NURSERY
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Updated 08TH April.2008
Puppies due Late
June 2008
ALL ENQUIRES WELCOME
COMPLETE
ONLINE PUPPY INTEREST FORM
Remember you are
adding a new member to your family for the next 10 or more years. NOW IS
NOT THE TIME TO BARGAIN HUNT!! Prepare to spend at least $750 - $850.00
for a well bred puppy. You may have known someone who has, or you
yourself have purchased a "backyard" bred dog or a pet store or puppy
mill dog and had great success. They were lucky. Why take the chance?
Responsible breeders will do all they can to
avoid health and temperament problems by researching pedigrees and screening
parents for certain inherited problems before breeding.
Most
Breeders want to see their dogs placed in loving, responsible homes,
they are careful about who buys their animals. So as A new perspective
parent, prepare yourself for interrogation from the breeder.
Buying a
puppy should not be an impulsive endeavor, it is never wise to rush out
and buy just any puppy that catches your shopping eye. The more time and
thought you invest, the greater your satisfaction with you and your new
companion.
You must
seek out an active sturdy puppy with bright eyes and an intelligent
expression. The coat must be clean and plush, with no signs of fleas or
other parasites. The premises should be clean, by sight and smell.
Let good
common sense guide your purchase. Reputable breeders will be
willing to answer any questions you might have selected, and should make
themselves available if you call for advice or if you encounter problems
after you have made your purchase.
For the
right home, a Stafford is a handsome addition and a long life companion.
Hello,
I'm called a Staffordshire Bull Terrier
, I'm a Medium dog. So far I’ve been brought up affectionately, my breeder
was endeavoured to do so in a professional way.
I
have left my mother, brothers and sisters heavy heartedly, in order to be a
faithful and dear companion to you. I hope you have created the best
conditions for me, so that I can develop magnificently. Favourably I would
like to sleep with you in your bed, because I am still small. And if you
bring me outside then, I might resist you. In this argument the winner is
not always certain. To keep me out in the fresh air is always good for me,
but do not leave me Outside all the time. That would not please you either,
would it? My home must be sufficiently large, be well isolated and protected
against draft, and a roof should protect at least half of the kennel.
if you are not at
home during the day. I love to sleep softly. Sun is wonderful for me, but I
need a shady place on hot days. I also don’t like to have to run on sandy
soil all of the time; it is not healthy for my paws.
If I should still
cry at the night, do not forget that I am still longing for my mother; her
closeness and warmth are missing now. Please do not pity me, let me deal
with the problem alone. If YOU are really good to me, I will have forgotten
my earlier surroundings soon, and will grow accustomed to you quite rapidly.
I however always keep some memories of my childhood, which you will
understand I’m sure. You probably also like to think of your parents
sometimes.
do not wake me up only
because you have a desire to play with me. That could harm my development and
my growth. If I am awake however, be there for me. Always after waking up, I
will have the urge to go to the toilet. If I am inside the house you better
hurry. Should YOU forget
to play with me as much as you can, so I
can get familiar with humans and with my new environment. Since I am still a
baby, I also need, beside good food, lots of sleep for my further development,
the same as the human babies. If I am fast asleep, then do n one time then it is no use to punish me for your
omission, pay more attention to me in the future.
You also should teach me soon, that I come
to you on call. This is important for us both on later walks. After you had me
vaccinated , you should take me out soon, so that I become acquainted with
everything. Beforehand you must teach to me that I have to wear a collar. When
I have learnt all that, then I still must get accustomed to the lead. Which is
not that easy at all!
Once I know all
about collars and leads there is nothing to stop our daily walks together.
But do not over-exercise me I am still small! It will harm me! Increase the
length of our walks with increasing age. On hot days do not strain me, allow
me to rest in the shadow.
