First time buyer. Help and advice needed please

Hi everyone we are thinking on buying our first staffy next week.
We went to see it last night and it does look bigger in the pics compared to what it was.
Just wondered if it looks like yout typical 'normal' 15 week old pup?

Also any advice on what puppy food is good would be great!
This will be our first family dog so want to be prepared!!
Thanks in advance[img][/img][img][/img]

Looks about right size for 15wks old, however personally I've not come across a staffy that colour, Inc nose colour,eye colour.she looks a light red color?
Does she have kc registration papers ?

Anyway, food, I use Wainwrights complete food from pets at home and my 2 love it. Other good ones are fish4dogs or if u have a big enuff freezer u could raw feed.

Gears on ur furbaby x

That is quite a large pup but then mine is very big. Mine has a mastiff for a great grandfather though, is yours crossed?

Where are you getting him from? Is it from a reputable breeder?

Here is a link that should help you choose a good food

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/dryfood.html

I wouldn't worry about the size of the pup to be honest because they all grow at different rates. Are both of the parents KC registered so that the pup will be as well? If you don't live somewhere that has breed specific legislation and the pup will just be a family pet than it won't matter.

Make sure to have a bed or crate and lots of toys before taking your new pup home

Cute pup! I hope you are prepared, it will turn your life upside down

Any pics of the parents ?

Hiya and welcome, nice pup, I only rescue so not a lot of help but you'll find some great minds of knowledge here

Thanks for quick replys.
They didnt say it was cross so i have just presumed its not. Yeah he was like a gingeryish tanned brown, he was gorgeous! and very boyterish!! lol.
I struggled to find a breeder near where i live, hes with a small family, they need to sell as the womans going back to work after maternity leave and there shifts dont work well with the pup.
No KC papers.
He did show me somthing from the vets, which had its DOB on and also the injections the pups had and the dates he got them (He only needs one more injection at one years old)
No pics of the parents, they got him from the boys mums friend, whos staffy had puppies. They did seem quite genuine though you never know these days!

The pup is very good looking. I asked where you live because there are breed specific legislation laws (BSL) that make AmStaffs/Pitbulls or types illegal. In my opinion that looks like an AmStaff as it looks just like Suki did at that age and she is a JKC registered AmStaff. I would hate for you to have a legal issue later because the breeder or current handler wasn't being completly honest with you. If you live in an area w/o BSL they make a wonderfull pet and companion.

Also you say it's a first family dog. Have you had a bull breed before? They are great but do require a ton of work to socialize and train. For example Suki's daily routine is an hour of socialization at the dog park followed by a three mile walk in the morning. She goes for anthor three mile walk in the afternoon. We also do 2 or 3 training sessions every day that last 15 minutes apiece. Dependant on how energetic she is during the day there are multiple tug of war and other games we play with her.

The breed also thrives on human companionship and tend to have seperation aniexty issue that need to be worked out over time. I'm not at all trying to disuade you from getting the pup I just want to make sure you know what you are getting.

I'm sorry we don't mean to rain on your parade, but as this is your first family dog i feel we have to say there are HUGE warning signs with this one.

One, you should never buy a dog you can't see the parents of, or have the KC papers of.
two, this is not a staffy. This looks more like a cross, and looks very pitbull type.
three, how much research have you done on this breed as they are VERY strong willed and can be difficult to train.

I can't help but feel the owner just can't be bothered anymore, as it is very boisterous.

it also willl not have been health tested so may have under lying problems in the future which will cost you a fortune in vets bills

I don't mean to put you down at ALL im just trying to warn you to save you future heartache.

He looks a lovely little chap regardless of his breed .. but I agree completely with Hayley ..

Bull breeds can be VERY demanding and hard work as pup's, which you MUST be prepared for !! .. but the saying .. "you reap what you sow" .. couldnt be more fitting than when describing bringing up a staffy ... and if you are willing to put the time and effort in, they are about the most rewarding breed you will find, so dont let that put you off

No by all means don't let it put you off the breed or this dog, just make sure you know what you are getting into before you go ahead! lol

No we have never had a bull type dog before, but we have done loads of research, we have been looking alot at petplanet.co.uk
I agree i think they cant be bothered as its so hyper!
We would be getting it the day im on holidays for 2 weeks, and my partner is a stay at home mum so she will be here with it all day, every day.

We stay in Aberdeenshire.

I appreciate all this information, my first concern is ovbiously my one year old boy, and his saftey, so if it is a cross pitbull we will look elsewhere (Sorry for steriotyping)

Sorry if this is a stupid question, is his eyes a normal colour?

sorry but im going to have to agree with what others have said thats deff not astaffie and looks verry pit type but as you say no papers you will never know .
re safety with your littyle un good trainiong and you will have no problems (but i agree you need to think hard and long about it)
and eye couler and nose couler are the two things that are screeming out pit bull

If you are in the UK I would stay away from that particular dog as IMHO that is a pitbull/AmStaff and could cause some leagal issues. I'm not that familiar with BSL laws in the UK but I think that's right.

They are typically great with kids but since yours is so young I would not leave him alone with the dog regardless of the breed at any time. Suki's fantastic with kids and will lick them to death if we let her but we always closely supervise her when she is around children.

