Looking For Some Infomation

[gemsan]

Hi everyone

Im not exactly sure where I should post this so Im sorry if im not in the right spot.

We have finally reached a time in our lives where we can consider a new family member and have decided this time to go with a registered breeder for a pup. (Our other babies were an adult rescue dog, she passed about a year ago aged 13 and a rescue pup that was injured so badly when she was dumped at the shelter that we lost her at four months). Where is the best place to find out the ins and outs of buying a pup from a breeder. I have some questions but Im not sure who to ask....

I feel a little intimidated as we are not interested in breeding or showing but we totally agree with the standards that an ethical breeder uphold.. It breaks my heart to see so many pups and dogs in the shelters but after loosing my girl so early after I had got so attached I guess I am looking for a little more certainty this time.

Sorry for the long windedness and thanks in advance for any help

[Kadbury]

Hi gemsan,

Firstly have you discussed which Breed you would be interested in, then I am sure that the DOL members with that Breed will be most helpful with information.

Good Luck and I look forward to hearing that you have a new Furever Friend :)

[Leema]

Hi gemsam.

Congratulations on choosing a registered breeder, and showing understanding that the process may take some time.

You're welcome to post the questions you need answered here, and I'm sure you'll get plenty of replies.

I made this blog post a few months ago with tips for contacting a dog breeder. You might find it useful.

[gemsan]

Hi, thanks for the reply

After lots and lots and lots and lots of consideration we have decided on a staffordshire bull terrier. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

We are in country WA (Albany)so one of the questions I have is in regards to freighting from interstate. Is is safe for the pup? To me it would seem so scary for a little guy to be packed up and sent off when they are so little.

[dotdashdot]

Hi, thanks for the reply

After lots and lots and lots and lots of consideration we have decided on a staffordshire bull terrier. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

We are in country WA (Albany)so one of the questions I have is in regards to freighting from interstate. Is is safe for the pup? To me it would seem so scary for a little guy to be packed up and sent off when they are so little.

Can't offer too much advice on staffies, Im dalmatian lover myself, but re. the flying, my girl came from Tasmania to the mid north coast of NSW at 10 weeks of age. She was very happy and normal when she arrived, peed on my leg when she said hello but hey, she was an excited pup. The pet freighting companies know what they are doing :)

Hope that gives you some peace of mind if you do end up flying a pup in.

[Dogsfevr]

Hi, thanks for the reply

After lots and lots and lots and lots of consideration we have decided on a staffordshire bull terrier. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

We are in country WA (Albany)so one of the questions I have is in regards to freighting from interstate. Is is safe for the pup? To me it would seem so scary for a little guy to be packed up and sent off when they are so little.

There are plenty of ethical breeders in WA so start there ,even then you can decide whether to drive & meet the pups & see what you are getting or trust you will be sent something that is what you want by plane.

My dogs are frequent Flyers from puppy hood & travel well .

Are you after a certain colour or not fussed ??

The next dog show in Albany isn't until December & the Staffy people always support the show well but also consider heading down to Perth for the up coming Terrier shows where you will meet all the breeders in one hit & latter on The attend the Staffy club shows

[gemsan]

Hi, thanks for the reply

After lots and lots and lots and lots of consideration we have decided on a staffordshire bull terrier. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

We are in country WA (Albany)so one of the questions I have is in regards to freighting from interstate. Is is safe for the pup? To me it would seem so scary for a little guy to be packed up and sent off when they are so little.

There are plenty of ethical breeders in WA so start there ,even then you can decide whether to drive & meet the pups & see what you are getting or trust you will be sent something that is what you want by plane.

My dogs are frequent Flyers from puppy hood & travel well .

Are you after a certain colour or not fussed ??

The next dog show in Albany isn't until December & the Staffy people always support the show well but also consider heading down to Perth for the up coming Terrier shows where you will meet all the breeders in one hit & latter on The attend the Staffy club shows

[/quote

[gemsan]

Thank you, I hadn't thought of that.

