Pictures to either side are of Speakman's GR CH Holsten and Pup enjoying training. Father and son, Holsten aged 13 years, Pup aged 3 years. Photos taken January 2005.

Click on the sections below to learn basic information about some training for your dog. Treadmill Spring Pole Flirt Pole A-Frame Boomer Ball Puppies Hydrotherapy Weight Pulling

Choosing your puppy

If you buy from a breeder discuss with them the dogs temperament, the animal's positive and negative aspects. Any health problems it might have, its feeding requirements and whether the puppy has been immunized. Reputable breeders will be willing  to answer any questions and will make themselves available if you call for advice after you've made your purchase. You can usually tell whether the puppies are healthy and happy. If they are clean, plump, and lively they are probaley in good health. Remember that the mother, having just raised a demanding family, may not be looking her best, but if she is sturdy, friendly and well mannered her puppies should be too. In choosing a puppy, assuming it comes from healthy, well-bred parents, look for the one that is friendly and outgoing.  Make sure that you know the pups feeding routine. Place him in a sturdy comfortable carrier  for the journey home.

Here are some guidelines on what to do and ask for when buying a puppy.

1. Always see the mother when viewing the pups and ask to see the father also, or arrange to view the father afterwards if it is not housed at the same address.

2. If your worried about the price of a pup and question whether you can afford to purchase one. DON'T BUY ONE as dogs are expensive and if you can't afford to buy one, then you definately can't afford to look after one.

3. Don't take any money with you, as you'll be more inclined to buy one. Look at them and then say you need to go to a bank and also have a discussion. Then this gives you time away to think about it properly.

4. Get a recieipt stating whether its IKC or KC registered with the parents registration numbers on and you should also be given a pedigree of the puppy. Make sure on the receipt is the breeders name, address and signature.

5. Always ask for guidelines on feeding requirements, vacinations, when the pup had been wormed and flea'd last and any other questions you may have before leaving with your pup.

This is only a small proportion about choosing a pup but if you have any questions please e-mail here

First Night

The excitement of bringing a new puppy into the household is sometimes dampened by the morning after when the family have suffered disturbed sleep.

Puppies usually have had the company of brothers and sisters to snuggle up to for company and warmth. The first day in the new home the puppy is cuddled, played with, and made the centre of attention. Life is wonderful. At some point during the evening the family will put the pup to bed, and the house becomes quiet. The puppy feels alone and there is no warm body of a brother or sister next to it. It is a natural reaction for the puppy to cry. Hearts must be hardened for pups first night home. The decision must be made as to where the pup is going to sleep and the area made ready for it, possibly a dog crate . The area must not be too large, remember that the pup is used to having other bodies close to it. The area must be warm and cosy and bedding must be provided. A radio may be left playing out of the pup's reach to provide some comforting noises during the silence of the household. An old soft toy serves as a soft body to snuggle but remember to remove any parts such as plastic eyes and nose which the pup may chew.  The crying will commence softly at first but may build up to a crescendo as the pup calls louder. With a bit of luck it may cease after a short time but some pups will continue for the first night. Remember that if at anytime you go to the pup you have rewarded the behaviour and you will have to start all over again. Naturally you must be sure that the puppy is not crying because it is stuck or hurt but you will recognise the difference in the crying.

Place your puppy's bed in a quiet, undisturbed corner. During this early stage of development puppies sleep a lot as they are growing at a steady rate, so it is important to establish a special place that is warm and inviting. It is a good idea to prepare the bed within a crate or accessible pen. Leave the door open and let your puppy get comfortable with the space and routine of going in and out. Eventually this will become your puppy's private home where they will always feel happy and secure. And, when it becomes necessary to close and latch the door, the anxiety of confinement should be bypassed. It is not advised to give a young puppy the run of the house, and areas of danger, such as stairs, should be safely gated. While exploration is good, a limited and controlled environment reduces the risk of accidents. What may seem harmless to us, such as a short fall from a settee, or a small children's toy can be a damaged bone or choking utensil for a puppy. Confining the play space also reduces toilet training mistakes, and enables you to better establish what is a chew toy and what is not.

