Correctly socialized from a young age Staffies do make very good watchdogs. They go about their duties in a sensible way. And they would protect you if absolutely needed.
They are definitely watchdogs over guard dogs. And for actual protection and guarding skills, there are other much better choices such as Bull Terrier.
- Bull Terriers are excellent guard dogs. Read Bull Terrier 101 to learn more about the breed.
Staffies will totally bark at strangers they just won’t stand their ground. As you approach them they will stop barking and roll onto their back so you can scratch their belly.
- Staffies are great companions, love people, great with children, and excellent temperaments.
They love people even if they have never met them before. If they think they will get pats and cuddles they are very happy to accept anyone!
How Does Staffies Look Like
Staffies are small to medium-sized dogs.
- Staffie boasts a compact stocky and muscular appearance.
- They boast a broad school of pronounced cheeks and short for face very distinct stop. That’s unique to the breed.
- They are black noses and dark-colored eyes.
- Although some dogs with lighter coats may have two-colored eyes. This is totally acceptable as a breed standard.
- Eyes are nicely rounded. A medium in size with dark rims which are set on a dog’s head. This means that they look nice to the front.
- Staffies ears can be half pricked or upright. And nicely proportioned in relation to their head.
- They have ultra-strong jaws of a perfect scissor bite.
- And a very strong muscular short neck. The neck goes down to broad and powerful shoulders.
- A Staffordshire bull terrier both strong for quarters with well bone legs are set wide apart.
- Their feet turn ever so slightly outwards.
- And their shoulders are powerful and well laid back.
- Their body is nicely proportioned. And the body is well defined with a deep brisket and strong ribcage.
- Their hindquarters are extremely muscular and built to provide dogs a lot of power when needed.
- Their feet are very well padded.
- The nails are always black.
- Staffies have medium-length straight tails that they carry quite low in relation to their bodies.
- They are red, fawn, white, black blue and all the above colors intermixed with white.
- Any shades of brindle or any shade of brindle with white markings. These are only colors that are highly undesirable in the breed and the kennel club standards are liver and black and tan. And any Staffordshire bull terrier with these coat colors could not be registered with the kennel club
Staffies have a powerful action that’s free-moving and agile. They appear to cover a lot of ground with a minimum of effort. When seen from the front or back their legs move parallel to each other with lots of power coming from their back legs.
Are Staffies intelligent
Staffies are known for their bold and courageous natures. But
- the breed is also renowned for being totally reliable and intelligent.
Although they can be a little bit headstrong and stubborn at times. However, Staffies do need to be handled and well-trained for them to be well-rounded dogs.
With the right direction and because they are such smart dogs they click, hop, and learn new things very easily.
The downside is that they can also pick up bad behaviors just as well as they do with a good. But all with this we’ve said
- a well-bred and well-socialized staff is a real pleasure to be around.
Are Staffies Dangerous
Staffies reputation for being aggressive by nature is totally unfounded. And they should not be thought of as being a dangerous breed whatsoever.
- Staffies just love being around people.
And they don’t do well left on their own for any length of time. This could lead to some destructive behaviors around the home.
- The Staffies is known to be kind and tolerant towards children of all ages. Although they are known to play roughly and they can be boisterous at times.
- Always make sure that the children and Staffies are never left together unattended.
So owners need to be careful around younger children. And it is crucial for parents to teach young children how to behave around dogs. And when to stay away from them. Particularly when there is food around or during playtime
Are Staffies Good With Cats And Other Dogs
Well, Staffies are not very good with cats and other dogs in the family.
- Staffies need to be well socialized from a young age for them to accept being around other family pets.
Any introductions to new animals must be done gently carefully and slowly to avoid any aggressive behavior.
Staffies need to be well socialized when they’re still puppies. And introduced to as many other animals and situations as possible for them to become these beautiful well-rounded mature dogs.
- However, Staffies can show aggression towards other dogs and cats.
This is why it’s important they be introduced to each other slowly and carefully. It is to make sure things go smoothly and that no pets get stressed out which could lead to aggressive behavior.
