We decided to get a dog a few months ago. Usually people start looking and see puppies that are ready (or near enough) to leave. That wasn’t the case for us, first saw him when he was 2 days old and have had to wait 2 months!

Meet Winston (half Staffordshire Bull Terrier/half American Bull Dog)

This was him at 5 weeks:

This is him now:

Got through the first night ok, up at 4am. Semi house trained already, goes every time I him out. We had a messy accident last night though

I have absolutely no issues whatsoever with SBT’s or American Bulldogs, and I’m against breed specific legislation. However, given the arbitrary nature of what is considered to be a dog of pitbull “type” in this country, in my opinion it is just plain irresponsible to cross these two breeds.

Hopefully you’ll never experience anything as ridiculous as this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHwe4gt8LV8 but personally, I wouldn’t take the chance.

Not necessarily my first choice of cross for a trail dog, either.

Not much of a trail dog, it’ll be knackered within 4/5 miles tops.

Cute looking pup!

Just make sure you carry the papers with you at all times. If the Police even think its a pitbull type (that means looks like a pitball), they can confiscate it, leaving you to prove it isn’t, costing you time and money.

Good luck with the training! Take that dog on the trail in a couple of years time, and I bet people will get out your way. 😉

Been met with a similar reactions by everyone we’ve told. Both parents were family pets, and the pups were raised around young children etc.

I’m not sure how crossing the two breeds could be considered ‘irresponsible’. Irresponsible would be allowing the pups to go with anyone that turned up. We got him from a young girl and her mother, of the 4 pups available, all have gone to people they considered suitable (many people rang or tried to go see them, but they all fitted a certain stereotype so were told that the pups were no longer available).

I realise he’ll not be a very good trail dog, 2-3 miles tops i reckon.

Anyway, i’ve only got him so i can sit about round the town centre and scare grannies!!

I’ll post my collie in future, very STW.

Cute pup.

I’m not sure how crossing the two breeds could be considered ‘irresponsible’.

Even the experts have a job defining inclusion as a dangerous breed, there’s a check-list of characteristics and if the dog is judged to possess a number of these characteristics, or particular combinations, then – hassle. Having met a number of pit-types, as far as it’s possible to judge from two photos, yours doesn’t look the type. I’m not in any way claiming to be an expert but the musculature just isn’t there.

As my missus is always at pains to rant, there are no dangerous dogs just irresponsible owners. Enjoy the pup.

I’m sorry, Scunny, but Winston looks vicious and dangerous. I’m going to have to confiscate him.

Just watched that clip from the ‘One Show’, disgusting. I’m hoping that in a few months the witch hunt will have stopped and they’ll have moved on to something else. I work within Probation so get to hear about most arrests/convictions in the area, i’ve not heard of a dog being seized or a prosecution in the past few years (there was one actually, but that was a GSD). Hopefully that means Winston can live a hassle free life!

When we had our boxer, I went to see him at 2 weeks old, then went to visit him a couple of times a week till he was ready to come home!!
Less trauma for him leaving his family, having already bonded with his new Dad 🙂

Enjoy Winston – he looks ace and will be a great dog. I have nothing against Staffies and Staffie derived dogs – they can be wonderful pets

It will be good to see this kind of Dog given a good home. Sadly, a lot don’t. The last time I went to the Animal shelter to use their boarding facilities, their re-homing ad board was all Staffies (apart from one sorry-looking terrier)

Staffies are being bred everywhere at the Moment and buying the puppies is making the problem worse

It’s no collie 😉 but a good looking pup. Happy days

Very cute dog you have there 😀

Staffies are being bred everywhere at the Moment and buying the puppies is making the problem worse

I do agree with you. Ideally we would not have bought a puppy. We spent a long while looking round the local adoption centres and actually reserved a very nice looking albino staff. Sadly he had some issues, and whilst he might have been fine once we got him home, he might not. It would have been unfair to have to return him, so after thinking about it for a week and a few visits we decided to pass and hope some one else more suited would take him.

I didn’t want to lie to anyone. When asked both myself and my partner had to say we worked full time. That meant that adoption centres we’re really reluctant to let us take anything, and what they would let us take we much to old. I work full time but within the community so i’m always to and from appointments in my car, meaning i can come home 2/3 times throughout the day to feed/water/play/make potty.

totally agree there is no such thing as a bad dog just irresponsible owners. If he isn’t already you’ll have to get him chipped, by all accounts ALL puppies regardless of the breed have to be chipped. Vets should have a puppy pack when he goes for his jabs which include the chip.

