From the past history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the modern dog draws its character of indomitable courage, high intelligence, and tenacity. This, coupled with its affection for its friends, and children in particular, its off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes it a foremost all-purpose dog.
All of my Staffords live in harmony, respecting one another, playing with one another, and sleeping with one another. They are all well-socialized and attend multiple dog events a year, working close to other dogs. I take my dogs almost anywhere they are allowed to go. Yes, I have gone out to restaurants with all my dogs with no issues. Staffords have an off-switch, referred to in our breed standard as an off-duty quietness. They are not guard dogs and love people to a fault. My Staffords would let a stranger into our home and happily leave with them.
When Staffords play, they can be very vocal. It can sound awful and scary, but this is very typical. If they don’t sound like they are killing each other, is it really a Stafford?
A well-bred Stafford will be the best dog one has ever owned. I hear this often from puppy families and lovers of the breed. It is essential to understand the history of our breed and the ignorant beliefs of others regarding our breed. Almost everyone will call them a “stuffy” or say they have one at home; this is often misguided. Running into a true Stafford out in public is typically exciting, as purebred Staffords are less common than people think.