As long as I am
under one year of age never let me jump.. When I am 6 months old, I have
learned to walk by your side on the lead. However I don’t know how to "heal"
yet perfectly. I also have to still learn how to "sit" and "stand". How to
sit, you should practice with me intensively once I am 6 months old. The
command "down" is an obligation command. So please take your time, until I
am 1 year old. But then we must practice it, even if it does not please me.
When I do it right, please praise me; . It is favourable for us both, if do
Obedience training with me. I am willing to learn and work diligently. You
will be astonished, as to how smart I am. . I am also not allowed to pull on
rags, carpets etc.
If I get myself into
unexpected trouble, help me please. Praise me, if I was at least a little
courageous. If you show the world in such a way to me, I will thank you
later and be a courageous, good spirited and watchful dog. Have other humans
touch me quite a lot, so I don’t become shy or frightened of people . Some people are afraid of us because
Discussions about fight dogs . Please help to take this fear from people.
One thing you have to teach me though, I am not allowed to take food of
strangers. Unfortunately there are also people, who poison dogs
It is quite
important that you feed me with the correct food. I am a natural carnivore.
The meat you give to me can be raw, By cooking the meat many trace elements
are destroyed, Beside the meat I also take different kinds of supplements.
Vegetable, fruit (banana, apple, etc.) taste good to me. Avoid cabbage,
peas, lentils and beans, for obvious reasons. All food that you give to me
should be fresh and well prepared. Potatoes are also no dog food. .
If you feed dry kibble to me, pay special attention to the package label,
not all manufacturers give the correct dosage!! Dry kibble should be soaked
in warm water for about 15 minutes; otherwise I need too much water
afterwards and load stomach unnecessarily. Fresh water however must always
be attainable for me.
Dear new owner, if you
consider these notes, I will develop magnificently and you will greatly
enjoy my companionship. Please visit my breeder from time to time, which is
a joyful event for us all. They want to see naturally, how magnificently I
developed in your care and you probably also want to show me off to them.
The breeders can perhaps still give you also some pieces of advice, if you
don’t have much experience with my breed. My breeders are
always pleased to see me again and are gladly offer you advise if you have
questions. A good contact between you both would make me happy. But now
enough of the writing.
PUPPY
CARE
Puppies
receive their temporary distemper, hepatitis and parvo injections at 6
weeks of age, so the breeder will do this by the time you take your puppy
home. You should receive a vaccination certificate as proof this has been
done and also showing the date when the booster is required. Annual
booster vaccinations are required from then on.
CANINE
DISTEMPER
Distemper is a highly contagious disease
which often results in permanent brain damage or death
CANINE
HEPATITIS
Canine hepatitis
is a disease of a dog characterized by loss of appetite, depression,
diarrhoea often with blood, tonsillitis and acute abdominal pain, due to
enlargement of the liver. Death usually occurring within 24 to 36 hours.
CANINE
PROVIRUS
Provirus is a
disease that affects young pups and older dogs. Death can occur within 24
hours. The virus is common in Australia and out breaks occur regularly
especially in summer.
CANINE
KENNEL COUGH
Canine Kennel cough
is a contagious disease of dogs which has more than one cause/ Affected dogs
have a hacking cough which usually appears after exercise and may persists
for several weeks.
TETANUS
Tetanus is a rare
disease of dogs and cats which result when penetrating wounds become
infected with the tetanus organism. Toxin is produced in the wound and
spreads out to the affect nerves, resulting in increased sensitivity to
noise and continuous or spastic contractions of the muscles.
Worming
medication only kills the adult worms in the intestines, not any immature
ones developing within the dog. Therefore, medication needs to be given
often enough to prevent new worms reaching maturity.
Young puppies
from 2 weeks old commonly have large numbers of roundworms, which are also
capable of causing illness in humans, although they cannot develop into
intestinal worms in people. Therefore pups must be treated for roundworm
every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age, then monthly to 6 months. As dogs get
older they become immune to roundworm, although stress and pregnancy can
reduce this immunity.
After 3 months
of age, recommendation is to use a broad spectrum wormer please consult with
your vet for type of worming medication.
