There have been many misconceptions about some dog breeds for years, touting them as extremely aggressive dogs. But the truth is, with proper training, they can become your perfect companion.
Parenting an american staffordshire terrier (AmStaff) can be daunting if you do not consider a few prerequisites before the adoption. A dog breed of this kind requires you to fulfill particular necessities to become a good dog parent.
The Basic Traits of a Terrier Dog
An American Staffordshire is a muscular terrier breed. It has an impressive, confident presence, is dependable, and can be a good-natured companion. This breed has fine reflexes, making it athletic and agile. Their attitude toward new people varies from exuberant face kissing to polite reserve.
Personal Attention and Socialization
For this breed of terrier, companionship and socialization are crucial. Therefore, you must commit to making it see different people and pets and taming it to correct its misbehavior. You should be able to take your dog on a walk or actively engage in a bonding activity with your dog.
Potential Aggressive Behavior
This breed of dog is quite a houseful one. It may not start the fight, but if confronted by another dog, it may engage in a fight. An AmStaff Terrier will make sure to end the fight itself. Being an athletic and muscular dog, the results of such a fight can turn out to be harmful to your dog and the other animal engaged.
Members in Your Family
A Staffordshire Terrier is a huge dog. If you have kids and older people in the house, choosing it as your pet dog would not be wise. Do you have another dog or a cat in the house? A terrier may not take a divide in the attention very amiably and may react aggressively.
Financial Status
Being a muscular dog, a terrier has a heavy meat diet. That may become expensive for you to provide regularly. So before adopting a terrier, you should consider the extra financial load that you may have to bear.
Also, you should be in a position to provide your dog with the veterinary treatment that your dog needs against the diseases that it is prone to contract.
The Training Prowess
An American Staffordshire Terrier can be stubborn. If you are a mighty good trainer and a confident owner, you will have no problem making your dog obey the rules you have established. You should train your dog to have basic obedience when leashed in the outdoors. Your dog should not harm other dogs or people walking on the road for no reason whatsoever.
What Stage of a Terrier are You Adopting?
A Staffordshire Terrier will display extreme behavior like jumping aggressively, licking and kissing strangers, and rowdiness, when young.
However, with age and proper training, they become more stable. A good trainer can teach your pet to develop a correct temperament and physical behavior.
If you are not sure you can handle a young terrier, you can choose an adult dog from an animal shelter or a rescue group. Adult terriers don’t show too many negative traits, and thus, you can become a good pet parent.
Taming your Dog
Some individuals have a strong instinct to chase cats and other animals. To keep your pet in line, you should build fences that are at least six feet high. If your dog has digging tendencies, you may have to employ additional tactics like putting a wire in the ground and firm locks on the fence line.
Provide Enough Exercise and Mental Stimulation
Being athletic, a Terrier needs some moderate exercise every day. It will vent out its excess energy. If your dog is cooped up the whole day, it may show signs of boredom like destructive chewing.
Consider the Legal Liabilities
In some places, American Staffordshire Terriers are banned by law, in most cases due to confusion.
Your insurance policies may become redundant in that case. In addition, this species of dog already has a fighting heritage and looks intimidating. People will quickly tend to sue if its behavior is anything remotely questionable. Hence, you need to take care of all the legalities to avoid any issues in the future.
For an average household, an American Staffordshire Terrier can be a huge dog. However, if you are firm that you want the breed and believe that you are a good trainer, you should go for it. Being a pet parent will be a very satisfying and emotionally calming experience for you.