A little bit about North East Staffords Staffordshire Bull Terrier Enthusiasts Club

 

Depending on your breed most Stafford's are best kept indoors within the home if they are to become better companions to the family unit and can prove a good deterrent to unwelcome visitors/intruders. Where they sleep is not all that important to me, many pet supplies will furnish you will an array of beds and pet furniture but a warm dry draught free place is the most important feature to think about.

Whats Your Plans?


If you are planning on keeping several of these dogs then perhaps an outdoor kennel is the better option, so a suitable all weather option will be needed. To be honest I don't think it's a very good idea to keep more than 3-4 of these dogs together, as they need a lot of individual interaction to help their development. If there is no choice but to kennel them then make sure it is an adequate size for both you and the dogs, you need to be able to walk upright freely through out the kennel with no obstruction.

Location & Size


Shape and style is up to the owner presumably you want something that's going to blend into the environment as best possible especially if the neighbours are a bit nippy. I think the minimum dimensions of the structure should be in the region of 8ft X 8ft by 6-7ft high. I prefer a concrete floor with some drainage system incorporated into the concrete this makes life a lot easier when it come to cleaning.

Keep Fit & Active


Right you have the sleeping arrangements sorted out. This is not so much of a problem when pups, but as the SBT gets older lethargy is known to creep in if you allow it; a cozy spot in front of the fire will become more appealing than foraging around in the park. So its really up to you to encourage some kind of activity.
I find that out in the park with a Ball or a Stick is the best bet, I don't know what it is with dogs and balls but they love them, I generally throw a tennis ball around this brings endless fetch and retrieve fun and training for you and the dog. Care is needed as to the type of objects given to be retrieved as the dogs teeth can be damaged with objects that are too heavy or large, or as one stupid owner that I heard of who used to throw rocks for his SBT to fetch and play with, the poor dog had a right mouthful of broken teeth.


This type of exercise can also incorporate some type of obedience theme to it, this in my opinion is essential for the growing SBT, these dogs respond very well to this and show signs of enjoyment during training.
Getting the pup trained on the lead is essential and needs to be done individually and firmly, it generally is not all that difficult an obstacle to overcome but this is important to get obedience on the lead, as a full grown SBT pulling around on a lead can be very troublesome they have a great strength as mature adults and usually want to forage around in "double time".

Training


The subject of training is very in-depth and diverse and by no means can I cover all the aspects of it here so I recommend getting yourself a good book on the subject, ask around amongst the SBT fraternity use the various forums and message boards online and ask fellow dog men their opinions, there are no set rules but the simpler is always in my opinion the best option and generally will cost less.

Feeding

Once again you are spoiled for choice as in humans there are all sorts of feeding fads for the SBT owner to contemplate. I tend to think that the simpler the diet the better, the complete dried preparations that you get from most good pet stores or Vet's are my recommendation, they contain all the nutrients that your SBT needs, adaptations can be made from time to time to add a little variety to the dogs diet, perhaps some meat stock or some cooked meat also cod liver oil can be added. Like humans they need to have a balanced diet containing enough carbohydrates which can be given in biscuit form this gives energy and warmth, Proteins can be taken from fish, cheese, eggs etc, these will all give your dog the required Vitamins A, B, D +F.


Generally all of the required Vitamins and minerals are incorporated into the dry preparations. But a good balance is needed in the dogs early months so it will develop properly, growing teeth and bones need all the correct attentions. If your SBT is a pup it should be no younger than 8 weeks old, so it will need quite frequent feeds up to 4-5 times a day up until its about 4-5 months old, then generally the house pets get fed at the same times and frequency's as we do, this simplifies things and gets a good routine going for both us and the dogs.


There is no need to fret over the frequency of meals as the dog gets older you will know if the dog is hungry it will tell you! And if your feeding it too much I'm sure it will scoff anything put in front of it, I've never seen one that didn't, then you will see a vast gain in weight, you will get the right balance for your dog, if your still not sure ask the vet the next time your there. Exercise is something else you need to think about for the SBT some form is most definitely needed. Unexercised dogs soon become over weight and are susceptible to an assortment of ailments.

Support


Our Message forum is always open to receive any questions, we cannot guarantee to answer all your questions but there will sure be someone there can assist you.


 

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