Caring for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier

As with any other breed, Staffies need to be groomed on a regular basis to make sure their coats and skin are kept in tip-top condition. They also need to be given regular daily exercise so they remain fit and healthy. On top of this, Staffordshire Bull Terriers need to be fed a good quality diet throughout their lives to ensure all their nutritional needs are met.

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Caring for a Staffy puppy

Puppies are sent to their new homes with a feeding schedule detailing what they have been fed and the frequency of their meals which is typically four times a day once a puppy has been weaned off their mother. Staffy puppies need lots of sleep which can be anything up to 21 hours in a 24-hour period. Because Staffy puppies are so cute, it is all too easy to spoil them which is often the case. This can lead to all sorts of problems later on with adult dogs showing a more dominant and wilful side to their natures, a condition known as small dog syndrome. It's essential to lay down some ground rules right from the word go to avoid this from happening.

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Puppies need to be taught limits and boundaries although, some Staffies will always test how far they can go. All dogs whether young or old, like to know what is expected of them and who they can look to for direction and guidance. Even small dogs must know who is the apha dog in a household to prevent unwanted behaviours.

A new puppy should never be left on their own so it's crucial to time their arrival when there will be people around for the first few days. It takes puppies a while to get used to a strange environment and they need housetraining which must start as soon as they arrive. In short, it's a good idea to take a few days off work to spend with a new puppy as a way of settling them that much faster without the stress of finding they are suddenly all alone.

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It's also important to make a note of the next time a puppy needs to be wormed and as a guide this should be calculated from the date they were last wormed by the breeder:

• Puppies should be wormed at 6 months old

• They need to be wormed again when they are 8 months old

• Puppies should be wormed when they are 10 months old

• They need to be wormed when they are 12 months old

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Setting up a area for a puppy in a quiet part of the house is important because they need to nap throughout the day and the more peaceful an area is the better they would be able to relax and unwind. As previously mentioned, puppies often sleep for 21 hours a day in between bouts of play. Placing a bed or crate somewhere that's quiet but not too out of the way will help them settle when they need to sleep. However, it needs to be somewhere that owners can keep an eye and ear on them and so puppy knows there is someone around.

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Things you'll need for your puppy

Getting everything ready for the arrival of a new puppy means making the home and garden safe for them. Puppy proofing takes organising things around the house, but is something that needs to be done well in advance of a puppy's arrival because puppies are boisterous, inquisitive and notorious for chewing on things they shouldn't which includes electric cables and other things they can swallow which could end up with an expensive trip to the vet.

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Some owners buy playpens which are great for keeping puppies safe when they want to play and owners are too busy to keep a close eye on their pets. Other things needed for puppies include the following:

• Child gates to fit on doors to prevent a puppy from getting in or out of a room

• Shallow water and food bowls that are ceramic dishes rather than metal or plastic

• Good quality toys and chews for puppy to gnaw on bearing in mind that this is something that most puppies do and that they will start their teething process when they are anything from 3 to 8 months old.

• A slicker brush or soft bristle brush

• Dog specific toothpaste and a toothbrush

• Scissors with rounded ends

• Dog shampoo and conditioner, never use baby or people shampoo on a Staffy puppy which could end up triggering a nasty skin allergy

• A well-made dog harness and/or extra wide puppy collar

• A strong lead

• A well-made dog bed that's not too small or too big and one that puppy would not chew and destroy

• A good-sized dog crate that's not too small or too big

• Baby blankets, which are ideal for putting in a puppy's bed for them to sleep on

• A grooming mat

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Feeding guide for a Staffy puppy

Staff puppies need to be fed a good quality diet that provides them with all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients they need to grow and develop properly. Ideally, puppies need to be at least 3 to 4 times day until they are around 11 months old. If you are just about to get a puppy from a breeder, they would recommend you feed them the same diet as they have been on and to gradually change this over a period of a few weeks to avoid the puppy developing a tummy upset.

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Reputable Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeders would always make sure they give potential owners a contract which would include all a puppy's paperwork. The schedule should cover the following:

• A feeding schedule for the puppy stating what type of food they have been eating and how many times they are fed every day.

It is very important to stick the schedule for the first week or so, but a puppy's diet can be changed once they are settled into their new homes providing it is done gradually and carefully over a period of 4 weeks making sure that puppy does not experience any digestive upset and if they do, to change back to their original diet before discussing things with the breeder or the vet.

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It's important to set up a routine as soon as a new Staffy puppy arrives in the home because this helps with their settling in period. They need to be fed at the same times of the day and ideally this needs to be 4 times a day until a puppy is around 6 months old after which time they can be fed 3 times a day till they are 11 months old.

 

Below is a rough feeding guide of how much a Staffy puppy should be fed daily during the first months of their lives, depending on the build of your new puppy:

• 2 months old - 80g to 115g

• 3 months old - 90g to 135g

• 4 months old - 94g to 143g

• 5 months old - 94g to 145g

• 6 months old - 86g to 144g

• 7 months old - 77g to 91g

• 8 months old - 68g to 116g

• 9 months old - 67g to 103g

• 10 months old - 67g to 102g

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