One type
of worm, which is not always detected, is the tapeworm which dogs acquire by
swallowing infected fleas. If your dog is infected, the segments are passed
with the faeces, or sometimes stick to the hair around the anus. They are
small, flat segments, which move around when freshly passed and dry out to
resemble yellowish grains of rice. Treat your dog for this type of worm when
you see these. Some broad spectrum wormers do kill this worm, but others may
not.
Researchers
have suggested that you should vary the type of worming tablets used so that
your dog does not build up immunity to one type of medication.
BARKING
Reasons they
may bark are; next door cat, strange cars stopping outside, phones ringing
or sirens going along the road, or the dog is bored, cold or hungry. Dogs
without companionship during the day will yap from boredom, even dig and
chew. This is not the dog fault, but the owners. Never make a fuss when
leaving home or returning this excites the dog and will stir it to bark. If
you have irritable neighbours, it may be best to leave pup in the back area
of your house if you are out for a short period.
GROOMING
Grooming aids required are:
A brush, nail
cutters and a soft chamois. A slip collar and lead is also required. Always
remember that if cutting nails, that only a small area is trimmed off,
otherwise the quick of the nail can be cut, and will bleed. It also hurts
the dog and can put him off nail cutting for life.
Your
terrier need only have a bath 3 – 4 times a year, or if he is
exceptionally dirty. Choose a warm day and use a non-softening shampoo.
SHOWING
HEREDITARY DISEASES
Distichiasis
Sometimes the condition is referred to as a double row of eyelashes, for extra
hairs arise from the edge of the eyelid to rub against the corneal surface. The
effects are variable and mild irritation to corneal ulceration will be seen.
Treatment is extremely difficult and invariably involves surgery to remove the
hair roots permanently. Plucking out the offending hairs is useful, but requires
the maximum cooperation of the patient! Of course it is followed by hair
regrowth, and many surgical techniques have been invented to remove the roots.
Even then success is difficult to achieve, and the dog may have to suffer this
condition throughout its life. It is the most common eye defect found in the
Stafford in South Africa.
Entropion
Primarily an inherited condition. It is due to an excess of eyelid tissue, or a
small eye, or both, the result being that a varying amount of hair-covered
eyelid can turn in to rub directly against the cornea or conjunctiva, or both.
It is usually extremely painful, and the damage caused to the cornea can render
the eye blind. Most dogs are affected by six months of age and in some the signs
of the problem (excessive blinking and a wet face) may be seen within the first
month of life. Occasionally the condition is self-correcting as the puppy grows,
but in the vast majority of affect dogs surgery is necessary to turn the eyelid
away from the surface of the eye. Usually such surgery is successful, but it is
much better that, as with the other inherited eyelid defects, breeders try to
avoid producing this condition in their stock.
Ectropion
Primarily an inherited condition, in which the lower eyelid droops away from the
eyeball to expose the third eyelid and the conjunctiva. Exposure of the delicate
mucous membrane causes conjunctivitis. Correction is possible by complicated
surgery in which the eyelid is lifted and shortened. Occasionally further
surgery may be necessary to change completely the shape of the eyelids.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
PRA is a term used to describe a number of inherited retinal degenerations
involving several breeds. The group is broadly divided into two, generalized PRA
and central PRA. In the former, blindness at night time (nyctalopia) is an early
indication of the presence of the disease, but eventually the dog is rendered
totally blind. Cataract is a common secondary feature of the disease. In central
PRA night blindness is not a feature and though vision is several affected, the
dog may not become totally blind. In both groups of PRA there is degeneration of
the photoreceptors, but in the generalized form this degeneration is the
inherited defect, whereas in central PRA rod and cone degeneration follows an
inherited defect elsewhere in the retina.
Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV)
This is a congenital condition (present from birth) in which there is a
developmental defect in the normal regression of some of the intraocular
structures of the eye. PHPV can range from being very mild to severe
abnormalities which may lead to blindness. The presence of mild abnormalities
are usually seen as small brown pigmented dots on the posterior lens capsule.
