My expereience with staffies are the small stocky ones and they are incredibly friendly and great with children. They are easily stolen though cause they go to anyone.
My experience with pure bred american pitbulls are good as well (this dog was papered, came from america and and it's papers were about an arm long). He wouldn't any human, my blue cattle dogs bit more people then he did Although I wouldn't trust him with another animal.
I think the problem comes from cross breeding and how they are brought up. I would hate to see what a pitt bull cross blue cattle dog would be like for instance too much power with too much brain/cunning.
When I was very little we had a Staffie and from the stories my dad tells he was the perfect dog for a small child. Apparently when I was two or three I would delight in hitting him over the head with my tonka toys in the sandpit. He'd put up with it and never threatened me. But, after I was done playing in the sandpit apparently he would ever so gently nick the back of my sandals to trip me over that was his revenge!
njd I think you make a very good point about how the way a dog is brought up affects their temperment, particularly in the case of American pit bulls. My brother in law has one, who hasn't been de-sexed (but that's another story). He's a lovely dog, who is incredibly friendly. But I am still terrified of him, mostly because of the incredible strength that is displayed with every movement he makes. But also because of the way my BIL looks after him. Being a young dog he is into everything and if left alone will destroy the house, so my BIL puts him in a cage when he goes to work or goes out. I personally think that this unacceptable.
Many people purchase dogs like american pit bulls, when they shouldn't because their lifestyle isn't suited to the breeds characteristics. When owners keep these highly active animals in cages or chained up all the time, I think they are slowly creating animals that will eventually become aggressive. I believe that like any breed, if an american pit bull is kept stimulated and shown love and affection the liklihood of it becoming aggressive is probably about the same as a labrador.
having worked in a vets / boarding /pound I have seen many a dog come though...
we had some pitties who where going though court coz the attacted someone and killed this persons dog.... but they were the sweetest dogs ever always full of love, sadly the way the owner had treaded them ( they were bred for dog fights ) they could not be near any other dogs...
I have seen so many lovely pitty's and staffy's... Its just they fact that they have lock jaw that you have to really watch them as if they do choose to turn on you or another dog ( which is normally the case and then the owners will do something silly like try to pull them apart and this is when the person gets a bite ) they can and will lock their jaw then you cant get them to let go....
to tell you the truth the only does I was every weary of were the cattle dogs they only like their owner and will bite first and think later, I personally think they should stay on the farms where they are meant to be.... and the little rat dogs, it seems the smaller the dog the more likely the little bugger would bite me.... the werid thing is if they do bite you and the owner is there they always just laugh it off almost like it didnt happen, just coz they are small, then of course the silly buggers would just pick their rat dogs up giving the dog what it wanted a reward for biting me....
I have a little rat dog and she is the most amazingly gentle little person. She puts up with all sorts from my children and our vet loves her because when she boards with him she is so friendly and tolerant of other dogs.
Most fluffy whites are lovely, it is just a minority that are nasty biters.
sorry I dont mean to say that all rat dogs are mean and nasty just that I was only ever bitten by they and never the big bad pit bulls...
sorry bad name I call them by Rat dog I mean cha ( shoot I cant spell their names to save myself hence why I call them rat dogs ) you know all the " IT " girls have them in a bag....
I am sure as with all breds there are good and bad just like humans really...
Although I wouldn't trust him with another animal.
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that was his revenge!
giving the dog what it wanted a reward for biting me....
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