From time to time we have questions asked about rearing of puppies this fact sheet was designed by Lesley (Tusselstaff) and myself though Lesley is more pro than myself, but over a period of time you get to know what works best..
Having read what people have googled I thought I should just mention about buying two Stafford puppies from the same litter, basically its not always advisable we have always said but not always acted on ourselves that it is best is to have a gap between ages with bitches and dogs together you definitely need to know what you are doing, we bought Nell when Sall was about 9 weeks old and for the 1st 3 years it was fine and then it wasn't any more and I have wrote about it on my main page called the Dark Side and its been a hard lesson and a lot of self torture with to many guilt trips to mention.....So Yes dogs are better for the company of dogs and we maintain it is the makings for a sound dog to have a companion rather that to just rely on human inter-action and in that case we would advice a male and a female puppy but obviously at some time the choice would have to be made on which one gets the chop at the vets
YOUR NEW PUPPY
Feeding
Pup’s feeding routine has been from 7.00 am and every 4 hours after that through the day. They usually have a milky breakfast such as Rice Crispies and Goats Milk, Farley’s rusks with goat’s milk, creamy rice pudding or scrambled egg. All breakfasts that require milk adding should use goat’s milk and not cow’s milk as cow’s milk can cause diahorrea. They love the tinned Butchers superior in jelly and also James Wellbeloved plus Wainwrights sold at pets at home......Having said that we are now on Orijen and seems to be suiting our dogs they have glorious coats and its marvelous food as completes go, top brand awarded in Canada and worldwide and you feed less than average completes... Complete food should always be moistened with warm water or warmed goat’s milk. Very favourite foods at the moment are scrambled egg and also finely chopped up cooked chicken fillet which they go mad for- just make sure you do not feed the skin.
When feeding any dried complete food,remember to dampen just to be sure but your pup must ALWAYS have free access to clean water.
Routine
The current routine is usually to get out of bed at 7:00, have a wee on newspaper, feed, poo and then play in the morning -this lasts for between 1-2 hours. Sleep again and then wee/poo and playtime again with a feed about 11.00 am which is a meat dinner (see above) and then sleep again, Any where between 2.00 and 4.00pm they are fed again- scrambled egg with a bit of cheese goes down well or a little tuna mixed in with dried food and then pups are fed again between 6.00 and 8.00pm. They will dash about for most of the evening but if they sleep at 9-10.00pm wake them up and give them a burn out or they will have you up in the early hours of the morning just like a baby. It is usual for young pups to sleep a lot so do not be concerned.
Toilet training
Bowel movements and urinating are done on an old towel or newspaper- the choice is yours. You can also buy puppy pads if you want to protect your carpets. Always praise and offer a treat as a reward when pup does her ‘business’ in the right place. It is also useful if you have a command word for when you want her to go to the toilet so that she begins to associate the word with your command. This can be anything from ‘toilet’, ‘wee-wee’, and ‘be quick’- anything at all that you feel comfortable using. Be consistent and always use the same word. NEVER rub a pup’s nose in her mess as some people used to recommend in days gone by!! This is cruel and unnecessary.
Pups will usually want a wee when first waking up or after food. If you watch them over time, you can usually see when they need to go from their actions. Some pups will do a circling motion when they need to poo.
Worming
Pups have been wormed at 2 weeks and 5 weeks (and again at 8 weeks if they are still with us at that age) – with Panacur Paste. You will need to continue worming for the rest of her life- there are an abundance of worming treatments out there so please speak to your vet regarding frequency of treatment. The best and most effective wormers are those from the vet and not from shops. We use Drontal on our own adult dogs.
Crating
If you are going to use a crate (also known as a cage) I would suggest you line it around the bottom with vet bedding - sometimes a very young puppy can trap her jaw in the wire- it’s a rare occurrence but it can happen and in 3 more weeks she will be too big but it is something to be aware of. Crates are extremely useful for when you need to leave the house and therefore pup will be unsupervised. It will prevent her from causing damage in the home and will also protect her own safety – especially if there are electrical cables she could chew.
Always leave the door open when introducing a crate and let pup go in and explore of her own accord. Never force her in there and lock the door. Never leave her in there for long periods and never use the crate as a form of punishment. It should be viewed as her own little den and you can leave indestructible toys in there such as Kongs. You should also have a coop cup attached inside containing water. There are hook on or bolt on versions available. Some pups feel more comfortable if the cage is covered- you can buy special crate covers but a blanket is equally as good.
Make sure that pup’s crate or bed/basket is not in a cold and draughty area and also do not place beds/crates in conservatories due to excessive heat when the sun comes out.