Are Staffies Good With Kids
If you’re going to bring a guard dog into your home with children. It’s absolutely imperative that they be good with your children of all ages.
It’s also important to think of the bigger picture. This includes your children’s friends coming over to play or meeting other children out in public.
- Staffies can’t help themselves when it comes to showing their affection. And will jump up on and lick your face.
It’s just part of their loving personalities. And this can be a concern with children around the house.
- If they do jump up around smaller children or try to lick smaller children in their face. It can cause some unfortunate accidents.
A well-trained Staffordshire bull terrier makes wonderful well-behaved and affectionate family pets.
The most endless amounts of energy and enthusiasm for life they’re a real pleasure to have around to share a home with.
But in general when well handled the Staffie shows a gentle and exceptionally loyal nature especially to one person which is typically the person who feeds them. They’ll also learn to obey commands relatively quickly. But be warned they can have a stubborn streak. And can choose to ignore you when the mood takes them.
Common Problem With Staffies: Chewing
- They are powerful chewers.
If being left for long periods of time, they will resort to chewing anything they can find around the home.
- Staffies quickly become bored or stressed when they to their own devices.
They also need to chew on things that keep their teeth healthy and in good condition.
- Chewing also helps older staffers stay relaxed when they’re feeling any form of stress.
It’s good to make sure that you have excellent positive chewing things for them to have around the house. So they don’t resort to your furniture.
Intimidation Factor
As for Staffies breed, 99% of the time intimidation is enough to scare off any would-be bad guy.
The size of the dog is also an intimidation factor. And Staffies are small to medium-sized dogs.
- Males can grow 36 to 41 centimeters weigh-in 13 to 17 kilos and females 33 to 38 centimeters weighing 11 to 15 point 4 kilos.
However, Staffies intimidation often does come from their negative stereotypes. As mentioned are completely unfounded. But is something to bear in mind when we are talking about intimidation.
Trainability
Staffies are intelligent and they are responsibly bred. And known to be stable and comfort dogs in the right hands with the correct amount of training.
Staffies are quite easy to train to provide their owners can match the intelligence of their pets.
- Staffies are known to have a stubborn streak in them.
- Staffies will always test the limits as to how far they can go.
This means they need to be handled with a firm yet gentle hand.
Getting a dog to focus can be problematic especially when Staffies are still young. Because they can be boisterous and quite headstrong as puppies and in their teenage years.
With this said once you’ve got their attention they will listen and learn. But it’s essential for Staffordshire bull terriers to be well socialized and trained from a young age for them to be more manageable adult dogs.
Their training must start early. Because if they pick up any bad habits. And this could prove challenging to correct further down the line.
Teaching a Staffy the basic commands from the word go is essential. And does pay dividends as a dog matures.
Always bearing in mind that Staffordshire bull terriers have known to be quite independent and headstrong. So you need to be able to match this and manage it for you to have a wonderful obedient well-trained dog
Are Staffies Healthy
When you bring a dog into your family environment they become a part of the family. And as with any member of the family, you want them to be fit healthy, and around for as long as possible.
- The average life expectancy for Staffies is between 12 and 14 years when properly cared for and fed an appropriate good quality diet to suit their ages.
Although a healthy breed the Staffies is known to suffer from a few hereditary and acquired health issues. These are worth knowing about if you’ve decided to share your home with one of these delightful and affectionate dogs.
The most commonly seen health disorders are as follows
- hereditary cataracts,
- Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous
- Cancer
- heart disease
- obesity
- and mast cell tumor.
Staffers are not known to be fussy eaters. And some of them like their food a little bit too much.
The problems can start when a dog is spayed or neutered. And they can be prone to gaining weight.
It’s very important to keep an eye on a Staffies weight. This is to ensure a dog is not being overfed or not being given enough daily exercise.
Bear in mind that being obese will shorten a dog’s life by several years. And also put them at risk of developing a lot more health issues. Staffies may be prone to allergies which can be caused by various things. And all too often finding the triggers does prove challenging.
