Temperament
Bold, inquisitive and fearless the Staffie is renowned for its reliability as a family dog. They are extremely loving dogs, being loyal and devoted to people, with special emphasis on their reliability with children. The breed thrives in the family environment, being a suitably compact size for close family living. For these reasons, they are sometimes referred to as "nanny dogs".
As a result of their dog fighting heritage, one of the problems noticed in this breed is a tendency of aggression towards other dogs. It must be understood that even a Staffordshire Bull Terrier with "good" temperament may fight when challenged by another dog and should therefore be adequately controlled in public places. It is a good idea to avoid possible confrontational situations and a good idea to use a toy to distract the dog around other dogs.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier owners have a certain obligation to society (as could be said of all dog owners), and should always ensure that their dogs are correctly and adequately housed and not allowed to roam freely in public and in the vicinity of children or unfamiliar dogs. It is always good advice to avoid allowing your Staffie to make eye to eye contact with strange dogs, as this is normally seen as a challenge. It must also be understood, that dog aggression is not related to human aggression in this breed. A staffie that is aggressive to strange dogs may still be completely trustworthy to humans.
Staffies are notorious for their tenacity and strength. They will not start fights with other dogs, but won't back down, and usually win. If they get hit in the head or hurt themselves they show no pain. Although they are fighters, they are good pets and generally won't harm anyone.
The German Shepherd Dog League of N.S.W recognised this very problem in its breed and has set up a tough accreditation program for its breeders. There isn't such a program amongst Staffie owners, however there are very good breeders who are mindful of producing dogs with stable temperaments. It is important that any breeder can satisfy you that the puppy you are interested in, and its parents, have a stable temperament. Avoiding aggression can also be aided by proper socialisation and training of the puppy. Puppies should be regularly exposed to the full gamut of situations that they are likely to encounter as older dogs. Regular, supervised contact with other dogs, children and any other family pet, along with early obedience training will help ensure that the dog grows into a well socialised animal.
The Staffie is as 'daft as a brush' in its home environment, but needs a lot of exercise for its powerful jaws. Unless you are prepared to have your house and furniture chewed to rubble by your pet, you should keep it in an area where it can do minimal damage to your home and ensure it is exercised daily. It also needs plenty of things to chew on which you don't value, such as chewing materials you can buy at pet shops, and better still, large raw meaty bones.
Obedience training is imperative to ensure that the owner feels they will have control over their dog in any situation. A Staffie well versed in the commands ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ is an animal that knows its place and can be confidently managed. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not a dog that should be allowed to roam off leash, and he can sometimes be quarrelsome with other canines and small animals - this varies between individual dogs, but it is something that should always be kept in mind, particularly with adult (over two years of age) dogs.[1]
Staffie puppies are also quick learners and if properly trained and given clear boundaries from day one then are very obedient and loyal dogs to have. They are also ideal family pets as they love children and other pets if brought up with them. As with most breeds females are easier to train and less aggressive when they're older. However, given proper training and boundaries, these dogs are lovely loyal pets.
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