Sandra777

It's the weekend after the Beaudesert/Maree cluster of shows would be my guess - international panel @ $15 an entry, I nearly had heart failure at the cost and took one dog out. I've entered your shows too though :) Good luck, hope the entries come in thick and fast from now..

Sadly they'llhave no such issues if wanting to buy a rare blue english staffy

Never had a problem - even with multiple males, bitches in season, strange dogs/bitches coming in. House training is house training IMO. I have found that dogs are easier to housetrain than bitches as puppies. When they get to the age that it becomes marking rather than just urinating (i.e. leg cocking age) they usually try it in the house but one attempt is all they make here - one of the few times they'll get a right bullocking. Never had a repeat offender

Personally I wouldn't be syringe feeding a three and a half week old pup! As airedaler has asked - was the pup small before being sick? Small doesn't automatically make it a runt either - a runt is a pup that fails to thrive, little pups can be perfectly normal for THEM. At this age I would tend to be giving the smallest pups best access to mum and concentrating on weaning the bigger ones,

MIL's little crossbred foxie type used to get terrible rashes. Never did her any harm to lick the barrier cream she used but it's got to depend on the dog I suppose. I would guess that if it's safe to be absorbed through a baby's skin it's safe for most dogs.

I can understand you wanting to keep her company but if you didn't previously take the two dogs everywhere perhaps having her with you or someone else all day is delaying her getting used to bring alone? I would suggest a nice warm bed in the lounge and a coat for her to help her keep warm. I would think k she goes in her crate in the evening because this is habit nor because she necessarily 'wants' to be there. Hard time for all, hope she starts to come right soon.

Only 9? The main thing I know is that I'm useless at it!

Another question - why are you referring to your new family member as "IT", the pup is either male or female. Pup is much too young to be ignored. The pup is probably whining because it is desperately lonely and confused being removed from the litter much too young. For the moment give the pup as much attention as possible to teach the pup you are safe, reliable and comforting.

Ronnie in a run.... think you're dreaming :-)

The owners come across as seriously odd. Hope the dog doesn't go back to them as I could see a neighbour/local getting seriously p'd off and baiting the poor dog next time. How can you 'not know' what a menacing order means when you get one slapped on your dog? Pretty sure the council don't just wander up and put a sign on your gate!!

Sounds more likely to me that mum had something to do with it.

Straight swap for me too. But then I've always done this anyway as mine get variety all the time.

These are questions you should be asking the breeder (actually you these are questions you should have asked the breeder before you parted with your money, but too late now!) L2-HGA & HC are the two genetic conditions in Staffords with DNA tests. You should have got at the very least the certificates for both parents - if not, ask for them. Distichiasis & PHPV are two eye conditions with no DNA test available. Both parents should have certificates showing they are clinically clear (have been examined and don't have these problems). If you didn't get copies of these, ask for them. Dilute alopecia is the biggy with blues, just because they're blue (a dilute colour) The first thing you need to consider is her pedigree. Is she from generations of blue-to-blue breeding? If so then you certainly increased your chances of her having issues for two reasons - 1) absolutely no one with any knowledge of Staffords or concern for the breed will breed blue to blue to blue, so what ELSE have they failed to consider before doing the mating and 2) because dilute alopecia obviously only affects dilutes (blues, blue fawns) if you pile dilute upon dilute in a pedigree you are increasing your chances of also getting the genes which ALSO cause dilute alopecia. There's nothing you can do about dilute alopecia. Generalised allergies are the next biggy with any Stafford and if you are dealing with a badly bred one (as in (1) above) (although it doesn't matter what colour you have) you are increasing the chances that the breeder hasn't bothered to exclude dogs with allergies from their breeding programme. Sadly some breeders who some may be considered "good" also don't exclude these dogs, but poor breeders are far more likely not to if you understand what I mean :) There are a few things you can do about this, see below The third biggy with any badly bred dog of any breed is the physical structure of the dog, just because it's a pure bred dog doesn't mean it is correctly constructed. The breed standard isn't just for show dogs! With Staffords many badly bred ones are bred from parents with huge heads, straight shoulders, dippy toplines and straight stifles - all things which prevent the dog living a normal Stafford life and can lead to lameness, serious patella and hip issues and just a general lack of the ability to run and leap and do Stafford stuff. There's not much you can do about this either. Allergies can probably not be avoided completely IF your dog has a tendency to them. A large part of allergies is related to the immune system, and a large part of the immune systems function is genetic. But there are a few things you can do to reduce your odds of having major issues. Minimal immunisation - this involves researching the local conditions and not just immunising for everything because the vet says so. Ensuring the dog is absolutely in the peak of condition when immunising can help. Avoid unnecessary chemicals - don't use heartworm injections, use monthly chews if essential but research the actual risk in your area. Don't use flea or worming preparations if you don't have actual proof they're needed - fecal floats, actual flea sitings for example. Feed a variety of foods right from the start, there is a body of evidence to suggest that dogs (and people) can actually develop sensitivies to foods if that's all they get. Personally I would suggest a raw diet. If the dog gets a rash or itch, don't rush off for the big guns from the vet (steroids, chemical washes, antibiotics are the favourites). If it's a small reaction, using the least amount of medication to make the dog comfortable and do all you can to get the dog's own system to react and overcome the problem. Barrier cream for a contact allergy, zinc based nappy cream works well, gentle calendula wash in place of chemical washes, things like this. Of course you have to be sure to be monitoring the situation and making sure the dog is comfortable - I'm not suggesting ignoring a major infected outbreak! Keep the dog lean and fit and mentally active (obedience, agility, fly ball, all good Stafford activities) will help. I would suggest going back to the breeder and asking questions about the health of the parents, the parents' siblings, the grand parents and their siblings. Make yourself a "map" of issues and if they don't have many in common you'll probably be fine, if one thing keeps cropping up then you'll have an idea of what you might be in for. Above all - enjoy! ETA: I would also avoid desexing your bitch until she is fully mature (1 year old at least), not only to avoid the stress of the operation but also to allow her body to develop and grow naturally. Yes some bitches do have skin issues when coming in heat, but who's to say this is less or more than she would have had if subjected to a major operation. Obviously you have to be able to keep her safe while in season :)

