Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies (affectionately known as ‘Staffies’) are loving, intelligent, energetic and sociable animals. They have a lot of energy and are very loving, which makes them often the ideal pet for families. Courageous and curious, they're is often on high alert. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy is sure to make a fine addition to many families. Some highlights:
They are very friendly and playful, making for fun and loving companions.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies are excellent family pets and very loyal.
They have short coats that don’t shed too heavily and thus are easily groomed -very little coat upkeep required.
They typically are healthy dogs with a longer life expectancy.
Staffies are very intelligent and enjoy learning.
Due to most Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies being poor at being left alone or left to their own devices, potential owners should be aware of and accommodating to their interaction and socialisation needs. Some downsides to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier:
Chewing is a habit of this animal. Be sure therefore to provide your Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy with durable toys. Monitor this to ensure that they are not destructive.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies are very sociable with people, but they are not so good with other animals. This is a remnant of their fighting history that required for them to be aggressive towards other dogs.
They can at times be reckless when playing. This means that they may result in minor injuries such as scratches.
Like chewing, digging is a common habit with Staffies. It would be advisable to reinforce boundaries with concrete of chicken wire to prevent escape.
They do not handle heat very well so be sure to keep an eye on them on hot days, also ensuring that there is access to drinking water and shade is important.
The origin of this breed ties back to Bulldogs and Terriers. The idea was to have the benefits of the Bulldog breed while being more agile and to have a more pronounced snout. For a long time, there was a stigma around this breed. This is due to historic connections with fighting and poor ownership. However, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy was added to the police-dog force. Not only that, but regular people being able to rehome and rehabilitate this breed after it had a bad owner helped break the stereotype. It has been proven that with good ownership and good training, Staffies are great pets.
36cm-41cm at the withers. Categorised as a small dog.
Fully grown Staffordshire Bull Terriers will be 11kg-17kg. This depends on gender, build and activity.
It can be black, white, blue, fawn and red. This can have a brindle appearance as well as the possibility of a secondary colour (often white).
While Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppies are very protective of people, they are not so protective of property. Consequently, they are unlikely to kick up too much of a fuss provided their humans are not in danger. They should alert you to the presence of unwanted visitors, but it is not outside the realm of possibilities that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy will simply be welcoming and accepting.
A Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy tends not to bark a lot, the breed is a comparatively quiet dog.
Although they are intelligent, Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies are headstrong. Consequently, the training process should be reminding the animal that the human is boss, through confidence and assertiveness. If this is achieved, training shall be relatively easy – if it is stern and consistent. However, this is not an ideal breed for new owners or those less experienced with training. With that said, always look to reward good behaviour rather than be harsh towards bad behaviour.
These puppies are very playful and often are described as having limitless energy. They will happily be outside on adventures with you for hours, but they are happy to curl up and be lazy with you too – Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies enjoy socialising. Their social side and their boundless energy make them ideal for families who like spending time and playing with their pet.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies are recognised and certified as being safe for families with small children. They are a delight with children, often dubbed the ‘nanny dog’ due to their patience. Staffies can play rough so be sure to always supervise when any dog is with a child.
Early socialisation with other animals is extremely important. If this is not achieved, then a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy will likely be rather poor with other pets.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies prefer not to be left alone. They are very sociable animals and can be quite dependent on human company, interaction and play. Additionally, they are bad at being left to their own devices when it comes to play. Interaction is key for these dogs. If the dog must be left unattended for long periods of time, Day-care may be an option.
A lot of Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies do not enjoy water and are poor swimmers primarily due to their density. However, they may enjoy paddling in shallow water they can stand in. Staffordshire Bull Terriers should always be supervised around bodies of water.
12 to 14 years on average.
At least 1 hour a day. Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies like to be quite active and keeping them tired is difficult, but at least 1 hour a day is enough.
Generally, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy is a healthy dog with few worries, but be aware of the following being possible (some especially in adulthood):
Hip/Elbow Dysplasia.
Skin Allergies.
Demodectic Mange.
Patellar Luxation.
Hereditary Juvenile Cataracts.
L-2 Hydroxglutaric Aciduria.
If you are to elect to get a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy, be sure to be familiar with the health threats should they develop or display any of the above.
Although it is not vital, having a garden/yard helps a lot. They should be able to make do with what is available to them. Essentially, better with than without, but it is not a deal-breaker.
2 and a quarter cups of good dog food daily, split into two servings. Be sure not to provide this within an hour of any vigorous activity. Obviously, this is just an average and does change in response to activity.
The coat is short and easy to manage. Brushing it around once a week is enough.
For most of the year, shedding is light. However, a heavy shed once a year is common.
As a rough guide in pricing: Cost to buy: roughly £400-£1600 for a well-bred Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. It varies a lot and can be both higher and lower. Other costs (Vet, Food etc): Around £40 per month for food. Vet bills can often vary. It should be considered that they do have a high pain threshold so they may not instantly show that they are hurt.
You can read our general buying guide here (/advice-on-buying-a-puppy/), with the most important thing being going to view your Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppy, seeing it with its mother, and checking the quality of the breeder. More specifically, here is some Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy buying advice:
Please be aware of the socialisation needs of this breed. It is very friendly, but it does not deal with owners being away most of the day.
In addition to the above, remember the advice that this is not ideal for timid or unconfident trainers or first-time trainers.
A big thank you to the following sources who helped to shape this article: https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/breed/display.aspx?id=3080 https://staffordshirebullterriersavvy.com/staffordshire-bull-terrier/ https://www.bluecross.org.uk/story/do-staffordshire-bull-terriers-make-good-family-pets
