Staffies and Kelpies leading the turnover at the RSPCA

tylersmayhem said :

Interesting to find out the breed?!

It was probably a chihuahua. They’re not unpredictable around kids; they’re very predictable. See kid, get close to kid, bite kid. My current boy even watches until their parents aren’t looking, and then launches his attack.

they also dig holes in the backyard as they would out on a property. to get cool. I have seen dogs create elaborate holes around an old tree on a sheep property so as to ensure there was always somewhere for them to be out of the sun. man made structures just don’t seem to have the same effect.

Yes, another good point – but with the same effect of several owners disowning them because of this “inconvenient” behaviour.

tylersmayhem said :

<No, if you actually read my original statement, it implies that many Canberrans buy sheep dogs THEN wonder why they dig up backyards. If you choose that to mean ALL owners of sheep dogs, then that’s your choice I suppose. You sound like a responsible dog owner who chose to buy a breed that likes plenty of activity to suit your lifestyle – therefore would unlikely be digging up your backyard out of unspent energy or boredom, and leaving you wondering why.

Seeing the difference yet?

I have seen it time and time again when a sheep dog dog has been hit by a car because it loves chasing the wheels. I’ve seen many a backyard ripped apart by a bored sheep dog because the lazy owners can’t be f**ked giving them the exercise they need. I’ve even seen on one occasion when the owner opted to have the dog put down rather than re homed.

So yes, I chose the term “morons” very carefully. Sorry if you want to lump yourself in there with them Deezagood!

they also dig holes in the backyard as they would out on a property. to get cool. I have seen dogs create elaborate holes around an old tree on a sheep property so as to ensure there was always somewhere for them to be out of the sun. man made structures just don’t seem to have the same effect.

Kind of on-topic / off-topic:

Child killed by dog
January 7, 2009, 12:00 pm

It’s understood a three-year-old has been killed by a dog in New South Wales.

It happened at Whitton, near Griffith, in the south west of the state.

Another child has been wounded, with injuries to the face and body, and is being treated in hospital.

An adult is also thought to have been attacked but does not have life threatening injuries.

Interesting to find out the breed?!

That isn’t a fair comment; you are implying that having a cattle dog in a suburban Canberra yard automatically makes you an ‘ignorant moron’. We adopted an active dog to suit our active lifestyle and our little Kelpie cross gets run for at least 40 kms a week and has plenty of stimulation and exercise. A less active dog just wouldn’t work with our family; we made a deliberate choice to get an active breed. We also took her to obedience classes to ensure that she can obey basic commands etc… and she is just perfect with the kids. As for kids being rough with dogs, I taught my kids from a very early age to be respectful of all animals and extremely gentle with our dogs. I trust my dogs with the kids but more importantly, I completely trust my kids with the dogs. That said, the dogs are secured away from any visiting children who may not be as well ‘trained’.

No, if you actually read my original statement, it implies that many Canberrans buy sheep dogs THEN wonder why they dig up backyards. If you choose that to mean ALL owners of sheep dogs, then that’s your choice I suppose. You sound like a responsible dog owner who chose to buy a breed that likes plenty of activity to suit your lifestyle – therefore would unlikely be digging up your backyard out of unspent energy or boredom, and leaving you wondering why.

Seeing the difference yet?

I have seen it time and time again when a sheep dog dog has been hit by a car because it loves chasing the wheels. I’ve seen many a backyard ripped apart by a bored sheep dog because the lazy owners can’t be f**ked giving them the exercise they need. I’ve even seen on one occasion when the owner opted to have the dog put down rather than re homed.

So yes, I chose the term “morons” very carefully. Sorry if you want to lump yourself in there with them Deezagood!

Some people claim that certain dog breeds can become unpredictable, especially around children. I would put it that certain children become unpredictable around dogs. Dogs don’t like having their tails pulled in the same way that children don’t like being snapped at.

Yes, no s**t – and it’s kinda up to the potential buyers of these breeds to consider children’s predictability around certain breeds. In the case of a youngster pulling the ears or the tail of a dog and getting a chuck taken out of them, it’s neither of their fault. It’s the owners – pure & simple.

Roadrage77 said :

No suprise to me that there is a correlation between the popularity of a breed with white trash types and the rates of abandonment for that breed. I’m talking about Staffies- great dogs negatively stigmatised by Southern Cross tattoo-wearing types.

You know it makes sense.

You are SO right Roadrage77. I am also the proud mummy of a Stafford/yy, she is reliable, staunch, highly intelligent, fantastic company and I adore her. Please have a look at this youtube vid, it is a wonderful tribute to the Stafford/yy and warms my heart every time I see it!

