Ive seen a few posts on here defending staffies where people say they are all nasty and vicious and should be kept away from. Personally ive never had much experience of them but yesterday in the park there was a border collie which vaguely said hello to Leo and then another dog came up a staffie and the lady with the border collie practically ran away saying "we dont do staffies" - I mean it could be that her dog particularily doesnt like staffies but it seemed she was implying the dog would be nasty. The dog was in fact really friendly said a good hello to leo and then went on its way with its owner.

Its the first time I have really come across something like that but ive heard about it lots.

The other thing is dogs v bitches we've had SO much from OH's family about how we should never have gotten a dog you should only ever get bitches and if Leo has to stop there for an hour or two they insist we take his car cage to shut him in because they dont want him peeing up their furniture?!? he cant even cock his leg..........Ive never seen a dog do it up furniture if they are house trained, has anyone had a dog that does it up the furniture?

I cant really comment on Staffies, all the ones I have known have been really friendly.  It has been known for dogs (especially little ones) to cock their legs in other peoples houses whether house trained or not.  I used to look after 3 dachsunds who treated my house like a toilet, especially the sofa :(  Also when I first looked after my friends cocker I took him round to see my mum and dad and he actually cocked his leg on my dad he obviously thought cos he wasnt moving he must be a tree.  Usually though once a dog is used to a house he wont cock his leg, some dont at all.  I wouldnt worry, your OHs parents sound a nightmare :rolleyes:

Claire :)

Well I'm owned by 3 Staffs and encounter Staff ignorance all too often unfortunately, to the extent people have crossed over to the other side of the road (literally) when we've been walking along the pavement; a girl waiting at a bus stop screamed as we approached and ran round the other side of the bus shelter saying "vicious dogs"; and the last occasion where 3 strapping lads leapt onto a bench in the park, yet again claiming "vicious dogs" :-(  All 3 of mine adore people, dogs, cats, you name it...I still get upset by it, just wishing I could get "thicker skin".

As for male dogs cocking their legs, my 2 boys haven't done but a Scottie I had certainly did without any hesitation and the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens and Bassetts I used to show also had no qualms about cocking their legs on anything new in the house (including an antique Grandfather clock worth thousands!) and other people's dogs..was a bit of a nightmare I must admit!

hi

I also own a staff and we are getting another.
I think the press has a lot to answer for where Staffs are concerned.

Personally i think they are one of the best family dogs you can have, (i have 3 kids under 11 the youngest being just 5), Many people change their views for the better once they get to know a Staff, i would not have any other breed myself, i could not do without all the talking (by the dogs!)and cuddles :D

Emma

Do all male dogs cock their legs? and when do they start. Leo is 14 weeks and still just stands there but my mum says she cant really remember her sheltie cocking his leg all the time the way our spaniel did. I assume the scent marking part comes with hormones?

As already mentioned probably the bad press is to blame for Staffys reputation - plus bad owners of course.
I love the breed to bits but I wouldnt leave Gus off lead if another appeared unless I had spoken to the owner first as to how his/her dog is with others.
We had a comment the other day when Gus was on lead and a lady walked past with her toddler saying "Come away from the dog - he looks viscious". Really viscious - he wasnt even doing anything just sat waiting for O/H to come back.

As to male or female? Ive always had a dog so cant comment. Hoping for a bitch this year and Im more worried about having the female what with seasons etc
Gus was about 5 months when he first started to cock his leg but i know there can be a big difference in age with individual dogs :)

being a border collie owner,maybe this could  explain ,alot of collies give other dogs abit of "eye" that some breeds take to being a challenge, they  give this "eye" naturally not meaning to come across as wanting a scrap,alot of dogs hate the collie stare & would lay in ! i certainley would be carefull if a staffie came up to my 3,

nellie "dosent do" gundogs, she thinks they are much too bouncy & dont take any notice of her body language!

Hi,
In my experience of having two dogs (not at the same time), found that one started cocking his leg at 7 months, the other at 10 months - this is when they started going through the teenage phase, and yes, they both tried cocking their legs on the furniture in the house, though they were fully house-trained!  For a bit you have to watch them like a hawk, catch them in the act so you can sort it out smartly!  Mine soon understood that they shouldn't mark in the house.
  My friend has got a GSD aged 10 who has never cocked his leg, so I guess not all dogs do, though I would think the majority would do.  Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it - if your puppy starts marking inside, you will teach him not to, just as you are housetraining him!  I am on number 3 dog, aged 9 weeks, so have it all to come again!!
  Hilda

The only contact Ive had with a staffy was a stray one when I was walking Mr B,  I have to confess I was a little nervous no owner, no collar etc. He came bounding over and lay down at my feet.  He was lovely.  So he came home with me to get a collar and lead to see if I could find his owner. He walked beautifully to heel and waited whilst I put Bradley indoors and got him a collar.  I tooke him back in the direction he had come from and found his owner being attended to by ambulance staff.  The poor lady had his lead and collar in her hand.  So with her permisssion I took him round the block until her daughter arrived to collect him.  He was the sweetest nature I have come in contact with.
A real credit to his breed.

all the ones ive met have been lovely, but like the post about two attacking a defencless collie, i dont think i could trust one running up loose to me.
theres a bloke who walks his on the beach,when he was younger he was off the lead all the time, but now hes always on the lead-it just makes me wonder what happened!? tara used to race him for his tennis ball & he never minded if she got it,he was like a bullet though running after that ball!

