buying puppy advice

Hi,

We live in Berkshire (uk) and we have decided that we want to buy a Staffordhire puppy. I was hoping that someone could give us some advice.

We have found a litter that has KC registered puppies, however the parents are not HC/ L2 Hga clear, how much of a risk would this be?
It is the first litter for both the mum as well as the breeder so not much experience from either, would this be a problem?

Is there any general advice you could give me on things to look out for?
Cleanliness being an obvious one.

Have you considered re-homing. I haven't a clue on breeding, but there are plenty of pups and older dogs that may fit your lifestyle

janey wrote:Have you considered re-homing. I haven't a clue on breeding, but there are plenty of pups and older dogs that may fit your lifestyle

yeah i have, i know that it is probably not fair but we have a 3 and a 5 year old i am just worried about bringing in and older dog that i dont know the history off

There's puppy's that need new homes too

any good rescue centre should test their dogs before rehoming

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

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

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/l-2-hgaandhc.html

Yes there are many pups in shelters its a real shame.
onto your question, you want to see both the parents and all the pups in a family envoronment, aks about temperments of adults, ask to see the parents vet card. and ask to see KC registration papers there and then and don't settle for i'll post them to you in a few weeks.
If they will not show you all the pups and both parents there is something wrong, check the mum is fit and healthy and that all the pups are, if a pup is sleeping wake it up so you can see them moving around nicely.
There are many other things to do also and don't be afraid to ask anything simple things like runny eyes, too diareah. ask it all and if they wont answer or avoid a question find someone else.
KC breeders should be very helpful, and thorough they should ask you everything possible maybe even your income because good breeders want those pups to go to nice homes so be prepared to be asked alot of questions if your not bring them up yourself and see their reaction.
You may want a contract some do some don't to ensure the health of the pup and origin.

thaks very much for the advice everyone. i will look further into the rehoming option

Just to add i remomed my first staff Ty when he was 6 months old from rescue, he was properly assesed and tested with everything under the sun, kids, chickens, cats, old people lol. My kids were 1 and 5 at the time. Then we rescued Kaos privatley at 11 weeks approx 6 months later and although hectic at times (well most of the time lol) Both have been fantastic and a joy (espeacially Ty, but dont tell Kaos! It was almost like he was made to measure for our lives) They both love the kids espeacially the youngest one who is now nearly 3. They have the typical staffy bounce and jump on anyone who enters our house (although are getting a bit better now a year later with constant training lol) but have never once jumped on the kids and seem to skirt around then when they are playing and are so gentle. I would soooo reccommend rescuing and u get pregnant bitches coming in all the time, if a tiny pup is what u really want. But i would reccommend anything up to 8ish months old as they are still sooooo easy to train at that age they are like little sponges! x

Thats fantastic new and i really do understand your concerns who wouldn't be concerned, most shelters offer a trial period so you can get used to the dog have it for the weekend etc,
at the shelter once again don't be afraid to ask all the questions ask if they are seen by a behaviourist/trainer/health tested/spayed neutered/vaccinated. The more info you ask about them the more they will take you seriousely and the more comfortable you will feel, there alot of Staffies in shelter unfortunatly and a vast majority of them are young adults 1-2 years old with no aggression issues at all, they just need to be trained because people who had them couldn't cope with the training it would need and realise this is a big dog that need training and caring for. Most dogs at shelters are asked to only go to those with older kids and other would be fine, its all to do with training so if you know what you are doing i think you would be fine with any dog you choose.
Good luck and i'd love to be updated so stick around.

Oh also i forgot to add most rescues will only remome to kids over 3, not for any other reason that staffs can be a bit ummmm strong and clumsy lol but that would be any different than a pup from a breeder. We ummmmm lied and didnt admit to having our 1 year old when we got Ty woops! But anyway....lol x

MissRogue wrote:If they will not show you all the pups and both parents there is something wrong,

Take care, here - very few breeders actually have both parents, as they will have taken the bitch to the stud dog to be be mated. You should, however, ask to see the bitch with the pups so that you can see what her temperament is like.

blaze wrote:Oh also i forgot to add most rescues will only remome to kids over 3, not for any other reason that staffs can be a bit ummmm strong and clumsy lol but that would be any different than a pup from a breeder. We ummmmm lied and didnt admit to having our 1 year old when we got Ty woops! But anyway....lol x

I'm shocked by your deceipt - I think I'll go and tell them right now.......................except I haven't a clue where you got him from!

Most rescues will not rehome if you have children under 5 this was our stumbling block when we went to the rescues I have a 2, 5 and a 7 year old.
If you go and view a litter make sure as Caryll says you see mom with the pups and that they look lively and healthy, go with your gut instinct if you feel something seems a bit off stay well clear.
Oh and good luck with your search.

Try rescue centres if at all possible first, would be my opinion. I was worried about Tank when i went to the pound, he is approx 2. and looked quite lively in the kennell but when we took him out we realised he was just dying for a run. Obviously observe the dogs behaviour in the kennell as much as possible, and ask the rescue centre for any advice or info if they have any. I waited a few days before i introduced Tank too children and he is perfectly fine with them, all he wants is a rub and he is even good when it comes to food or toys, he will not even try take it from them, unless they are giving it to him. Its worth a try but be careful!

One thing to consider with puppies is that they can be very hyper and once they reach a certain size they will be very strong. They jump and play and if they jump up to greet or play with your child they could knock him/her over and hurt them. They also nip and chew which can scare kids. If you do end up getting a puppy you'll need to work really hard on training it not to jump up on the kids, which could be difficult for a very young dog to understand. I personally would rather get a dog that it a little bit older and calmer with young children or wait till the children are a bit older to get a puppy.