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=odi0XlI-4_g

HNY all.

🙂

No suprise to me that there is a correlation between the popularity of a breed with white trash types and the rates of abandonment for that breed. I’m talking about Staffies- great dogs negatively stigmatised by Southern Cross tattoo-wearing types.

You know it makes sense.

The daughter has a JUG … cross between Jack Russell and a Pug. It’s schitzophrenic in its behaviour…. one minute doing the mad JR thing and then just sits and pugs. Cute though. But like all dogs, it is an eating and shitting machine.

feed them to the poor in Garema place in the form of ‘mystery soup’.
Two birds, one stone.

H1NG0 said :

Aren’t Staffies the dog of choice for bogans wanting that “hard-arse” image? Usually with a metal link chain as a leash.

I have a jack russell, but I am an environmentally conscious bogan who is trying to reduce his carbon footprint.

and i can’t forgive that blasted dog, five miles from gundagai…

‘Twas Saltbush Bill, and his travelling sheep were wending their weary way
On the Main Stock Route, through the Hard Times Run, on their six-mile stage a day;
And he strayed a mile from the Main Stock Route, and started to feed along,
And when Stingy Smith came up Bill said that the Route was surveyed wrong;
And he tried to prove that the sheep had rushed and strayed from their camp at night,
But the fighting man he kicked Bill’s dog, and of course that meant a fight.

*chuckle*

bloodnut said :

H1NG0 said :

Holy shit, forget I said it Bloodnut. Next time maybe kicking your dog will get less of a reaction?

They’re just an underdog so someone has to go into bat given they are perhaps the only misunderstood dog breed – at least misunderstood in a way that has serious negative impacts on owners and dogs alike.

so hopefully educative rather than personal (although there may have been a subtle dig).

and if you kicked her then no – the reaction would be even more disproportionate 😉

And I’d have no leg perhaps? 😉

BTW, I should add that I am owner of two rescued dogs myself (no staffies though), but I get somewhat frustrated with a significant proportion of dog owners, who put their interests and the interests of their animals above everyone else’s, including peoples’ interest to not be bothered, bitten, or attacked by dogs, for example. (“people” includes kids as well.) I am also probably an atypical dog owner by making sure my dogs aren’t without lead when people are near, or that they can’t roam around the neighbourhood unsupervised. Having said this, I can’t see how kids could possibly tease my dogs as I would always be near them outside.

H1NG0 said :

Holy shit, forget I said it Bloodnut. Next time maybe kicking your dog will get less of a reaction?

They’re just an underdog so someone has to go into bat given they are perhaps the only misunderstood dog breed – at least misunderstood in a way that has serious negative impacts on owners and dogs alike.

so hopefully educative rather than personal (although there may have been a subtle dig).

and if you kicked her then no – the reaction would be even more disproportionate 😉

“Some people claim that certain dog breeds can become unpredictable, especially around children. I would put it that certain children become unpredictable around dogs. Dogs don’t like having their tails pulled in the same way that children don’t like being snapped at.”

Oh, I fully agree. It’s terrible how infantile kids can be these days. Someone should do something about it.

tylersmayhem said :

WHY are there so many ignorant morons who think it’s a swell idea to by a) a cattle dog or b) a staffy and then wonder why they 1)dig up the backyard or b) snip at the young ones which ended up = RSPCA?

You live in Canberra, I don’t recall too many sheep stations out here. Therefore cattle dogs need hours and hours of exercise every week.
I wish more people would think about animals they buy, and that it is FOREVER, not until the honeymoon or style phase passes.

quote]

That isn’t a fair comment; you are implying that having a cattle dog in a suburban Canberra yard automatically makes you an ‘ignorant moron’. We adopted an active dog to suit our active lifestyle and our little Kelpie cross gets run for at least 40 kms a week and has plenty of stimulation and exercise. A less active dog just wouldn’t work with our family; we made a deliberate choice to get an active breed. We also took her to obedience classes to ensure that she can obey basic commands etc… and she is just perfect with the kids. As for kids being rough with dogs, I taught my kids from a very early age to be respectful of all animals and extremely gentle with our dogs. I trust my dogs with the kids but more importantly, I completely trust my kids with the dogs. That said, the dogs are secured away from any visiting children who may not be as well ‘trained’.

Some people claim that certain dog breeds can become unpredictable, especially around children. I would put it that certain children become unpredictable around dogs. Dogs don’t like having their tails pulled in the same way that children don’t like being snapped at.

peterh said :

JB: any chance of a picture of george?