There isnt really a "normal" eye colour for a cross I'm afraid, but it looks about right for coat colour to me (from the pics)

Nobody can say really weather you should/shouldnt go for it, but we can at least point out things from experience ( of which there is an awfull lot on here )

All i would say, is If you are able to give a boystrous bull breed pup the attention it needs "without exception" ... you'll be fine, my biggest worry would be the risk of "type" persecution and the sh!t that that may well bring !! .. and, is your partner aware of the amount of effort she will have to put in looking after, excercising, playing with, etc etc through the day, every day, while your at work ?? .. its not easy!

As bigwazza says, the eye colour and the colour of the nose scream pitbull. I know you don't mean to stereotype but as you have never had a bull breed before so won't know the personalities/any real history i am afraid i would advise you to be very cautious proceeding with this one. As has been said, properly trained and socialised a pitbull type (i say type cause its unlikely to be a full pitbull or maybe even part pitbull..its most likely a staffy cross! but will be classed as pitbull type) can be VERY great pets but they ARE illegal. If you are still in mind to want a staffy, please take a look at the rescues. They are very good at finding the correct home for their dogs so will take your child into consideration (but be advised they sometimes are reluctant to rehome if you have no bull experience.)

Sorry

jstaff wrote:If you are in the UK I would stay away from that particular dog as IMHO that is a pitbull/AmStaff and could cause some leagal issues. I'm not that familiar with BSL laws in the UK but I think that's right.

law states that an illegal breed will be taken but will be returned if it is safe - as this person doesnt know this dog or the dogs history its hard to say what training its already had. it could be already agro but thats unlikely at this age. im still not 100% sure if animal agro is taken into account when/if they are seized. im also not 100% sure if the law differs in scotland!

Steve will know about it though, he knows the law inside out haha

I would walk away from this one unless you're prepared to take a chance on it (not being health tested, not knowing it's ancestry etc.), in which case offer to give the pup a home but don't give any money for him. As if you do, you'll be supporting what sounds like bad breeding practices.

The pup looks like a cross to me an could potentially grow up to meet the illegal type definitions so that's something to think about.

If you want to buy a pup rather than rescue then you need to make sure the pup is KC registered, it's parents have been tested for L2 HGA, HC, PHPV & PPSC and the pup should be screened for PHPV before leaving the breeder. The best thing to do to get started is get in touch with the breed council or your local breed club, also look on the KC website, lots of advice on there - http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=2101&d=pg_dtl_art_news&h=259&f=0

I do not own a pure breed dog and never have. I have no experience of breeding dogs and certainly no qualifications in dog behaviour. I feel I have learned an awful lot from this forum and I am now better prepared for an issued that my dog Rocky raises.

One thing I do know is that you will only recieve excellent advice from the members of this forum. This is what you have above. There are literally years of Staffordshire ownership experience here and these are owners who really do know what they are talking about.

If I may ask that you take the time to read what they have said and bear it all in mind you can then make an informed decision. Dog ownership is a lifetime commitment to that animals wellfare and is not a decision to be taken lightly.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Hi & welcome to the forum.

Oh, dear, you've not had a good start with us, have you? But like everybody else I'm going to have to caution you against this pup. He may not be a pitbull or even a pitbull cross, but he looks it, and that could be enough for him to be taken away from you.

The bull breeds, although fantastic dogs when brought up properly, are hard work. They are a strange mixture of hard-headed stubborness & sensitivity. If you're too soft with them they will run your life, if you're too hard/loud they'll turn into quivering wrecks!

I know this might seem a bit rude, and I don't mean it to be, but have you gone for this pup because it's cheaper than a registered one?

I have to agree with everyone else on this, the minute the pic opened up the term 'pit bull' entered my head.
Yes his adorable, and if it wasn't for this dam DDA we would be congratulating you on your new family member.
That we will still do, as us bull breeder lovers like to stick together
But it would be wrong of us to paint your ownership path with this dog as a bed of roses.
The pup screams pit bull type, and if we can see it so will the powers above with their trusted tape-measure to confirm what they already know and take him from you. If his a model doggie citizen then theres a high chance your get him back.
These ppl that your getting him off may believe his a stafford, as thats what they bought him as, and he may look like the other so called staffords in their area so they see what they have been told as the truth, its not until his put next to a genuine Staffords that your see the difference and he looks nothing like a 14 wk pup for example that i have bred.
If you decided to go ahead, then good luck to you put the training in and keep his nose clean and fingers crossed your be fine. If not just make an excuse and walk away.
Your a member here now and i'm sure between us all we're find you the stafford puppy you want

Thanks guys, after your advice i contacted the boy and questioned him about the dog, and he just told me now that its a pure pitbull!!

Scary how easy that can happen, and a shame! beautiful dog!! but not going 2 take it, thanks so much!! if i hadnt of came on here i would have took it...scary!!

Wow, that could've been so bad for you! It's a shame people can't be more honest right at the start. Nothing against pits, but with the law in the UK you could've been setting yourself up for a fall.

Keep looking & I'm sure you'll find just the right dog for your family.

Please stick around here & join in when you want to!

Steven wrote:Thanks guys, after your advice i contacted the boy and questioned him about the dog, and he just told me now that its a pure pitbull!!

Scary how easy that can happen, and a shame! beautiful dog!! but not going 2 take it, thanks so much!! if i hadnt of came on here i would have took it...scary!!

very unlikely to be a pure pitbull very likely to be a crossbreed that look like a pitbull which will fall under pitbull "type"

Glad you have called them up on this. I have no problem with pitbulls or pitbull types but they are atm illlegal and can be bothersome if not trained well.

Good luck finding another dog if that is what you wish!