We’ve got a puppy Hungarian Vizsla (12 weeks now and the new trail dog when he gets bigger)and he is tattooed and chipped and its certainly worth it should he go missing or get stolen.

Like you said adopting a dog is great but you don’t generally know how the previous owners have treated them. With puppies you get out what you put into them

Can I join in? 😀 Another new pup here, 11 week old working cocker. Currently wrecking everything that isn’t tied down, and much that is…

Couldn’t resist putting the new pup on here – hoping he will be a good trail dog.

After Bingo was attacked by one and another went for him/I rescued him out of the way I’d have nothing to do with that breed or variation of that breed.

Winston wants nothing to do with you either.

It’s not the breed that’s the problem – it’s the idiots to be found at the other end of the lead (obviously not all the time!) and the ridiculous legislation we have in this country.

cute puppy

It’s not the breed that’s the problem – it’s the idiots to be found at the other end of the lead (obviously not all the time!) and the ridiculous legislation we have in this country.

by trotting out the deed not breed bullshit you are missing the point of breed specific traits. My lurcher for example wil chase anything small and furry, collies will round things up including children, springers will run around like crazy following scents and bull breeds will not run from a fight. These things need to be considered when owning a dog.

Scunny that is a beautiful dog , I have had staffies for years and I adore them and will never own another breed . Good luck with him , I envy you , you can’t beat a staffie type puppy !!

Thanks. I’ve actually got the week off work to help him settle in, my OH has next week off to do the same. We considered the breed traits before deciding on a dog. People have different experiences with dogs, i’ve had one near miss with a Staff. I walked into a clients back garden and didn’t notice the 2 Staffs asleep under the trampoline, both came flying at me, a definite 1p 2p moment. I’d say that that sort of reaction is certainly not breed specific though, i had a collie when i was a kid that would do the same. Lovely dog but wasn’t to keen on unannounced visitors.

Now he’s settled in he’s a nightmare!! Awake at 4/5 every morning and really rough when playing. Already started training though, so hopefully we’ll have curbed that in a few weeks.

Staffies are usually very friendly with people but even the best socialised and dog friendly of them will not back down if another dog starts getting aggressive its in their genes. Always seems to be odd the the idiot tough guys round here have staffie crosses like yours which are generally soft as shit with people. If i wanted a big dog to protect me I’d get a dog bred for that like a GSD or Rottie.

My staffie is soft with people and dogs . I agree that dogs can show their inbred traits but to say every one of them will is utter bs. My dog is nearly 10, in that time he has been attacked while on the lead by a boxer , two labs , and a collie and he has never fought back . A dog is like many things , a product of its upbringing . A staffie or similar type is going through a bad press at the moment for reasons that are mainly image related but they are no more dangerous than any other fit , powerful dog .
Scunny, show him bundles of love , mine gets lots of cuddles and kisses everyday , and he will be a lovely fun dog for many years . Socialise him early and make one person his total boss , they normally bond with one person fully, you lucky bugger 😉

There’s a lot of staffies around our area, and most of them are soft and butter – sweet and very playful with Benny (a Tibetan Terrier). Most of the owners are normally relieved that I allow Benny to greet them, think a lot of people cross the road when they see them. There are two that are a bit dog-aggressive, but in both cases (and indeed, with other breeds) you can tell by their body language. The owners are pretty responsible – keeping them on a short leash, turning them away when dogs pass. The one woman has her Staffie muzzled – or rather one of hers. She has a second Staffie that walks off the lead and is as friendly as you like.

The only dogs that have been aggressive to Benny are:

Millie, a whippet, who’s aggressive to most dogs (although she’s getting better with training). She bit Benny’s head because her owner gave him a crisp.

Sam, a Jack Russell – think the only reason he was aggressive was because he was protective/jealous of Rosie, his owner’s other dog (a very friendly Staffie, funnily enough) playing with Benny

Cloud 1 and Cloud 2 – two notoriously aggressive Westies who pretty much go for any dog, regardless of size. Don’t know their actual names as you can’t hold a conversation with their owners due to the dogs being a bit psychotic.

Mitzy, a shitzu. The experience was like being shouted at by a cushion.

