Hi There,

I currently have a 4 year old staff bitch, she is a lovely little girl, she has a fabulous personality is loving and so well behaved. We desperately wanted her to have her own litter but I honestly feel we do not know enough about breeding to do it. We have friends who have been breeding staffies for about 30 years and they say she is perfect for breeding and they would be on hand every step of the way to help us out, however I still do not feel right doing it. It would break my heart if anything happened to her, by the same token I would love her to have pups and to keep one. Anyway, I think maybe the best thing to do is to buy another staff pup. Can anyone tell me if its a good idea to have two staffs together, Jazz currently has the run of the house, we wouldnt do this with the other puppy, and of course we would seperate them while out of the house, would we be best getting a dog as opposed to a bitch?  or would she really get on best with one of her own?

Any advice at all would be gratefully appreciated.
Many Thanks
Manda

I do not have staffys, so cant say 100% about having two, but personally cant see any problems - no doubt one of our many staffy people will be along very soon. I just wanted you to know I admire your decision - you need to be 100% sure before breeding a litter - theres too much at stake to not be totally comitted and be able to take the rough with the smooth.

i have 3 staffs 1 male 2bitches they all get on wonderfly, but do play rough, i would probably say the girls argue the most,if your bitch is very bad with other dogs then you might be better having a litter, if you do make sure you join so we can help you. Fillis gave good advice though , dont be talked into having a litter if its not what you want. good luck

Manda, give yourself a pat on the back, and a huge smile from everyone at CD. Such a refreshing change to hear a pet dog owner talking sense! I salute you! :p

Manda...of course there is a risk in your bitch having a litter...you only have to read through some of the posts on the breeding board to see some of the heartache caused.I would also consider your bitch is really a bit old for having a first litter being 4 already.
Staffs can live harmoniously together however it would be 'safer' to have one of each sex since when bitches fall out it is usually very serious and long term...us females don't like to forgive and forget!
I'm afraid I have to disagree with sparstaff....if your bitch is not good with other dogs you should NOT be breeding her since a bitch should have a faultless temperament to have a litter.
If yu are not sure find a reputable breeder and buy in your new baby but remember that if you decide to get a male you may need to think about spaying your bitch if you do not have facilities to seperate during seasons...a amle is capable of producing pups from a very young age
Archer

Thank you so much for your advice, I am sure now that Jazz will not have a litter just have to convince my other half now! Although im sure if I show him this forum he will agree with me! Do you think Jazz would nuture the pup and love it like her own? We bought Jazz from a friend and he no longer breeds so where shall I start to look for a breeder and what questions should i ask?

Ps, I have taken your advice and joined the forum, im sure I shall be making regular visits!

Thanks again
Manda

Hello Manda,
     Welcome and Hello.

     I have two staffs Sal 2 and Tess 5 months so far no trouble at all. But I would say get a dog rather than a bitch, I am not being "funny" but you sound like a person new to Staffords and a dog and bitch one of which is spayed or neutured is the best combination. Normally.
     Do you want to say with the same "breeding as your Jazz?" if so you can PM me the names and I can try to help. Be careful though you sound as if you have a gorgeous well bred bitch. You want an equally well bred pup. There are lots of Staffords out there for sale in the papers on the web etc but the best are normally word of mouth only, but you don't know if you don't look. :)
     Karen  

Hi Karen,

Thanks for your advice, I am new to staffs I suppose, we have only ever had the one and like I say she was from a friend so trying to find a puppy is a little daunting, I have looked at the puppies in the local papers and i am very wary of buying one, you never know their history, which I think with this breed you have to be aware of. I am quite daunted by the task ahead but equally very excited!!!

We have spoken about only getting a dog and we would have Jazz spayed anyway as I think Staffs are prone to uterus trouble if they are not done (correct me if I am wrong).

I will ask our friends to listen out for any puppies that are on the horizon or available. No doubt I will posting puppy questions soon!

Thanks
Manda

Have you had a look at the champdogs staffy page.There are a few litters advertised there.
Don't be put off by someone who breeds for the show ring...reputable breeders only want good homes for their babies. The main thing is to buy from someone your comfortable with....they should be willing to chat 'dogs' to you,offer you life long 'aftersales' advice and should wan you to go and visit.Don't be put off by someone giving you the third degree...it just tells you they care about thier pups and not just the money.
Archer

Hi Archer,

I'll go and have a look and see what I can find.

I'd rather someone grill me to make sure I was suitable to have one of their pups I would not even be against someone coming to look at my home and our other staff just to make sure. I know I would be the same if I had puppies to sell! In fact i'd probably be worse!!!

Thanks
Manda

just remember because staffs are a blend of bull and terrier they come in all shapes and sizes, not saying one is better than the other, just something to think about, maybe you could decide which type you like best and head in that direction, also breeders tend to specialise in one colour, and remember you cant make caviar out of fish eggs!  , dont be afraid to wait or travel, and go for health and temprament before anything else you will probably pay around 450 for kc reg and dont be scared to say no thankyou.     lots of luck, if you tell me what region your in i will give you the number of that breed secratary.

Hello Manda and welcome to CD,

I personally feel that at four years of age you may have left it too late to consider having a first litter out of your bitch but that is only MY opinion. Others will tell you different and it is up to you to decide what is best for your bitch and your lifestyle. Litters are expensive, hard work, tiring and take an awful lot of planning and that is just when things go right!!!! If you want to e-mail me I can point you in the direction of a couple of litters that I know are due soon. If you want a copy of the questionaire I sue when looking at a litter feel free to e-mail me and I will forard it no to you or once you know what type and colour you are looking for then I may be able to pass some numbers on to you.

HIya I'm new to this forum and I have a 8 month old Staffie called Giorgia, she is like yours very loving and well behaved. As she is mostly white with only a red patch over her eye and ear and around her tail where it meets her bottom, We have been asked to breed form her by the breeder we bought her from and people at the local Staffie shows. We decided not to because she is too much part of our family rather than a dog and we didnt fancy the risks involved. its is great that you thought long and hard before making such an important decision.
When we bought ours from the breeder, we checked the breeder out through both the KC and the SBT SOCIETY OF WALES, they were known to both and highly recommended. As we were first time owners we went with a whole list of questions for the breeder and she was patient and let us stay for as long as we wanted even though it was late evening before we arrived. they lived 70 miles away from us and we went after work. She asked us many questions as she had turned some people away and was initially concerned about our lack of experience and also that we work fulltime. But my husbands brother has a male Staff and so we knew some of what we were letting ourselves in for. Also my Husband works shifts and is home when I'm in work and vice versa so that wasnt a problem but we had to explain to the breeder first. We have kept in touch with the breeder sending photos and letters etc and she has been available for questions all the time. I would say look at the home the puppy is in, is it clean ,see if the puppies are being handled regularly, are there children to pick them up and love them. Check out breeders credentials and see if you feel comfortable with them, you should never feel rushed!