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About the Staffordshire Bull Terrier
The Stafford is now a hugely popular dog but before you purchase your puppy you really need to ask yourself 'Is a Stafford the right breed for you?
The Stafford is well known for its love of humans and most especially children. He is most happy when on your lap and surrounded by his human family. He will quite happily spend time with children and indeed they are well known for their love of children - however - this does not make him a childrens dog! A child should never be left alone to play unsupervised with a Stafford (or any breed of dog) and should not be allowed to walk a Stafford on their own. The Stafford has great strength for his size and only has to spot something of interest in the distance and he's off! A child is unable to restrain an adult Stafford with his mind firmly set on getting to where he wants to go. As the Stafford is such a robust and energetic breed, children also need to learn boundaries and 'Stafford manners' so as not to be hurt by an overexcited 20kg ball of muscle!
A Stafford needs to be with his people and does not thrive as a backyard dog with minimal human contact. The stafford is highly intelligent and easily trained as a house dog and with a short coat that gives minimal moult they much prefer to be in the house and around their humans. Staffords are adversely affected by extremes of heat and cold and must be provided with appropiate warm, dry housing if living outdoors in winter. In the heat of summer, daily fresh water and access to cool, shady areas in the heat of summer are essential to help prevent heat exhaustion. Most Staffords do not realise they are Staffords and instead see themselves as a four legged human. They can be quite needy and if they become bored or lonely can quite easily turn destructive or into escape artists. Involve your Stafford in your day to day routine and family lifestyle and you'll have a happy Stafford. They are quite happy to go for jogs, walks, the beach or just as happy to sit with you on the sofa. The central theme here being as long as they are WITH YOU!
Due to his love of humans, Staffords do not often make good guard dogs. Whilst he may look somewhat intimidating a Stafford is more often than not likely to show your burglar where the good silver is and then hop in the car after him for the ride. So if you are looking for a dog to be protective of the home - the Stafford is NOT it!
You must always keep in mind that the Stafford was originally bred as a fighting dog. Although this barbaric sport is no longer legal - the Stafford still retains his history. Whilst a Stafford may not always start an altercation - he will more than likely be the one to finish it. He is not the type of dog you can always run off lead down at the local park. A Stafford will not generally be aggressive indiscriminately but nor will he back down if challenged and he never forgets. For this reason it is important that young staffords get plenty of socialisation in everyday situations and around all sorts of animals and other dogs. It is the owners responsibilty to maintain a safe and secure property to prevent their stafford from roaming and provide exercise and training to ensure a well rounded canine family member who is relaxed and obedient in all his daily environments.
The Stafford has many positive virtues. He is a great family dog, he is a clown, he is undyingly loyal and if brought up correctly will make you the perfect companion for the duration of his life.
The following link leads you to a video telling the 'Real Story' about our precious breed...