I try to resist the siren song of dogblogging.

But he did sneak into the photo on freak bike building.

tylersmayhem said :

BTW: they were never bred for dog fighting

Never said I was an expert – but yes, I have seen several cases of them being unpredictable.

I would Google it if I could be bothered, but perhaps you could confirm what they were bred for?

In the meantime, perhaps you could off YOUR professional opinion on just WHY so many are ALWAYS at the RSPCA?!

If you have seen an unpredictable stafford – it isn’t really a stafford.

Here’s why – hort story…

Staffords were originally owned by working class europeans for bear baiting and then later on dog fighting. The conflict was also that for many months of the year the stafford also had to inhabit shared spaces with their human families. Their temperament had to be fearless, bold and TOTALLY reliable to suit both purposes.

This predictable temperament is part of the breed standard ie what showdogs are measured by. True breeders of staffords will breed for this temperament. This is also a reason why staffords are known as ‘nanny’ dogs. My stafford has an unusual affinity for children but i like to keep an eye on her around other dogs.

A few unscrupulous professional breeders, almost all backyard breeders and irresponsible dog owners do not attempt to adhere to what is essentially an essential part of the stafford.

Like any dogs – if you cross a stafford or even breed for the wrong characteristics (colour/build) in favour over this feature ie. colour, build etc the temperament stands a great chance of being lost. all the ‘oodle’ crosses are great examples of how much you can screw with a dogs temperament by crossing them. lovable but neurotic.

Unfortunately most dogs at the RSPCA are crossed, they lack the temperament and they essentially have lost the one thing that makes staffords unique and a wonderful dog to own.

I am not a breeder or a shower and will stand corrected.
Local breeders vanstaff – http://www.vanstaff.com
interstate breeders such as
Gamester – http://www.gamesterstaffords.com
Deadgame kennels – http://www.geocities.com/deadgamestaffords

are fine examples of what staffords truly are. You will never find one of their dogs at an RSPCA kennel or a pet store.

JB: any chance of a picture of george?

because some people make me sick, and should never have access to a pet of any kind.

Indeed!

Then again, maybe not all potential dog-owners are suitable for Staffords.

@tylersmayhem

never said I was an expert…only speaking from personal experience.

Maybe Staffords have the highest rate of hand in at the RSPCA because they are the most popular dog? Also noticed that they also have the highest rate of re-homing from the RSPCA…maybe because more get handed in.

But what would I know, I’m not an expert.

Teh Googel said so!!!111!!

tylersmayhem said :

BTW: they were never bred for dog fighting

Never said I was an expert – but yes, I have seen several cases of them being unpredictable.

I would Google it if I could be bothered, but perhaps you could confirm what they were bred for?

In the meantime, perhaps you could off YOUR professional opinion on just WHY so many are ALWAYS at the RSPCA?!

because people would rather sit inside than walk their bundle of energy, in the rain, the sleet, the heat.
because family members tell you that the dog has to go when you have kids, or the kids will get hurt.
because some dogs lose their “appeal” when they go from bouncy puppy to full grown dogs.

because some people make me sick, and should never have access to a pet of any kind.

BTW: they were never bred for dog fighting

Never said I was an expert – but yes, I have seen several cases of them being unpredictable.

I would Google it if I could be bothered, but perhaps you could confirm what they were bred for?

In the meantime, perhaps you could off YOUR professional opinion on just WHY so many are ALWAYS at the RSPCA?!

la mente torbida said :

‘scuse me…apparently they were bred for dog-fighting in the victorian era

but yours have been raised to be a family pet. some of the dogs i have seen in my life weren’t.

Then there were the thick dogs – family members had newfoundlands, great dogs, but, for whatever reason, they were incredibly thick. same as a doberman, called clyde. dur… but us kids loved him, he was very tolerant.

The breed of the dog won’t dictate their temperament, completely. it is down to their home environment. If they are raised with kids, then they are certain that they are a kid. if they are an attack dog, raised to attack, this is what they will do. you cannot have a dog that is both. many little kids are being injured by a dog that has been trained to be a home protector and a family dog. they don’t have the same mental aptitude as humans – they see a threat and react.

“Get a staffy and a kelpie, they work great together.”

We’ve got a Kelpie (a black barb), who has a friend who is a staffie – sorry, Stafford – the two of them grew up together, and together, they are insane. We’ve watched them wrestle, growl and carry on like pork chops for 8 hours continuously.

The stafford doesn’t calm the kelpie, although they do get lots of exercise together.

