Puppy Owner to be - Few Queries

Hi there

I'm new to this forum and haven't got my puppy yet but hoping to get one in the not too distant future. I have been following the various forums with great interest and have found a lot of the information very helpful. However I do have a couple of queries as follows:-
1. For housetraining I have read that freeze dried liver is the ultimate treat to give a puppy as a reward as they go nuts over it. However, isn't liver a bit too strong for a new puppy or is it ok if I give it in very tiny pieces. Obviously I want to use the most potent treat possible to encourage good housetraining so if there is something else out there thats perhaps more gentle on their tummies I'd love to know.
2. Is £700 a reasonable amount to pay for staff from a reputable breeder or is this a bit expensive? I only want a staff for a family pet but I do want him to come from a reputable breeder thats KC registered.

Thanks

I can't really comment on whether the treats would be too strong or not.
I was always told hot dog was a good one.

As for £700, yes, that is a lot, I'd pay no more than £300 with papers and health checks, Molly £250 without being KC reg'd.

To be honest, if you're just wanting a family pet that's not going to be bred from, being KC registered shouldn't be a priority, getting a pup that's healthy is more important, a reputable breeder would not, in my opinion, charge that much for a staffy.

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Thank you for your reply about the cost of a staffy. I too, thought it was a bit expensive. I suppose I'm being a bit naive in that I think that by buying a puppy that is KC registered, I will be getting a healthy, pure bred dog. I am just so concerned that by buying one that isn't KC registered I won't know what I'm getting! Obviously the health and temperament aspect are the most important criteria for me.

Hiya and welcome

I don't have a clue re the liver treats. To house train its really easy to just use encouragement too. I only say that because my second has a very sensitive tum so have never been able to treat train.

Again going to be rather useless at the money side, but that does seem rather steep. If its going to be just for a beloved family pet then have you considered re-homing? Just a thought but can understand if not.

Good luck and let us know how you get on, its been magic watching other peoples pups grow on here.

I think liver would be a little strong to start with - I'd go for one of the puppy treats you get at the pet shop, they're designed for sensitive tums!

As to price, £700 from a top breeder is about right, although you're looking at an average price of about £400 - £600. However, unless you want to show your dog & want to have a well-known kennel name, then you can certainly get a lot cheaper than that, with a pup that is just as healthy & typical. Just make sure that the parents of your pup have been health tested for all the normal hereditary diseases so that you can be sure to give your pup the healthiest start in life that you can.

Contact your local Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club & ask their advice as to breeders in your area, or have a look at the 'Accredited Breeders' on the Kennel Club site.

If you're not bothered about the pup being registered then you'll be looking at less money, but the parents probably won't have been health tested.

Thanks for the advice. It was an accredited breeder on the Kennel Club site that cost £700! But you have confirmed my thoughts in that I should go for KC Registered in order to be sure the parents have been health tested.

Think yourself lucky - I have a Bull Terrier & he cost £900!!!! That's an average price for a KC registered dog!

Not all non-registered pups will be badly bred or suffer from hereditary illness, but sometimes it's best to be safe.

also were you quated 700 for a standard coulered staff or a higher premium blue staff(which i now think there should be no premium)as some breeders are now charging 1200 to 1500 for a good blue which i find terrible
but for a good staff i would not be paying more than 500 give or take a few quid.
but if you find the right dog any price will seem worthit.

funnily enough it is a blue staff. And as I noticed your staff is blue, are there any down sides to owning a blue one? I've heard they can be more prone to skin conditions. Is this true?

in short yes but only as prone as whites but there easily treated and clear up quickly if court quickly.
and 700 is a good price for a blue but i would never again base my perfect dog soily on couler even tho i wouldnt change him for the world

I've heard that whites & blues can have skin problems - well, I know whites can, but I'm not sure about blues, they're a fairly recent popular colour.

list of staffy clubs around the uk

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

Hi Claire glad you chose a staffy I think if you are going to pay £700 for a puppy I would hope it to be high quality but unless you know what to look for then it may be over charged. Blue is not rare at all never has been and never will be (sorry all blues) im not disrespecting the colour because I like it but its a diluted colour of black end of. Breeders will tell you its rare to bump up the price and people will pay it im not being horrible but i have seen some pretty poor quality dogs and people have paid over the top price just because of the colour.
My advise is do your homework check out mum and dad is it the type you like also check progeny of them from previos litters do they seem nice to you. Are mum and dad healthchecked and also dont pay someone that amount of money for a puppy what is associated with a good dog but way back in its pedigree.
Ive seen a litter of puppies that I think will turn out very nice and very close to the breed standard for sale at £600, just a example.
Whatever you pay will be worth it the amount of pleasure they bring you can never put a price on

We had a few issues with Millys skin and the vet told me blues and whites tend to suffer more with ther skin but as said above most are easily treated.

