ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I really need to vent right now. Why are some people just so STUPID?

You take in a staffy, thats 3 months old. Poor little thing has been passed around, so someone finally takes it and says i'll keep it here forever. Ok. But then slapping it when it nips/jumps? (which is what pups do!!!) tapping it out of the way with your foot, not kicking it but not a tap either. Shouting in its face. Yet when I try to say 'No offence, you wont train a dog that way - if you hit a toddler - it'll hit you back' Meaning, hit a dog, it'll probably bite you. 'If you hit a child - it will become fearful and scared' Meaning, treating a dog like something youve stood on will make it petrified of you, I get told I know NOTHING. Oh... REALLY?! Do I know nothing? Am I wrong in saying what I said? Am I wrong in offering to find out some local training classes etc? Am I wrong in saying the pounds are overflowing with staffys? But apparantly thats alright, theyre adult staffys, people buy staff pups.. according to one IDIOT... because yeah during my conversation where I nearly blew out steam off the top of my head, breeding the staff was mentioned. Please tell me im not wrong in saying this?

I know that the person/people im talking about will read this, and I hope they sodding do. Will someone PLEASE just say 'Staffys are overbred, you shouldnt breed them, you shouldnt hit/slap/punch/kick a dog, you should take it to training classes/read books because youve never owned a dog before and just because your aunties uncles mothers brother did when you was 5, it equals to absolutly 0 knowledge of dogs?

ARGHHH. This IS a family member and to be honest, if I see anymore of this behaviour, I WILL be calling the RSPCA and I dont care if they never speak to me again. Its a joke I want to headbut the wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rant: Sorry guys but if they read this then maybe, just maybe, they'll think again about classes etc :(

Try not to stress yourself too much. You know you're right, as would the RSPCA and any knowledgeable dog owners and trainers.
It's not about opinion.
It's based on the fact that people have tried numerous training 'techniques' in the past. And it's been proved that agression is never the way forward.

Also...all those adults in the pound were once cuddly little puppies that someone bred without a thought for anything other than the money. If they had then they wouldn't have found many more ACTUAL forever homes and the adults wouldn't now be stuck in rescues.
Also...wasn't their that tv program on bbc about staffy breeding? And overall it showed that the person breeding didn't make much money. Got stuck with one of the pups/it got returned to her and also alot of them didn't end up in suitable homes.
By 'suitable' I mean that had the people been trying to adopt from the RSPCA they would have been turned down.

Like I said, try not to stress yourself. Don't give up, but just don't let it actually get to you.

It upset me because they'll be the first, when the dog does some serious damage to them/kids that will have it PTS and blame 'the breed'. It also upsets me, because the family member has never had a dog - nor have I. I do want a dog, I offer to dogsit for people but im doing soooo much research beforehand. My OH said 'we can get a dog, but first you must research the breeds, get books, save up atleast £1000 (for rehoming fee, toys/dishes etc, and the first years insurance premium aswell as vaccine/spay costs) then we'll set about finding the right dog' and he also said that I must prove to him that im capable of it - by getting up at a set time each day, and not lazying around etc. We're also fostering for a rescue before taking on any dog so we can get the feel of having a dog around us and if a dog wouldnt/doesnt fit into our lifes then we cant have a dog. They've got this poor little bugger on a whim, without thinking, without any research and its going to turn into the media stereotype of a 'vicious staffy' because I have no doubt on if they carry on like they are, it'll do serious harm! :( Why dont people get it? ARGH!!

They don't get it because they're sodding idiots! They know nothing about dogs - and don't see any need to do research and find out about them. Which is why so many dogs end up in the pound.

Not just Staffies, though they are the breed that's suffering most at the moment because of moronic owners. Some people see a particular breed of dog, "fall in love with it" and buy one on impulse, then discover the cute little bundle of fur needs proper training, which they can't be arsed to do, and lots of exercise, and trips to the vets, and kennels when they want to go away.

Training a dog can be a right pain - it requires endless patience, lots of treats and lots of rewards for getting thing right and not losing your temper and shouting or "tapping" it if it doesn't understand.

I'm sure most people who own dogs have, at some time or another, ended up shouting at their dog in sheer frustration - but you only have to see the effect that can have on your dog to realise that it really doesn't work.

I fear that poor Staffy is going to end up being re-homed again - with even worse behavioural problems, because your relatives can't be bothered to get it right. I don't blame you for being annoyed - I'm annoyed, too, and I don't even know the dog!

I'll say it as well, and show them the link to Rain Rescue's and my website if you like. Lists of staffies due to be Put to Sleep because selfish idiots just want to line their own pockets instead of looking at the bigger picture.
http://www.rainrescue.co.uk
http://www.preciouspoundies.co.uk

I spend my life trying to save these dogs, as does Rain Rescue and it's so depressing to look at the small ads and see them being churned out knowing full well that in a years time it will be in the pound in danger of being PTS. These dogs do deserve better, most of them would die for you if it came to it, and how do we repay them? By throwing them away.....

