Yesterday i met the breed for me a staffie. So my question is do they get on with different breeds in the same family as i have read that staffies can fight? We have a lab x german shepherd and a terrier cross they both get on with other dogs and both are middle aged.

yes they do get on well with other dogs i breed them for years and its the way you bring them up. we have 12year old staffy with for cavalier king charles and she is fine.

Sadly I have seen otherwise :(

It isn't just upbringing, it's a combination of genetics and personality too, there is no guarantee that a Staffy pup brought up with other dogs will tolerate them when it is mature, it's very much dependent on the individual. 

Staffys are VERY energetic dogs especially as youngsters and they play ROUGH!  are you sure that your older dogs would be able to cope?  You don't say what other terrier breed you have, but I wouldn't try keeping a Staffy and another Terrier breed together, personally I think that would be asking for trouble ;)

I fostered a Staffy x from rescue as he had one or two problems that prevented him from being re-homed.

None of his problems were down to aggression with either people or dogs.  While in rescue he went out in the field with 'gangs' of other rescue dogs and got on well with all of them.

When he came to me he fitted in with my other 3 and since then we have added 3 more.  He has been great with all of them.

Our terrier cross has jack russell in him, and they are 7 years & 10 years old and are still lively when out on their walk & in the garden, but we have noticed lately our 10 year old can't always be bothered to get out of her bed for a biscuit she's the lab x german shepherd. So i think it might be best if we wait for a staffy.

Thanks for all your imput.

Some Staffords can be social with other breeds of dogs, and to socialise from puppy age and keep it up throughout their lives would certainly help. 
However, you have to also be prepared for the fact that many do not socialise well at all, and may never do so.
Owning a Stafford can be a very lonely dog owning experience, especially when you have to walk them alone, no off lead dog park type experiences and so on.  But that I'm afraid is part and parcel of owning this breed.
I'm happy about doing this, but it's not for everyone.  For me the reward of owning such a characterful breed far outweighs the negatives.

Many yrs ago I used to execise a staffie for his owner,he was great with my little bitch and my friends small male BUT  I could never trust him with any other dog and always had him on his lead if I spotted another dog in the distance. He was a fighter and it made no difference to him if it was a dog or a bitch,he would fight regardless. He was an absolute sweetheart with people though.

Kind Regards

i had one staffy that i always walked off the lend if i told her to stay and wait for me she wud if i told her to go she wud i had no promblem with her of her lead wots so eva. but the last staffy i had did like other days only the one she grow up with but if you no you can handle your dog you sudnt have any prombles.

Dandalion, that's wonderful to hear that you had such a well mannered and well behaved Stafford.  However, to a first time owner, I would still say, no matter how well controlled you believe your dog to be, I just wouldn't take the risk with a Stafford, this is how accidents can and do happen sadly.

My Staffie bitch (a rescue at 12 weeks) lives with GSD's, Rottie's and a Leonberger and gets on great with them.  One GSD is a male and all the others are female and no problems.

wel there u go. if u get them round otha dogs at an early age and let them grow up with other dogs they sud b fine

Dandalion, I have and do.  But at the end of the day they're animals, and no-one can account or prepare for every situation they may encounter in their lives.
Better to be safe and responsible in my view.

thats ur view and that ur rite. but y have a dog that ur not going to trust. if thats the case then dont have one. you show them who is boss at the start then they wot mess about

I think, thank you, I'll be the decider of whether I have a dog or not.  I've owned Staffords for 10 years, so I think I'm a pretty good judge and ambassador for the breed.
You're making it sound as though I don't have control of my dogs, when the exact opposite is true.  Just in my opinion, (and thank you yes, that is my right) it is better to be safe than sorry.  To trust a dog 100% would be folly.
For the OP who has not owned a Stafford before, I think the most sensible advice regarding socialisation and care when you are out and about with your Stafford still stands.

My staff was a total sweetie until she hit 2 and then decided she didn't like dogs.  It seemed that upon maturing she realised that she could put other dogs in their place and now generally will go for dogs if they try to hump her, get too close, noise her up etc.  She generally won't start anything but can be very intolerant of bouncy dogs/pups etc.

I didn't get a second dog until she was 5 and she had spent those 5 years as a spoilt only dog but she adapted to the introduction of a rott boy.  He came in as a pup and to begin with she wouldn't even look at him but now they are good friends/companions for each other.  My staff is very much the boss but I don't know if that is a staff thing or a bitch thing but have a feeling it is a bitch thing lol

Although my dog would walk for hours with me she is just as happy sleeping at home and if it is cold or rainy looks disgusted at the thought of having to leave the sofa.  Definitely a dog that likes creature comforts!

