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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