I would like to raise awareness on a topic that's very close to my heart and that's been keeping me busy for the past few months. I would like to tell you a bit about Bullies & Staffies, in other words, "the most aggressive dog breeds in the world" according to some...
I grew up with little dogs, we had a Lhasa Apso at home and when she passed away and my parents got a divorce, my dad got a boomer dog and my mom another Lhasa, I only met big breed dogs when I went to a friend's house and these were always "family dogs": Labrador, Golden retriever,... When I met my boyfriend and visited his house, I met my first bully breed, the family Pit Bull named Raff.
I'm a huge animal lover and don't believe that animals are aggressive or vicious from their birth, I'm convinced men makes them that way. I was surprised by Raff's kindness and need for love and attention, he thinks he's a little pet dog and always wants to be with you.
You have 4 kinds of bully breeds: The American Staffordshire Terrier, the English Staffordshire Terrier (this breed is a bit smaller than the American Stafford), the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Bull Terrier. All 4 breeds have the reputation to be aggressive and dangerous.
Have you noticed anything special in the above pictures? Maybe you've never seen positive images of these breeds before and that's exactly the point I want to make. Because these dogs are strong and have an incredible bite force, they are often used in dogfights or as a way to make the owner look cool. These kind of owners are the one and only issue that these dogs appear in the media so often. They have to live outside, on a long chain with weights around the neck and paws (to grow muscles), they are being kept in groups, but their chains are too short to actually get close to another, which makes them frustrated.Once their in the pit, it's a battle of life and death, the people surrounding the pit kick and provoke them, all for their own pleasure. To really have an idea what their life is like, have a look at the documentary below, "Life on a Chain" by ASPCA.
What these breeds need is a loving family and a strong, but correct education. They're smart, energetic and stubborn, but if they know you're the boss, you become their best friend. I already noticed the strong band my BF has with his dog, se when we decided to get our own place, the feeling that something was missing appeared quite quickly. One day my BF found a puppy that was the result of an accident between 2 pet American Staffordshire Terriers. Without me knowing, he went to the house and fell in love with a puppy...
I wasn't 100% convinced but I also missed a dog in our home... 8 weeks later our baby was home, a female American Staffordshire Terrier who we named Akyra.
I won't lie, the first puppy year was a massive challenge. She's incredibly sweet, loving and caring, but also extremely energetic, always hungry and very stubborn. She demanded attention and ate everything off the floor: socks, the carpet, shoes, bottles, pillows,... She has been seriously ill a few times already, she misses the natural dog filter that tells her to not eat stuff, this hasn't improved by the way.
We're now almost a year later and have come a very long way. Once you understand what they need, it's not that difficult at all. She loved to run, go for walks and then sleeping next to me on the couch. Everywhere I go, she follows: When I'm doing the laundry, when I'm in the shower, when I quickly run upstairs because I forgot something,... Was I still a bit sceptic in the beginning, I'm a true stafford lover now!
When something appears in the media again ("Pitbull bites child" or "Staffords tear dog apart"), I simply have to react and defend the breed. They are not born as bad dogs, they grow up that way, because of the owners. They're still being used as a status symbol for "cool" boys and because they need to scare people off, they're not being raised properly. That's when the accidents happen. It makes me so mad that the dog is always put to sleep and the owner walks off and just buys another dog. We have to tackle the problem at the source, being the dog fighters and bad owners.
A lot of people fear these breeds, I notice that daily when I take Akyra out for a walk (on the leash!), the looks and comments I sometimes get are amazing. My mom was the same after her dog was almost attacke by 2 pitbulls, so she was furious when I told her we were getting a Stafford. When I introduced her to Akyra, everything changed instantly, my mom loves dogs and of course she couldn't resist this cute little bundle of joy! They're still best friends and my mom is completely comfortable around Akyra. She's now even convincing people of the breed's kindness.
I just want people to think and inform themselves before they talk negative again. Facebook replies as "All these dogs should be shot!" or "All Pit Bulls are dangerous!" are stupid and generalizing, based on nothing. My BF was raised with 2 English Staffordshire Terriers and they were the best security guards a child can have, they're great play mates for the kids but don't try to harm the kid or you have a serious issue :) Here's a great video to illustrate that:
I just wish that people would meet the dogs, have interaction with them, experience how kind-hearted they are. Every day, these perfectly healthy animals are being put to sleep because no one wants them. These dogs are being abused in the worst possible way, but when they're rescued and brought into a loving home, they are still able to trust and love people... Please visit the following website of a photographer who portrays shelter dogs how they really are, not the fighting machines the world makes them. http://notabully.org/ - Our following dog will definitely be a shelter dog, I really want to offer a "golden basket" to a less fortunate dog and make sure he/she leads a proper dog life: Nothing more than play, eat and sleep!
Do you have any experience with these dogs? Negative or positive? Please let me know, I can't wait to hear your responses and opinions. If you have never met a bully or staffie before or if you fear them, call me, I'll let you meet my gorgeous baby and you'll change your mind instantly :)
I really hope that the future is kind to these poor animals.. The biggest danger on this planet is still man, when I scroll down my newsfeed, I'm ashamed every day. The way you treat an animal, a living creature says a lot about who you are and I still firmly believe (this might sound harsh), if you mistreat another living creature, you have no right to live in a normal society. That means you have no empathy, no guilt and are a massive danger to the community. If it was up to me, an animal abuser would get the exact same treatment as he/she did to the animal, in my eyes that's only fair ;)
Glad to get that off my chest! Have a great night!
