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Staffordshire Bull Terrier
by alfiepeaches
I love staffi dogs (I'm going to say staffi to save myself typing it out everytime!), they often get a bad reputation from the media for being aggressive and being linked a lot to dog fighting. Two of my neighbours own staffies and they are both absolutely lovely though!
One I have known since they were a puppy and she is so ... ditsy and cute and wouldn't even know how to hurt a fly, she doesn't chase my cats either but is an extremely excitable dog and this makes the cats scared of her. She's slightly smaller than the average staffi but is still very strong. At some point my neighbours want to get her to have some puppies with my other neighbours dog, Mason.
Mason, who I walk everyday is male and much bigger and stronger, he has a stripy tiger coat which my neighbour gives him cod liver oil capsules to keep it glossy and well conditioned. He has a lovely personality and is always trying to sit on me, he only jumps at people when you let him too, he's very good around small children and does what he is told. He is a very butch looking dog as he wears a chain collar and the harness I walk him with is studded (this is the neighbours choice to make him look tough!) but almost every time I walk him I have kids come and talk to me and stroke him and Mason loves all the attention he gets. I am weary of walking by other dogs but that's just me, Mason pulls a little but mainly because he's interested in the other dog but if the other dog seems aggressive I'm sure Mason would react but he never has. I did have a very scary moment when someone else staffi wasn't on a lead and ran growling over to Mason however all they did was sniff each others bums! He has unfortunately once killed a rabbit on a farm but as never gone for another animal and never ever a human.
Mason gets on very well with my cats too, one he play fights with (which is quite scary to see the first time!) and another lived him for the first weeks of her life and likes to rub herself up against him and give him kisses! My neighbour currently has a tiny kitten and Mason gets on fine with him, often curling up with each other in his basket, which he did with five kittens at one point too! Mason is one of the loveliest and friendliest dogs I have ever met.
Overall I think staffis are very lovable, loyal and friendly companions as long as they end up with the right owner who will properly look after them so it's probably best to have them since puppies. I am not an expert in looking after staffies but nearly am as I see my neighbours dog atleast once a day, usually more. They require a lot of attention, especially as puppies (Masons owner has looked after two lots of puppies and had another two that she got rid of) and need walking like most dogs as they are naturally very muscley dogs. They should be walked with a harness as this takes pressure off their throats as staffies have sensitive throats and if they just have a collar, pulling on the lead can damage their throats.
The only reason dogs are bad is down to the owner, so as long as you are a good dog owner you'll have a lovely dog no matter what type it is.
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Cross Breeds
by Ainat
I wanted to tell the story of my beautiful little dog, Sally. She was a crossbreed - between what we'll never know, but we think she was mostly collie, with some whippet, and a mixture of a few other breeds. She looked a bit like a little fox.
Over the past few weeks I have had to make the most heartbreaking decisions when ... it came to my beautiful Sally. I had to do the hardest thing I've ever done and let her go. My gorgeous little doggy developed cancer. She had a malignant tumour in her mouth that was causing her so many problems. This tumour, as well as causing her pain in itself, was causing her to lose her sight in one eye and was causing her to have problems with her breathing. The location of the tumour meant it was pushing against her eye and her sinuses, damaging them. It was also affecting her brain in some way, causing her to find it really difficult to control her movements - it was hard for her to walk, harder for her to control her bladder. All this pain and discomfort from this evil tumour that had developed extremely quickly. It was really hard to see her deteriorate, but the rate she did was very very scary. She went from being a very happy, very playful for her age (she was 8) little dog to being a dog that could barely lift her head at times in a matter of weeks. At this alarming rate of deterioration there was very little the vets could do for her. We did have the option of an operation, but this operation would have been extremely high risk - with the risks made even higher due to the location on the tumour. The chances of her pulling through were really low. The chances of her fully recovering, even if she survived the actual operation, even lower. Even then it would be several painful months for her to recover. And even after all that, she had a problem with her kidneys that was manageable without the cancer, but putting her through all that trauma could have led to her body going in to kidney failure. The kindest thing we could do for her would be to put her to sleep. Such a painful decision for me. But would take away all the pain for her.
Before all of this though Sally was the most beautiful little dog. About the size of a small collie, mostly black with little white paws and a bit of white on her tummy - never white for long! For a middle aged dog she still acted like a puppy. Was really playful and enjoyed playing with the other dogs in the park - especially getting muddy. It's a good job she used to enjoy her baths too! Sally was a rescue dog. We don't know her history, but whatever happened to her had made her really nervous around people. As well as being nervous she could be a naughty little thing when we first got her. She loved eating the post that came through the door for one thing. And she hated the postman. If we were out walking her she would know if she saw a postman and start barking and going crazy. She had basic commands, but she chose when to listen - which wasn't often! I took her to dog training classes. I got trained more than Sally. Sally learnt to listen to me. Through lots of love and attention (something I had the impression she didn't get before) she became the most perfect dog, though she still had her mischievous streak! She was perfect. By introducing her and the hamster together slowly she even made friends with Kovo. She used to let him climb all over her. How many dogs do you know that would let a hamster sit on their heads?!
We may have had to let her go, but I'm certainly never going to forget her. Because of Sally I now want to do the same thing for another dog. Get another rescue, and improve their life like I did with Sally. Not yet, the wounds from losing Sally are going to take a while yet to heal. But that one little dog has now inspired me do rescue others. If you are considering getting a dog, please think about getting rescue dog. They may be hard work when you first get them. But it's amazing what a little bit of love can do for a dog. I could write a book about Sally - from how she was at the beginning to how she was at her happiest. Knowing WE did that for her. It was us that gave her a life she could really enjoy. And that is something to be proud of. When I think about all the good times we had, this heartbreak I'm feeling now feels so worthwhile. If we hadn't adopted Sally her life could have been totally different. It is so painful, her not being here, but knowing that we improved her life by taking her home - now that is priceless.
I miss my lovely little dog so much. It's so hard not having her here. She will always be that tiny bit extra special to me over any other dog as she was the first dog I ever owned.
I'm so sorry I had to let you go Sally. It was the hardest decision I've ever made. I couldn't bear to keep seeing you in so much pain. I really hope you enjoyed your time with us, and all the things we did together. I hope you're not in pain any more little dog and are running around somewhere playing with all the other doggies that their owners have had to say goodbye to.
Love you so much and for always. x X x
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Bull Terriers
by molarus
I was not prepared for my first bull terrier we lived in the country so he was allowed long periods of playtime in the yard until one day i looked out the window and he was gone,at the bottom of a four foot whole he had dug lol.They are much more crafty than your average dog,funny as hell and will never let you down.They sense your mood ... and seem to know what kind of love you need.Care needs to be taken around other dogs,bullies sometimes wag their tails even when they want to fight.I have been around hundreds of these dogs and never found one aggressive towards people.I had no problems with any of my bullies destroying anything inside my house but I could no longer buy beer in cans,I returned home from work one day to find 24 cans with holes in them a chewed up beer case and a dog sleeping on the kitchen floor with all four feet in the air.They understand full sentences try to talk back,want to do whatever it is your doing and usually make it a lot harder but more interesting.They all have their own distinct personality,but don't know they are a dog.When my first bully died I had to take a leave from work.You can never love another dog like you can a bull terrier
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