Mitz recently has been becoming more boisterous with dogs!

She is usually a push over with dogs and keeps her own by running round them, but recently she has been making noises while playing and being the dominate one in the fact she pins them down and states how they play!

Is this normal in a female Staff aged 19 months old?

I know Staffs dont finish maturing untill 2 years old, and wondering if she was a late bloomer in the dominance! As her artitude towards us hasnt changed and she has had no bad encounters or anything and she is till trained everyday.

Only asking as she has never shown this behaviour before and its slowy creeping in, shes really becoming much stronger and quicker as well, also shes started chasing birds and rabbits, never done this before either!

Any ideas and has any of your Staffs shown this change?

Im hoping its just her becoming a mature stafford!

Sounds like it, our breed matures later but they are pratts from 9months to 3years of age so anything goes really..

I have never owned a Stafford but with their dog-fighting history and the anti-dog feeling all around at the moment, I would get advice how to stop her behaviour ASAP before any damage is done. In my mind, pinning a dog down is not something that should be encouraged - if it was my dog she had hold of I would not be happy:rolleyes:

Yep, I beleive this is the main reason they get into scraps with other dogs who object to their type of play and they don't like being told off (not because they inherently want to becoem fighters).  You really need to insist she plays gently with dogs she does not know really well who may be happy to play rough (bigger dogs).

Most dogs aren't socaially fully mature until about 4 years old.

She was better today on her walk, less boisterous, maybe it was pent up energy along with a new dog?

Im going to keep a sharp eye on her from now on, as mentioned, the last thing I want is another Staffy in the press.