Sagely Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hi all, Im new to the forum and have enjoyed reading the many posts!! I am hoping there may be someone out there that can give me some frank advice. We have a 2 and a half year old staffordshire bull terrior - whom we absolutely adore!! I would love to get a second (prefereably a male) but I am concerned as I have been doing research and have found many reports that you shouldn't have two staffords together particuarly leaving them alone when at work etc. due to the fact that they may fight with destructive consequences? Has anyone had any experience with this and could give some advice? Our vet suggested getting a different bread something weaker than her so as she would be the dominant dog - any thoughts on this? Yours comments are greatly appreciated. Bec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrie Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hi Sagely. I can't help you with your question as I don't have Staffords but just wanted to say to DOL. Big thumbs up for doing your research and I am sure the Stafford people will be along soon to help you with your question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 What breed of dog -and sex- you get will depend very much on the temperment and type of your dog. I have known many house holds with a male and female Staffordshire Bull Terriers have lived happily together, but also quite a few where they haven't. If you wanted another Stafford it would be wise to have the opposite sex and choose a quite different temperment i.e. if your bitch is a more dominant type you would need a laid back male puppy. Having said that even with the best research and planning sometimes they can have problems as adults and you need to be prepared for the consequence should it eventuate. I personally would not keep two bull breeds together without supervision, but many people do and it can work. Our Stafford has been with very dominant Dobermanns and was fine (although no way could I leave the Dobes together!) and gets on well with the Whippets, but is not with them when I am not around as he is geriatric and has some issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staff lover Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hey, the couple across the road have 2 staffies and have no trouble with them at all. the male is the oldest and they have a female. i hope this helps Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Go read the thread about the Dashie that attacked the AmStaff, just because something is a different breed does not mean you wont have problems I have a Bull Terrier and a Staffy, I will always have bull breeds, either 2 staffys next time round, or one of each again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 As already suggested any addition will depend on the dog you already have. My mother had 2 (a male and female, her male was a bit of a problem child and would attack the bitch occasionally - they were never left home alone together - always separated if mum went out)... My sister had 2 (a male and a female who got along famously, never a cross word between them. The bitch was the dominant dog and the male was a really laid back temperament)... Personally, I like having one dog - he has us as his pack and it works well (but then I am lucky enough to work from home, so he is with me all day in the office)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMaddy Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 (edited) A friend works for Stafford breeders. They only run opposite sexes together, and even then have had problems in the past. It's very dependant on the individual dog's temperaments. I have heard of a Stafford killing a Rottie of the opposite sex, so no guarantee another breed would help that one. A problem people have told me they've had is that some Staffords don't read other dog's submissive or pacifying signals, so a submissive dog wouldn't help. I love the breed, and it's great that you're doing your research. You should be able to find something compatible with your existing dog, but you may need to wait a while and do a lot of research to find something compatible with him/her. Edited January 3, 2010 by MissMaddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I love the breed, and it's great that you're doing your research. You should be able to find something compatible with your existing dog, but you may need to wait a while and do a lot of research to find something compatible with him/her. And find a breeder who know what they are talking about. I took a risk with getting Kaos, but it worked out well, had i got a dominant dog, shit would have hit the fan here! No way Atlas would have let another dog take over his position as top dog, it would have been a nightmare. Kaos is the biggest sook, At just has to look at her and she will run away crying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 What is your current dog like in terms of social skills? Have you ever had friends dogs come into your home? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Willow Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 It hugely depends on the personalities of the two individuals concerned. My Staffy male gets along with laid back dogs of any breed, but dislikes "in your face" dogs.....with this type of dog, it then works on a sliding scale of how big the dog is......the larger the dog, the more distressed he gets, but would be able to "cope" with a small "in your face" dog for a short period of time (eg if approached by a tiny full on dog at the beach, he would cope a whole lot better than if approached by a large full-on dog)....is this making sense or sounding like garbage???!! His ideal match is something small & well mannered....he has shown particular preferences for Chihuahua's and small curly breeds, bless him I guess the best thing to do would be to find a breeder who you like & who is happy & able to "mentor" you through the whole settling in & intro process, & find you a suitable pup or even adult, or alternatively, a good rescue who will be able to introduce your dog to a potential friend in a proper manner, & perhaps over a number of visits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APBT Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 a few people i know own 2 or more bully breeds at any one time, always a chance of a fight no matter what dog, tho each dog is different and will react different, so you will know if they will get along ok and watch for the warning signs. Prevention is the best option tho. not leaving toys and bones for them to fight over ect, feeding in separate rooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 It very much depends on the temperaments of the invidivuals. We have both dogs and bitches running together. At the moment and my pack is mainly bitches that spend their days together, without any issues. Many fights are sparked over excitement, to avoid them we remove any high value toys from the yard, feed in seperate crates and maintain calm when we are getting ready to go out for a walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Woofs Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I have a stafford bitch and an amstaff dog who get along like a house on fire. The bitch is dominant and can be a bit narky with the dog over food so I just make sure they are always separated while eating. When my hubby and I first moved in together we had his family's beagle bitch with the stafford bitch and the beagle attacked the stafford continually and hated her to a point where they hadn't seen each other for a year and the beagle still lunged at the staford at first sight.... so I think dogs of any breed can potentially be an issue and this must be taken into consideration when adding another dog to the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 It is entirely possible to run 2 bullbreeds together, providing you first of all know your first dog's temperament and probably speaking to the breeder about getting a more submissive pup. Secondly, ALWAYS have respect for the fact that 2 bullbreeds can and may fight - nastily so. It may never happen but it must always be in the back of your mind. Take precautions to ensure it never does happen. This may be by crate training (highly recommended) or by building separate runs (again recommended but much more pricey and the obvious room factor). That way you can ensure their safety when you are out. I would have reservations about leaving them together for extended periods of time (ie during working hours) if there were any dominance problems between them and definitely make sure that ALL toys of value, bones, food etc are removed before leaving them. Exercise is also a big key to keeping them happy. Plus training. Feed separately and feed the more dominant first (after feeding you guys of course). Good luck with it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 We exercise all of our SBT's together, once they are old enough to do some road work. I find an hour a day makes for a happy pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now