Pollywaffle Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I had to ask this question..yesterday I went on the UK equivalent RSPCA site to see what sort of dogs were being surrendered and in what sort of numbers and I was surprised to see that over a third of all the dogs listed (some 350) were 'staffordshire bull terriers'. I don't know much about the breed but they were gorgeous looking dogs..wondered if anyone knew why and whether Australia was witnessing a similar trend? Another observation..most of the dogs listed were big dogs and often from several prior homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenGirl85 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 (edited) A lot of what you saw would have probably been 'Staffies'..... byb mutts of bull breed origin, usually brindle Unfortunately the same happens here Edited January 5, 2012 by GoldenGirl85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Mainly due to their popularity, they are a very popular breed and therefore more of them show up in pounds, that's just my experience though. They're gorgeous dogs, most likely our next dog will be an SBT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A lot of what you saw would have probably been 'Staffies'..... byb mutts of bull breed origin, usually brindle Unfortunately the same happens here True. More crosses than actual SBT's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dognurse Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 look at any pound site in the country and you will see an over represenation of staffordshire bull terriers. its so sad I think people get Staffies because they look tough and people see them as status symbols but dont realise how needy and family orientated they are. Beautiful and terriffic dogs, but also needy, whingey, rambunctious, stubborn and without proper training, socialisation and stimulation can get noisy and destructive. They are terriffic family dogs and they crave attention and dont cope well with being locked in a backyard to guard property and 'look' tough. At the moment in victoria with all the BSL bullshit that has happened, more and more staffies, english and american staffy crosses, are being dumped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacqui835 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A lot of what you saw would have probably been 'Staffies'..... byb mutts of bull breed origin, usually brindle Unfortunately the same happens here True. More crosses than actual SBT's Sometimes it's hard to tell. The BYB ones can be pure, but pred from poor quality animals that don't at all conform to the breed standard. But yeah no doubt heaps of crosses as well, though of course a lot of the dogs labeled staffy crosses very possibly don't have staffy in them anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pollywaffle Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 I'm going to work on the basis that there are so many of these 'staffies' because they ARE so popular..I would hate to think of such a lovely breed being treated so poorly..but then I guess that is the plight for all dog breeds - to varying degrees. Thanks for clarifying .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabel964 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Yes, its the same here. My guess is that people get them because they are such a good looking strong and beautiful dog. But these dogs need obedience training and lots of love. Otherwise they would be try strong dogs with no obedience and without love....I don't know but its not good. These are really sweet dogs and very trainable. People just think a dog is cute and you just have to feed it. They don't understand the needs of dogs, or how to properly raise one to be well adjusted and a happy member of the family who knows it place and knows its loved and is obedient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A well bred pure SBT is a wonder to behold - both in looks AND temperament. You won't see many well bred SBT's in pounds - they are definitely "keepers"... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 The majority of the dogs referred to are the "generic brindle pound mutt " AKA "Staffy" and a lot of cross bred dogs that are also labelled as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade~Harley~Bella Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I think people get them because they are cheap (due to the availability(thanks BYB's)) or they get the on a whim with out really thinking about what is involved and the costs etc. Once the cute puppy stage is done the dog is put in the back yard until the people get sick of them then surrender them to the pound/shelters. When I was a vollie at the RSPCA the most typical breeds of dog we would have in were working dogs (cattle, kelpie), a fair few grey hounds and then with puppies lots of bull arab mixes. Staffies generally were adopted pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 There is a huge oversupply of badly bred SBTs and crossbreds, making them readily available to every moron that wants a tough looking dog and has no idea how to handle one. I know lots of people love them but they are more than the average pet owner can handle. Their energy and exuberance combined with strength, agility and the power to chew through just about anything makes them like a wrecking ball on legs that can escape from just about anywhere if they are not raised right and confined properly. They are also a very noisy breed so can cause problems with neighbours. The noise when they play sounds like a full scale attack is going on. Like most terriers breeds they are also intolerant of other dogs unless heavily socialised and trained as puppies. Even then, they may not start a fight but most will certainly finish it to the detriment of any dog that challenges them. So all in all they can be huge liability and once they get difficult people dump them or don't bother to get them back after they escape again. I cringe every time someone on here recommends them as a suitable breed for anyone who was not thinking about a terrier breed to start with. The really well bred ones from the top breeders that are socialised, trained and kept confined, can be delightful dogs and real characters but the majority that end up in the pounds are not like this at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 In California people have given up separating the bull breed types and call them all pit bulls. 40% + of the dogs coming into the LA County dog shelter are classed as pit bulls. I don't think these numbers are overestimates . . . though few of the dogs are purebred. Bull breeds generally have lower adoption rates than others in shelters . . . thus if the intake person has a choice between, say, calling the dog a pit bull X or border collie X, the dog will be a BC-X. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 There are always heaps of them taking up space in our local pound, Some of them look purebred, some look like crosses, some don't look much like a Staffie, but if it's brindle and has a big head it gets called that anyway. Then I look on DOL and see 80 or so new litters being advertised. That does my head in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 There's a blue one in today's listings, obviously addressing the colour balance of pound staffies. Looks purebred too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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