Previously the literature indicated that this was always observed as a bilateral
phenomenon but recently it has been stated that affected dogs may show
unilateral involvement, although this is less common. The present knowledge of
the mode of inheritance of this disease is thought to be an autosomal irregular
dominant with variable expression. Due to PHPV seldom resulting in secondary
cataracts in the Stafford, those that are mildly afflicted will seldom show any
form of visual impairment during the course of their lives. Even those that are
more severely afflicted, may be capable of adapting by using peripheral to
compensate. Stafford breeders should therefore not assume that the problem is
absent simply because they have not encountered blatant signs of visual
impairment, instead discerning breeders should ensure that all their Stafford's
are tested through the National Eye Scheme. Courtesy Stafford Mall
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Dysplasia is a terrible genetic disease because of the various degrees of
arthritis (also called degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, osteoarthrosis) it
can eventually produce, leading to pain and debilitation.
The very first step in the development of arthritis is articular cartilage (the
type of cartilage lining the joint) damage due to the inherited bad biomechanics
of an abnormally developed hip joint. Traumatic articular fracture through the
joint surface is another way cartilage is damaged. With cartilage damage, lots
of derogative enzymes are released into the joint. These enzymes degrade and
decrease the synthesis of important constituent molecules that form hyaline
cartilage called proteoglycans. This causes the cartilage to lose its thickness
and elasticity, which are important in absorbing mechanical loads placed across
the joint during movement. Eventually, more debris and enzymes spill into the
joint fluid and destroy molecules called glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronate which
are important precursors that form the cartilage proteoglycans. The joint's
lubrication and ability to block inflammatory cells are lost and the
debris-tainted joint fluid loses its ability to properly nourish the cartilage
through impairment of nutrient-waste exchange across the joint cartilage cells.
The damage then spreads to the synovial membrane lining the joint capsule and
more derogative enzymes and inflammatory cells stream into the joint. Full
thickness loss of cartilage allows the synovial fluid to contact nerve endings
in the subchondral bone, resulting in pain. In an attempt to stabilize the joint
to decrease the pain, the animal's body produces new bone at the edges of the
joint surface, joint capsule, ligament and muscle attachments (bone spurs). The
joint capsule also eventually thickens and the joint's range of motion
decreases.
No one can predict when or even if a dysplastic dog will start showing clinical
signs of lameness due to pain. There are multiple environmental factors such as
caloric intake, level of exercise, and weather that can affect the severity of
clinical signs and phenotypic expression (radiographic changes). There is no
rhyme or reason to the severity of radiographic changes correlated with the
clinical findings. There are a number of dysplastic dogs with severe arthritis
that run, jump, and play as if nothing is wrong and some dogs with barely any
arthritic radiographic changes that are severely lame. Courtesy OFA
Hereditary Cataracts (also called Juvenile Cataracts)
Hereditary Cataract in Staffordshire Bull Terriers has been recognised as an
inherited condition since the late 1970’s. Affected dogs develop cataracts in
both eyes at an early age. The condition is not congenital, so the lenses are
normal at birth but cataracts appear at a few weeks to months in age,
progressing to total cataract (and resulting blindness) by 2 to 3 years of age.
The mutation, or change to the structure of the gene, probably occurred
spontaneously in a single dog but once in the population has been inherited from
generation to generation like any other gene. The disorder shows an autosomal
recessive mode of inheritance: two copies of the defective gene (one inherited
from each parent) have to be present for a dog to be affected by the disease.
Individuals with one copy of the defective gene and one copy of the normal gene
- called carriers - show no symptoms but can pass the defective gene onto their
offspring. When two apparently healthy carriers are crossed, 25% (on average) of
the offspring will be affected by the disease, 25% will be clear and the
remaining 50% will themselves be carriers.
