 on the way, we thought a puppy (of any breed) would be far too much work on top of having small children. Getting an adult dog meant we didn't have to go through all the house training, puppy biting and general puppy work, it worked out great :)
One thing that is easy to overlook is the fact that children need to be 'trained' around dogs, it's much easier doing this with an adult dog that is used to children, rather than a puppy that sees kids as fun toys!

Hi there

Just one final thought, if you haven't already made up your mind on type or if your not lucky enough to find a rehome that works, I can recommned the crufts discover dogs, its well worth a trip, you get to see all sorts of breeds in the fur and can ask all sorts of questions, take home leaflets and meet the dogs in person to get some idea of size and type and temperament.  It may be worth a trip just so you have all the info you need.  Its held in march and not all the associations with crufts are bad, discoverd dogs is one of the better sides to dog showing, you can also buy everything you could ever possibly want for your 4 legged friend.

Good luck with your new family addition, whatever variety you end up with they add so much joy to your life.

B

Kerry and Joe,
You are so wise to come on to this forum, to state your requirements and circumstances.
You can hear/read the different opinions and then draw your own conclusions.

We are on our third now, all from puppies as there are no hidden issues to deal with only your own blank canvas.
We have 2 terriers they were both from breeders of repute who also breed a variety of cats, so we know that this breed although terrier are compatible with cats.
My opinion is that of the others...speak to breeders and choose a breeder who can advise and support you. If you go for a puppy (I would) remember that like children they need training and care, so wont be calm and sensible until they grow up, however your daughter is a great age to 'grow up' with a dog.

Good luck
Karen :)

>Just one final thought, if you haven't already made up your mind on type or if your not lucky enough to find a rehome that works, I can >recommned the crufts discover dogs, its well worth a trip, you get to see all sorts of breeds in the fur and can ask all sorts of questions, take >home leaflets and meet the dogs in person to get some idea of size and type and temperament.  It may be worth a trip just so you have all the >info you need.

You will also be able to smell the dogs :) - and believe me that can be a huge advantage ;)  some breeds have no smell to speak of, but others would knock you sideways with their natural aroma   Not something I ever thought of until I encountered a really pongy breed at a show :-D