Thanks everybody. Advice I will certainly be taking on board. And thanks for the link regarding breed clubs although I haven't had much luck getting through to the South East club either by telephone or email! With regard to the skin conditions blues and whites are prone to, what sort of conditions do you mean? Is it the sun on their skin or just general sensitivity? Bit worried I'm going to have lots of vet bills! I do also love the pied colours particularly red and white but aren't finding it easy to locate puppies. I live in Hertfordshire and although I am happy to travel to find the right puppy, I don't really want to have to travel to Scotland for instance! If there's anyone out there who might know of a reputable breeder that has a litter available soon I would be so grateful.

Do you mean the Southern Counties SBT club? If so, here's a link for their committee - if you can't get through to one, try all of them!
http://www.scsbts.org.uk/contacts.htm

Thanks Caryll, thats great. I will get on to them today.

gem wrote:Hi Claire glad you chose a staffy I think if you are going to pay £700 for a puppy I would hope it to be high quality but unless you know what to look for then it may be over charged. Blue is not rare at all never has been and never will be (sorry all blues) im not disrespecting the colour because I like it but its a diluted colour of black end of. Breeders will tell you its rare to bump up the price and people will pay it im not being horrible but i have seen some pretty poor quality dogs and people have paid over the top price just because of the colour.
My advise is do your homework check out mum and dad is it the type you like also check progeny of them from previos litters do they seem nice to you. Are mum and dad healthchecked and also dont pay someone that amount of money for a puppy what is associated with a good dog but way back in its pedigree.
Ive seen a litter of puppies that I think will turn out very nice and very close to the breed standard for sale at £600, just a example.
Whatever you pay will be worth it the amount of pleasure they bring you can never put a price on

gem i feel this is a personal attack on me with your comments



ha ha only joking no on a serious note that is a very important point to follow there are loads and loads of breeders that are breeding poor standard blue staffs and selling them for almost the same money as a top example and some s even more money i myself spent 10/11 months searching for memphis and i must have looked at 30+litters of pups and the same amount of ped papers.

bigwazza wrote:gem i feel this is a personal attack on me with your comments

Now, now, you're being paranoid.

(It IS about you, but she doesn't actually say so!)

caryll grrrrr i know your all takin about me lol

Its true what gem says, do not pay 700 quid just for the colour blue. Ask wazza about it, im not sure what he payed for memphis but he is a nice stafford and would be in any colour if u get what im saying lol. Blues are notoriously out of standard even the kc ones as they tend to get bred for colour and nothing else. x

bigwazza wrote:caryll grrrrr i know your all takin about me lol

Only behind your back, not to your face.......................

"Blues are notoriously out of standard even the kc ones as they tend to get bred for colour and nothing else. "

Getting worried now. I'm not experienced so maybe I should be looking for different colour then, though I love the blue.

ye thats kinda what i said in an earlyer post blaze there are a lot of blues that are miles away from the breed standard being sold for silly moneyi payed 750 for memphis but on my search i come across some poor examples being sold for 900 and the likes oooooh and i think its been said in an earyer post but try and see both parents but deff the mother if the mother not present stay well clear.


and a little point on the skin conditions there should be no big bills off the vets the cleam should cost 15/20 quid and it will last and keep in the fridge for a couple of years my vet told me

Thanks for the advice Warren.

claire wrote:"Blues are notoriously out of standard even the kc ones as they tend to get bred for colour and nothing else. "

Getting worried now. I'm not experienced so maybe I should be looking for different colour then, though I love the blue.

If you really want a blue, then go for it, but do some research so you'll know what you're looking at when you go to view pups. As Warren says, always ask to see the mother, preferaby with her pups & alone (if poss), and watch the pups playing with each other. If you go to a reputable breeder, although you may pay a bit more, they should be honest & open with you & will be happy to help you choose whichever pup suits you best.

When I bought Bandit, I wanted a black, or black & white - I got a black brindle! The breeder steered me towards 2 pups that she thought would be right for me & I never regretted it. Colour is of secondary importance - health & type are far more important. Try to get to know the breeder a little before you buy - before, even, a litter is born! They will be so much help to you.

Thanks Caryll

if you do the homework you can find a stunning blue example here is a pic of memphis dad his mother was of the same standard

gem i feel this is a personal attack on me with your comments



ha ha only joking no on a serious note that is a very important point to follow there are loads and loads of breeders that are breeding poor standard blue staffs and selling them for almost the same money as a top example and some s even more money i myself spent 10/11 months searching for memphis and i must have looked at 30+litters of pups and the same amount of ped papers.[/quote]
And because you did your homework you have got a lovely boy and he has some lovely dogs in his pedigree even nicer in the flesh. I actually really like blue my point is to say its not rare and yet they still pass it off as being so . As blue is a diluted colour the fur is usually softer than a darker dog they do seem to be more subseptable to skin conditions as white due to the skin pigmentation. Quality/healthy is more important to me than colour especially if I was paying so much money

