Sandra777

Personally I don't think breeding aggressive tendencies out of specific breeds for "the general public" is the solution at all. Some breeds aren't suitable for ownership by "the general public" and breeders should man up and take responsibility for placing pups in suitable homes instead of being ruled by the all-mighty dollar and selling to anyone. And part of the blame needs to land squarely at the feet of people who think they have the right to own whatever dog they want regardless of their ability to control and care for it properly. But in this case it does not apply at all. I don't think you could say a breeder and exhibitor could be classed as 'the general public'; as a breeder and exhibitor I really would expect her to be able to control and care for them better than almost anyone. Not referring to this specific case :)

Personally I don't think breeding aggressive tendencies out of specific breeds for "the general public" is the solution at all. Some breeds aren't suitable for ownership by "the general public" and breeders should man up and take responsibility for placing pups in suitable homes instead of being ruled by the all-mighty dollar and selling to anyone. And part of the blame needs to land squarely at the feet of people who think they have the right to own whatever dog they want regardless of their ability to control and care for it properly.

You can't register a Stafford as pied in Australia so it's not going to be reflected in any stats the ANKC can produce. I didn't know that.. Do they just call classify them as the most solid colour they are - or can't you show them at all? I didn't know that either. Guess you could register as black/red and white? Because the word pied doesn't appear in the standard it can't be used to register the dog - stupid but true.... Have one predominantly white dog with brindle patches registered as Brindle, white as his export pedigree stated brindle pied (allowed where he came from) and despite two attempts to get it corrected I can't get his ANKC papers changed to say White, Brindle. His sister is more heavily marked but registered as white, brindle because I had wised up by the time she came and wrote a big long scree AND attached a photo when I registered her here :D I'd have no idea how many pied dogs are registered as white or how many are registered as brindle or red (or blue)

You can't register a Stafford as pied in Australia so it's not going to be reflected in any stats the ANKC can produce.

Obviously you haven't seen an extremely rare blue english staffy then :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

It clearly says "a top Bullmastiff" - no idea what that might mean but doesn't sound like dog-of-the-year to me. The breeder's website states "UK bullmastiff of the year", hence my use of the term. Sorry - haven't been to the breeder's website

Why would you even ask? If you don't feel comfortable, return her deposit and apologise for the inconvenience.

It clearly says "a top Bullmastiff" - no idea what that might mean but doesn't sound like dog-of-the-year to me. Sounds all very bizarre - the two which attacked were PTS but she had to re-inforce her kennels & fence, so she has more likely to do this?????? Awful for the children, their mother and the breed.

No, the breed name is and always has been Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

More than 47% of the Stafford pups registered in Queensland last year were registered as blue or blue brindle so yes, they certainly aren't anything unusual. In the UK more than 57% were blue. There's a huge difference between the dogs that turn up in pounds and are labelled as 'staffys' and actual ANKC registered Staffordshire Bull Terriers. ETA: Kirislin - yes all blue Staffords are genetically brindle. Genetically there's no such thing as black in Staffords so there can be no such thing as blue - genetically they are all blue brindles.

Unfortunately juvenile cataract is a genetic condition present in a couple of breeds.

I have lived with a blind dog and yes, they certainly do adapt (much better than people). But she was old (11 when she went totally blind) and there was no surgurical option for her. Surely if the very worst happens and the eyeballs harden you would then have the option to have the eyeballs removed? Sorry if this sounds gruesome but I'm a bit surprised this side-effect/outcome would automatically mean the dog has to be PTS? I have also dealt with a couple of blind Labradors - guide dogs if you like the irony - who went blind due to PRA. They were older, one 5 one 8 and managed very well but they were very well trained, knew left, right, back, stop etc. ETA: recurrance of the cataract would depend on the cause. Definitely a question for a specialist. If this is an option in your breed has the dog been DNA tested, would this identify a clearer answer to the question of recurrance? My understanding is the juvenile cataract in Staffordshire Bull Terriers does not recure and I believe juvenile cataract in Bostons is the same genetic condition - this is the extent of my knowledge. The suggestion to get one eye done makes a lot of sense to me.

If I had the $ and the prognosis was good then I would go ahead with a dog this age. Only the specialists can tell you if the outcome is likely to be "worth" the $ and the stress on the dog & yourself. I have no idea what sort of dog you have but please please let the breeder know, and if they don't seem interested then please try to track down the breeders of your dog's parents and talk to them. Maybe there's a DNA test for your breed, but if there's not then this sort of information is invaluable to ethical breeders to stop others going through the heartache you are.

IMO variety is great for an average healthy puppy provided a) it's sensible ie don't give him left over chilli or a whole feed of pork belly b) it's done 'considerately' so to speak ie if he gets scraps and bits and pieces for lunch, give him a more bland dinner c) every new thing is introduced with a small piece first then wait and see so if the pup reacts badly d) the owner pays attention to how the pup reacts to new foods - pay attention to poo, skin, itches etc e) the diet is basically well balanced for a dog ie swapping a raw meaty bone for sardines is great, swapping a raw meaty bone for pasta isn't.