Like some of the other posters have said it is a bit of a lottery with any dog but they are a fantastic breed with few health problems in comparison with other breeds, are compact with a big personality, easy to groom, don't eat much, love children, cheap to keep, are constantly happy etc.

yes and i have had that breed all my life i grow up with staffys so yes i no wot i am talkin bout to. staffys am one of the most devoted and loving dogs i have ever had and i had 5 at one time and never had a problem with them wot so ever. and you may find that this wud be the best dog this person has ever had

Then Dandalion, all I can say is that you have been very lucky, and your situation is certainly not necessarily the norm.  I have been involved with a lot of Stafford people over the years (as well as Stafford rescue, AND the rescue associaton I now work for where the majority of dogs that sadly are not suitable for rehoming are Staffords or Stafford crosses) who have owned and DO currently own dog aggressive Staffords. 
There is no doubt though, that indeed the dog could be the best dog the person has ever had, with that I agree. :)

you have ur view and i have mine. i no alot of people that have this dog with other dogs and never had a problem with them either.it just sounds to me tharying to put this person of cuz it could happen if this person wants one then thats up to them and i have red alot of people puttin messages on ear and they havent had any problems either.

You couldn't be more wrong.  This is going to be my final post on this particular topic, because I don't seem to be able to get my point across to you, and to be honest, I'm now having trouble reading your posts.

I know several people who have more than 2 or 3 Staffords living with them.  The dogs get on very well together, but not necessarily with dogs that are unknown to them.
I also know several people who have more than 2 or 3 Staffords, who have to permanently have at least two of them separated at all times.

I have two of my own that haven't had a cross word.

I have had, this week, a chap trying to surrender his Stafford to us.  Why?  Because it attacked another dog at the beach.  The dog is 4 years old.  Guess what the owner of the Stafford said to me? 'He's never done it before'.
If I had a pound for every time I've heard that, I'd not be working in rescue that's for sure!

We all have different experiences, and I completely understand that.  But if I can give general advice to avoid any unnecessary incidents/accidents where it might involve MY chosen breed (who are under the spotlight enough as far as I'm concerned) then I'm afraid that is what I'm going to do.

Additionally, a Stafford is a very strong dog for it's size, CAN be (but not always) obnoxious with other dogs, DOES need a firm hand, good socialisation (don't know how many times I've got to say this tbh!) and to forewarn first time owners is to forearm, I don't see why this is a problem really.  I'd say it's simple, honest, sensible advice.  As I have said previously, the Stafford does not need any more negative attention, so if by offering this advice a nasty incident can be avoided, then so much the better.
If a Stafford can go through it's whole life without incident or accident, then fabbo, mission accomplished.

I think you're saying in your 3rd sentence that I'm trying to put the person off owning a Stafford?  On the contrary, please read my previous sentence, I'm simply exchanging experiences, and giving my opinion on how I think being cautious with the breed is the best way to go.

I also think you mention other posters here not having problems with their Staffords?  Might I suggest you make use of the search facility and just double check that.
For example:
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?pid=1186387;hl=staffy#pid1186387
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?pid=1175680;hl=staffy#pid1175680

I'm sorry if you don't think that my advice sounds sensible, but that IS is all I'm trying to purvey.

Excellent post Tessies Tracey!

Thanks for all your replies it's been interesting reading all the posts.
As i said before we have decided to wait to get our staffie puppy, and one of the main reasons is because i dont want a playful and mischievous puppy annoying our 2 middle aged dogs, all though i think our bitch would put the puppy in her place as she is the boss out of the 2 of them, but I do realise thinks could change in the future.

From what i have read it sounds like it might be best to keep a staffie on a lead when on a walk, but when do they get a chance to run?
They could run in the garden but its not quite the same as running on a walk.

So what do you think, should they always be kept on a lead when on their walk?
All replies welcome.

I've worked with alot of staffies.

They do have a slight tendancy to dog aggression but so do lots of popular breeds. I feel its very important to mix them with alot of dogs (puppies and adults) from a young age and really make sure they are well socilised.

Its also important to train them, in 100% recall ect so you can call them away from an altercation.

I do not advise keeping them on a lead on walks anymore than any other dog as this will

a, reduce their chances of fun interaction.

b, still have interactions were a dog runs up and runs away (frustrating/scary)

c, increase the chances of barrier frustration and barrier aggression.

I realise you wnat a puppy, but imo if you take on a mature dog social animal he will fit in easy and is less likely to develop issues with maturity (as he is already mature lol)

If you have a dominant bitch it might be best to go for a dog. However indivadual personality is more important.

