>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]