[Gossipgirl]

Tomorrow I pick up my staffy pup this is the first dog I have owned I know the parents of the pup really well they have beautiful personalities and they are well trained.

She is a female she is the smallest out the litter and she is very shy she loves to cuddle into her dad when they are together and he puts his paw over her face to protect her but my brother in law said that even though she is shy she holds her own when out with the other pups she is getting big now and is out playing more without being to scared I have been over there a lot with my kids (the owner is my brother in law) so we have been going over and playing with her and getting her used to my kids and myself and she really is a cutie.

She will be inside at night for a while and with the heat she will probably be in a bit more during the day she has a pen outside to keep her safe but will have access to the whole backyard and we have a lot of toys and balls to play with I am home a lot and walk to school so she will be walked everyday and will hopefully not get to bored but i know puppies are hard reading a thread before about puppies and training I was thinking should I start puppy training do you think it is really beneficial especially as I have not had a puppy before and what tips do you for bringing a puppy home and keeping them safe and if she starts freaking out and getting scared?

Thanks

UPDATE She is here she is a bit scared and is happy to sleep on me or next to me if I walk away she looks up and looks sad so of course she wins

This post has been edited by Gossipgirl: 12/01/2013, 07:32 PM

[librablonde]

Awww, Staffy's are so-o-o cute with their grins that reach from ear to ear
Make sure she is collared, name tagged, registered and vaccinated.
Make sure she has a shady area and soft bed outside with lots of toys (Kongs stuffed with doggy treats are good to keep her stimulated).
Staffy's can be excellent escape artists and can jump surprisingly high, so make sure your fencing is up to scratch.
All the Staffy's that I've know are clever cookies, so keep her mentally stimulated with daily obedience training (just basic sit/stay/drop/come) until she's ready for more commands.
All the Staffy's I know are total sooky-la-la's so make sure you are the Alpha to her from the minute she comes home. Make sure you set clear boundaries for her (is she allowed on the furniture and beds? Is she allowed to beg at the table? Is she allowed to chase other pets or kids? etc...)
Have fun with your new baby. Staffy's are so beautiful and smoochy, and are great with kids and other pets when socialised well.

[harryhoo]

Love Staffies! Definitely go to puppy school... not just for simple training but to continue socialisation with other dogs. It's really important to do it early. And even though she's a puppy you have to make sure you treat her like a dog to avoid behavioural issues down the track - we learnt this a bit too late, when our dog already thought he was the boss of the pack and it is a lot harder to change bad behaviour when they're older!
Have fun with her!

[la di dah]

I have not had a staffy puppy but I've had a staffy.

All the Staffy's I know are total sooky-la-la's

This I agree with. I've known a few besides my Mocha and all were clingy and need to be with people a lot. They love interaction. Mocha was a rescue and had seperation anxiety, which is not uncommon for them from what I've seen. She didn't need to play games constantly (she was 8 years old though) but just having a person in the same room made an enormous difference in how relaxed and pleasant she was. She would then go to sleep!

All the Staffy's that I've know are clever cookies

This I don't agree with. We joked that Mocha had too much love inside her to have room for brains. Most staffies I've met are a bit silly. They DO need tons of exercise and stuff to do - but they are dumb jocks. They aren't puzzle-solvers that I've seen, nor brain-boxes. However Mocha was delightful with kids, trustworthy with cats (the cat slept on top of her) and all-around lovely - just a dope.

I don't use dumb as an insult - I don't NEED a really clever dog, don't have enough to give them to solve in our residential setting. I'd not object to another at some point, though my husband likes the (equally dopey) cavaliers - because he won't have to brush it.

I'd be careful she isn't TOO shy. I know people like females because they think they're less hard-headed but if she's fearful and submissive I would be careful. Submissive can be as problematic as aggressive, the far sides of the spectrum are not where you want to be.

Now, you aren't going to start out with lots of hard athletics but be prepared for a LOT of energy, for years. That's the only thing a puppy staffy would worry me about - my mushy, middle-aged staffy still needed 5-8 km a day for a long time. With it, she was really easy-going and pleasant, but she really did need lots of walkies right up until about 12 when she started going "eff it, I'ma just pee and then you'll take me back inside, mkay?" but that's pretty dang old.

[duckasorus]

ooohhh how cute!

puppy school a must
train train train!
they are sooks so even though great lap dog as a puppy teach what you want a 50kilo dog to do (we learnt that the hard way haha)

check your fences they are escape artists, iv seen my boy climb a gate to follow my on the bike.

exercise as with any big dog


enjoy your new puppy

[Becstarinator]

I have a staffy. Sadsack is now an old man of nearly 13. We got him when he was only 8 weeks old.