Adam

Hi,

I don' think any dog or breed of should be planned to be kept permanaently on a lead if you are getting them as young pup - staffies can be prone to being intolerant of other dogs but equally they can be lovely and sweet and great with other dogs.  I am also involved with resuce and have had experience of the same 'he's never done it before' after a dog has attacked another dog but with many different breeds of dogs from terriers to collies to shepherda even a goldie.  They are individuals and should be treated as such, any breed of dog can attack and ytes the last thing that staffies need are more bad press but I think going down the road of keeping all of a certain breed on lead to prevent that happening is a sad route and one that would be entering into a false sense of security anyway, if you are going to take them out for walks they are going to encounter other dogs whether onmlead or not and they will have a much better chance of being tolerant of other dogs if they have mixed and socilalised appropriately from a young age, including off leasd play and interactions - a responsible owner will know if things are starting to go wrong and will take steps and if the owner isn;'t reposnible then the problem is likely to arrise on lead or not.   It doesn't matter what the breed, untill they are at a stage where I know there recall is good then they are walked on a longline and harness.  I always choose appropriate dogs to socialise new dogs with so they are well socilaised and have found it a rewarding experience.  I always ask first if owners are happy to et their dogs socialise with mine and make a point of socialising them positively.  I normally take in adult rescues so it is very different to taking in a pup, I would never get young pup with the plan of keeping them permanently on lead, I think that;s a pretty good way of not socialising a dog properly and potentially causing frustration problems for you average owner.

I think your right to wait if you don't want a nutty energetic pup annoying your older dogs as staffie pups are very energetic as a rule and love playing with other dogs and are very prone to rough and tumble hard and bargey play.  But no I most definitely don't think you should plan to keep a pup permanently on lead.  I say that as someone who has a breed that is prone to Dog/other animal aggression if not socialised extensively.  One of who came to me as a very fearful 6 month old pup having not had that socialisation, with very careful and controlled socialisation she is an utter star with other dogs and actually does some stooge work with other worried doggies and is off lead on most places - though she did spend the first year with me on a long line due to not having a reliable recall in certain situations and me wanting to make abolutely sure she didn't run up to other dogs that might have ben unfrienly or fearful and potentially upset them, or ruin the work we were doing on building positive association with other dogs :-)

In some ways I agree with the above and I don't think you should go into getting a Staffie pup with the intention that he/she must stay on a lead at all times.  I meet quite a few Staffie's on my walks, some are not friendly with other dogs but there are some that are off lead and play or just ignore others.  My own Staffie is ok with bigger dogs but after being attacked numerous times as a youngster by JRT's and another Staffie she will not tolerate anything of a similar size.  She has a great recall so goes offlead but is called back if other dogs are running loose, we are lucky that where we walk this is possible.

Totally agree, Karen and Staff.  I should perhaps have mentioned that I do walk both of mine off lead when & where possible, and the fact that it is possible with a Stafford! lol

Only one of my Staffords is a bit naughty with dogs her own size or smaller (similar to your situation Staff, she was socialised & happy with ALL dogs until about 2 years of age when she was attacked by a Stafford cross & despite many many attempts to re-introduce her to other dogs to no avail).  My other Stafford is absolutely fine with all dogs.

However, in the UK I was lucky enough to live fairly rurally, and so could utilise the local fields for off lead running and general frolicking and mischief :)
Out here in Aus, obviously the hotter weather plays a big part in how and when my dogs are exercised (Winter time is fine, but Summer is way too hot even in the early morning or late evening), so a lot of exercise is now taken either on the beach (during cooler periods) or we go to an indoor purpose built air-conditioned doggy swimming pool, as well as 'normal' walks.

I agree with TT.   If you aren't prepared for the real possibility that you will have to walk your dog on the lead or keep out of the way of other dogs if you want to let it off then don't get a staffy.    This may also apply to other breeds, you might say all breeds, but the chances of a staffy getting into fights with other dogs are much higher than with most (maybe not all) other breeds. 

The other thing is if a staffy does get into a fight most often it's not just a bit of snapping, a show of bravado - it grabs the thing and wont let go.   Until you've had to prise the jaws of your dog off another dog you probably think this wont happen to you. 

As for them living with other dogs - I reckon the vast majority of the time they'll be OK if it's a dog and bitch, two bitches probably OK, two staffy dogs I wouldn't risk though I'm sure it's possible - personally we've only kept mixed sex or bitch pairs together.  

>>>But at the end of the day they're animals, and no-one can account or prepare for every situation they may encounter in their lives.<<<

Good point, all dogs are individuals no matter what the breed and therefore one should take into account that issues 'could' happen.
I have four, two of which will fight at any chance and have to be kept seperated

i walked mine off the lead all the lead all the time. but its up to you if you trust u can control your dog.

Thanks everyone.

these days with all the bad publicity the bull breeds get it could be a safer option, i know those that walk the dog on lead at all times then get home and run the dog on a treadmill and such.if a stafford gets into a fight and hurts a dog you are the bad guy it seems, regardless of whose dog was at fault.