what to look for

Hi all,
Im looking at buying a staffordshire pup to show early next year, i have never showed befor and was wanting to know what to look for when buying a good show staffordshire pup.

hi & welcome to the forum i never show myself the link below may help

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/guidelineforbuying.html
http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/showingyourstafford.html

Caryll does alot of showing she may be able you to abit

It may not be quite as easy as you think, and I think that showing early next year is probably a bit optimistic.

You need to contact several good breeders and have a chat with them (you'll get a list from your local Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club), then you must decide what type of staff you want (shorter bully type or longer-legged terrier type, or middle-of-the-road) and choose a breeder you'd like to buy from. Tell them exactly what you want, ie which sex and the fact that you will want to show & then you'll have to wait for a litter to be born.

Hopefully the breeder will only have a small waiting list & you'll get your pup fairly quickly, but even then you're looking at 4 months till you can bring the pup home (pregnancy + 8 weeks) & another 4 months till it's old enough to be shown (6 months minimum under Kennel Club regulations)!).

So unless you're willing to pay A LOT of money for an older show-quality dog/bitch, you may have quite a long wait!

Thanks i have managed to get a hold of a pup, i get the pick of the litter, but when i pick her what do i look for in her

first of all make sure she got four legs lol

no but serious look at her eyes make sure there nice and clear
check her ears for smelly discharge
check rear end for any thing funny
check when she walks that its nice and fluid no lameness
check teeth are coming or come through nicely
listen for any whezzing
check for a big bloted belly(can be a sign of a burdon of worms) so check the last time they were fed.
sure theres more but cant remember lol

The first thing to do is see which puppies appeal to you, and which ones seem to like you. Whether show dog or not, this dog will be with you (hopefully) for the next 12-15 years.

Make sure she's strong & big boned, with a lively, friendly & inquisitive way about her. Also, make sure she's bold because she'll need to be if she's going to be shown. Ask the breeders which, in their opinion, would be the best for show purposes. Nothing at this age can be definite. A pup that looks good at 7 or 8 weeks can grow to be non-show quality & vice versa.

Don't forget, even if you pick the pup up tomorrow at 8 weeks old, you won't be able to show her until at least the end of March.

small pups are Chancey things to buy if you have showing them in mind, however if you want a superior specimen with exhibiting in mind then it is better to delay your purchase until you have the opportunity of buying a puppy of perhaps four to six months of age. younger ones often look good and solid but change alarmingly in the process of growing so that the little solid of two months looks like a whippet after four months. you will find that patience will pay dividends. The opportunities of buying puppies of an age of four to six months are seldom frequent. most breeders have their puppies of their hands by the time they are two months old, some breeders run on, a show prospect for their own consideration, then if the pup does not come up to scratch, they offer it up for sale. you should always check the validity of the reasons given to you for the sale of older puppies. if you feel doubtful as to your own ability to decide then take along an in formed friend or perhaps a qualified person who will help you for a small fee.

Yes, good advice. Don't rush into it, as you may regret it or be disappointed at a later date. After all, this is a tiny life we're talking about, not a product for showing.

If you no nothing about showing then get to know as much as you can first. check out the mum and dad and look for a well bred puppy whoose parents are heath checked. Dont choose the biggest one choose the one you think is of well proportion one that moves well has lots of bone and a well shaped head good expression check its teeth you cant really tell how well the pup will turn out they grow in stages but dont be disapointed if the puppy dont turn out to be what you want have fun. Some breed a few and are lucky and get good quality some breed a lot and never get anything good enough to show so take your time good luck

Where can I find a list of local or breeders

champdogs.co.uk can i also request you change your user name instead of using your email address thankyou.xxx