We are not looking for any specific colour, our only preference is that we would love a boy. :)We just want a healthy pup that will be with us forever. Am going to check out events now!!

Edited April 19, 2012 by gemsan

[Guest donatella]

I think you need to make you sure you have realistic expectations firstly. You are absolutely going down the right path regarding registered breeder, and that puts you at the forefront with health tests etc, but that does not mean you pup is exempt from illness and/or early death. There are loads of unpredictable illnesses that registered bred dogs come down with, just as there are shelter dogs that live until they're 18 without a problem.

I definitely think you are going the right way about things, but don't think your dog will live beyond 13 just because its from a reg breeder, 13 is not a bad age, some larger breeds would be lucky to see that age.

[ellz]

I agree wholeheartedly with Donatella. If you want a dog that will be with you "forever" (your words), then get a stuffed one.

You are on the right track with going down the track of a reputable and responsible breeder, but even the best families can still have the unexpected occur. Health testing can only help weed out the obvious stuff but there are still man made issues to contend with and basic, good old "sh!t happens" type stuff.

One thing I will say is that not having a particular colour in mind will help you greatly to get a nice puppy, as will having a gender in mind. My personal preference for companion Staffords is male, but that said, I've loved my girls too....they're just different.

Don't isolate your search to WA. Transporting puppies these days is very easy and not as expensive as people think and certainly in the hands of the right people it is no riskier to fly a puppy from the Eastern States to WA as it is for you to drive to a breeder in metro Perth. I'm in Tasmania and have shipped dogs to literally every part of Australia as well as New Zealand, the UK and the USA.

Keep doing your homework. If you should happen to decide you want a blue Stafford, don't be sucked into paying any more for it than you would for a puppy of any other colour. Ballpark range for an 8 - 12 week old puppy from health tested parents is around the $800 - 1200 figure, on Limited Registration (which basically means you are getting a puppy which forever reason has not been deemed suitable for breeding or for showing but which is eminently suitable for the more important role of companion).

[raineth]

Yeah I will just also state that not all registered breeders are equal.

Sadly some of them are very unethical

Therefore do as much research as you can into finding a good breeder :)

ask questions about the health of their dogs, and the health tests the breeder does. Ask about the life-spans they are getting.

Then you need to observe their dogs in terms of whether you find their behaviour desirable. Are they friendly, are they too friendly? Are they nervous, are they aloof? Are they relaxed and chilled out or do they have a bit of spark? Are they ignoring other dogs or being reactive?

Some lines have different temperament traits. There is potentially no use going to the breeder whose dogs are very relaxed if you want something a bit bouncy for example :)

good luck in your research and finding a puppy :)

[gemsan]

Hi guys

Thank you lots and lots.

On the topic of price I have noticed a range from 600 dollars for a slightly 'older' pup to 2500/2800 for a blue pup. That is a massive difference.

Do I aim for the average? Which both from your replies and two replies from breeders is around 1200/1300 dollars? Am I a 'bad' puppy buyer for considering price at all? I just feel that the extra 1200 dollars or so I would much prefer to put towards puppy classes and obedience that I want us to do with our new pup.

On choosing a kennel, if I consider states other than WA I obviously can't go in person to view parents/kennel/environment etc again is this ok?

On finding an ethical breeder Im terrified. One breeder I have talked to pretty much said when do you want it? Pick the one you want for that month, put down a deposit and we are all good. This one also had a seven hundred dollar difference between price based on colour. From reading on here that isn't how this whole process usually works is it? Do I avoid them?

Sorry guys but I am truly terrified that Im going to mess this up now!!

PS when I referred to life span I am referring to a beautiful rescue pup we had for four months last year. She had bone deformities in her hips and spine that were never recognised until we had her home with us. As she grew it became that she couldn't walk/get up/lay down. There nothing we could do for her.

