My love of Staffords began about twelve years ago when I met Sacha, a friend's brindle Stafford bitch, who came to stay with me on holiday. She was such a lovely dog: fantastic temperament, excellent with the children and such a character.
At that time I was working full-time, so owning a dog was out of the question, but when my circumstances changed and I found myself at home, I could finally have my own Stafford.
I made some phone calls and found a litter had just been born in Birmingham. Most of the litter were already booked, but there was one bitch left, and, after the breeder had checked me out a few times, she finally agreed that I could have one of her babies. I then had to wait the longest eight weeks. During this time many people said to me, "Don't get a Stafford bitch - you'll never be able to mix her with other dogs!". I was determined that this was not going to be the case and vowed to socialise my puppy as much as possible.
So, in July 1999, Remy arrived. A friend collected her on her way back from holiday. When I went to the airport I was handed a travel box, in which was a very sad and pathetic looking pup. She was not a good traveller and was car sick fro the first few months. We overcame this with the aid of ginger nut biscuits and going for lots of short trips to nice places. One of Remy's first outings was a puppy party at the vets and I joined the Island Dog Training Club and we started the basic puppy course, which was great. Socializing early certainly paid off and Remy is great with other dogs, even when a dog is aggressive toward her.
Staffords aren't the easiest breed to train; they are intelligent, but also very strong willed. As with all dogs, the owner must be the boss, not the dog rule the roost. This is very important with a breed which is so strong, both physically and mentally.
In 2001 Remy produced a litter of beautiful puppies, from which I kept Daisy. She is also a lovely temperament. We have continued going to the IDTC and they have both won trophies in obedience competitions and are now both working Novice and A Classes. Remy and Daisy, though similar in most ways, have different personalities, Remy can be very lazy whereas Daisy is always keen to do what you want, just to please you. Remy will usually only do things if she is bribed with food. Daisy loves agility, but Remy can't see the point in jumping over hurdles when she can just go around them like me! Daisy also enjoys flyball and heelwork to music. Through the IDTC we have also done the Kennel Club Good Citizen tests and both dogs have passed their Gold Certificate.
Staffords have a reputation for being vicious and nasty, which is totally unjustified. Some just attract the wrong owners! My girls love other dogs and people, especially children. They are often disappointed when we approach children, only for their parents to drag them away from the '"nasty dogs!" or people pick up their little dog or cross the road to avoid us.
They like their walks, but do not need a huge amount of exercise, but they do like to exercise their brains! My health often confines me to the house for days at a time, but Remy and Daisy are happy to settle down on the settee and take care of me. They are great companions and I can't imagine my life without them.