Jack the Crazily Ill-Mannered But Strangely Adorable Kelpie is certianly an escape artist, but we’ve managed to modify fences and such to keep him in. Leaving him inside the house isn’t a good idea, he’s destroyed carpet, curtains, flyscreens and anything remotely chewable. He doesn’t seem to dig or eat plants anymore though, so the backyard is his.

touche

‘scuse me…apparently they were bred for dog-fighting in the victorian era

@tylersmayhem

obviously you are an expert on Staffords. I bow to your enlightenment and will hand in my two Staffords immediately… after thirty years of owning the breed, I never realised they were unpredictable.

BTW: they were never bred for dog fighting

WHY are there so many ignorant morons who think it’s a swell idea to by a) a cattle dog or b) a staffy and then wonder why they 1)dig up the backyard or b) snip at the young ones which ended up = RSPCA?

You live in Canberra, I don’t recall too many sheep stations out here. Therefore cattle dogs need hours and hours of exercise every week. I’m also not too aware of many dog fighting clubs around either, so while I quite like Staffys, I’d never own one. They ARE unpredictable dogs, even after years of training and good care. I have almost fainted before seeing some Charneys let their 4 years old hug their big staffy around the neck in front of it’s face and then start pulling on it’s ears. You could tell the dog was restraining itself from taking a nip.

I wish more people would think about animals they buy, and that it is FOREVER, not until the honeymoon or style phase passes.

CARA (www.companionrescue.org.au) also do a brilliant job. We just picked up our little kitten from a carer who saved his and mum + litters lives from death row. Brilliant!

I found that heart-warming as well.

Or should that be “bow wow”?

As an owner of two dogs, the most heart warming info from the link was that “RSPCA ACT has the lowest euthanasia rate of all RSPCAs with regard to dogs.”.

Take a bow Canberra.

Granny said :

How do you train them then?

same as cats, you don’t. they train you.

Holy shit, forget I said it Bloodnut. Next time maybe kicking your dog will get less of a reaction?

I bought a dog from the RSPCA (Border Collie cross) and they were fantastic.

I highly reccommend that anyone buying a dog, take their time and buy it from the RSPCA. They look after them, start basica training and your dog comes desexxed and fully vaccinated, generally all for under $300.

How do you train them then?

Chihuahuas won’t do damn tricks, and if there’s someone filming the attempt, they’ll find them and bite them to within an inch of their lives.

The *minute* a chihuahua realises they’re being trained, you are DOOMED.
They don’t like it.

*chuckle*

What about fetching the pipe and slippers? That would be a particularly useful trick, I reckon, although the pipe may be a bit superfluous in my case.

dont worry Granny – i just didnt include that in the video. its not as interesting you see…

Persi is sooo cute!!

: )

You are obviously an ‘alpha dog’, bloodnut. I’ve always been lucky if my dogs actually come when I call ….

>Sounds dumb as a box of rocks!

as promised ant, a small selection of my own staffords tricks. i hate double posts but JB won’t let me embed video (i dont think)

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=W6f4KSyZ_h4

>Aren’t Staffies the dog of choice for bogans wanting that “hard-arse” image? Usually with a metal link chain as a leash.

Sounds like you don’t know dogs. Like you, most bogans also don’t know the difference between the purebred stafford and the half cast pitbull variants, amstaffs or stafford crosses. These latter cross breeds are bogan fodder and would most likely be the breeds filling the RSPCAs category for staffords. Actual staffords are very hard to come by, They are bred for temperament, are amazing with kids and are often not great unsupervised with other dogs.

The term ‘Stafford’ is the only acceptable coloquiallism within breeding circles rather than the wider used staffy/staffie.

It is a crying shame that this confusion exists but something that stafford owners have to deal with – I make mine wear a floral collar as i find it effectively counteracts the misperceptions propogated by those such as yourself. Admittedly i only discovered this in researching to choose the breed most suited to me when buying my first dog.

>Sounds dumb as a box of rocks!

I cant see your logic ant, but if that’s your opinion, keep in mind that dogs are a product of their owners. Gimme two seconds and i’ll upload a video to the contrary – it might be interesting in a seperate post to find if there are any other obsessive dog owners that video tape their dogs like they’re kids.

i know this post is too long, but im sick and i cant sleep.

swamiOFswank said :

I have a 2nd hand staffy … She’s unbreakable, unflappable, and the most compliant and obedient dog I’ve ever had

Sounds dumb as a box of rocks!

I’d say kelpies and staffies are some of the most popular dogs in Australia and have many bred by backyard breeders, one of the reasons they’re at the top of the list!