I like Staffies, met great ones and met ones with issues, usually accompanied by a lad in a shell suit and testosterone overdrive. Have also met a Staffy who runs back to her owner on sight of other dogs after being attacked by everyones fave family dog, the labrador. Bad breeding and bad ownership causes the problems as with any breed. Well meaning people are still trying to talk us out of adopting a Staff due to prejudices about owners and the dogs, which is really funny to us. Latest suggestions include CKCS, Cairns and Border Terriers on the grounds that Staffies are too strong to be around kids hullo? Cairns and Borders are lovely dogs but can be strong willed just the same. We'll stick to Staffs thanks. :)

I'm pretty neutral on Staffies :) We meet a few on walks and they seem a fairly normal cross-section - one is always on the lead and glares in my dogs' direction and I have to make sure that my older one doesn't wander over in it's direction, as I don't think that it's very friendly :(  Then we meet a delightful, rescue bitch who is fantastic with other dogs and comes and plays with mine (she lives with a lovely rescue Shar-pei). The others that we meet, tend to be on the lead, but don't come over as being anything other than friendly.

Daisy

Never met a Staffie that was not people friendly but have met a good few who were not dog friendly, don't have anything against a Staffie who is not dog friendly, after all they were bred not to be for years and that is not their fault. If I have dogs on a lead, I do not go out of my way to avoid but I would not go out of my way to meet either, in fact when I have dogs on leads I do not attempt to 'meet' any dogs I prefer them to walk on. Any breed of dog that is loose is a problem but some are more of a potential problem than others.

i guess im scared that if they start to fight then they arent going to stop,or be harder to stop than other breeds,& do alot of damage due to their jaws. my boy flynn gives alot of collie eye if he wants to play & some dogs DO NOT like it at all!

You are right about the eye, my dogs hate being stared at, particularly the males, who respond with aggressive posture and barking. I know they are worried but I don't know if the staring dog knows or not and pushed to it they would stand their ground.

We have a 12 week old Stafford puppy, and we're *already* encountering ignorance and prejudice. Our boy is just a little baby, and we've had numerous comments along the lines of: "Why did you want to get one of THOSE !?" "Don't they attack kids?" "Do you want to fight it?" It sickens me, and makes me all the more determined to make sure that he's a great representative for his breed.

I must have been living in a box all my life, because I grew up with Staffs and never heard anything negative about them. Our dogs were the lickiest, huggiest, chattiest, friendliest things ever, resulting in my major soft spot for the breed. There was a vague furore at the time of the Pitbull ban (another breed I've only had positive experiences with), and I remember my uncle having to 'prove' that his Staffs weren't Pits, but that was about it.

I love my staffies 1 dog and 1 btch.  They have wonderful temperements and my kiddies are 5 and 3 yrs old.

My dog never pees anywhere in the house unless the bitch is in season and then he only does it in the kitchen and who can blame him it's only nature so we put up with it.  He has never done it in my mothers house or my sisters house and they have a male staffy aswell.

Both my dogs are very dog friendly and my Jas is scared of cats, great big baby :)

my friend has a staffie, he is a really nice dog very friendly to people and children, but not with cats or, any other male dogs, she can never let him off the lead because if he came across a dog hes out for the kill, but when he meets a bitch he goes all soppy.

Do realise how upsetting it is when your beloved breed is the subject of fear and miss-trust but the media and the general public do not know the difference between a well bred Staffordshire and a Staffie cross, a ISBT, a pretend ISBT or a bull breed cross, and a good number of these have caused problems that are reported with glee by the papers and broadcast news as a dog attack but a SBT. As I said before I have never ever met a SBT that was not people friendly, have met several that are not dog friendly and you have only to watch them in the ring to see that a good few would rather have a set too than stand for the judge, now they are not alone in this some of my own breeds males are not keen on males of their own breed. So although you know your dog is safe and good with dogs, do not be too cross with those who are worried by their presence close to them or their dogs because there are a good few aggressive Staffie look alikes out there and if we are honest a few pure breed ones that are not dog trustworthy.

Leaving in a hurry, ducking

We have a staff in our family called millie and she is the lovliest dog ever!  She has never bitten anyone, she is obedient, house trained - everything that a normal dog is!

i  have also heard nasty things about staffs but it just isnt true!  all dogs can turn in an instance not just one type of dog.

just thought id let you know my comments!

Sure your family dog is lovely but you can't judge a whole breed by one dog, some do have a higher than average tendency to be dog aggressive and this needs to be controlled.