If you are looking for an adult Staffordshire Bull Terrier to take it in, you have to stick to just a couple of options. The breeders often do not prefer to give the parent breeds, as they won’t be able to mate them in the future.
Therefore, the direct option is shut for people who do not want a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy; instead, they want an adult dog with all the training. It is difficult to get an adult Staffordshire dog, but it is not impossible. You just have to know your available options and keep trying upon them.
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Where To Buy A Staffordshire Bull Terrier?
You can head out to dog shelters as your first option if you are looking for an adult Staffordshire Bull Terrier. But first, you need to consider the age that you are looking for. It means whether you are looking for a year old Staffy, 3-4 years old Staffy or higher. It is an important consideration when you are looking for an adult Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Even if you are not looking for an adult Staffy, you should still consider buying only 4-8 weeks old puppies from dog shelters. Dog shelters should be your prime point of access, but there are things that you should know before you ask about where to buy a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
And this article here will explain to you all the things about a dog shelter that you must know before bringing in your Staffy.
Facts About Dog Sheltering
Before you head out to your nearest dog shelter to buy an adult Staffordshire Bull Terrier, you need to understand how these shelters work. They are no shops where you can go and pay the adoption fees to get your dog. They are shelters and have various dogs of different owners who are homeless due to abandonment or are lost.
Around 60% of dogs are euthanized at dog shelters every year in almost many countries. It is because the average number of puppies that a dog produces is around 4 to 6. And the dog shelters are restricted with funds and space to accommodate all of them! Therefore, they have to euthanize them to make space for the animals who can be saved!
Around 25% of dogs that enter the dog shelters are purebred, which means they are either lost or abandoned. The shelter owners try to contact the owners of lost dogs by looking at their collar tags, microchips, or tattoos. But, that is just around 15 to 20% of all dogs within the shelter.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers are purebred dogs but are banned in most countries or cities. And people buy them without this knowledge. When they realize that these dogs are banned in their city or country, they tend to dump them at dog shelters.
There is another irrelevant reason for people dropping or abandoning their Staffordshire dogs, again due to lack of research. Staffordshire Bull Terriers are energetic, powerful, challenging, aggressive, but are still loving, happy, and lively dogs.
They need a lot of food, attention, training, and socialization, throughout their lifetime. And owners fail to do so! In fact, the owner just does a couple of training sessions for the dog, and as a result, Staffy remains aggressive and challenging throughout its life.
These owners drop them off at dog shelters, and the people at those shelters train those dogs, socializes them, and then make them ready for adoption. Here are some more facts about dog shelters that will convince you to buy your Staffordshire Bull Terrier from them only:
- There are five homeless dogs to every one homeless man. It is the survey conducted by DoSomething.org. To know more about this survey, refer to this article that describes 11 facts regarding the homelessness of animals. Dog shelters adopt these homeless dogs and grooms them to find a family and new home for them.
- Shelter Staffies and other such dogs are entirely normal. Most owners give up their Staffies for minor accidents of breaking furniture, peeing in house or others. Some of them do have behavioral issues, but it is controllable with training.
- The average age of dogs in a shelter is around two years. So, if you are looking for an adult Staffordshire dog, then there is a chance that you can get a younger one waiting for you at the shelter. This fact was as per the research by Macedonian Veterinary Review in 2013.
- People have a dilemma that dog shelters only have stray breeds at their premises. But it is not the case, as purebreds also end up at dog shelters, by force or by chance. So, for the people who are not yet convinced that they can get a Staffy at a dog shelter, these facts will surely enlighten them.
- The adoption rate of dogs from shelters is less at 23% only. People head out to breeders to buy their dogs. But, no one usually approaches dog shelters as their primary option to buy a dog. And if you intend to buy a Staffordshire dog, then consider dog shelters as your primary option.
- Most of the dogs that enter the dog shelters are checked for any behavioral or health issues. The would-be owners will be given all the reports with the date and time of evaluation. So, there is no such chance of doubt in those aspects.
- Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Pit Bulls are the most common breeds that experience abandonment. It is because people think of these breeds as aggressive and violent. But it is not the case as they just look aggressive, strong, and powerful, but are humble and loving. To let these breeds show you their soft side, one just needs to understand their characteristics and be a friendly owner.
So, if you believe that you can be a good owner of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, then head to your nearest dog shelters.
Try Approaching The People Who Own Staffordshire Bull Terriers
If you are looking for some other options, then there is just another one. But it is a complex and tiring approach! You can reach out to the people you know who have Staffordshire Bull Terriers and ask them if they want to hand over their dog to you forever.
Not all owners who love their Staffy will agree with you. Individuals who are hesitating about keeping their dog, and are planning to leave it at a shelter, will surely agree. You will just have to pay the adoption fee at dog shelters, which is around $150.
This price is relatively low. But when you head to houses, you might have to pay a bit more to take their dogs. But, it will surely be less than what a breeder would charge you.
You need to take the owners’ consent and then follow the ideal steps before you can take the Staffy to your home. If the person agrees to give you their Staffy, then you need first to clear the monetary matters and then visit the dog at their house every day. It is because you should make the terrier believe that you are a known person of the house.
Also, you need to make the dog believe that you are their friend. When the bond is strong, you can take the Staffy to your house.
First few days, your Staffy will find it difficult to adjust, as a sudden change of home and emotions will haunt the dog. So, you shower love on it, the same way its previous owner did. And then the dog will tend to move on. It is better to bring in a Staffy from an owner if they don’t want to keep the dog.
Related Questions
Is It Illegal To Own Staffordshire Bull Terriers? Why?
Staffordshire Bull Terriers share quite the same personality as pit bulls. They look aggressive and are strong by nature. There are incidents when this breed has somehow injured the owners or others. But the fault is usually from the owner’s end for not socializing and training their Staffies.
Therefore, many cities and countries have the breed banned. But, you can get an exemption certificate if you can prove that the dog is safe, irrespective of the breed.
Are Staffordshire Bull Terriers The Same As Pit Bulls?
The American Staffordshire Bull Terrier looks near about the same as that of the American pit bull terrier. They are the same in terms of personality, nature, and temperament. But the significant difference that people would notice is from their appearances.
Pit bulls are expensive at breeders, whereas Staffordshire Bull Terriers are considerably cheaper.
Conclusion
Put an end to the discussion of whether you want to head to a breeder or shelter. In fact, it is advisable to opt for a dog shelter and do noble work by helping a homeless Staffy. There is no better deed than bringing in a sad dog and giving it a happy life again.
So, get along with it!