Finding A Good Breeder

One question we are frequently asked is how to identify a reputable breeder, and just as importantly, how to recognize an unethical one. As part of our commitment to this breed and in support of ethical breeding practices, we are always happy to help guide you towards a good breeder.

It is a common misconception that a breeder who raises puppies in their home must automatically be reputable. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A home environment alone does not guarantee ethical breeding practices. Important considerations include whether the breeder performs appropriate health testing, actively shows or trials their dogs, and breeds dogs at an appropriate age. Let’s explore why these factors matter and what questions we should ask, together!

A Good Breeder Does the Following:

Conformation Championship

Dog shows and Champion titles are important because they provide an independent, objective evaluation beyond the breeder's own opinion, to evaluate whether a dog is a good representative of the breed; it isn't just a beauty pageant!

Correct structure affects a dog’s long-term health and ability to move efficiently. Dogs are evaluated for balance, gait, and physical soundness; traits that are essential whether a dog is a working companion or a family pet. Poor structure can lead to injury, pain, or even reduced quality of life.

Therefore, there is no reason for a breeding dog to not have obtain any points or a CKC Championship. You can ask a breeder to see the parent's dogs formal certificates to prove a CKC Champion.

Health Testing

Health testing dogs to Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) standards is a critical component of responsible breeding, as it helps identify and reduce the risk of hereditary diseases within a breed. OFA testing provides objective, standardized evaluations for conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia, cardiac disease, eye disorders, and other breed-specific health concerns.

By testing breeding dogs and making results publicly available, breeders demonstrate transparency and accountability while making informed decisions that prioritize long-term health, soundness, and quality of life. Adhering to OFA standards not only protects future generations of dogs but also gives puppy buyers confidence that their breeder is committed to ethical practices and the overall improvement of the breed.

There's no reason for a breeder to withhold results prior to paying or obtaining a puppy. A list of health screenings that all Stafford breeders should perform can be found here.

Please note: OFA elbows and Hips cannot be completed until the dog is 2 years of age. Pennhip, an alternative hip screening, can be done no earlier than 4 months old. This goes for any breed.

Knowledge of Pedigrees

All breeder should have a thorough understanding of a dog’s pedigree. A pedigree is more than a family tree, it provides critical insight into inherited health, temperament, structure, and overall breed type. A pedigree allows breeders to identify patterns across generations, including strengths to preserve and weaknesses or genetic conditions to avoid repeating.

This knowledge helps guide responsible breeding decisions, such as selecting compatible pairings, maintaining genetic diversity, and avoiding the concentration of hereditary diseases. Understanding pedigree history also helps predict what a dog is likely to produce, supporting the long-term health, consistency, and preservation of the breed.

Ultimately, understanding a dog’s pedigree supports responsible breeding practices focused on preserving the breed’s integrity, health, and temperament over time. A red flag would be a breeder who only breeds dogs within their own program, not utilizing outside pedigrees, or a breeder who doesn't know their pedigrees inside and out.

Don't Breed for Colour

Breeding animals solely or primarily for colour is widely discouraged by veterinarians, geneticists, and ethical breeders because it prioritizes appearance over health, temperament, and structure. While it's ok to have a preference on coat colour, an excessive focus on colour can lead to serious genetic, physical, and ethical consequences for the animals themselves.

Responsible breeding aims to improve each generation, but colour-focused breeding shifts attention away from overall health, sound structure, and stable temperament. Over time, this increases the prevalence of inherited disorders and reduces overall quality of life for the animals produced. This is commonly seen in blue Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Some coat and pigment genes are directly associated with health risks. For example:

Double merle dogs (dogs have received two copies of the merle gene, one from each parent) have a significantly increased risk of deafness, blindness, and/or malformed eyes.
Extreme white or piebald patterns are linked to hearing loss due to lack of pigment in the inner ear in many breeds.
Dilution genes, like blue, can cause chronic skin conditions, hair loss, and increased sensitivity to infection.

Breeding specifically to achieve these colours raises the likelihood that offspring will suffer from these preventable health conditions.

The demand for “rare,” “exotic,” or trendy colours often fuels unethical breeding operations, including puppy mills and backyard breeders. These breeders may:

misrepresent colour rarity to inflate prices,
skip health testing,
breed animals too frequently,
prioritize profit over welfare.

This commodification of animals reinforces irresponsible ownership and undermines public understanding of what ethical breeding truly entails.