Edited April 20, 2012 by gemsan

[raineth]

I am so sorry for the loss of your little puppy poor little pup that is so sad.

You are already learning some of the really obvious signs that a breeder is not so good

If they are not interested in critiquing you as a potential owner that is a red flag. One of the best things about buying from a registered breeder is that you can get support for the entire life of your dog. The breeder should be an excellent source of information for you, and be willing and interested in sharing that information with you :)

If they have large differences in prices for colour that is a red flag.

Have you seen the stafford thread in dog breeds 101?

It is rather extensive but an absolutely excellent place for you to start it has great information about 'red flags' and what to look for in a breeder etc here is the link:

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/170006-staffordshire-bull-terrier/

[just1more]

Hi guys

Thank you lots and lots.

On the topic of price I have noticed a range from 600 dollars for a slightly 'older' pup to 2500/2800 for a blue pup. That is a massive difference.

Do I aim for the average? Which both from your replies and two replies from breeders is around 1200/1300 dollars? Am I a 'bad' puppy buyer for considering price at all? I just feel that the extra 1200 dollars or so I would much prefer to put towards puppy classes and obedience that I want us to do with our new pup.

On choosing a kennel, if I consider states other than WA I obviously can't go in person to view parents/kennel/environment etc again is this ok?

On finding an ethical breeder Im terrified. One breeder I have talked to pretty much said when do you want it? Pick the one you want for that month, put down a deposit and we are all good. This one also had a seven hundred dollar difference between price based on colour. From reading on here that isn't how this whole process usually works is it? Do I avoid them?

Sorry guys but I am truly terrified that Im going to mess this up now!!

PS when I referred to life span I am referring to a beautiful rescue pup we had for four months last year. She had bone deformities in her hips and spine that were never recognised until we had her home with us. As she grew it became that she couldn't walk/get up/lay down. There nothing we could do for her.

Hi :)

I went thru all of this last year when I got my 2 staffords...yes TWO!! Crazy I know but it's worked out pretty good for me this time but might think a lot harder about it next time LOL

Anyhoo, I don't think it's wrong to consider price in regards to what you are prepared to pay for a pup. I think there are far to many breeders out there IMO just trying to make a quick buck especially the ones that are clearly breeding just for colour. It's bloody obvious when they mate 2 blues together and they get a couple "throw backs" in their blue litters so they sell the black-brindles at a huge price difference to the blues that they got BUT still sell the black-brindles for more than you'd pick them up for from a breeder that got them from a non blue mating as they "have blue lines". If you stick to what you think is a fair price (which I think is the average price)you can use the other monies how you stated, obedience, vets/needles and of course all those lovely things you need to buy for the new pup...that being a stafford pup, will be promptly destroyed in seconds

With picking a breeder, I emailed heaps and/or phoned them. Trust your gut with it. If they don't answer all your questions or seem to hesitate or well, don't seem helpful now then they probably won't be helpful later. Some of the breeders I talked to were, well, not people I would like to know so I wouldn't buy a pup off them. I am now quite good friends with both breeders that I got my 2 off :) My boy I got from a breeder where I visited them a few times and they were good. My girl I got from Vic. I emailed her breeder a billion times :laugh: I asked fo pictures of her (from birth and up) and her parents, previous litter, her lines (I was looking for a show dog so needed to know this but still good for you to know) any health issues either parents/previous litter had, how many litters breeder had had, how many litters mum had etc. I gave them a run down of who I was and my family, my home, my previous pets etc. She also posted video clips of her dogs and the litter running around her place which was great My girl flew up to Brisbane at 11 weeks old. She was ok but took some time to settle which was mainly to do with her personality, so I wouldn't rule out getting a pup from interstate.

