***SCAM ALERT** 

people are being ripped off hundreds of pounds by paying deposits for false litters. Please DO NOT pay any deposits unless you have met the breeder and mum with puppies and feel that you can have a good relationship with them moving forward.
 

BUYERS BEWARE!!!

Following the coronavirus pandemic, the sale of puppies has become a hugely targeted area for scammers.

Never pay a deposit without first meeting the breeder and their puppies with the mum!

Ensure video calls mention your name as videos are being copied and used by scammers.

Do not go by a few photos, these are readily available to anybody online and do not mean a litter being advertised is genuine!

A well bred, to standard, Staffordshire Bull Terrier will cost in the region of £1,500 upward. Price is obviously a decision for the individual as to what they are willing to pay, but those charging extreme amounts and creating huge long adverts touting the (often ridiculous) sales patter I would personally avoid like the plague! 

What I as a breeder would offer for approx. £1,500:

Mum: DNA tested clear (or within one generation of DNA testing) for L2HGA & HC-HSF4, HIP & ELBOW scored, PATELLA scored, CARDIAC certificate

Mum & puppies: EYE SCREENED for PHPV/PPSC & DNA PROFILED for proof of parentage and identification. 

Sire: Where possible to have the minimum health tests (L2HGA & HC-HSF4 & current eye screen certificate for PHPV/PPSC) as well as Patella scored.

A puppy pack worth approx. £150+ (inc. toys, vet bed, vet bed wash & other practical items) free insurance (this is standard and costs a breeder nothing) microchipping, breed club membership and access to a group for all that buy puppies in the litter and from previous litters. It goes without saying a lifetime of support also...

SOME SALES SPIEL TO BEWARE OF:

'Champion bloodlines' 

This often has very little meaning in regard to a litter in the context to which many use it to sell puppies. It may be the dogs have foreign titles which may not have the same credit as UK Champion status as the competition in these countries is much less. It may also be that the 'Champion' is not actually a UK Kennel Club (KC) Champion, but instead other registries which again do not have the same credit. 

Many Staffordshire Bull Terriers if descended from show stock will have some Champions behind them in their pedigree. Just because a puppy has a Champion in its pedigree does not mean it will itself become a Champion or indeed provide any guarantee it will even be of show quality. (i.e.. that it will meet every criteria of the standard to a sufficient degree to compete against other dogs at shows.)

'Carries/passes 30 CC's'

This is the latest advertising ploy. It doesn't matter how many CC's are held by dogs back in a pedigree they are not 'carried' by progeny!!! 

This just shows that the advertiser has little or no understanding of showing and is purely trying to make up things to sell their puppies or has been told this by someone else with the same intention.

'True short stocky type'

There should only be one 'type' of Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is a blend of bull and terrier and this should always be the case with the puppies. The breed standard highlights the desired height and weight of the breed and any intended breeding to extremes could potentially prove detrimental to their health.
 
'Vet Checked'

Although being vet checked is not a negative thing and should be expected, it is not the same as health tested. The items mentioned in the health section are NOT detectible by a vet at a routine examination. Do not be led into believing otherwise and ensure health testing has been carried out and that the puppies are hereditary clear where applicable.

'Sired by the famous...'

There is a chance the dog mentioned is one well known, but this does not mean by any stretch of the imagination it is famous or even that it is a positive thing! Some dogs are well known because they have been used so much, not because they are the best specimens of the breed but because they have been well marketed by their kennels and hyped up very possibly with the selling tactics highlighted above!!!

'Low COI'

This is the new tactic used to draw people in to believing they are getting a better dog. Ask the breeder to explain this in detail and you will find a difference between someone who understands this and someone who is quoting what they have heard elsewhere...

'Zero Faults'

This is pretty much impossible, a perfect dog has and will never be born, even if both parents were as close as possible to this, you can never guarantee what the puppies will be like. 

Besides, does it matter if your dog is not perfect in every way, surely we all love them whatever their imperfections?! 

Health testing is so important, DNA testing is available for L2HGA & HC-HSF4 / Eye screening for PHPV & PPSC. (Eye screening should be carried out on litters before you collect the puppy.)

Ask yourself what knowledge and care a breeder has if they choose to ignore it...