Our Methods
Show breeders typically have different prices for first choice male/female, second choice, third choice etc… which means that at 8 weeks old the person who paid for the privilege of having first choice evaluates them in the moment and takes their pup. We see this as a cold and heartless process.
At Hillsborough Staffies you choose your puppy (by video or in person) as early as you feel an affinity towards one particular pup. It’s not uncommon for us to make multiple videos of each puppy for buyers to make up their minds. Most people find it easiest to fall in love with a puppy when they’re about 3-4 weeks old and the videos start to show personality differences. After the deposit is paid, we send almost daily video updates up to week 8 so that the buyer’s entire family can watch their pup grow and have a collection of early photos and videos to enjoy later on.
Your pup’s personality will be made from a combination of 3 things:
Genetics (temperament of the parents)
How we treat them in their critical first 8 weeks of life
How you love, train and socialise them
1 - Genetics:
Bloodlines? Show dogs? Champions from Eastern Europe? These are not our priorities here. At Hillsborough Staffies our girls are family pets. As we grow the setup, we’ll be forced to build something tailor made in the garden (four staffies in the house is crazy enough!) but it will be so cozy and luxurious that the Staffs will love sleeping in them, and they’ll all be on rotation for sleeping in our homes anyway.
I’m a great believer in epigenetics, which essentially in this context is our ability to change the personality traits that are passed on to the puppies through the treatment of the parents. This shapes a lot of what we do at Hillsborough Staffies. In particular, stress levels during pregnancy, good socialisation and good nutrition for the mums all play important roles in shaping the personalities of the puppies. This is of course logical, as in an evolutionary context, the offspring who do best are the ones that have been tailor made for the environment that they are born into.
2 - Their first 8 weeks:
Just like with babies and toddlers, puppies have developmental stages - windows of time that are optimal for learning skills and building confidence. When you collect your puppy it will be over to you (with our support of course) but before that, we do our best to produce the most confident, friendly and Well balanced puppies possible:
This might be silly to some but during the pregnancy I talk and hum to the puppies. If human foetuses can hear their dads in utero, then so can puppies. We also give plenty of belly massages to the mum, especially after meals, as good circulation is relaxing and hopefully encourages better digestion and distribution of nutrition to the pups. It also might associate human voices with “being fed”. This is not based on scientific research but it’s worth a try, right?
During the birthing we are very hands on and vocal, and the mamas appreciate the help and trust us 100%. So far with these techniques we have never once lost a puppy.
The puppies stay in a whelping box in the house with their mum until she stops cleaning up after them and/or they start walking. I also train the mamas to tolerate our other Staffies coming close. This typically takes 24 to 36 hours. It ensures that the mum is more relaxed, reduces the chances that I forget to close a door and a fight breaks out but also gives the other bitches an opportunity to be a part of the process which they adore. Occasionally one of the others will stand out as an amazing aunt, cleaning up after the pups even more than the mum.
They then get set up in a shed (which itself is indoors) with a dog door on the side. This gives them the opportunity to go to the toilet “outside” during the night to do their business. Something that is particularly appreciated by buyers.
As they get more confident and boisterous, they are given teddies, balls and rope toys
We whistle loudly right before feeding them, so as to associate whistling with food/treats. Again, a real advantage for buyers when training for recall.
During feeding we stroke them. Staffies are typically not prone to “resource guarding” but just to eliminate that possibility we want to ensure they are relaxed while feeding. Occasionally we’ll take away their food just to return it to them seconds later with positive verbal affirmations.
NEW I realised recently that I can also train them to walk up and down stairs so I’m having my woodworking friend make me some miniature wooden staircases.
Throughout the entire 8 weeks the pups are picked up and handled by as many people and kids as possible (as long as their own dogs are fully vaccinated of course)
The puppies are (weather permitting) brought out to the puppy pen in the garden and occasionally to the field we have where they learn to start adventurising as their mum and the other adults run rings around them chasing their balls and rope toys. They quickly learn to love the outdoors.
Even before their trip to the vet for their first vax and microchip at week 7, I take them on car journeys to get them used to the movement of vehicles. Nothing worse than having a Staffy who wants to be with you every minute of the day but who hates the car!
Towards the end of their time in the indoor shed I place their bedding in dog crates with the doors open so that buyers don’t struggle with the essential process of crate training.
I can’t say I’ve gone out of my way to make extremely loud noises around them but I certainly don’t shy away from using power tools, hoovers etc... when close to them. If I notice any of them get particularly scared I reassure them, make the noise again and distract them with food or play.
3 - After 8 weeks…Over to you
I love to stay in touch with my buyers as much as possible after they take their pup home. Not only as support but also because I LOVE getting pupdates and seeing how happy the pups are in their new homes. When people ask me is it hard to say goodbye to the pups after spending so much time with them - my answer of “I’ve vetted them so I know they’re going to great homes” is confirmed when I get lovely updates and I see the pups playing with children and loving life.
