thankyou very much for answering my question and queries. Very interesting and taken on board but my Husband and older son have got their heart set on a staffie. as Ive said to them it is not something you can buy off the shelf at asda it could take some time. When we do consider looking , have you any sound advice that we may need apart from what you have given us already.Thanks JILL

Decide what you like from pictures as there are many different ideas on what a Stafford should look like. Most important at the moment is the health checks as things are taking place within the breed at the moment so you would be as well to wait a little longer when a lot of the screening has taken place please check out easbtc web site as this will give you the information on the L2 HGA defect.
I personally know of a couple of litters due and the parents are awaiting there blood screen results so in ideal world clear results are whats needed.
Any advice you are welcome to get back to me 

Hi again Jill,

Apologies, have only just come across your post ;)  Firstly I'd recommend joining the forum - there is lots of advice available but the visitor board is intended for a single post only and if you join you can not only ask further questions but also answer any raised by members who respond to you.

As you know, I don't think this is something you should be planning in the near future and in any event a well bred puppy from a genuinely good breeder could involve you waiting for a bit anyway as they are likely to have a waiting list :)  Unfortunately the breed you have chosen is one which is far too readily available from the wrong sources - i.e. pet bred litters produced on a whim to make some cash with no knowledge or regard to the welfare of the bitch and subsequent pups. 

A well bred litter bred will have the all important back up of a caring breeder who has :-
(a) done all the health tests with satisfactory results and used a dog who has passed them too
(b) ensured her bitch and the stud dog (rarely both owned by the breeder) have excellent temperaments
(c) had the bitch in optimum health at the time of mating, throughout pregnancy, birth and rearing.  The bitch should also have been on a superior diet and the puppies weaned onto same before leaving
(d) it's essential that the breeder has socialised the puppy to the highest degree possible before leaving for it's new home to be used to all people, especially children, all domestic household noises and lots of handling, short car trips etc 

Additionally a good breeder will want to ensure that you keep in touch, reassure you of ongoing commitment to help you with any training problems etc in the initial few weeks when settling in and vitally offer life-time support for the puppy and assure you that if for some reason things don't work out that she'll want the puppy returned to her.

When the time is right for you, contact the breed clubs - you can find details HERE simply scroll down to Staffordshire Bull Terrier and click on name - a new page will open and there is a list of all the UK clubs at the bottom.  They are the best source of contact for steering you in the direction of good breeders who follow the Clubs' Code of Ethics and should also be able to put you directly in touch with any who have litters available or planned.

Best wishes, Teri :)