English Staffordshire Puppy Care: A Step-by-Step Guide to the First Months

English Staffordshire puppy care begins the day your English Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) puppy comes through the door, and the decisions you make in the first months directly shape the adult dog: what it eats, which vaccines it gets and when, where it learns to go to the toilet, and how it copes with being left alone. In this guide we go through the first months of a Staffy puppy’s life in order.

We have covered the breed’s general traits and health risks in our English Staffordshire Bull Terrier guide; here we focus only on caring for an English Staff puppy (in Turkey the breed is widely known as the “English Staff”). If you have not got your puppy yet, start with our English Staffordshire Bull Terrier adoption guide. The vaccine and parasite information here is a general framework; your dog’s schedule is set by your vet.

The First Days at Home

The aim of the first days is not to teach the puppy everything but to help it feel safe in its new surroundings. Crying during the first nights is common. However, if there is diarrhoea, vomiting or lethargy, do not dismiss it as “stress”; dehydration can progress quickly in puppies.

• Same food: Carry on with the food the seller gave you. If you want to change it, spread the switch over a few days; a sudden change can cause diarrhoea.
• A quiet corner: Set up a bed away from noise and, if you like, a crate with the door open or a puppy pen.
• Prepare your home: Get cables, cleaning products, medicines and small items that could be swallowed off the floor; block access to stairs and high sofas.
• Limit visitors: Rather than constantly picking the puppy up, crouch down to its level.
• An independent vet check: In the first days, take the puppy to a vet with no connection to the seller; bring the vaccination card or passport and any medicines you were given.

Feeding: Fewer Meals as the Puppy Grows

The basic rule of feeding a Staffy puppy is to use a puppy food and treat the amount on the label only as a starting point. The real measure is the puppy’s body condition. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recommends weighing the puppy once a week and keeping a record.

Age	Meals per day
6-12 weeks	4 meals
3-6 months	Drop from 4 meals to 3 during this period
6-12 months	2 meals
Switch to adult food	7-9 months for small breeds, 12-14 months for larger breeds

The AKC treats dogs that weigh less than 9 kg (20 pounds) when fully grown as small breeds. With an adult weight of 11-17 kg, the English Staffy sits above that line; do not rush the switch to adult food, and set the timing with your vet.

Deduct training treats from the daily food allowance. The Staffy is a hungry breed, and extra weight gained as a puppy puts strain on growing joints. You should be able to feel the ribs easily by hand, but they should not be clearly visible. Fresh water should always be available. Chocolate, grapes and raisins, onion, garlic and sugar-free products containing xylitol are toxic to dogs.

Vaccination and Parasite Schedule: The General Framework

Your vet sets the schedule based on the disease situation in your area, the vaccine’s product information and the puppy’s history. The points below are there so you know what to ask your vet.

Core Vaccines

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (WSAVA) 2024 vaccination guidelines define the core vaccines every dog should receive as those protecting against distemper, adenovirus (infectious hepatitis) and parvovirus. In areas where leptospirosis is common, the leptospirosis vaccine also counts as core; other vaccines are recommended according to lifestyle.

Because antibodies passed on from the mother can reduce a vaccine’s effect, core vaccines are given as several doses 2-4 weeks apart, with the final dose given at 16 weeks of age or older. As protection may still not have developed in a small number of puppies, WSAVA recommends a repeat dose at or after 26 weeks.

Rabies Vaccine

Rabies vaccination is compulsory in Turkey. Under the Regulation on the Prevention and Control of Rabies (Kuduz Hastalığından Korunma ve Kuduz Hastalığı ile Mücadele Yönetmeliği), dogs older than three months must be vaccinated once a year; after the first dose, a booster is given 21 days later unless the manufacturer states otherwise. Under the identification regulation, the rabies vaccine is given from 12 weeks of age at the earliest and is recorded in the passport.

Internal and External Parasites

Because roundworms can pass from mother to puppy, worming starts very early. ESCCAP, which produces parasite guidelines in Europe, recommends the first treatment at 2 weeks of age, then repeat treatments every two weeks until 2 weeks after weaning, and, if the risk continues, monthly treatment up to 6 months of age. Some of these worms can be passed to people, especially children. Some flea and tick products have age and weight limits, so leave the choice to your vet.

