New SBT owner with some questions

Hi New Staffy owner here from Orange County Cali. I still got 4 weeks till I can pick up Jagger. Got a couple questions I came up with during my research.

1. Jagger is a Purebred male SBT from a local Breeder in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Soooo Obv. I only want the best for him ! I been reading up on all the diets and talked with a few people. One thing I learned is everyone has a opinion backed up by " facts" haha. I know the brands of dry food that are good to go with ( thx to this site ) and which ones to stay away from. Do people ever mix up things with raw food and dry? My wife will not be on board with me getting a freezer and filling it with raw meats, but I have seen a local pet store that sells raw frozen meals designed for dogs. I was wondering if there is any issues with using primarily dry foods and mix in a raw meal or canned meal here and there? Personally if I could I would do the raw diet, it seems better to me. Also when I am able to pick up Jagger he will only be 8 weeks old, so I will stick the recommended puppy diet plan from the breeder.

2. Neutering, first off I don't have to I will not neuter Jagger ( personally I don't want to ) . Honestly I don't know if anyone can say they "HAD" to neuter a dog for behavior reasons, but I could be wrong. Again I hear people say it does not help with behavior and then I hear people say it helped so much.... However, "IF" I decide to do this what age is best. I hear 8 months to a year, then I am told not to do it till at least 2 years. I have also read the risk/pros/cons with doing it and not doing it.

& here is Jagger @ 4 weeks old

Hi why don't you pop here and say hello

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/f7-new-member-introductions

Regarding the Raw / Dry Food diet , I only feed dry and only from a UK manufacturer so no input there , however digestion rates are different between Raw and Dry so you need to look into a well scheduled diet rather than just mix one in here or there, Ella is one of our most experienced Raw Feeders and can offer you loads of advice on the subject .

Regarding the neutering , yes there are lots of opinions on it but in very brief summary the best age if you HAVE to do it is after around 18 months when the growth plates etc are full closed and the dog is more or less matured , and it can , bit is definitely not guaranteed to modify behaviour

I feed a solely raw diet and my pups come straight here onto raw. However you can feed raw and dry though

I also don't agree with blanket neutering, so my dogs do not get neutered unless medically they need it.

Thanks for the quick replies! So, a dry ad raw mix diet would be fine? When is the best time to start training. I know ill be working with him all the time but I plan to go to a training class, about what age is best?

like you say you can train with him from the moment he gets home but I am not sure on ages for injections etc over there obviously he won't mix with other pups until he is fully covered which would be around 12 weeks here , best to research a few puppy classes and ask what they say. If you can find one that is familiar with the stafford you will find this much better , I was very lucky with my trainer , stafford and rescue savvy and a heart of gold

Yes it's fine although i would always recommend a full raw diet but it isn't for everyone.

Start training from day one and training classes will tell you the age they can take your pup from, i don't do classes so can't help there

Aww Jagger is a cutie welcome to the forum everyone one on here is really helpful and have a great amount of knowledge and experience and are always glad to help x

Congratulations on your new puppy, he's gorgeous, bet you can't wait.
I have never fed raw because, like yourself, it wouldn't be practical for me with regard to freezer space. You are however very lucky as you have an excellent brand of kibble in the U.S. called Orijen. I raised Bacchus on Orijen Puppy and then the adult version until the end of last year and only changed foods because of supply problems here in the UK. It appears initially to be expensive but because of the quality you need to feed less and it works out quite economical.
Check out their website. It's high quality and I can thoroughly recommend it.

Meant to say......re neutering. The jury seems to be out on this subject. A freind has just had her 16 mth old Boxer done to try to calm him down and was told it would be 6 mths before the hormones completely left the body and she would see the difference. I would be asking the question " Does the neutering make the difference or is it just an extra 6 months maturing?"

Re training. Classes are excellent for socialising and learning training techniques but the real work is done away from the classes. Short spells every day is the way to go.

Hello and welcome
Bet you cannot wait to bring your new addition home!
Just wanted to say about training classes, that make sure you go to a few before deciding which one is for you. If you have time you could do this before you bring your puppy home so you can get a feel for what's out there and that you like what you see. As said by Reuben though so much is done away from the class.
Good luck Let us know how you get on.