Depends totally on the bloodlines. Some mature early, some mature late. Some are bred to be the correct size, some are bred to be over sized. I would expect one of mine to be around 10-12kg at this age but they're correct sized and fairly quick maturers (finishing up around the 17kg mark at maturity around 14-18 months) If the dog is in good condition, you can JUST feel his ribs and he's well muscled then he's the right weight. There's no such breed as an 'english staffy'. Edited: I read 9 months not 7 months

Definitely cut off her supply to the fruit - either pick it up or fence it off. Too much is not going to help her even if she hasn't got a blockage or just a stomach full of seeds. Ours are obsessed with palm seeds and it's not fun when the neighbour doesn't take care of the problem and they drop over our side of the fence At this age she will probably be cutting her back teeth so this could well stop her eating anything hard. At perse has already said - give her absolutely nothing tonight and keep an eye on her. Yep, part of dog ownership is being aware of what comes out the other end, so get used to it :laugh:

Lesson here as someone else has already mentioned is in this situation don't chase the dog. Lie down, wave your feet in the air, make stupid enticing noises - not many dogs can resist this. Or if it's a bit safer - run the other way. Honestly it's no disagrace if your dog stays on lead most of the time in unfenced areas and "only" comes when there's food/treats - if it works it works!

The breed standard is in the first post of this thread. Sizes: Weight: Dogs 13-17 kg (28-38 lbs) Bitches 11-15.4 kg (24-34 lbs) Desirable Height: 36-41 cms (14-16 ins) (these heights being related to the weights) However, just like people they can be bigger or smaller than "normal". Height is measured to the top of the shoulder (withers) Also, the weights in the standard are really intended for dogs in show condition, not pet condition. Honestly, as long as you can easily feel their ribs they are a perfectly good healthy weight. Some people deliberately breed for bigger dogs and this is wrong. If you have a look at the puppy pages here you come across adverts boasting that the sire weighs 25 kg and the dam is 23 kg. Either these dogs are seriously obese or just plain too big. Do you have ANKC registration papers for them?

You're wrong - there are English Staffys - they're all blue :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Easy fix - scan the ANKC papers that say English and we'll all be educated. :D

Just a point about putting the pup outside - it will need a proper bed suitable for outside - buy a good sturdy kennel and put a nice warm bed inside - though I do agree with others, if it's no problem inside I wouldn't be in any hurry to make it sleep outside but that's your choice.

If the Amstaff and the APBT are two different breeds APBT pedigree records don't apply to Amstaffs - their pedigrees begin in 1936 when they became a recognised breed. The opening of the Amstaff stud book to UKC APBTs no doubt means that some Amstaffs can trace part of their pedigree back further. Probably no different to the introduction of the bob tail gene to the Boxer. The Corgi part of the pedigree can be traced back further - doesn't make the Corgi & the Boxer the same breed though. Define bona fide - I consider the UKC to be a perfectly good bona fide registry.

Eukanuba isn't anything like the best food IMO :) Raw feeding to me is the best, but if you don't have the time or inclination to do it properly it's probably about the worst thing you can do. If money was no barrier I would lean towards Nutro or one of the grainfree products such as Orijin or Taste of The Wild depending on your personal preferences. For puppies I don't mind Black Hawk but I don't like what it does to my adults. For a more modest budget I find Bonnie Working to be excellant for pups and adults alike

If their pedigree goes back to the start of either registry then a APBT would have a longer "official" pedigree than an American Staffordshire Terrier or Staffordshire Bull Terrier - both not recognised as breeds until 1935 (and so admitted into an "official" studbook). Food for thought there :) SBT was recognised by the K.C in 1935 but not until 1974 by the AKC. The AST was accepted by the AKC in 1936. So if the SBT was recognised in the UK in 1935 it's official pedigree stretches back to 1935 - the Amstaff wasn't recognised in Australia until the late 80's/early 90's - was still a recognised breed in 1936. I had always read that Amstaffs were recognised the same year as Staffords, will have to remember we got in first :laugh:

If their pedigree goes back to the start of either registry then a APBT would have a longer "official" pedigree than an American Staffordshire Terrier or Staffordshire Bull Terrier - both not recognised as breeds until 1935 (and so admitted into an "official" studbook). Food for thought there :)

The first and most obvious issue with the European system is it requires lots and lots of judges - which means expenses for the clubs go up which means entry fees will go up. Me, I'm happy to enter fewer shows and pay a higher entry fee for a judge with knowledge of my breed but how off putting is this for a newcomer, someone who likes to enter lots of shows (or lots of dogs), our older exhibitors on fixed incomes?