Topic	General framework	Basis
Core vaccines	Several doses 2-4 weeks apart, final dose at 16 weeks or older	WSAVA 2024
Repeat dose	At or after 26 weeks	WSAVA 2024
Rabies	From 12 weeks at the earliest; compulsory once a year for dogs older than three months	Turkish regulations
Internal parasites	Every two weeks from 2 weeks of age; monthly up to 6 months depending on risk	ESCCAP
External parasites	According to the product’s age and weight limits	Your vet

Microchip, Passport and Registration Requirements in Turkey

Law No. 5199 on Animal Protection requires dog owners to have their animals registered using digital identification methods (Art. 4/1-k). The details are set out in the Regulation on the Identification and Registration of Cats, Dogs and Ferrets (Kedi, Köpek ve Gelinciklerin Kimliklendirilmesi ve Kayıt Altına Alınmasına Dair Yönetmelik):

• Deadline: The owner of a newborn animal must apply to the provincial or district directorate of agriculture and forestry, or to an authorised body, within six months of birth at the latest (Art. 9/3).
• Microchip and passport: The microchip is implanted by a vet, or by a veterinary health technician under a vet’s supervision. A passport is issued, and the record is entered within 15 days into the database known as PETVET (Art. 9).
• Vaccination records: Changes to information such as vaccinations must also be recorded within 15 days of being reported at the latest (Art. 9/5).
• Change of owner: If your puppy arrived already microchipped, it may still be registered in the seller’s name. The new owner must apply within 60 days with a change of ownership document (Art. 12/1).
• Loss and death: A lost animal must be reported within 7 days and a death within 30 days (Art. 12/3).

Owners who fail to register face the administrative fine set out in the Animal Protection Law (Art. 20 of the regulation). These records also help you prove that your dog is an English Staffy; we explain the breed’s legal status in our article Is the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier a banned breed in Turkey? At the first check-up, have the chip scanned and check that the number matches the one in the passport.

Toilet Training

Toilet training is a matter of routine. The Kennel Club advises taking the puppy to its toilet spot as soon as it wakes up, after meals and after play, and every hour or two in between. Puppies usually urinate within 15 minutes of eating and pass faeces within half an hour.

• Respond the moment it goes in the right place, with a calm word and a small reward.
• Do not punish accidents; punishment can make the puppy afraid of toileting in front of you, even outside.
• Do not use ammonia-based cleaning products; they smell like urine and can draw the puppy back to the same spot.
• Do not expect a very young puppy to hold on until morning; you may need to take it out during the night too.

How long training takes depends on the puppy, how it spent its first weeks and how consistent your routine is. We often hear from owners that it is harder with puppies raised for long periods in cages or crowded conditions.

Sleep and Getting Used to Being Alone

According to the Kennel Club, puppies aged 4-12 weeks sleep 15-20 hours a day, puppies aged 3-6 months 14-16 hours, and those over 6 months around 12-14 hours. Do not interrupt their sleep, and keep play and training sessions short. Introduce the crate or puppy pen as a safe place to rest, not as a place of punishment.

The English Staffy is very attached to people and does not like being left alone. Start getting the puppy used to it in the first weeks, while you are at home: when the puppy is resting, go into another room for a few minutes and gradually extend the time. Do not rush back when it cries, and do not give it an excited welcome when you return. If you are out all day, arrange for someone to let the puppy out during the day.

Age-Appropriate Exercise and the Joints

The “five minutes of walking per month of age, twice a day” rule that often appears online can be a handy reminder, but it is not a measure established by scientific studies. Adjust exercise by looking at the type of activity and the signals your puppy gives, not by counting minutes.

In a Norwegian study that followed 501 dogs from four large breeds, puppies that used stairs from birth to 3 months of age had a higher risk of hip dysplasia, while those exercising off the lead outdoors in the same period had a lower risk. The study did not include the English Staff; even so, it is in line with the Kennel Club’s advice to keep puppies away from stairs and from jumping down from heights.

• Short, frequent play is better than long, monotonous walks. If the puppy stops and lies down, do not push it.
• Limit stairs and jumping off sofas and out of the car; lift the puppy in and out of the car.
• Running at pace, running alongside a bicycle and games that involve repeated jumping on hard ground should wait until the growth period is over.
• In summer, move walks to the cooler hours; its muscular build and relatively short muzzle can make it tire quickly in the heat.
• Do not wait for a limp to go away on its own; elbow dysplasia screening is also recommended for breeding dogs of this breed.

Teething and Chewing

A puppy has 28 milk teeth. According to the AKC, they start to fall out at 3-4 months and should all be gone by about 6 months; an adult dog has 42 teeth. If you see a milk tooth still in the mouth after the adult tooth has come through, show it to your vet; sometimes it needs to be removed.

