Staffordshire Terriers and Pitbull Terriers.?

Question

Anyone have any personal experience? Is your dog kind and sweet? Does he get along with other animals? I really want to get a Pitbull, but my parents aren't into it because it's natural instinct is to fight other animals. Or so they think. Does your Pit get along with other animals fine? Not just dogs, but rabbits, and small animals such as rodents? If I can get people that actually know what they're talking about, not the people that think that Pit Bulls are dangerous to humans, because there are other dogs that cause more injuries and deaths than pitbulls. But if anyone can tell me of good things they know about pitbulls, not so much them being good with humans, but animals. And what kind of training did they get? Was it professional? Or was their owner just good with animals, and traning them? Any personal experience would be nice.

I have HEAVILY researched Staffordshires and Pitbulls, and I am not getting them confused, I realize they are different breeds, though they are not that different.

I am talking about an Amstaff, as I have heard that they are less aggressive, and get along better with people, and animals better.

Answer 1

There are three pit bulls in the doggy day care..None of them can play with the other dogs at free play time..They always start fights, so have to be left in their kennels until there is time for them to exercise alone...Sorry.

In the month of Feb..there were two veterinary incidences..One, the pit bull injured her nose, trying to get into another dog's kennel..(to fight)
the other, was when a pit bull got away from the handler and attacked a collie ( a very old, crippled collie!)

However, all three are VERY sweet with the staff! ..Regular love bugs..

( they are all listed by their owners as pit bulls, not Am staffs)

Answer 2

Staffy and Pitbull are different breeds. I suggest you do a bit more research on both breeds before you present a case to your parents. They may be a bit more open to your wishes if you present them with a choice of breed along with some facts and personal experience stories. If you are confusing the two breeds then you will confuse your parents. Pitbulls are banned where I live. I have 2 staffys- they are kind and sweet, good with humans and other animals- training (the right kind) is the key success factor for ANY dog.

1. You head your post Staffordshire Terriers and Pitbull Terriers and then go on to talk only about Pitbulls as if they are the same dog. You need to communicate clearly in a post so readers are clear about what you are asking. You need to apply this to communication with your parents too so they are not confused when you talk to them.
2. You say you have researched both breeds and that they are not that different. I argue that they ARE that different as are all dog breeds which is why people choose one breed over anyother. Why dont you ask that question in this forum and see what responses you get?
3. I am a parent and I was absolutely HORRIFIED when my son suggested a staffy because I thought there was little difference between a staffy and a pitbull and that both are agressive fighting dogs, not safe around humans or other animals. I did not agree to get one until my son was able to convince me with lots of facts which persuaded me to talk to other staffy owners and meet some staffy adults and puppies. As I said pitbulls are banned here so that breed was not an option to consider.
4. I am on your side but just want to tell you from personal experience as a parent that I would not have a staffy today unless my son was able help me see through my original perceptions - which turned out to be totally incorrect .

PS When I say staffy I mean English Staffordshire Bull Terrier which is a different breed to the American Staffordshire Terrier (no Bull in the name). People often get the staffy breeds confused. So do you mean the American Staff?

Answer 3

I have an Am Staff that was profesionally trained. She is good with most people, but can be choosy, and territorial. She is also that way with other dogs. For this reason she can never be allowed off leash, or taken to a dog park, for liability reasons. I can also say, that she has never hurt another person or animal, because I do not give her any oportunity to do so. If you own a pit, you have to be waaay more diligent as an owner than other dog owners, because no matter what, your pit will be "the bad guy" if anyone ever gets hurt. (no matter who starts what, or who did what) My pit gets along great with my other dog, they are buddies in everything they do. She also got along great with my indoor rabbit, and would frequently be in the same room while he was out getting exercise. She has, however,killed several small wild animals that were out in the yard. Pits have a high prey drive- If this is your first dog, I would not recommend getting a Pit. They are waay to much responsibility and work for a first time owner.

Answer 4

This is a tough one because it can depend entirely on the individual animal and their breeding. If the family tree consists entirely of the most tenacious fighters, you will have a big liability, however, a lot of pits are sweetie pies. I would say if you are unfamiliar with these two breeds, go with the Staffie. Staffordshires tend to be less aggressive and less likely to attack other animals than pits. Now don't get me wrong, I personally really like pits, I would just recommend starting with the easier of the two breeds and move up from there, especially if your parents are wary. Training is a big thing there too. If they are properly socialized early to enjoy the company of other animals such as cats, etc. you will have a much better chance of not having a problem. Just remember, you are dealing with a breed that was bred to fight, so there is a chance of having problems. They are not Golden Retrievers, but if you are prepared to properly train and socialize, you should be just fine.

