>My advice would be to pass on that breed of puppy if you want ferts,
>cats, and even other dogs.  Staffordshire Terriers make excellent
>intellegent pets and bond very well with people.
>
>Socializing the ferts with the pup might help "imprint" the idea that
>the ferts are "kin" but I'd err on the side of caution.
 
I agree with what Dave has said, however with careful selection from a
reliable breeder, and raising the puppy to accept the ferrets as members
of the household, which can take a lot of patience and consistency, an
Am Staff can be a great companion to ferrets.
 
I had an Am Staff/GSD mix when ferrets first came into my life, and I was
amazed at how much my dog loved those ferrets!  I got lucky with that
dog; he was rescued from a crack house in NYC, and turned out to be the
best dog I've ever had, personality wise.  (He died from kidney failure
several years ago, and is still sorely missed.)
 
I later had a purebred Am Staff in my house for a brief time (long
story), and he also was great with the ferrets and kids, even though
he had never been around ferrets before.  But he chased the cats
relentlessly!
 
I now have a Ridgeback, another breed that is not recommended for the the
average household (they're large working dogs, bred to hunt lions and
other large game).  He has been socialized with my ferrets since he was 8
weeks old, and is very respectful and careful with them.  It took a long
time, though, (over two years) for him to develop the common sense not
to be too rough with them in play.  (I think Am Staffs tend to have more
common sense in this regard.) But my Ridgeback will now even tolerate a
ferret face in his food dish, which is pretty amazing, since he is very
jealous of his food.
 
The keys to success, IMHO, are
1) Get the puppy from a reliable breeder; meet the breeder's dogs and
evaluate their temperament.  (There are many unscrupulous breeders of Am
Staffs that select for overly aggressive dogs, and these people give the
breed a bad reputation.)
 
And 2) Get a young puppy and begin socialization with ferrets (and all
household members) right away, and be very consistent with letting the
puppy know what is and is not acceptable behavior.  Good luck!
 
Nancy and critters
[Posted in FML issue 4038]