[QUOTE=pennym;1680204]Im not wording this right but hope you get what im trying to say .
Staffies in my 14 year experience of them, are like sponges, the take in everything, so if they see bad or have bad done to them, thats how the think things work. Ive always said its what you put into the dog you get out.
Ive had..lemme count...22 staffies, in my 14yr history. And they all had an amazing temperament. We spoiled them but also taught them well.
Sadly i have just the one now, as her mum was put to sleep 3 weeks ago, due to tumours in her stomach.
KC the only one i have now, is BRILLIANT, with people, fab with kids, and has a select few friends on our walks, but some dogs she just cant stand, cats she just wants to chase, squirrels too. she caught a cat once, and i was screaming at her to stop, she had pinned it to the floor with her body and while i was shouting at her you could see her thinking 'ok..i've got it..now what?' she finally listened to me and let the cat go, she came inside the house and she was within 5mins marched up the stairs to the bath, as the cat had pee'd on her, through fear i would think. But she didnt bite the cat, just lay on it.
I trust her with all kids, my nephew and niece are 3 & 4, and she loves them, they fall asleep on her, walk her, play with her, she licks them to death, ears and belly buttons for some reason.
I have a new niece, she's 11 weeks and when she cries KC looks around to find her, almost with a 'what can i do to help' look on her face. She even runs to find my sister in law when she hears the baby cry.
So on all my experience.. staffies are exactly what you want them to be. Sadly, so people want them to be vicious. Scary, Hard. & train them up to be so.
I was bit by a staffie when i was 9yrs old. my father had left me in a car with my uncles staff (not related to our staffies) and as any child would i simple spoke to the dog and it launched itself at me in the back of the car, bit my face. Luckily didnt scar too bad.
My uncle gave the dog back to the man he got it off, it later bit his 1yr old child and then he had it destroyed.
But you could always tell when a kid walked into the room, something had happened to this dog, clearly by the hands of a child.

I visited a dog rescue today and saw a lovely staffie called Dan , i hate when you approach a dog and you can see its on pins, ready to run incase your out to do it harm, its enough to bring you to tears that some person has caused that response.
I will always stick up for staffies, non of mine have ever turned on anyone. Dogs not liking eachother to me is just the way it is. territorial thing.
But again i stress, it is totally what you put into the dog, you get out.[/QUOTE]

Totally ! I have Toro EBT, was told she was very fiesty when I went to get her, the breeder said she was glad it was me that was having her because she could so easily have fell into the wrong hands, shes just over 20 months now, been VERY hard work, into absolutely everything but she is very well socialised, never had a bad day, never showed her teeth to another dog, or human, she is just adorabull, everyone on walks comment on what a friendly little thing she is, then its followed by I though they dogs were supposed to be viscious, and I always say its not the dogs its the owners, its the way they're brought up misconceptions of breeds really cheese me off !
I have Mister just rescued him, hes nearly 6 has issues because of his previous life but not a bad bone in his body, his first owners kept him in a crate for nearly his first year, his front end hasn't developed properly, he doesn't like to be shut in a crate, I don't blame him for that, his next owner basically doesn't know how to deal with a bull breed dog and was scared of him, so his way of looking hard was to slap him about the face, rub his ears really rough on his cheeks, choke him with his collar and say look at me here am here aye you don't like getting choked do you ? He has major issues with window wipers, looks like hes been left in a car with them on and allowed to go berserk, the guy used to lock his girlfriend in his crate and allow him to attack it...this guy mustv'e though he looked really hard and in control eh ? NOT !! amazingly, this boy hasn't had his temprement broke, such a loving cuddle bug...heart breaking to think what hes been put through

Just read through this very interesting thread, and one thing's come to mind: Is there any breed of dog that isn't misunderstood in some way?

My Belgian Shepherd cross BC... yes, I admit he's a bit of a handful - but everyone 'thinks' he's "an Alsatian" - just because he's a similar colour and has sticky-uppy-ears. (Never mind the fact he's got a BC head, long hair and is a lot smaller).

So I get all the "don't touch that dog, it's vicious - it's got a thing on its nose!" [Halti]...
Mums pulling kids away...
As he's got issues with other dogs, when he kicks off all heads turn and people start crossing the road...
I've even had local youths deliberately winding him up to get a reaction...

I am going to speak up about rough collies[lassie dogs] they get quite a bad press, not sure why , i have been in the breed for many years, sadly i lost both of mine, but must say in my experience of them they are mostly lovely dogs, as well as beautiful to look at, i have never known of a bad 'um, but like any breed you get the odd bad apple, but the ones i owned and many friends dogs i know they have been all real sweethearts, sadly you don,t see many around now like you used too .
Has anyone got one on here ?

Have to agree, and as you say not seen around much now-a-days, but I can say with confidence when our youngest reaches 3 (now 19 months) we are having one, I want a Tri xxx Lovely beautiful Breed.

Heres a pic of my lovely tri- baby i used to have, when i got him he had a real bad ear infection so his ears never went right but he was just a sweetheart, i am sure you know but the' lassies' do have quite a few health issues so please be careful where you get your dog from .
They are a wonderful breed feel free if you want to pm me for any advice x

Gorgeous doggies!
Not being funny but what misunderstanding do RCs get? Probably being thick here... is it the idea they're all super-intellingent Lassies..?

PS: Always loved the Smooth Collies... what a crying shame they are so rare now!

Yes I did know that, much more delicate than the BC's, hopefully when our time comes you'll have stuck around and I can pm you.

I have a love of the Tri's in particular, and Hubby has said yes.........just waiting till Bruce is abit more mature as he is still a youngster yet

We saw two smooth collies at the dog show a couple of weeks ago, they were brother and sister. How to admit I like the longhaired, but agree that both are lovely.

I think alot of them have the misunderstanding of being snappy.........not met one that was myself.

Hi Merlins mum , what i usually find is ppl often say the RC are a snappy breed and they tend to say they know so and so were attacked by a lassie, like i said their are always a few bad apples in the barrels, but imo the ones i have known have always been really sweet x

Well, staffies are a bit of a passion of mine.

I met one yesterday with his owner standing outside Sainsburys. I asked if I could say hello, and this 7 month old bundle of fun proceeded to give me a good wash.

What an absolute delight he was........ just makes me want one even more