I have a 4 year old staffi - maisie, and have always intended on getting another dog - would love an english bull terrier. Not sure when the best time would be though. Whats the best age for maisie to be, should i get male or female, puppy or rescue, would they get on ? Any advice appreciated

How come no one has left me any comments, whats the point in this site if no one does

Hi Scattistaffi :-)
Sorry you didn't get any replies to your initial post. The problem is, when the site is busy, posts quickly get pushed to the second page. It was probably just unlucky timing in that nobody with knowledge of the breeds you're enquiring about happened to be using the forum when you posted. And once the post is off the first or second page not many people will see it. I know I rarely look past the first or second page unless I haven't logged on for ages.

I don't really know about what you have asked as I only have one dog. I would have thought your dog would be mature enough to cope with a new addition.  I'm sure someone will be able to help you though.

Sorry nobody's replied yet! The general rule for a second dog is to get the opposite sex to the original one, but of course that requires one or both to be neutered. Is Maisie spayed? As I'm sure you know, even staffy specialists recommend that in a multidog household they should be separated when you're out (there's a good article about them in the October issue of Your Dog which I'm sure you'd find interesting).

Puppies are generally better than adults because they're more of a blank canvas, but are a lot of work from the outset. Rescues are often better trained, but you never know what baggage they might be coming with, and the breeds you mention aren't always the easiest! So it's anyone's guess as to whether they'd get on - a good rescue centre will make sure you've introduced Maisie to any possible adoptee on neutral territory several times before you took it home to try to prevent a mistake.

As Jeangenie has said, especially with this breed i would get a puppy of the opposite sex. This means she would have had to be spayed. Definately consider a rescue... but bair in mind that it may be quite a long time for a rescue thats perfect for you and maisie. Try and get a dog that has a good energy.... is she quite dominant? If so get a submissive character etc.

get a breed that really compliments her character... if she is quite a quiet laid back dog then consider a breed that tends to be this way too.

do your research into the english bull terrier and what their personalities are like... if it is like your dog then snap.. go for it

> As I'm sure you know, even staffy specialists recommend that in a multidog household they should be separated when you're out

Sorry if I'm being dim, but do you mean all dogs should be separated when you're out, or is it just staffys that should be separated?

> .... is she quite dominant? If so get a submissive character etc.

I have a submissive dog.....so would a dominant bitch or a submissive bitch be better? I'd like to get a second dog at some point but it seems it can be a bit of a minefield!

I have a submissive dog.....so would a dominant bitch or a submissive bitch be better? I'd like to get a second dog at some point but it seems it can be a bit of a minefield!

If you have a submissive dog then brill, another submissive dog would be fine, and so would a slightly more dominant figure. If your dog will bow down to any other dog then it will be much quicker for a new pack to figure out the heirachy

>do you mean all dogs should be separated when you're out, or is it just staffys that should be separated?

The article in the magazine refers specifically to staffies.

> If your dog will bow down to any other dog then it will be much quicker for a new pack to figure out the heirachy

Thank you :-)

> The article in the magazine refers specifically to staffies.

Doh! Thank you :-)

since you've a dog if you got a bitch you'd probably (in my experience anyway) find that the bitches rule the roost anyway. our boys have always backed down to the girls. thats one of the reasons opposite sex is easier, less potential to clash.

Hello,
Just in from work...so replying now lol

Your Maisie is I think the best age to cope with a new puppy especially a little EBT pup- I would say that getting a boy will be easier in your home as young bully pups the same size and sex could lead to barneys.
My friend had a staff girl Paris and then her OH brought a Bull terrier bitch Holly, I think Paris was 4 /5 and fights started at first over food this was when Holly became 2 yrs, they became so horrific that my mate ended up muzzling Holly in the house, only because she did more damage to paris and wouldn't let go- the worse part was her young baby would be in the high chair throwing food at them and a fight would happen !!

I had my male EBT first Snoop, then introduced Tinker when he was 7 , they cuddle up and love each other but she is a fiesty little so in so and she gives back as much as she can, when he was younger under 4 he would not think twice of head butting my mother in laws lab out the way at feed times if she came to stay.
I would get a male from a good breeder. Expect to pay out for a good dog though my boy cost £550 in 1999.  :-)

Thank you

Maisie is spayed so thats not a problem, think i have decided on a male puppy. But still not sure weather EBT or another SBT. Not sure how i would go on seperating them when left alone. Maisie whole house puppy in the kitchen i guess

Thanks again will have to do some research into EBT and read that artilce in magazine

Hi scattistaffi...

