Enclosed are photos of Dolly in her new home and with her new family. As you can see she is very happy and adored. However, less than a week before she was due to go to them, they rang me saying they were having "second thoughts". What had happened was they had contacted a trainer recommended by a friend, who on hearing it was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, albeit only five months old, had refused to take it in her class! She also said that just because Dolly was ok with other dogs now she could change.
This coupled with the reaction of friends when they excitedly told them what breed of puppy they were getting!
At first I didn't know how to answer them but said I would talk to my colleagues. Before I had chance to discuss it the phone rang again and it was a lady from another rescue also a Stafford owner. I ran the situation past her remembering as I did so that she had had that very situation, when her Stafford bitch whom she had always trusted one hundred percent, became very dog aggressive. Following a chat with my other "colleagues", Dave and Val, I rang her back to say we could not guarantee that she would not change and if they had doubts they might be better off with a different breed.
Well happily after much thought they decided to take her and the photos speak for themselves.
What answer would you have given?
At the moment there is uproar about an article written for a dog magazine by eminent Stafford people, informing people about Staffords and at one point stating care must be taken with some Staffords with other dogs and other animals. Some Stafford owners are upset because they feel it does not portray Staffords in a positive light at a time when their image needs to be promoted.
I personally feel it is irresponsible and unrealistic not to face up to the fact Staffords can be dog aggressive and as I have said before if you are lucky enough to own a dog who is good with other dogs you still need to own the breed as a whole and certainly not condemn your fellow Stafford owners who are not so lucky.
I absolutely agree that people should be warned that some Staffies could become dog unfriendly - along with the caveat that some poodles, spaniels and corgis etc etc can also bite other dogs. They're dogs, for goodness sake. I've now had five rescue Staffords all but the last (Monty) have had problem issued which - and this is the other part of my case - CAN SOMETIMES be trained out of them. Certainly this was the case of my penultimate, Tom who once dragged me and a German Shepher across a field - it took a year, and I nevr took chances, but in the end Tom was a calm, and still very powerful boy.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that it should have been pointed out but also would have liked it to be expressed in a different tone with said caveat that ANY dog can become DA. I think we forget sometimes that we have a complete power house on the end of the lead and with the reputation that SBT’s have a lunging barking one is frowned at more than another breed.
ReplyDeleteI have been lucky enough to own, adopt and foster many Staffies all off which have been fine, but constant vigilance is vital in this area as it should be with any dog.