not all health tests are performed by regular vets.
friends might want one now but in 4 months time it may be different.
have you got homes for 8 or more pups?
vets don`t have a clue about breeding most of the time,just there to take the money for cessarians.
please rethink your decisions

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My name is Niccie and i work in rescue
National Animal Welfare Trust

Fudge,my American Cocker Spaniel

All i can say to this topic is NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO Please don't As others have said there are far tooooooo many dogs being put to sleep because they can not be rehomed.

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Grandma to Jinja Dog, Mum to Tilly the Cavalier, Tattycat, Moomy, Choo, Sonic, Niven Mc Twisp and Lawna the rabbits and 1 guinea,17 budgies, 4 Cockatiels, 8 Goldfish.

Why not help the rescue situation, and put your friends who want Staffys in contact with some staffy rescue places?

Safer for your dog, cheaper for you and helps some homeless dogs!

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read this maybe it will help change your mind
innocent dogs put to sleep

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My name is Niccie and i work in rescue
National Animal Welfare Trust

Fudge,my American Cocker Spaniel

I dont know why anyone bothers replying to these post anymore. People will do what they want anyway and no matter what good, sound advice for the welfare of the dog is given, the owners dont care.

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Dogs: Riley, Maya, Delilah, DeeDee, Susie & Evie the Chi
Cats: Dylan (who is a GIRL! ), Oliver and Molly
Parrots: Summer, CJ, Ziva, James and Sweet Pea
Horses: Charlie and Una
Reptiles: Stanley the Iguana

Your vet won't have been able to give an eye test - this can only be done by a specialist vet. Neither will your vet be able to test for L-2-HGA - so she hasn't had health tests done.

Then tell them to go to rescue there are thousands of staffies and staffy x being pts because on one wants them.

Having a litter is exhausting (on you as well as your poor bitch) is expensive and can run into £1000's.

You haven't the first clue on when to mate her and she is already in season. Believe me when I say your are not ready to have a litter.

What are you using for a stud dog? Is it a mate's dog?

What I would do is contact your dogs breeder and ask him/her if you can be involved in their next litter. You will then get first hand experience of the entire pre pregnancy low down and the post pregnancy time with pups. Tell her your interested in breeding but would like to take your first journey with someone who knows the ins and outs. Now if your breeder isn't available then look around for a reputable breeder who does all the required health tests etc eg. Hips, Eyes whatever else is required within your breed. Usually if you are up front a reputable breeder will want you to do things right and will mentor you. Dogs unlike most humans don't long to become parents. This is a good way for you to get the experience and knowledge it takes to care for a pregnant dam and raise a healthy litter of pups....Jill

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(Justice was not served for Lyle)(Value of a Human life by the Canadian Justice system 835 days)

I am not particularly knowledgeable on Staffies other than to say

a) they are sadly not a breed in demand and far too many end up in rescue

b) Waiting lists - they are brilliant - UNTIL - the puppies arrive - I am KC Accredited Breeder - I do over and above the scheme requirements for my breed - my dogs have super temperaments and I show them regularly and travel the country for my choice of stud dogs.

I had people waiting over a year and turned over 30 people away - yet, for all sorts of reasons (family changes, recession, job losses, not being able to finalise the house for a disabled child in time, realise the 12 to 15 years commitment required to keep a dog) - at 4 weeks old, out of a litter of 6, I had 2 committed, my own and one sold - and that is for the most popular breed in the UK (if not the world).

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You say your vet has done a health check - does this include the minimum recommended requirements of

1) Eye testing
2) DNA test - HC-HSF4
3) DNA test L2-HGA

I see there is also a Breed Average for Hips for Staffies, so it would be sensible to look into this as well

BVA - Hip Scheme

NONE of the above are things that your vet can just pass off as acceptable - as the eye tests must be done by specialists,

http://www.bordercollieclub.com/pdf/...-examiners.pdf

DNA tests have to be sent off, and hipscore plates must be sent to the BVA.

A vet check might be good practice in terms of ensuring your bitch is in good health, they tell you NOTHING of the problems / difficulties the offspring may have as a result of you not testing, and don't cover whether your bitch is suitable genetically (i.e. hereditary problems) to breed from, and if there is a requirement for you to find a suitably matched stud dog which include consideration in particular of any DNA results.

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What you need to know before buying a Labrador puppy

Great advice, Jill, but I'm guessing as you are on the other side of the pond you probably aren't aware of the problem staffies are. If Sharky1's staffy had come from a decent breeder they would have endorsements on and they would not be able to breed until they had contacted the breeder. Unfortunately, byb and poorly bred staffies are 10 a penny and the overbreeding of them (not the good quality ones) is causing a huge problem in rescue. So much so that it was the subject of a documentary on prime time tv only a few weeks ago. It really is a heartbreaking state of affairs what has happened to this breed.

I have just had pups which were a mistake. I have never had pups before, and it is 1 of the hardest things I have ever done and I am very lucky because my bitch is a fab Mum. I am lucky because both my husband and I work from home, they are now 9 days old and last night was the first night I slept in my bed for the whole night!
I know lots of people say they will have 1, but I would consider it very carefully. It is not only hard work, but there is a awful lot of staffys who need homes.