Staffy Owners Please

[Marley'z Mum]

hi all

I am the owner of a 10wk old staffy x ridgeback, i have to say, there is barely any ridgeback in him, he is small no giant paws to grow into an he is brindle an everyone that meets him goes "oh he is cute, is he a staffy" to the point i have stop'd sayin x.....

I was just wondering if some staffy owners could give me some ideas what i mite have to look forward to with this georgeous boy....

I have never had a staffy but have heard wonderful things bout em....

I am already amazed at how much he just loves my kids, he is always happy to see me but its just different how happy he is to see the kids....

[WreckitWhippet]

;) being a cross bred, he could grow large, he could have a temperament that is unlike either of the breeds, who knows, there's no predicting what a cross bred will do.

Take him to obedience, put in lots of time socialising him, raise him right and you can look forward to life with a good canine citizen and well adjusted family member.

[Marley'z Mum]

there is no predicting what ANY breed will do! Cross breed or not!

I just wanted to know a little about staffy's

I really dont understand y crossbreeds r treatd like leppers, i understand this mostly for purebreds but as there is no CROSSbreed forum, y should they need there own forum?? I didnt think it would be such a issue, this isnt the first time i have had the reaction of crossbreed? CROSSbreed? CROSSBREED??

Again i just wantd to know a lil bout staffys maybe see a few fotos...... Sometimes i wonder y i post at all

[supercharged]

MM, I think you took that to heart and it was uncalled for.........SBT did not attack you or indicate your pup was a leppar, just simply stated the facts as the facts are.

Plus gave you some sound advice! Is there a bee in your bonnet or what?

Staffy's can be great dogs, I don't own one but my family owns two. Very loyal loving dogs, can be boisterous and pig-headed when it comes to training but so too can many other breeds. Firm consistent guidance worked for my family's dogs.

Hope you the information you are after,

S

[koalathebear]

there is no predicting what ANY breed will do! Cross breed or not!

I just wanted to know a little about staffy's

I really dont understand y crossbreeds r treatd like leppers, i understand this mostly for purebreds but as there is no CROSSbreed forum, y should they need there own forum?? I didnt think it would be such a issue, this isnt the first time i have had the reaction of crossbreed? CROSSbreed? CROSSBREED??

Again i just wantd to know a lil bout staffys maybe see a few fotos...... Sometimes i wonder y i post at all

Hi there - I don't think you should worry so much and you shouldn't feel like a leper. DOL is a forum that is predominantly for discussing purebred dogs - but that doesn't mean that the members don't welcome owners of cross-bred dogs or aren't willing to share their opinions and advice with owners of mutts & mongrels. There's even a whole M&M thread ;)

As to the comment above, while you never know for sure what any dog will turn out to be like, from what I can gather - responsible breeders of purebred dogs have a pretty good idea of what their dogs will look like (size/colouring blah blah) and also temperament and abilities. With cross-breeds, the result can be much more uncertain - and some would argue that the unpredictability can be part of the charm of a cross-breed/mongrel.

I'm the owner of a dog that's a kelpie/border collie cross - that isn't a very uncommon mixture so most people in the know can tell me that the kelpie/bc mix results in a very high energy, intelligent dog - which has turned out to be absolutely true so far.

All dogs need socialisation and training and it's even more important for the bigger dogs because when they're not cute little puppies anymore, their unmannerly conduct can be quite disagreeable and overpowering.

When I was feeling a bit wounded recently, another poster named wuffles reminded me that dog owners who post on the internet on a dog forum need to develop a thick skin - and that's absolutely correct There are certainly cross-bred discussion forum out there but from someone who has scoured the net since getting a puppy, I can tell you that DOL is certainly the best place for an Australian dog owner to get information and there are many helpful people in this place.

Hope you feel better soon - after all, your puppy is super-adorable and lovable. Also - I know how stressful it is to be looking after a puppy. I'm constantly worried that I'm doing the wrong thing and scarring my poor puppy's psyche forever and when I see how super behaved some other people's dogs are - I wonder if Elbie the Turbo Monster will ever be like that

Edited June 22, 2010 by koalathebear

[WreckitWhippet]

Breeds are bred to be predictable, there's a desired type, temperament and characteristics for all of them. That is what makes them "breeds" , otherwise we'd just have generic dog.

If you'd come on the forum and said " I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier ( or any breed ), what can I expect " then you could be given a more precise answer.

You have a cross bred, it may or may not be an SBT cross, it could have a fraction RR in it, it could have any number of breeds in the mix. It might take after the SBT to a certain degree, it could look like an SBT and act like an RR or it's temperament may be totally different from either.

[tlc]

Maybe a good place to start wold be head on over to the Stafford thread, I hear they are a friendly bunch!!