The mutation responsible for the disease has recently been identified at the
Animal Health Trust. Using the information from this research, we have developed
a DNA test for the disease. This test not only diagnoses dogs affected with the
disease but can also detect those dogs which are carriers, displaying no
symptoms of the disease but able to produce affected pups. Under most
circumstances, there will be a much greater number of carriers than affected
animals in a population. It is important to eliminate such carriers from a
breeding population since they represent a hidden reservoir of the disease that
can produce affected dogs at any time.
The test is available now and information on submitting samples is given below.
Breeders will be sent results identifying their dog as belonging to one of three
categories:
CLEAR: the dog has 2 copies of the normal gene and will neither develop
Hereditary Cataract, nor pass a copy of the Hereditary Cataract gene to any of
its offspring.
CARRIER: the dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the mutant gene
that causes Hereditary Cataract. It will not develop Hereditary Cataract but
will pass on the Hereditary Cataract gene to 50% (on average) of its offspring.
AFFECTED: the dog has two copies of the Hereditary Cataract mutation and is
affected with Hereditary Cataract. It will develop Hereditary Cataract at some
stage during its lifetime, assuming it lives to an appropriate age.
Carriers can still be bred to clear dogs. On average, 50% of such a litter will
be clear and 50% carriers; there can be no affecteds produced from such a
mating. Pups which will be used for breeding can themselves be DNA tested to
determine whether they are clear or carrier. Courtesy AHT
L2-Hga
L-2-HGA (L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria) in Staffordshire Bull Terriers is a Neuro
metabolic disorder characterised by elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid
in urine, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.
L-2-HGA affects the central nervous system, with clinical signs usually apparent
between 6 months and one year (although they can appear later). Symptoms include
epileptic seizures, "wobbly" gait, tremors, muscle stiffness as a result of
exercise or excitement and altered behaviour.
The mutation, or change to the structure of the gene, probably occurred
spontaneously in a single dog but once in the population has been inherited from
generation to generation like any other gene. The disorder shows an autosomal
recessive mode of inheritance: two copies of the defective gene (one inherited
from each parent) have to be present for a dog to be affected by the disease.
Individuals with one copy of the defective gene and one copy of the normal gene
- called carriers - show no symptoms but can pass the defective gene onto their
offspring. When two apparently healthy carriers are crossed, 25% (on average) of
the offspring will be affected by the disease, 25% will be clear and the
remaining 50% will themselves be carriers.
The mutation responsible for the disease has recently been identified at the
Animal Health Trust. Using the information from this research, we have developed
a DNA test for the disease. This test not only diagnoses dogs affected with this
disease but can also detect those dogs which are carriers, displaying no
symptoms of the disease but able to produce affected pups. Carriers could not be
detected by the tests previously available which involved either a blood or
urine test detecting elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutarate or magnetic
resonance imaging. Under most circumstances, there will be a much greater number
of carriers than affected animals in a population. It is important to eliminate
such carriers from a breeding population since they represent a hidden reservoir
of the disease that can produce affected dogs at any time.
The test is available now and information on submitting samples is given below.
Breeders will be sent results identifying their dog as belonging to one of three
categories:
CLEAR: the dog has 2 copies of the normal gene and will neither develop
L-2-HGA, nor pass a copy of the L-2-HGA gene to any of its offspring.
CARRIER: the dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the
mutant gene that causes L-2-HGA. It will not develop L-2-HGA but will pass on
the L-2-HGA gene to 50% (on average) of its offspring.
AFFECTED: the dog has two copies of the L-2-HGA mutation and is affected
with L-2-HGA. It will develop L-2-HGA at some stage during its lifetime,
assuming it lives to an appropriate age.
Carriers can still be bred to clear dogs. On average, 50% of such a litter will
be clear and 50% carriers; there can be no affected produced from such a
mating. Pups which will be used for breeding can themselves be DNA tested to
determine whether they are clear or carrier. Courtesy AHT
