Buying a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppy

When looking for a reputable breeder you must ensure:

a) That the breeder registers their pups with the Kennel Club, as in this way you can verify that the pups are purebred Staffordshire Bull Terriers

b) that the breeder can show you evidence of clear DNA status for both the sire and dam of the litter for L2-HGA (a hereditary disease which causes the dog to have seizures) and also for HCSF4 or HC (hereditary cataract which will cause total blindness in the dog at a young age)

c) that both the sire and dam of the litter have an UNAFFECTED clinical eye test certificate for PHPV and PPSC (both types of cataract)

d) the breeder will clinically screen the whole litter for PHPV before sale to ensure you know the clinical status for your individual pup. PHPV is congenital, meaning it is there from birth, so will not develop later. 

THESE ARE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS - ACCEPT NOTHING LESS!

Some breeders will also test for hips, elbows, patella, heart and colour (to be aware if the dog carries the genes to produce blue or Black and Tan coat colour as these are not coat colours that a responsible breeder would want to encourage) prior to breeding. 

Reputable breeders will also sell their pups with a contract offering life time support for the pup. No reputable breeder ever wants to see their pup end up in a rescue centre; if circumstances change and you can’t keep the pup/dog they will offer help with finding another suitable home, possibly even taking the dog back until such time as a home can be found.

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BUYER BEWARE!

Our breed has a huge problem with people exploiting it, breeding for money and without due care and attention to the health and welfare and long term future of the breed. As you may have found if you have looked online there is a huge divergence in prices quoted. Breeding for profit has seen the business breeders escalating prices well in excess of £2500+++ for a puppy. Please be aware, the current average price for a well bred, DNA and clinically screened SBT pup from a reputable breeder may be around £1,500 - £2,000. Paying high prices is no guarantee of quality. Ensuring at least the bare minimum health testing is in place is most important.

The unscrupulous breeders breeding for profit are cutting corners rather than spending a small amount on properly health testing prior to breeding, with no regard for the health or future of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. There is evidence that the numbers of dogs suffering from L2-HGA is rising. If you aren’t aware of the disease please watch the video on our Health page or look up some of the groups now formed for support for owners of affected dogs. It impacts not only on the dog but also on the owners lives and there is no need for any dog to be born to suffer in this way. 

Be aware there are many scams and unscrupulous breeders that use skilful marketing ploys to make it seem like their pups are superior quality. Take note of these points:

REPUTABLE breeders will only breed from dam and sire that are DNA CLEAR for L2HGA and HC and also clinically tested unaffected for PHPV/PPSC. They will also make arrangements to clinically screen the whole litter for PHPV prior to sale so that new pup owners can be assured they know the status of their new pup.  There is no need to breed from CARRIER status Staffords - the gene pool is diverse enough to support using CLEAR status dogs only and there is NEVER a reason to  breed from an UNTESTED dog - that is completely irresponsible

NO breeder can promise you a puppy from a 'planned mating' - some breeders will keep a 'waiting list' of interested parties for either dogs or bitches but until pups are born and surviving no-one can possibly know what sexes will be born. 

NO breeder can guarantee a puppy will be 'show quality'

NO breeder should sell a puppy without meeting you and your family first - possibly on a number of occasions. As good as it is to receive video calls and photos of litters you should still be prepared to travel to the breeder's home to view pups on at least one occasion before you then go to collect

Although it is wise to research the pedigree of the prospective litter, don't be taken in by clever marketing which boasts of numbers of Champions in a pedigree. Also be aware that there are currently NO blue SBTs that have Champion status won at shows in the UK. There are different criteria in other countries for SBTs to qualify for Champion status - Champion status won in the UK is the most prized because of the quality of competition

NEVER pay up front for a pup until you have met the breeder and are certain that the transaction is sound. You can always contact any of the UK Breed Club Secretaries for help and advice about any breeders that they know. The SBT 'show network' is generally a welcoming and tightknit community where most will know the business breeders to avoid 

Reputable breeders tend not to advertise widely, certainly NOT on platforms such as Pets4Homes, Gumtree etc., There are large numbers of SBT Facebook groups and despite Facebook’s supposed rules about live animal sales it has become a selling platform for many of the unscrupulous breeders that seem to pounce on anyone saying they are looking for pups. It’s one of the reasons we don’t allow posts on our EASBT Club group for anyone breeding or allowing their dog to be used at stud. Even the Kennel Club Find a Puppy Register is no guarantee of best quality. To advertise with the Kennel Club you just need to have KC registered dogs, there is no compulsion to comply with even the minimum DNA or clinical health screening criteria. Only KC Assured Breeders are required to meet the health screening criteria.

In the meantime if you want any information on buying a SBT pup or breeding from your SBT please contact our Secretary, Lesley McFadyen

Above is a map which will highlight your local breed club if we are not your local, you are more than welcome to contact any secretary of one of the 17 UK breed clubs and they will support you in finding a responsibly bred puppy.

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