im looking in to get my girlfriend a staffy for her birthday, as she has grew up with the breed, and she is very fond of them. but because we both work the same hours would it be ok to leave a staffy alone for 7 hours, if it is fed and walked before we go out, and then walked again when we get back then we will spend time with the dog training etc. and then at about 9: 0'clock we will walk it agen after it has had some more food. another question if it is alright to leave it alone. would it be ok to keep it in a cage/crate until we get back. this wil only be until the dog is fully trained and then we will let it rome the house.

any help will be great.

Hi Cuz I personaly wouldnt leave a dog that long by its self.  At a push if you got home at lunch time to take it for a walk let it go to the toilete etc.  Is it possible for you to get a dog sitter or a neighbour to look after it or come and let it out/take it for walks while your at work?

oops sorry wrong forum, lol

Why have you got two usernames?

because i wanted to use this one for different uses, my other one is my main one this is just a temporary one, because my girlfriend has acces to my other and she will see what i am planning for her birthday

I hope you are going to let her choose her own? I would be livid if anyone chose a puppy and foisted it on me.

No dog should be crated for 7 hours!
Eddie gave you the best advice .. get a dog sitter (or walker)

:)
Donna and charliex

oooh i dont know what to do now, i really want to get a dog, so im gonna have to look into the matter.

Please dont leave a puppy or any dog for that matter alone for that amount of time. A staff needs exercise and they love human company. When dogs are left for this long it is asking for behaverial problems eg chewing destructive behaviour etc. A lot of dogs end up in rescue because people get them and cant cope with the resulting problems that are actually caused by the owner.

Staffies can be prone to destructiveness when left alone for long periods.
They love exercise and love sleeping too but most of all they LOVE human company .
Personally I think this is much too long whether the dog is crated or not and I would advise against it

My girls are very rarely left as they come to work with me, but on the odd occassion when I have had to leave them at home they have been absolutely fine.  I think they quite enjoyed the break from so many other dogs!  However, they probably don't become stressed when they're left because there are 3 and they can keep each other company.
I wouldn't recommend leaving a staff for longer than 3 hours at a time, but the same applies for any dog, it's just not fair.

There are few owners who dont have to leave their dogs for some time during the day (shopping/ work etc) but I think 7 hours is too long. ( or was it 9??)
My next door neighbour leaves his Staffy cross from 7.30 in the morning until 5 ish and I hear him crying all day :(

I have 3 Staffs and cannot recommend leaving them for that period of time.  Staffs crave human company and can become destructive and distressed when left alone for long periods of time.  Mine cope with being left for about 4 hrs but I really would not like to leave them for any longer.

Also, if you leave your pup for that period of time, I'm not sure how you will go about housetraining it...the pup will just use it's crate to relieve itself which is not a desirable situation.  Also you will need to consider feeding...bear in mind that young pups need feeding at first 5 meals a day and then gradually dropping to 4, then to 3 and so on and so on...who will do this?  You cannot just give a young pup 2 meals a day, their small stomachs could not cope with that volume of food in one go (ie being fed twice a day...hope you see what I mean!) and could cause serious problems.

Unless you can find a reliable friend/neighbour/pet sitter who will take on the responsibility of training and feeding whilst you are out all day...I would not recommend it.

I don't wish to sound harsh but please think very carefully before considering further.

Good luck with your decision.

Are your sure your girlfriend wants a staffie? I know you say she is fond of the breed but she might have different ideas about getting one at this precise moment. I would suggest not just giving a pup to her but talking about it first. If you do decide to get a staffie ,or any dog, then I would get it in the summer holidays so you have time to train it, bond with it etc and you will also need to think what you are going to do with it whilst your at work. Don't rush in to a decision, a dog is a BIG responsibility.

I think liking staffies and having one is different.
Many people dont realise how boistrous (sp?) they become... my 10 year old is sleepy a lot of the time but show him a lead and he's like a mad un!
On the other hand my 8 month old is mad all the time, she proving hard to train... but im perservering by being with her 80% of the time.

Yes they are nice to look at.. but they are hard work from my experience. (worth it in my book)
They are very much a peoples dog and hate to be left....

Why dont you talk to her about it... u may be surprised if she says she doesnt want one

Best of luck
Donna and charliex

What about considering another breed and maybe an older rescue dog. We had a retired greyhound many years ago and he was seven when we got him. I told the retired greyhound trust we both worked and they said that was fine because he would just snooze for most of the time. We never had any problems with him apart from a bit of stealing empty cat food tins from the bin and taking them to bed with him. My bed lol.

nice idea, but be prepared.

i have 2 staffs, 19 months and 11 weeks, father and son. kept seperate when we're at work with lots of toys and hidden kongs and nibbles to occupy them. taz (the eldest has the run of the house, he has the tv left on for him. bailey (the baby) is in  the kitchen. Mine and my partners jobs over lap however sometimes they are left for around 6 hours. this has been the case sine day 1, at least once a week, so they are accustomed to it now.
However after a long period of seperation, upon your arrival home you will need to play with them for at least half an hour. walk them - a decent walk. and give them lots of attention, even if its just constant touching when your watching tv in the evening.
a puppy is a lot of commitment and hard work, and you will need to give them the majority of your time in the evening, and as mentioned in earlier posts, being seperated for long periods of time, will make toilet training difficult and may create destructive patterns that may not develop if not left alone.. If you feel that this is not a problem, broach the subject with your girlfriend secretly, personally i wouldn't be horrified if my partner brought me a surprise staff,( i would now cuz 3 would be to much at present!!!). maybe you could find out her fave colour, preffered sex etc, she'll love it i'm sure, but do some extensive work into the background of the pups breeding. Good- luck xx

Morning,

I wouldnt advise leaving a young staffy for more than an hour created the best training we gave ours was the first 2 weeks we had him because i was off work on annual leave, they arent a dog that sits at the fire place and looks pretty they love to sit with you and help you with everythign you do very much part of the family. they need a lot of attention. also there are so many varient of the breed you would be best off taking your girl friend with you to view any puppys she may not like short nosed or a certain colour (girls can be like that) 

best let her know her pressent and have a choice its a lot of hard work be prepaired for 2 am toilet trips and comforting when they realise there litter mates arent there when they wake in the mornings, decide on house rules and dont break them a puppy sitting on your lap os fine but wait till he weighs 25 kg 8 months down the line and he wants to sit on your lap .. :-)

Staffords are probably the cutest puppies you can have (but then again I am biased) but they are a lot of work and they are very trying and need a constant firm hand to avoid taking over your house and life. If you are serious about leaving a dog for seven hours in a crate you shouldn't be thinking about getting a Stafford as they crave human affection and touch. THe most you should leave a Stafford for on their own is about 3-4 hours and even then that is only when they are three or four years old. Being a terrier dog by nature they like space and being active. If you are thinking about buying a puppy still then read the article on www.staffords.co.uk to get more info and advice and finding a breeder who's dogs you like the look of. We waited two years to get the Stafford that we wanted and I advise you to wait till you are ready and actually see something that you like.