So when I go to the breeder and they have the mum available to be seen but not the dad, but tell me the dad has a good temperament etc I have to really take their word for it. In addition when I ask if the parents have been health checked and they say they have, they have to produce paperwork to support this. If they don't have paperwork for whatever reason then I steer clear?

im the same myself now my next staff will be bought purely for the dog the couler will be ov little importance.

another thing to watch for is people selling pups with the blue "GENE"which is total tosh.
and also you may buy a pure blue pup but that dont mean there going to stay blue they have been known to turn light bluey brown and heavely brindled within a couple ov months

claire wrote:So when I go to the breeder and they have the mum available to be seen but not the dad, but tell me the dad has a good temperament etc I have to really take their word for it. In addition when I ask if the parents have been health checked and they say they have, they have to produce paperwork to support this. If they don't have paperwork for whatever reason then I steer clear?

any reputable breeder that puts there dog out for stud will be more than happy to let you visit there dog so if its not to far that can be sorted to but yes if the paperwork isnt present stear clear

I understand. I can assure you more than anything else its health and temperament I'm really after but obviously everyone must have a preference where colour's concerned so I hoping to get both. Incidentally, I saw an ad on the internet with chocolate brown staffs for sale. Thats unusual isn't it?

mmmm sounds like someone might be trying to pass liver dogs off as chocolate colour and liver is highly un desirable

claire wrote:So when I go to the breeder and they have the mum available to be seen but not the dad, but tell me the dad has a good temperament etc I have to really take their word for it. In addition when I ask if the parents have been health checked and they say they have, they have to produce paperwork to support this. If they don't have paperwork for whatever reason then I steer clear?

You'll rarely be able to see the stud, as most breeders will take their bitch to a stud dog that may be some distance away. However, most stud owners will be happy to talk to you about their dog & give you information about his temperament & health. As to paperwprk, ALWAYS ask to see original documents. If the breeder has done their job properly they will have their bitch's health certs plus they will have proper copies of the dog's health certs. If they sound like they're trying to steer the conversation away from seeing the documents, say goodbye.

claire wrote:I understand. I can assure you more than anything else its health and temperament I'm really after but obviously everyone must have a preference where colour's concerned so I hoping to get both. Incidentally, I saw an ad on the internet with chocolate brown staffs for sale. Thats unusual isn't it?

A 'brown' stafford is highly unlikely. Liver, yes, but that is a highly undesirable colour, from a breed standard point of view, as is black & tan.

Thanks Caryll. By the way I have now successfully got through to the SBT Breeders club and will now hopefully be pointed in the right direction. Many thanks

Good luck!

I used my dog for stud at one time and I was never asked to see him by people interested in buying a puppy and to be honest I dont know how id have felt about that.
About the health testing some dogs are clear by birth which means both parents are non carrier of the faulty gene and they are tested so there really is no need to test the offspring (does that make sense to you)
If you see a dog/bitch that you like you could always contact the owner he may put you on a list or let you no of any litters due in that particular line if you dont mind waiting

when i was lookin for a pup i must have asked to view 15 studs and out of them there was only one that was not happy to let me see him.
so i think it standard practic now if you want to check on your pups parentage

hey glad your choosing a staffie
couldnt comment on liver but we bread our dalmation last year and sold her pups kc registered.to be honest it doesnt mean a great deal we just chose a kc reg sire and esme is already kc.then when pups were born we registered them and the kennel club sent us papers for them and new puppy packs for the new owners.when we chose a sire we checked his papers and traced his history same as we did with esme to make sure there was no direct relatives between them. 700 is very steep for a staffy i paid 200 hundred for lola with no kc papers and shes perfect.
unless your wanting to breed or show (as some shows prefer kc) then id look a lot cheaper. also if you are looking to breed then you need to check there are no bans on the new puppys papers .we added bans to esmes puppys as we didnt want them used for breeding. wichever you choose kc or not im sure you will enjoy your new family member

p.s. your new puppy should of had its first injection atleast preferably both kc or not before you collect him/her.if the breeder is responsible they will have included this in the puppys price

just realised this makes me sound like a breeder...........im not by any means we just decided it was right for esme and once she had the first little she was of to the vets to be done

bigwazza wrote:when i was lookin for a pup i must have asked to view 15 studs and out of them there was only one that was not happy to let me see him.
so i think it standard practic now if you want to check on your pups parentage

Im not saying I would of not let the perspective owner veiw my dog I would have thought they had not done there homework if they had asked and I dont know how I would have felt about that.

Hi Claire,
I'm glad you decided to join us. I was just wondering...have you considered giving a home to a rescue? There are lots of puppies out there who need good loving homes. I'm probably biased as I've only ever had rescue dogs.

Hotdogs or small bits of cheese go down well too.

As for getting a puppy have you thought about looking at a rescue pup? There are thousands of staffies in rescue centres that are desperate for good homes. It will cost you less and all jabs would be done for you.