We got our giant black mutt from ACT Rescue & Foster (ARF) (formerly a resident of the pound) and he’s a gorgeous boofer.

I have a 2nd hand staffy who has made a fantastic laid-back therapy dog for kids with disabilities. She’s unbreakable, unflappable, and the most compliant and obedient dog I’ve ever had (out of a Silky, Blonde Lab, Cairn, Black Lab and a Bichon). I’d have another Staffy again for sure, and I’d recommend trying a grown-up 2nd hand one – they’re great with mid-sized kids.

Staffies are a bogan’s best mate.

Get a staffy and a kelpie, they work great together.
The staffy teaches the kelpie how to relax and be lazy, and the kelpie maintains the staffy’s health.

Whoops, I should have said ‘adopted’, not ‘rescued’ … the dog had already been rescued by the wonderful RSPCA!

We rescued a kelpie/border collie/blue heeler cross from the RSPCA last year and everyone said we were just crazy to have a mixed up little sheep/farm dog in our suburban back yard … but she is the BEST dog ever, super-smart, fun, non-destructive, healthy and absolutely gorgeous. I think all of my future dogs will be kelpie crosses.

My sister-in-law has just gotten a border collie pup, after trialling several different breeds to find what would best suit the diverse needs of her family.

The dog is gorgeous, and successfully graduated from ‘puppy preschool’ where apparently the owners are trained while the pups get to play and have fun.

Recently, however, due to complaints from the local Margaret, she hired a dog specialist to help her solve the barking issue.

It turned out the dog wasn’t recognising any of them as the pack leader or ‘alpha dog’ and they have all been taught to say “BAAAH!!” very loudly when the dog misbehaves.

What a wonderful word, “Bah” is! I have tried it on the children, and it doesn’t work nearly as well. Nevertheless, my sister-in-law is determined to help me become an ‘alpha dog’ in the family. The bullwhip might help!

I can’t imagine anyone abandoning a border collie. If I were to get another dog, I would definitely consider this breed, although usually we have always had little shelties.

ant said :

No one dumps chihuauas, although they do leave home in disgust if it’s not up to their standards.

i am leaving that alone. at least a chihuahua is bigger than a quail….

No one dumps chihuauas, although they do leave home in disgust if it’s not up to their standards.

There’s no yard in the world that will keep George in if he’s left alone.

After discovering his ability to use static lines to destroy plants, and to tie exciting knots with long leashes, he now just sleeps on the bed inside the house doing no damage at all.

Everyone’s happier this way.

we used to clip a totem tennis ball to the wire on the hills hoist. our blue heeler kelpie cross would chase it around and around and around. she loved it.

she was a great dog. but walking her was always a handful. she loved chasing magpies.

i have a kelpie x with a scotch collie (lassie dog) with a very small backyard, and almost 15 months on, she is beginning to settle down, but will still chew everything in sight. We have very often thought it was unfair to have her in such a small yard, and i do know she barks alot when we are away at times, but this is mainly to our busy life, we just dont spend enough time with her. she is beautiful with my 3 y.o little GH can basically throw herself on her and she doesnt care, but will jump on any other visitors… she just wants to be loved… she is a great dog overall, but she has been a handful.

my tip, if you want a kelpie, be prepared to do lots of training, take lots of walks (which we dont, which isnt good!!) and have a reasonable yard with a garden that you dont really care about!!! (she digs alot too!)

I had a Border Collie as a kid and it was a fantastic backyard pet. We got him from the RSPCA. They require training to get the most out of them but to say they need a farm isn’t quite correct. Provided that you keep them company, and give them excercise, they are great yard pets.

Border collies are fantastic pets, great companions, and love company.
They are also highly neurotic, (often terrified during thunderstorms),high maintentance and require heaps of exercise.
They make fantastic farm dogs, but terrible yard dogs, unless you have a fence that will stop them jumping out.

My $0.02.

Oh and to add to that, to avoid offending anyone, I’m not saying Staffies are a bad dog, I know someone who has an awesome staffie. As for Kelpies, they are a great dog. When I give up this renting business and get myself a proper house, I’ll consider one.

Aren’t Staffies the dog of choice for bogans wanting that “hard-arse” image? Usually with a metal link chain as a leash.

i know of a lady who locally helps out in the rescue of abandoned dogs, she mentioned recently that there seems to be a larger number of border collies as well. bit of a surprise, collies aren’t a bad animal, though neither are kelpies or staffies. I donate money to both the RSPCA and another group, but we are a dog free home, the boys are allergic to dogs.

well done JB for saving a kelpie, they are really great friends.