While you can hope and wish for a 100% healthy pup there are no guarantees. Both my 2 parents had health checks done but my boy has a few issues. He can't have any beef or lamb products(which seems to be quite common) as he gets an upset tummy so has to stick with chicken, turkey and sardines. He also has a slight allergy to one of the weeds in our yard which does seem to be get less with age. My girl can have beef and lamb but holy dooley you know about when she eats it as she can clear a room :laugh: But they are both beautiful dogs and I won't change a thing :)

Hope I have helped a little. Good luck, you've picked one hell of a bred :)

[gemsan]

Hi again

This is probably more an etiquette question. I have made contact with a breeder who is expecting pups. I have spoken to her via email and on the phone and she was wonderful. It is very early days so these are just the first baby steps.

The breeder outlined the rough price she will be asking for the pups when born that includes a range depending on the quality of the pup. On her request we outlined what our preferences were including that the pup will be a family pet, we would prefer a male and that we do not have a preference for colour.

I guess my question is should I make it clear that we are not able to consider pups in the top of the price range? I do not want to waste the breeders time and being selfish I guess I do not want to end up feeling guilty by saying "No sorry that is too much for us". Or is this something that will be discussed in our following conversations?

Thanks again :)

Can I just say sorry to be asking about monies again I just find it a very awkward subject and don't want to offend anyone.

Edited April 22, 2012 by gemsan

[Sandra777]

I guess my question is should I make it clear that we are not able to consider pups in the top of the price range? I do not want to waste the breeders time and being selfish I guess I do not want to end up feeling guilty by saying "No sorry that is too much for us". Or is this something that will be discussed in our following conversations?

You need to be very up front about the price you can afford otherwise the breeder might end up investing a lot of their time in checking you out, getting to know your etc only for you to decide at the "last minute" (in their eyes!) that you can't afford their price.

I am surprised you would find a Stafford breeder who sells pups for different prices according to their "quality" - I personally am not aware of this being the norm in the breed.

To me an ethical breeder is one who will sell you a puppy that suits your lifestyle - eg if you have small children they won't sell you a puppy with a full-on terrier nature and if you want to do lots of dog-sports they won't sell you one that is idle and hard to motivate.

Definitely avoid ANY breeder who says which one do you want and when do you want to pay for it!

Things to be very aware of in Staffords are allergies and especially skin conditions. Ask lots of questions about the parents, if they have allergies, food intolerances, have had "puppy mange" (which is demodex) etc etc etc. There's not a lot of things that routinely go wrong with Staffords in terms of joint issues for example, but sadly many are being bred from parents who have poor immune systems and pass this on - which is extremely expensive and frustrating for the new owner to say nothing of the discomfort to the dog

If you have the opportunity a slightly older puppy is a good thing in many cases - you need to be happy with the environment it's come from but if this ticks all the boxes definitely consider this as an option.

[gemsan]

Thanks for that info. The price difference in this case is up to 1300 dollars. We just simply cannot consider nearly 3000 for a pup.

Edited April 22, 2012 by gemsan

[Sandra777]

Thanks for that info. The price difference in this case is up to 1300 dollars. We just simply cannot consider nearly 3000 for a pup.

$3000 would be a for a blue surely? These aren't rare (more than 1/2 the Staffords in Australia are blue ). Simply ignore any adds for them and from people breeding for them and you will go a long way towards weeding out the majority of the sub-standard breeders and expensive prices.

I believe pups in WA are a little bit more expensive but Stafford pups are generally between $800 and $1200 from ethical breeders, so perhaps in WA it would be closer to the top end of this than the bottom end.

[Jumabaar]

Thanks for that info. The price difference in this case is up to 1300 dollars. We just simply cannot consider nearly 3000 for a pup.

Why does one pup in the litter cost so much more??

Perhaps you should email a few other breeders to see what their responses to your questions are- you might find someone more interested in finding you the ideal temperament in your situation rather than allocating based on colour and price first and temperament second....

[gemsan]

Yes baby steps baby steps. Though I do want to say that the breeder never ever said that the price was based on colour only quality :) I was assuming this may be related to limited vs mains registration. Could I be wrong?