General Tips
Never pull too hard when playing tug-o-war games as you don’t want to ruin the bedding for the new teeth coming through. For the next 8 weeks or so, if your pup is allowed on the sofa don’t let her jump off as she will tend to belly flop and she will hurt the breast plate or even injure or break her legs.
Walking
When training for walking on the lead, try and get a very light weight lead so you can leave her to walk around the house with it on - please don’t drag her as it can hurt the neck.
There are a vast variety of collars available but NEVER use a choke chain- they are cruel and can seriously injure a Stafford. Make sure the collar you choose is not too tight that it chokes pup and also not too loose that it can slip off over her head.
If her claws are getting a bit sharp at home then allow her to chase a brush or stick and make her turn around in your patio area and this will soon take the tips of the nails off. You can walk her when young but not too far until she is at least 6 months of age and then it should only be a couple of miles- the big walks don’t really happen until she is about 11 months of age. The usual rule of thumb is 5 minutes walking for every month of age.
Never let your pup off lead in an open space until you are positive she will return. You can practise recall in an enclosed area such as your garden- just call her from one person to another by shouting ‘come’ and her name. Every time she returns when called, always treat her and make a big fuss, telling her she is a ‘good girl’. Never scold her if she takes some time to come back. If she runs about several times before returning and you scold her when she does eventually return then she will get confused and think you are scolding her for returning. Lunge lines/training leads are a good method of teaching recall as your pup cannot escape from you. They come in various lengths from 10 foot to 40 foot or so. They allow freedom on lead but without the worry of pup running away. Never use these near roads of course. We don’t personally recommend the extending leads as they are sometimes difficult to control and can become tangled under pup if she runs about and can cause nasty burns when they do so. (I have experienced this on my own hands and it hurts!!)
Pups are required to wear an identity tag when outside the home, containing their name and the owners contact details under UK law. It is also recommended that pup be micro-chipped in the event that she becomes lost or is stolen.
Seasons
Bitches can have a 1st season from 6 months but any where between 6 months and 11 months is the norm, the new thing with the vets now is they can actually neuter a young puppy from 10 weeks old which is absolutely diabolical and should be classed along side of drilling holes in peoples heads because they have mental issues....
Your puppy has not developed and isn't likely to for a good 18 months more so to chop one in its prime of flushing hormones just doesn't seem right to me, they need some of those hormones to grow and I cannot for the life of me see the benefit of doing surgery on a tiny pup and until the Vets have proof of a 10 year old bitch or dog that has no ill health or side effects ( Incontinent just springs to mind) from being neutered so early in life I think it should be well avoided
Get your bitch some dog pants and put a human Allways with wings in the pants saves a lot of mess and is the solution for that 1st season and then if you need to spay look at 3 months after her season but if you can hang on till she is at least a year old the better it will be for her..... Same of the males whipping his testicles off isn't going to calm him down any if he is lively around the home then get off your butt and take him a bigger walk, feed his brain which makes for a more content dog...On the other hand if he is rampant then he maybe flushing a load of testosterone and this is around 7 to 10 months of age so see if he settles...
Finally don't be fooled that a female puppy of 7, 8, or 9 months old would not accept a male she would and she could possibly produce a litter of pup's so make a note of when she starts to bleed and around day 9 to day 20 you should be on your guard and not let her near any males and to even watch your neighbours dogs that may get into your garden
Toys
There are many doggy toys available in the shops but pups also enjoy home made toys too like kitchen roll tubes, plastic milk or lemonade bottles, cardboard boxes with holes in for them to run in and out of. At present the pups are fascinated by anything noisy.
Other toys to consider are tuggers, balls, nylabones and Kong’s. If using a Kong filled with treats then make sure you deduct the amount of food used in the Kong from the amount she has at dinner time to avoid obesity. I can provide some Kong recipes/treats if required.
When choosing toys make sure they are not filled with beans or have glass eyes that could be swallowed etc.
Grooming
Stafford’s are very easy to look after from a grooming point of view. They will need a brush about once a week and only an occasional bath. If you bath her all the time her coat can lose oils. Just bath when she really needs it and use a gentle shampoo like Johnson’s baby shampoo or one of the many dog shampoos on the market.
Some owners may wish to brush pup’s teeth and there are special doggy toothpastes out there in chicken or beef flavour and also special doggy tooth brushes- never use human toothpaste on a dog!