While colour can be a natural variation within a healthy population, it should never be the driving force behind breeding decisions. Ethical breeding prioritizes health, temperament, genetic diversity, and functional soundness, treating colour as a secondary outcome rather than a goal.

In Staffordshire Bull Terriers, you do not want to see blue x blue pairings, or numerous blue dogs in a pedigree. Most pedigrees of Staffords are listed on www.sbtpedigree.com. It is rare to come across an ethically bred blue stafford in a breeding program.

Breeding to the Standard

Breed standards describe a breed's ideal structure, movement, temperament, and overall balance. Breeding to a standard is how different breeds of dogs were created. Judges are trained to evaluate dogs against this standard. Showing helps breeders confirm that their dogs closely match what the breed is intended to be, helping preserve correct type over generations.

When looking at any breeder, it is important to read the breed standard and also look at their dogs. In Staffords, if you see breeding dogs that have floppy ears like a golden retriever, full prick ears like a doberman, or a stafford with face wrinkles like a pug, these are all descriptions of an out of standard Stafford that should not be bred. To read the Staffordshire Bull Terrier standard, click here.

Raising Puppies

Ethical breeders take great care in raising their puppies to ensure they are healthy, well-adjusted, and prepared for life in their new homes. From birth, proper puppy rearing involves:

round-the-clock care in early weeks,
early neurological stimulation,
controlled socialization,
veterinary exams,
careful weaning and development monitoring.

Producing puppies at this level of care is labor-intensive and cannot be scaled without compromising welfare.

They carefully expose puppies to new sights, sounds, people, and gentle handling to build confidence and resilience, while also monitoring each puppy’s temperament to help match them with suitable homes.

They provide ongoing support to puppy buyers, prioritize the well-being of every puppy they produce, and remain committed to those dogs for their lifetime.

Ethical breeders will ensure their puppies are dewormed every two weeks from birth, receive their first set of vaccinations and have an exam from a licensed veterinarian. They will never rehome a puppy prior to 8 weeks of age.

Working and Sport Titles

It is important for ethical breeders to title their dogs in performance sports, such as obedience, because these titles demonstrate that a dog possesses the temperament, intelligence, trainability, and soundness expected of the breed.

Earning titles requires a dog to perform reliably under distraction, handle pressure, and work in partnership with a handler—all indicators of a stable, biddable temperament that is highly desirable to pass on to future generations. Performance titles also provide independent, objective evaluation beyond the breeder’s own opinion, confirming that the dog is functionally capable. By proving their dogs in sports, ethical breeders show a commitment to preserving the breed’s purpose and versatility, not just appearance. Remember what the standard says, Staffords are the foremost all-purpose dog!

Don't Have Puppies Readily Available

Ethical breeders usually don’t have puppies readily available because their goal is to breed responsibly, not to produce a constant supply. Ethical breeders often have long waiting lists because:

They produce fewer puppies,
Their puppies are well-raised and predictable,
Informed buyers actively seek them out.
High demand combined with limited litters
Bitches are not bred until 2 years of age when they are finished growing, ad generally are only bred a few times.

A good breeders focus on the long-term health, welfare, and improvement of their breed rather than convenience or profit. As a result, they rarely have puppies immediately available and often maintain waiting lists. This lack of constant availability is not a flaw in ethical breeding; it is a direct result of responsible practices.

Responsible breeders plan litters carefully. Each breeding is done for a specific purpose, such as improving health, temperament, or structure within the breed. Litters are typically produced only when:

Both parents have passed health testing.
The bitch has recovered well from any past litters.
Both parents have earned titles.
The pairing is expected to improve the breed.
The breeder has the time, resources, and support to raise the litter properly.
Have families on a wait list.

Unlike commercial breeders, ethical breeders do not breed dogs “on demand”. Ethical breeders keep a small number of breeding animals so each one receives proper care, training, and socialization. This naturally limits how many litters can be produced in a year. Many ethical breeders may only breed one litter a year, but it isn't unheard of for them to take multiple years off of breeding. This ensures the physical and emotional wellbeing of the dogs in the breeding program.

A lack of readily available puppies is one of the strongest indicators that a breeder is ethical. It reflects careful planning, respect for the dogs, and a commitment to producing healthy, well-adjusted companions rather than a constant product for sale.

In ethical breeding, waiting is not a disadvantage, it is part of doing things right.