Steve you are so right,We don't have many Staffords around here,we met a woman last year who was out with her elderly dog,who was scared stiff of Tyler,because some mindless idiot had let there dog run loose(Stafford) for it to attack her and another womans dog,the dogs had nasty injuries and both women got bit.We had a good chat and see her regularly now and she loves Tyler,but your right,i feel as though i am always defending our breed,through idiotic owners

Keep it up though Sal,we willl win in the end,we have to or we will see the downfall of such a loving breed,and that would be the saddest thing ever.We will win because there are a lot of responsible Stafford owners on here and out there who care enough,and as Stormey rightly says unfortunately it will be another breed soon.

So sad, but so very true

Couldn't agree more Stamford, we need to keep up the good work and hopefully it will have an impact ! !!

http://www.highland-news.co.uk/news/...nst_abuse.html

Thats why we went to our local paper and they were delighted to do an exclusive on the responsible owners. Certainly had a few reactions from the article, all good i might add. More people should try this if their breed is getting a slating. It took time but eventually, someone wanted to hear "the other side of the story"! x

That is a brilliant article. I hope something along them lines can be published nationally, and if not nationally then at least in the mersyside area where there is a backlash going on as we speak. I have been on the liverpool echo site today and read a number of distressing posts by people who have had their dogs taken from them and destroyed. Some of which have admitted their dogs are pit bulls, for which you have to ask the question of why people are knowingly purchasing a banned breed, but then others have had their dogs destroyed who are not pit bulls. One woman has had a staffy cross american bulldog destroyed, and her 13 year old daughter has also been on the site extremely upset at loosing her loving pet. I had to stop reading on as I felt myself getting more and more angry. Hope this all dies down soon.

Apologies if I have gone off topic at all.

There's a woman I see most mornings who has a rescue staffie on our village green, and I remember the first time I ever met her and she said exactly the same thing to me???!!! I said it's ok my two are friendly, but she insisted that her staffie didn't like other dogs sniffing him. Funny thing is, that was 3 years ago,and it has never gone for either of my two dogs even though they greet him on a regular basis??

I don't know, maybe it's better to be safe than sorry, and then if it did go for either of your dogs, the lad would have turned round and said "I told you you should have put them on a lead"??? Maybe it wasn't his dog and he was walking it for somebody else perhaps and he felt a bit vulnerable??

There's unsociable dogs in all breeds I suppose, just a shame these dogs have got this reputation. I've only ever met friendly ones in my time, but then they don't belong to hoodies, they belong to responsible adults!

Yes i get what you mean, and my neighbour called his dog back and she came, Star gave it a quick sniff as he barged past as it was in his way. I think it is the lads dog as its with him all the time. But its another case of people telling me to put mine on lead as theres are not keen on other dogs which is understandable if theres were on a lead but they are walking off lead and if mine were bothering them but only say hello if we pass them, its happend 3 times now and it is one of the things that really p*ss me off.

It's very sad, there's far too many people around here the same with staffies. One of the worst cases I have seen locally was when a pair of kids no older than 16 - 17, baiting a staffie bitch, getting her to growl and snarl at other dogs at our local shops (there are always a lot of dogs there). The poor dogs were terrified, I was walking with Maddy and the kids obviously had no idea what they were doing, just liked the image of an aggressive dog.

As Maddy was attacked TWICE, both by a staffie, she didn't take too kindly to them doing it to her, I did ask them not to (as if they would listen) but they did, and she lunged for the dog, which actually turned tail and ran behind it's 'so called' owners. She was actually only a baby and it was such a shame. I obviously had Maddy under control, but the fact she growled back and warned the dog off, surprised the 2 kids and they themselves got a fright.

What makes it worse is as I was walking away with her they were shouting things like, "your dog's so cool", "your dog's propper 'ard", when in reality, she was just frightened.

I put a lot of hard work into getting Maddy back how she was before her attack, and IDIOTS like this have me starting back again from square one. It's mindless people like this, let an aggressive staffy loose, to attack an 8 month old pup, and cause her to have behavioural problems for life. And now i'm picking up the pieces while they laugh, and think "it's cool".

Maddy is fine with dogs now after an introduction of 10-15 minutes. She is never aggressive to pleasent dogs now, just frightened. Once she realises they are nothing to worry about she is fine. And this in itself is a milestone.

ARGH, sorry for the rant, really grinds on me this does.

why is it that ppl never stop to think before they speak . i wish ppl would get the breed rite before they jump to the conclusion that its aggressive or a banned breed staffie are adorable stormey im sure ul agree there friendly playful affectionate etc etc i could go on singing there praises all day . there is a chap where i live who breeds and shows them and any time im walking my dogs and he is around there bouncing and wagging there tails wwith excitement they just want affection and to play i agree with ian just wasn ur day