Socialisation
A properly socialized dog is well adjusted and makes a good companion. She is neither frightened by nor aggressive towards anyone or anything that she would normally meet in day to day living. An un-socialized dog is untrustworthy and an unwanted liability. They can often become fear-biters. Often they like to fight with other dogs. They are difficult to train and are generally unpleasant to be around. Unsocialised dogs cannot adapt to new situations and a simple routine visit to the vet is a nightmare not only for the dog itself, but for everyone involved. Don't let this happen to you and your dog. Start socializing your new puppy NOW! It is generally thought that the most important socialization period lasts up to about 12 weeks (3 months) of age. However, after 12 weeks, your puppy must still continue socialization to refine her social skills. Socialization most easily occurs before the puppy is 3 months old.
We recommend that pups attend a basic puppy class to teach her the basics of sit, lie down, recall etc and also for socialization purposes. The effort that you put in with your pup now, will be reaped back when she is an adult.
Socialisation Do's
Make sure that each of the following events is pleasant and non-threatening. If your puppy's first experience with something is painful and frightening, then you will be defeating your purpose. In fact, you will be creating a phobia that will often last a lifetime. It's better to go too slow and assure your puppy is not frightened or injured than to rush and force your pup to meet new things and people. Puppy classes are a great way for pup to meet different breeds and a variety of people and they can be a great support for the new or inexperienced owner. Pup will also learn basic commands at puppy classes. Classes can be found on the www.apdt.co.uk/ website.
• -Invite friends over to meet your pup. Include men, women, youngsters, oldsters, different ethnic backgrounds, men with beards, people with glasses etc.
• -Invite friendly, healthy, vaccinated dogs, puppies and even cats to your home to meet and play with your new puppy. Take your puppy to the homes of these pets if possible, preferably with dog-friendly cats and dogs.
• -Carry your pup to shopping centres, parks, school playgrounds, etc; places where there are crowds of people and plenty of activity.
• -Take your puppy for short, frequent rides in the car. Stop the car and let your puppy watch the world go by through the window. Always make sure your pup is safe in the car and not likely to either cause an accident when driving or cause injury to herself. You can use a car crate or a pet safety harness that clicks into the seatbelt.
• -Introduce your puppy to umbrellas, bags, boxes, the vacuum cleaner, etc. Encourage your puppy to explore and investigate her environment.
• -Introduce your puppy to new and various sounds .Loud noises should be introduced from a distance and gradually brought closer.
• -Accustom your puppy to being brushed, bathed, inspected, having her nails clipped, teeth and ears cleaned and all the routines of grooming and physical examination.
• - Introduce anything and everything you want your puppy to be comfortable with and around.
• We recommend positive reinforcement which basically means that you always make learning fun and treat and praise pup often as she will learn more quickly and happily this way
Socialisation Don'ts
• -Do not put your puppy on the ground where unknown animals have access. This is where your puppy can pick up diseases. Wait until your puppy's vaccinations are completed. Do not let your pup socialize with dogs that appear sick, have kennel cough or dogs that you don't know, or that may not be fully vaccinated.
• -NEVER reward fearful behaviour. In a well meaning attempt to sooth, encourage or calm the puppy when it appears frightened, we often unintentionally reward the behaviour. It's normal for the puppy to show some signs of apprehension when confronting anything new and different. If we reassure and treat them when frightened then we are instilling this fear into them and they will associate it with attention in the future.
• -Do not allow any experience to be harmful, painful or excessively frightening. This can cause lifetime phobias in your dog.
• -Do not force or rush your puppy. Let your puppy take things at her own pace. Your job is to provide the opportunity to explore and enjoy.
• -Do not expect too much at one time. Young puppies need a lot of sleep and tire quickly. It is much more productive to have frequent and very brief exposures than occasional prolonged exposures.
• -DO NOT WAIT!! Every day that goes by is an opportunity of a lifetime that is lost forever. You can never get these days back. If socialization does not happen now, it never will.
• Finally be the best you can be when out walking your dog don’t tense up when other dogs approach, keep it all matter of fact and train pup always to come back for a reward
Handling Classes/Ring craft
Some of you will be want to go along to a local handling class if you are considering showing- even if it is one not for Stafford’s alone and is a mixed breed class it is worth still going and if you can get along to a local show to have a look how its done even better. We can provide details of local shows (or further ones) for those interested. How many shows you enter is entirely up to yourselves. If you do want to have a go then you will need to practice from an early age at getting pup to stand still and to have her teeth and mouth examined as this is what a judge will do in the ring. Get her used to this by having people just gently ask to see her teeth and lifting the lips back gently. Always make sure people have clean hands when doing this. Just keep touching around the muzzle area and then lifting the lip and asking “show your teeth” and then praise and treat