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=50264

I have friends with Staffords, Pure Bred and cross bred all lovely dogs!! Have fun with your pup and don't be to defensive about X breeds, just love your pup and give him and give him the best life you can give!!

[WreckitWhippet]

Here's a extract from both of the breed standards, which might help to explain why an answer is hard to give

The RR

Temperament: Dignified, intelligent, aloof with strangers, but showing no aggression or shyness.

The SBT

Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity. Highly intelligent and affectionate especially with children.

Temperament: Bold, fearless and totally reliable.

[Clyde]

Maybe a good place to start wold be head on over to the Stafford thread, I hear they are a friendly bunch!!

That's a vicious rumour! ;)

My main concern would be with that mix, is that the dog will look like a pit bull type. A friend bought the same mix a year or so ago and while the dog is a nutcase (but a nice one), she looks very pit bull-ish. Certainly enough for her to be concerned about her local council!

Good luck with him, I'm sure he's gorgeous!

[Marley'z Mum]

ok wow... alot can happen when ya dont get on the puter for a while.....hehe

I didn't mean to sound snappy, tis just a lil frustrating when it seems like cross breeds are looked down upon... I can assure you this little boy is very loved! I understand that being a cross breed it is hard to tell what temperament he may have...

my intention was to find out what ppls experiences have been with staffy's..... here is a photo of my georgeous lil munchkin

they arent the greatest photo's but it gives you some idea of what he looks like, all the really good photo's are to big to upload

[GRLC]

ok wow... alot can happen when ya dont get on the puter for a while.....hehe

I didn't mean to sound snappy, tis just a lil frustrating when it seems like cross breeds are looked down upon... I can assure you this little boy is very loved! I understand that being a cross breed it is hard to tell what temperament he may have...

my intention was to find out what ppls experiences have been with staffy's..... here is a photo of my georgeous lil munchkin

they arent the greatest photo's but it gives you some idea of what he looks like, all the really good photo's are to big to upload

what a cute lil boy you have

[WreckitWhippet]

Are you sure it's an SBT cross ? Looks more like a Kelpie cross. The long coat, ears and head shape are a long way from an SBT.

[aussielover]

What a cute puppy! He looks very tiny!

Most staffies and staffy crosses I have met have been pretty boisterous (in a friendly way). But how the dog behaves does really have a lot to do with how the owner trains it.

I agree with SBT- he does look like he's got some kelpie in him, so you might be in for a bit of a challenge in terms of exercise requirements and the amount of mental stimulation required!

[Sandra777]

A bit on the furry side for a SBT x Ridgeback - I would have said some sort of kelpie/cattle dog type long before SBT or Ridgeback.

As for temperament - being a crossbred means he could have any sort of basic temperament - friendly with people, aloof with people, prone to prey-drive behaviour, not prone to prey-drive behaviour, prone to dog aggression, not prone to dog aggression.

All you can do is raise him well and if you see signs of him displaying specific traits you don't want (herding, guarding for example) then act on managing that behaviour - you won't change his basic nature but many things people see as being a "problem" can be managed if you understand the dog is hardwired to do certain things (depending on it's inborn temperament) and honestly cannot help itself, but can be trained to moderate the behaviour to a degree.

ETA: if I can I'll add a photo of my 9 week old brindle Stafford puppy tonight for comparison with your boy.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Sandra777

[Simply Grand]

Interesting comments about him maybe having Kelpie in him, my first thought when I saw the pictures was that he looks a bit like koalathebear's Elbie (Kelpie x BC).

Actually that was my second thought, my first though was "he's so cuuuuuuute!"

[Marley'z Mum]

thanks everyone for the replies... I honestly wouldnt be suprised what he had in him, didnt come from the most honest of ppl, i myself thought he looked a lil like elbie...

Will try an post a clearer pic later, he has a very broad chest which is unusual for kelpies isnt it? An the brindle colour? He is full brindle,..... I önce had a corgi cross ridgebak who lookd like a taller skinnier corgi, if it wasnt for the perfèct ridge on her bak u wouldnt have known she had it in her

I was told this lil cutie's mum was ridge cross staffy only an dad was pure staffy.... Prob lied 2 :-/ doesnt make us love hìm any less tho :-)

[Marley'z Mum]

please look at my other post calld what do u think, there is a couple of clearer photos there, an let me know what u think pls

[Sandra777]

Nine weeks old yesterday

And I've posted this one before...

both of these dogs were rescued from the same pound and described as "staffy cross""

[koalathebear]

sandra777: OMG ... he is so cute I have no idea how you managed to set him on the ground long enough to take the photo. I would have been cuddling him and making revolting cutesy noises at him ...