I know that they'll see this link - because im going to post it on their facebook page soon! Its so upsetting because this is a status dog for them - look at me, ive got a staffy, im 'ard. It riles me, and I really dont know what to do. Another member of my family, printed off some training techniques etc from KC website and passed them on to the family. I just hope it gets through, I really dont see how people can actually shun advice as 'stupid'. The thing is, I might not know that much about caring for a dog, but surely I know something? I hope I do! I offered to do some digging on local training classes so they can find out more about caring for a dog - I dont doubt noone who takes a dog in on a whim but I doubt those that do it and just dont care one bit. If I mention anything about having a 20% or less protein diet I wonder what looks i'll get?!

I know why my advice is shunned as stupid its because of my age but my god ive got more brains than them put together! Or atleast I care about my animals more!!! This is the same family member, some might remember, I had to reg the cat at the vets - get a spaying voucher for it - book it in the vets, and tell them multiple times 'its in the vets to be done at X time' and still, I got no thanks. But atleast, the kit got done thank god!

Gina- I know that this may not be welcome advice, but please think about whether your anger is going to do anything positive. If it isn't, then remember that you can't choose what happens in some circumstances, but you can choose whether to get angry about it.

I'm very good at not getting outwardly angry when I take in animals which have been ill treated- that doesn't mean that I don't feel anger, but I'm really aware that my anger doesn't help the animal one bit and neither does it grow a conscience or some learning for the person who has mistreated it.

Far better that you spend your time, energy and anger doing something positive for the animal than trying to make people learn when they don't want to learn or feel when they aren't prepared to feel.

If I got this worked up about every time I'd seen bad treatment of an animal then one blood vessel or another in my brain would have gone pop years ago. This doesn't mean that I'm not angry, just that I identify the anger which stops me from doing positive things for the animal as pointless so I don't allow myself to go there.

I hope that this makes sense- it's intended to help rather than criticise. With a bit of luck you'll find a way of getting the animal out of the situation (or improving the situation) really soon. Good luck :)

At least if you never get a thank you, you know you're giving the animals a better life in the long run. That in itself is a reward :)

Good luck trying to open their eyes. I know the feeling of banging your head against a brick wall when you have so much evidence to back you up. Sometimes people just don't want to hear it...
I understand how it feels to be belittled though. Just because they wont listen to what you're actually saying and find out for themselves (if you're so 'stupid' lol) because if they did double check with someone 'reputable' ie. a highly recommend dog trainer then they might find out a few things.

Seriously, try to shrug off the physical stress.

Ergh hun honestly if you think that they are not doing right for the dog then report it but dont let them p**s you off hun you dont need it.

Staffies are overbred in my opinion and i thhink people should concentrate on rehoming the dogs in rescues and pounds first.

You know what your doing, some peope just cant take advice so et them learn the hard way x

I know Medusa, im trying so hard not to get angry about it all but sometimes its frustrating. I try my hardest to care for my pets - and ok, sometimes I get a little skint and they have to have a tin of tuna instead of biscuits (what a hard life!) but I go without for them. I try my best, and even though I was entitled to PDSA treatment, I ran up a debt because I trusted my vet rather than seeing a vet who i'd never met before and didnt know my animals. Its so upsetting, I think they'll get bored though within a few weeks. And guess who will get asked to take it in, and guess who will cause im a mug and I cant say no. I just feel like shaking some people and screaming at them but I know if I do it, it wont help anything. I'll promise to try and contain myself - I rarely visit, and on the occasion I do - I walk out riled at the behaviour!

I and other people who have been into the pounds where many dogs get put to sleep - end up doing rescue purely because of NEEDLESS destruction. Seeing dogs sat in a kennel, who are out of time, and have to be destroyed because nobody wants them, or there is no more room. Its heartbreaking - truly heartbreaking.

Rain Rescue tries to help Sheffield Council with their strays as much as they can - as well as helping others. ALL THE POUNDS ARE FULL OF STAFFIES AND STAFFY' CROSSES. We can't find any more places to squeeze them into. The Council staff phone round trying to find places - I spend most of my life trying to improve rehoming at the kennels for them - just for idiots to keep breeding more because they are that stupid they don't know.

Dont breed - if there isn't a need - there isn't a need for staffies.

All dogs are born with natural instinct and intelligence. Humans that inflict cruelty and violence on anything vulnerable - be that an animal, a child, an older person or someone who is weaker than that person, just show themselves to be the weakling and the person that causes any pain or suffering to others - WILL receive that pain and suffering on the other side. Nothing done or said goes un-noticed.

Their time will come.

Education and patience will win in the end.