Lastly, love and praise your puppy over and again! Praise them every time they make a desired choice, and be very consistent with showing them what a desired choice is. If the choice is to potty outdoors, praise them every time and the exact moment it happens. Praise them for playing with a chew toy, sleeping on their bed, eating their dinner... If they choose to chew on you, or your shoe, immediately replace the inappropriate chew toy with an appropriate one and praise your puppy the instant the replacement is accepted. Avoid harsh punishments, too often this is not teaching your puppy not to do something, rather not to do it around you.

Take the time, be consistent and make these first few bonding months fun and rewarding! And, When your puppy reaches 6 months, start formal obedience training!

Toilet training

Dogs are creatures of habit; most puppies will be very easy to house train if you go about it the right way. After eating and after sleeping put your dog out in garden as they will need the toilet. Put them in the same area in which they urinated previously, they usually smell it and urinate straight away. This will give the dog a sense of routine. Just leave them out there until they have gone to the toilet then bring them in and praise them afterwards.  They will quickly learn this is a good thing to do and do it quicker so that they get some attention from you. This takes time and patience, a dog will never soil where they sleep so at night a cage is the best idea as it is a small area and they will learn quickly.

If you're going to leave the dog alone in the house for any periods of time do not leave him/her with the run of the house. Leave them in a single room (perhaps kitchen) or large cage in the kitchen. A cage is the best idea as the dog feels like this is their home. Nobody else can go there and they will settle down & go to sleep instead of being disruptive & naughty with the run of the house. Make sure they've always got fresh water available in the cage.  You can get very big cages from any pet shop.

At a young age do not let them pull on the lead, as when they get bigger it will be hard to stop them and they will think its ok. Stafford's like to pull unless you stop this bad habit at an early age. Also try to stop them jumping up at people as again when they get bigger they might knock someone over.  They won't do it intentionally they will just be glad to see you. Stafford's are known for their exuberance. Unfortunately this can easily frighten people, especially a small child. To stop dogs from jumping up or biting, the best way I have found is to IGNOR, NO EYE CONTACT AND TURN AWAY. Take away the reward which is your attention. Then when he is calm and behaving well then you can give him some attention and praise. However remember that pups greet their mothers by licking the mouth, its a ritual where she would then give him some food when he did this. As the pup sees you as mother, isn't it logical that he will try to lick you and you're higher so he has to jump up.The trick is to teach him a different way of saying hello. As the pup approaches show a treat and bring your hand down to the ground and then give him the treat and praise with a command such as 'hello' or 'good boy'. Then slowly take the treat away and just give the command but still with your hand to the ground and make a fuss low down. As far as visitors are concerned, as a young pup you've got to set the ground rules early and when someone comes into the house ask them to ignor the puppy until he has calmed down and is behaving himself, by not jumping up, biting or licking. Or if they cannot do that, lock him away in a cage, or kitchen or somewhere he can see you and the visitor but not getting any attention. Then when he's calm then you can let him in to say hello.

When you let your dog off the lead for the first time keep some treats with you and let your dog walk away from you a bit then call him back. When he comes back give them a treat.  Keep doing this over & over again so they know it's a good thing coming back to you. Do this exercise for about 3 months but slowly let them go further away from you then call them back and do it less often. When you are walking your dog and you see another dog put your dog on the lead.  Your dog may be fine with other dogs but if the other dog growls at your dog or at you this is when fights happen. Stafford's can do a lot of damage to other dogs and its hard to stop. Be a responsible Stafford owner & don't give the breed a bad name in society.

Training sections- Treadmill, A-Frame , Spring pole, Boomer Ball,  Flirt pole & Hydrotherapy