I find staff's far more an manic & attention seeking dogs IMO, ready for a walk any time any amount, Bull terriers are far more calmer and laid back. Where as a staff will love to play non stop and demand lots of walking, a bull terrier have there moments of having a "Benny" but do enjoy just having a cuddle. It does say in the EBT manual not to encourage play fighting or rope tug with this breed anyway as on strength contest you will always lose.
My ex BF had a Alsatian x Staff and his dream dog was a EBT so when we got together and I had to have my first dog pts I decided on a EBT for him.. I feel in love with his comical ways & bag's of personality, very stubborn though and do anything to suit themselves no one else. My BF couldn't stand him in the end and was very disappointed and only after a year of having snoop wanted to get a staff from the dogs trust. We didn't and he's gone anyway but I kept the dog- he was truly a mommy's boy :-)

When I collected|snoop from the breeder as a first time puppy owner, [my first dog was a rescue] I asked him lots of questions. I told him I have 2 cats at home and will he be ok with them he told me no you can not have cats with this breed. It says in the books I've brought that EBT's are no good in a multi dog household but I have had snoop here with cats and kittens and he has even followed a rabbit around in someones front room with out any weirdness at all- obviously when I did introduced a kitten the first week I had to reinforce to be gentle he was under 2 yrs at the time, now they all sleep together, the only animal he is bad with are horses.

This issue of separating SBT or EBT's when left?  I have never worried and never had any trouble with leaving many dogs together with Snoop. If snoop meets another dog and is fine in the first 10 minutes then they are friends for life.  The only time I have had trouble is out on walks when on a lead.   

Maisie is just that manic and attention seeking, ready for a walk any time any amount and yes if had the choice would have me playing none stop. She still enjoys having a snooze and a cuddle though. Sounds like an EBT would be a good match for her i think. No play fighting if i can help it she gets too rough. Maisie hates horses too, i'd like to be able to leave them together when i was out to keep each other company and would find it so cute if they slept snuggled up together

If you have a look see at the fun dog show on flickr you will see my lot and doggy friends put way to many on really ! :-)  they do all snuggle up together which I love . My first dog Belgian Shepard called Kye never allowed any other dogs/pups to snuggle up and would growl at them and suddenly get up in a huff- suppose terriers like physical contact... saying that Rodney my mates boxer has a cuddle with snoop too... so just her !

Forgot to ask do you think a EBT would mannage ok with the walks and bike rides i go on with Maisie. Roughly, weekend - 2 hour walk/half hour bike ride Mon/Tues - two, half hour bike rides Wed-Fri - hour walk/half hour bike ride

I made the mistake of walking my snoop way too much while a puppy I've since learnt on here that is bad for them when young, he is suffering now with bad aches and pains back legs not sure yet whats going on with him vets again later on- so he'll have to old enough to cope with that amount...I took snoop with me out on a bike so funny he would try and bite my ankles at first so had to go fairly slow for him to realise i;m not trying to run away from him, he loved it he would pick up a massive log on route and run with me- they do like a challenge.

You should see some of the logs Maisie carries they are more like trees everyone laughs at her. Once old enough thogh would a EBT be happy to do that amount of exercise

oh yes they love loads of walking- the exercise for them is more of a mental simulation- I think that is the same with SBT anyhow, must say the only staffi I have had lots to do with are was one crossed with a patterdale she was a cracker jack of a dog . My other 2 dogs are from her.

The only thing is that they love company of their family- snoop has been good for me no destroying at all- but a man I meet had a EBT called Reg and we started walking them together. Him and his girlfriend both worked all day so Reg was left with their GSD bitch Reg became a destroyer of their house liked mobile phones loads- had to be operated on for getting a blockage- they kept him a cage while their bitch had the kitchen- but they were left alone for 8 hours a day.

Snoop had a blockage in January 07 so had to be operated on- he found and ate a corn on the cob so had that removed!  They don't seem to be safe with rawhide's,  they don't know how to enjoy anything but swallow it down whole!