Is it common in the breed? In her 'family'? Personally I wouldn't If it is so rare as to be unheard of in the breed and she's fabulous in every other way then you may have reason to think about doing so. Issues which affect the quality of the dog's life are always top of my list when considering breeding.

That's totally c$$$$$%@%@%%@%p reporting. RIP dog killed by car & recover well little fluffy guy. Hope the policeman is back on duty soon and has learned not to touch an injured animal

more than 70% of the Staffords bred in the world right now are blue - the take over is old news

Nothing to do with breed then is it - they are crossbreds and need to be listed as "American Staffordshire Terrier x Staffordshire Bull Terrier" cross OR just mutt. "Statistics" which lump SBT, Amstaff and all crosses there-of as "Staffordshire Terriers" are not to be trusted. The point of my post is that NSW government statistics are being quoted and are based on nonsense.

Don't even know where to start with the whole report - and then the "official statistics". god give me strength Staffordshire Terrier American Staffordshire Terrier Staffordshire Bull Terrier Staffordshire Terrier of "unknown type" All mentioned within 2 sentences of each other. How can we ever believe any of these "statistics" when they are in such a total shambles. American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers are two very different and distinct breeds. They have NEVER been inter-bred, one does not descend from the other, in fact they are not related to each other. They both stem from the same foundation stock, but as recognised breeds they are actually not related in any way.

The breeder will give you all the diet information you need. Assuming you have done your research and are buying a puppy from an ethical breeder, the advice they give will be what has worked for the breed and for their "family" in the breed. Follow their advice and if you have any issues, contact the breeder first. Contact them and ask for a copy of this information so you can get everything you need in advance. If they don't give diet advice (and lots of other advice) - run away very quickly :)

Try walking a Portuguese Water Dog in show trim with a correct-to-standard-sized red and white pied Staffordshire Bull Terrier :-)

Some canines hump - that point? :laugh:

Bitches do exactly the same thing for exactly the same reason - nothing to do with mating instincts!

I have always had entire males with entire bitches - "strong mating instincts" kick in when the bitches are in season. Any other time the dogs don't dare behave so rudely, the bitches tell them where to go pretty quickly. Spayed bitches - no issue. Humping, so-called dominance and all the other things people seem to think are automatic in entire males are training issues and the presence or absence of testicles makes no difference to how much training the dog needs. OP - I'd go a male, as others have mentioned 2 bitches are enough to juggle. Even in a sweet breed like the Cavalier bitches aren't called bitches for nothing :laugh:

x2

Dogs at dog parks aren't there to teach your dog manners.