Answer 5

i have had 12 years of raising and caring for them along with rotts and sheps and if you get one as a pup and do the socailizing(with dogs, people along with other animals) and training that it needs it will be fine training is the hard part they are a very hardheaded dog and will always be that way they express themselves very well you may want to skip the paper training and do house training because most tend to not get the idea thats its outside only if you get a pit mix depending on the mix they train farly well they will always have to be around people and pets due to the fact that if not the tend to want a territory all on thier own the way we have raised ours was by taking them to others houses with other people and kids and a pet friendly house so cats and rodents you name it they had it i am now traing a pitt/rott mix and he plays with the cats and the ferret at all times these are not outside dogs they can not deal with the weather if its cold the hair does not keep alot of heat if its to cold for you than its usally to cold for them light colored pits get sunburned real easly and if you make them a strict outside dog the become mean or really fearful these are not dogs that should be hit or yelled at every sec of the day treats work the best for trainin and if you establish how you want them from the start they become great dogs many farmers in nebraska and in the midwest use them as herding dogs and workers the are very good with pain and will keep working until the jobs is done no matter what the cause. they always want to please the owner and that is the 2 big reason they have become the big fighting dog in america because they dont give up it is how you raise them and if you treat them like they should be all the dogs i have raised were strictly indoor I will warn you though they can be very protective at times which can cause problems if you or your parnets have any questions please email at [e-mail]

Answer 6

Well, i have owned australian staffordshire bull terriers, which arent pit bulls but from what i can see are closer to pit bulls than english staffies are. One in particular, Taila, was quite neurotic about other dogs and animals, although i think that was our siamese cats, Yang's fault, he used to sit there and stir the staffy up, from a safe vantage point. She was good with people, but needed plenty of training, mainly with food rewards (fat thing she was), and had a tendancy to wander given the opportunity.

Any dog just needs proper training and socialisation, some breeds need more proffessional training than others, and any pup raised in a good loving home, with good training, good socialisation, will probably grow into a well rounded sweet dog. I own 2 dobermans and a 213lb bull arab (aussie bred pig hunting dog), and they all have the potential to be deadly, but any dog can be with the wrong treatment, right sort of victim and opportunity, even a chihuahua could kill a baby in the wrong circumstance. But thankfully i consider my dogs to be as safe as a dog can be possibly considered.

I know this isnt quite the answer you were looking for, but good training, good socialisation can create brilliant dogs, if in doubt, ask your vet for a referral to a proffessional trainer for advice.

Answer 7

I have three dogs and only one is a Pit Bull. All three would eat a rodent in a New York Second. Probably a rabbit too unless I had it as a house pet and introduced it where they got used to it and learned it was not to be harmed. Dogs can learn this. But it is in a dog's nature, any dog, any breed, to go after animals that run across a yard or in a parking lot or wherever. I have a tiny kitten I am bottle feeding and I introduced it to my dogs and carefully monitored them. At first they were antsy, but now they have accepted the kitten and they are gentle with him.
My Pitbull has been to the dog park. She was bottle raised too. She was even attacked by a Yorkie mix and did not fight that dog or bite it. I started with basic obedience classes when she was a puppy. She is not as well trained as I would like her to be. But she is safe around people and their pets. If you were on a farm and had small animals, any dog incl. a pit bull could harm them and any dog would need to learn to accept them. One of my dogs is a Golden Retriever/Anatolian Shep mix. I tried to introduce a Dumbo Rat to her and she restrained herself, but there was no doubt in my mind, even with me being there, that she would be safe around that rat. She wanted to eat it. No amount of training would have prevented that. So we didn't keep the Rat.

Answer 8

yes they are about the main ingredient of the pitbull.the basis of all the bull terriers go back to ancient britain when they were used to bull bait or fight as a source of entertainment and income in cases, these early dogs were known as pugnases, they were bulldogs, different but not too unlike todays bulldogs. As the bulldog instinct is to grip and not let go they mixed there beeding a bit, the result gave them adog which was more agile and fiercer making the fights more of a bloody spectacle, this was the staffordshire bull terrier. Other incarnations in these days were when they mixed the staffy with a touch of dalmation and other breeds selectively the result gave us the english bull terrier. so all the bull terriers were spun off the early pugnase (BULLDOG). JUST to add dog fighting disgusts me, this is just how it was. p.s if your dog is of decent nature the law has moe important things to bother about, than trying to prove your dogs not staffy, you have a staffy, leave it at that and stop worrying.

Answer 9

My cousin had a pit bull, lovely with people, but ended up injuring a neighbors flock of sheep. Killed one and mauled 3 others. Had to be put down.
Friends have two, male and female - a prize winning, breeding pair. Said the girl's fine, but don't trust the boy around males. The male ended up nearly having a go at a judge, and can no longer be shown.

Answer 10

My Staffordshire mix is VERY sweet. He loves everyone. He is picky about other dogs but I know his body language and signs well enough to keep fights from occuring. He LOVES cats. I've had several people who are afraid of dogs or just don't like them fall in love with my boy. My dog was rescued from a shelter and came to me entirely trained. I even had to convince him it was okay to get on the couch with me!

My mother's American Pit Bull Terrier is also VERY sweet. He's goofy and loving. He loves all people, all other dogs, and cats. He lives with 3 other dogs, six cats, and three rats. My mother has given her dog minimal training.

The bull breeds are my favorite. I love their temperments and they are VERY trainable. A good way to explain their temperments to your parents may be that it's not their nature to fight out dogs, but they do have a shorter fuse for situation for other dogs. They can be trained to ignore that impulse for awhile but its important to not to put them into situations where they can fail, i.e. don't take them to a dog park, don't enroll them in doggie daycare, etc. It's a situation specific to their breeding, just like you need to exercise border collies to keep them happy.

I'm sure your local shelter has PLENTY of pits and pit mixes. Why don't you take your parents there and have them play with some. If they have some experience with them and see their personalities first hand, they may be more willing.