They do grow somewhat into their wrinkles....lol. Sadsack was a chewer as a pup, would steal thongs and soft toys to chew on. He also didn't like to be alone and cried non stop for the first day we had to leave him (had 3 complaints from neighbours). Hence his name. He did however settle down quickly. I used to leave the radio on for him to begin with.

He has been great, although a bit boofy, at times with my son. Still doesn't know his own strength and will sometimes still know my 5 year old over, nothing malicious just so strong.

We did do some puppy training with him which helped a lot, in terms of Sadsack being the first dog I have ever owned rather than a "family" dog.

Also he digs holes, never to get out but they are diggers. Sadsack still loves to have a couple of sleeping holes

They are very much people dogs and love to be around you.

Sadsack has started to slow down in the last year. A slow jog around the block with me or a 5-10 minute play in the back yard and he is done now but before that he still had the energy of a much younger dog.

Oh lastly be prepared for people who don't know Staffies to think he is a pitbull, cross the road or stay silly things like aren't you scared he'll attack you/ have a jaw that locks/ etc.

I can't imagine my life without Sadsack and I do get a little teary when I look at the grey on his face and the thought of him not being around.

[*Spikey*]

Staffies are stubborn and not especially bright. Because of their strength, they can be a right pain if not well-trained.

My advice is contact your local obedience club and sign up for obedience classes - please don't stop after beginners, a staffy needs a lot more than that. Puppy preschool is also a good choice, as it allows socialisation with people and other dogs. The trainers will guide you in developing a more outgoing and confident personality, although she may never get to the 'right out there' stage.

Organise to have her desexed and microchipped as soon as you can. These days they can desex dogs from as early as 10-12 weeks, which saves untold hassle with dogs going on heat and all of the mess and annoyance that entails.

I would also recommend that you consider crate training and allowing her to sleep inside permanently. Why? Because she's a staffy, and they like being with their people. Sleeping outside is not 'with' their people so she is likely to fret. And far more likely to carry on. And there is nothing worse than owning the dog that is howling all night and keeping the neighbourhood awake. That, and you can guarantee you know exactly where she is overnight, and that she is perfectly safe. (okay, that is me projecting a bit - someone local has a new dog who has been howling all night long for the past two weeks, and in this heat I have to shut my windows in order not to be kept awake by it - which isn't exactly my idea of fun).

Of course, now that you've mentioned "new puppy", and we've offered some suggestions, we need pics!!!!

[Gossipgirl]

Thanks for the replies so far I was aware of the fact they jump pretty high my brother in laws dog has jumped fences a lot our our backyard has been blocked off with cheaper fencing but Sunday we are putting gates up closer to the front of our house so we can drive our cars down the side and she will have more room but we have a really good fenced off part out the back in a separate area for the puppy that I don't think she could jump until she is a lot bigger but obviously now we are putting high gates up she shouldn't be able to jump out the front once they are up.

I agree that staffy's are sooks the ones I know are anyway.

PS will definitely post pictures tomorrow once she is here

This post has been edited by Gossipgirl: 11/01/2013, 02:29 PM

[la di dah]

I agree inside at night might be helpful. Honestly I never left Mocha unattended outside at all; I didn't trust the people that asked if they could get puppies from her (no, you can't, she's spayed...) and I didn't trust someone to not put something bad down for her or do something to her as some people really hate anything they think is a pit.

She liked following people from room to room anyway.

I know some people are not equipped to have inside dogs but staffies aren't the worst at it; smooth fur that doesn't shed a lot, very personable.

We got Mocha because she'd been a largely outside dog and howled and barked and annoyed her previous neighbourhood and gotten lots of complaints. As an inside dog with someone home she nearly bark-less.

[.MrsM.]

i have a staffy too and everyone has offered some great advice.

they are very sooky and need to be around people. mine is fine when left home and doesn't cry, but waits for us to come home at the gate around the time we are due. if we are home, he spends most of his time outside sunning himself but needs to be able to get to us or he gets upset (so the back door is kept adjar).

they are a trying breed for the first few years, yes they want to dig and eat everything. definitely socialise them with as many dogs as you can and make sure they know you are in charge, they are a powerful dog - even if they don't know it sometimes!

and yes you will get people pick up their little dogs and cross to the other side of the road when you're out. but show them what a good breed it is by having her well trained.

they have such personality (and will 'talk' to you heaps!) and are a great family dog.

enjoy and post some pics asap!