During this period, aim to redirect chewing rather than stop it: give suitable toys, put shoes and cables away, and do not let the puppy use your hands as toys. You will find more detail in our article on how to stop your English Staff puppy chewing things. Now is also the time to get the puppy used to tooth brushing with a toothpaste made for dogs; do not use human toothpaste.

Coat, Skin and Nail Care

The English Staff’s short coat needs little grooming, but its skin is sensitive. Brushing once or twice a week with a rubber brush reduces dead hair and lets you see the skin. Bath the puppy when it is dirty, using a mild shampoo suitable for dogs, and dry it thoroughly; frequent bathing can dry out the skin. While brushing, look out for the following:

• Patchy hair loss: In a UK study by the Royal Veterinary College, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was one of seven breeds with a higher risk than crossbreeds of demodicosis (a skin disease caused by the Demodex mite) starting before 2 years of age. If you see hairless patches on the face, around the eyes or on the legs, show them to your vet rather than applying any treatment yourself.
• Itching and redness: Paw licking, ear scratching and redness on the belly can be the first signs of allergy; see our article English Staffordshire Bull Terrier and allergies for details.
• Thinning coat in blue puppies: Signs of colour dilution alopecia (CDA) can appear months or even years later; talk to your vet about any thinning on the back.

If the nails click on the floor as the puppy walks, they are too long. From the first weeks, pair handling the paws with rewards; if you are worried about cutting the quick, learn how at the vet’s for the first few trims. Check the ears once a week; a bad smell or discharge is a reason to see the vet.

The Socialisation Window

The period in which a puppy most easily accepts new people, sounds and environments is the first three months. For this reason, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) argues that socialisation should begin before vaccinations are complete: a puppy can join puppy classes from 7-8 weeks of age, at least 7 days after its first vaccination and after its first worming treatment. Ask your vet which environments are safe.

Because the English Staffy can be selective with other dogs, controlled introductions to calm, vaccinated adult dogs are especially valuable at this stage. For a step-by-step programme, see our article on ways to socialise a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy.

Deciding on Neutering

Whether to neuter, and when, is a decision to make with your vet based on your dog’s sex, health and living conditions. A US study of 35 breeds showed that the link between age at neutering and certain joint disorders and cancers differs greatly from breed to breed; there is no “right age for every dog”. Until you decide, keep a bitch in season away from other dogs and do not let a male roam unsupervised.

When Should You See a Vet?

Outside routine check-ups, see a vet without delay in the following situations:

• Vomiting or diarrhoea, especially if there is blood or it comes with lethargy. In a puppy whose vaccinations are not complete, serious infections such as parvovirus can start this way.
• Not eating, not drinking, obvious lethargy.
• Difficulty breathing, coughing, nasal or eye discharge.
• Seizures, staggering or an unsteady gait; the breed has an inherited disease affecting the nervous system, L-2-HGA.
• Suspecting that the puppy has swallowed something or got hold of a toxic substance.
• Limping, cloudiness in the eye, spreading hair loss or wounds on the skin.

If your puppy fell ill shortly after arriving home, you need to protect your paperwork as well as get treatment; we explain the steps in our article Bought a sick puppy? What to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Meals a Day Should an English Staffy Puppy Have?

Under the AKC’s general framework, a puppy aged 6-12 weeks has 4 meals a day, a puppy aged 3-6 months has 3, and a puppy aged 6-12 months has 2. Adjust the amount according to the label and body condition.

Can a Staffy Puppy Go Out Before Its Vaccinations Are Finished?

You do not have to wait for the vaccinations to be finished before socialising; AVSAB states that it can begin in safe environments at least 7 days after the first vaccination. Ask your vet which environments are suitable.

Are the Rabies Vaccine and Microchip Compulsory?

Yes. Dogs older than three months must be vaccinated against rabies once a year; the vaccine is given from 12 weeks of age at the earliest. The application for microchipping and registration must be made within six months of birth at the latest.

How Long Does Toilet Training Take?

There is no fixed time. Taking the puppy out often and regularly, rewarding it immediately and never punishing it all shorten the process.

How Much Walking Does a Puppy Need?

There is no research-based limit in minutes. Short, frequent play, free movement on soft ground and plenty of rest are more suitable than long, demanding walks.

An English Staff puppy’s first months lay the foundation for an average lifespan of 12-14 years. Regular meals, a vaccination schedule planned with your vet, registration done on time and patient training will prevent most of the problems you might otherwise face later on.