Before we got Benny, we considered a border collie called Robbie. He was lovely, but he was an ‘amber’ dog, which meant he had a history of aggression – in his case, he’d bitten a child’s face which required stitches. He’d had a good home, but had always been a bit iffy around children, then at the age of six he had a three year old (his owner’s grandchild) introduced to his household. He did get a good child-free home in the end though, with people who were able to work around his face-biting foibles.

A dog is like many things , a product of its upbringing

I think you need to look up the work of Mendle, Darwin, Crick and Watson and few few others.

Went to a job a few weeks ago where an American bulldog had ripped the arm off a 4 year old
Not a pretty site
Owner couldn’t understand it, had it since a pup and always been great with the kids up to the

Too late now though

These dogs are bred for fighting, it’s in their makeup
Why on earth would yo keep them in a family home
Really hope you never face the same problems as I’ve seen

Here’s my new addition, Neddy the Parson Russell Terrier, nearly 9 weeks old. Bought a parson as they have longer legs than a JRT and so will be better to keep up when out riding. He’s bloody nuts though, and likes to bark even at this age!!

Went to a job a few weeks ago where an American bulldog had ripped the arm off a 4 year old
Not a pretty site
Owner couldn’t understand it, had it since a pup and always been great with the kids up to the

Too late now though

These dogs are bred for fighting, it’s in their makeup
Why on earth would yo keep them in a family home
Really hope you never face the same problems as I’ve seen

Would i be wrong in presuming that this isn’t the only dog attack you’ve come across. I’d bet they weren’t all caused by staffie/staffie type dogs, but they don’t seem to get mentioned.

A lady in my office was laid in bed with her husband and their 10 year old Jack Russell, after 10 years of trouble free pet ownership it turned round and bit off her husbands lip. Ended up having a graft from skin off his leg (i think, might have been somewhere less hairy).

“Daily Mail”

by trotting out the deed not breed bullshit you are missing the point of breed specific traits. My lurcher for example wil chase anything small and furry, collies will round things up including children, springers will run around like crazy following scents and bull breeds will not run from a fight. These things need to be considered when owning a dog.

Not at all.

A responsible owner of a lurcher would take steps to ensure that the dog is exercised in a suitable environment without being a danger to himself or others. Collies (ignoring the split in showbred/isds lines for now) require sufficient mental and physical stimulation -not a 20 min on-lead walk twice a day.

Socialisation and training is important in all cases, but arguably even more so in the case bull breeds and “guarding” types.

So yes, the points you raise need to be considered when owning a dog. But if they are not, then that’s down to the idiot at the other end of the lead, not the dog.

I think it’s ashame that people consider the “deed not breed” mantra to be bullshit, as it gives an excuse for perfectly well behaved dogs to seized and destroyed based on nothing other than the way they look (see earlier “one show” link by way of example).

Taylorplayer you seem to say I’m talking shit and then argue in support of what I say. Dont follow what your point is.

Staffies are usually very friendly with people but even the best socialised and dog friendly of them will not back down if another dog starts getting aggressive its in their genes.

Expert eh? 🙄 What utter bollocks

Andy (16 staffies in the familly since 1965)

Er ok you know best.

Strange that, because it seems what you said after your

by trotting out the deed not breed bullshit you are missing the point of breed specific traits.

seems to me to be in agreement with what I was saying – i.e. deed not breed.

I seem to recall that in the past you’ve spoken against rank reduction/dominance theory and in support of positive reinforcement(or am I thinking of someone else?). In which case you may well recognise the name of Ian Dunbar – a leading proponent of positive reinforcement.

Ian Dunbar claimed that if he was to take a dog onto kids ward (as means of cheering them up), he’d choose an American Pitbullas they’re one of the most stable of breeds.

My point being that I disagree with you claiming “deed not breed is bullshit”.

in realtion to the dangerous dog act up the top of thread, why are gsd’s not on it? its the only dog breed ive ever come into contact that has made a charge for me and my dog, two different dogs on two occasions.

American pitbulls like i said about staffies are supposed to be very friendly to humans but i expect the can be pretty dog aggressive. All bullbreeds are not prone to running away from other dogs.

anagallis_arvensis – Member

Er ok you know best.

Not saying at all I do know best. Where did I say that? Just in my experience with the breed over 40 years (gulp!) that your comment is a nonsense massive generalisation. Whats the basis of it?

We had two that were fighters – both rescue dogs from troubled famillies. All the ones reared from pups never fought or felt the need to fight, prefering to run away if attacked.