Frequently
asked
questions

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not on any list of dangerous breeds in Italy: the list of at-risk breeds was abolished in 2009 by the Ministry of Health, which moved responsibility from the breed to the owner. It is a powerful dog for its size (35.5-40.5 cm at the withers and 12.7-17 kg in males) and that is worth keeping in mind, but dangerousness is not a breed trait: it depends on how temperament is selected, on socialisation in the first weeks, and on how the dog is handled for the rest of its life. The trait genuinely worth knowing about is different: being a terrier, it can show reactivity towards other dogs, most often of the same sex in adulthood. Towards people the breed standard describes a reliable dog, and there the choice of breeding stock matters more than anything else.

First, something that applies to every breed: no dog should be left alone with a small child. The nickname "nanny dog" describes the Staffy's tolerance, not an ability to supervise: an adult present is not optional. That said, this is a dog built to live in a family, and how it grows up in the first weeks matters enormously: Del Piccolo Diavolo puppies are among people of all ages from the start. What makes the difference is the selection of the parents, those first weeks, and the rules the family sets at home: a place where the dog is never disturbed, short interactions, and an adult always in the room.

There is no price list: what you pay reflects costs that exist before the puppies are even born. Genetic tests on both parents for L2-HGA and HC are paid once per dog and last their whole breeding career. Registering the litter with the ENCI stud book has published fees, the same for everyone. Add veterinary visits during pregnancy, the ultrasound at around day 25, the X-ray before whelping, first vaccinations, worming and the microchip. A very low price almost always means something is missing: the tests, the pedigree, or puppies separated from their mother before the 60 days required by Italian law. Every puppy leaves with vaccinations, microchip, worming, the parents' test certificates and the Del Piccolo Diavolo kennel's support for the dog's whole life. What makes up the price of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy, item by item, is explained in its own guide.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier has three main inherited diseases for which a DNA test exists: L2-HGA, L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria, a neurological disease; HC, juvenile hereditary cataract (HSF4 gene); and degenerative myelopathy (SOD1 gene), a spinal cord disease that appears after eight years of age. All three are checked with a DNA test on a saliva swab or blood. All are recessive: two clear parents cannot produce affected puppies, which is why testing the breeding dogs counts for more than any written guarantee. All Del Piccolo Diavolo breeding dogs are tested for L2-HGA and HC, or clear by parentage with their parents' reports. Our dogs are also clear of degenerative myelopathy. The laboratory reports are published on the site with the microchip number of the dog they refer to: anyone can download and check them without having to ask. Every puppy leaves with the certificates of its parents' tests.

Staffy puppies are placed after 60 days of age: that is the minimum Italian law allows, and here they usually stay until 70. For families living in another European country the timing is different: the puppy leaves at around four months, because the rabies vaccination, the pet passport and the TRACES certificate are all needed (how a placement abroad works). The weeks with the mother and littermates count: that is where the puppy learns the basics of dog communication and how to control its bite. Separating it earlier is against the law, and it does the puppy harm.

It depends on the individual, and it needs saying plainly: this is a terrier, and the breed carries a degree of reactivity towards other dogs that socialisation reduces but does not erase, most often between dogs of the same sex, in adulthood. Early socialisation is still the best foundation. Del Piccolo Diavolo puppies grow up in contact with other balanced adult dogs, learning proper communication. With early and continuous socialization, the Staffy is sociable and playful. Many of our Staffies live happily with other dogs.

They are two distinct breeds recognised by the FCI, with separate standards and stud books. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is the smaller of the two: 35.5-40.5 cm at the withers and 12.7-17 kg in males, with a short broad head and a compact build. The American Staffordshire Terrier is larger and leaner: 45.7-48.2 cm and 25-32 kg, with a longer muzzle. The difference is not only size: these are two selections separated by more than a century, one English and one American, with lines that do not cross. The Pit Bull, often confused with both, is not a recognised breed in Italy and no ENCI pedigree certifies one. If you are torn between the first two, Staffy or Amstaff, the breeder's test asks the seven questions that decide it.

Twelve to fourteen years, which is a good life expectancy for a medium-sized dog and among the best in the molosser group. The breed is robust, without the respiratory problems of brachycephalic breeds and without the joint conditions typical of large breeds. The three hereditary diseases with a DNA test (L2-HGA, hereditary cataract and degenerative myelopathy) are all recessive and are prevented by testing the parents: two clear dogs cannot produce affected puppies. After genetics, the single factor that most affects lifespan is weight: an overweight Staffy ages earlier, with joints that wear out and less tolerance to heat. Twelve years is also the commitment you take on when you choose a puppy.

By what can be verified without having to trust anyone. Genetic test reports only count if they carry the dog's microchip number: without it the document cannot be linked to any particular animal. Pedigrees can be checked on SBTPedigree, the breed's international archive. The number of litters a bitch has had can be looked up in the ENCI stud book, again starting from the microchip. Show results appear in the public catalogues of the events, with the judge's name. A breeder who receives by appointment and shows you the mother and the place where the puppies grow up is another good sign, as is respecting the 60-day minimum before rehoming, which is a legal requirement in Italy.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a muscular and greedy dog, and that combination leads easily to excess weight. A sound diet means good-quality kibble with protein around 26-30 per cent, or a home-cooked or raw diet balanced by a veterinary nutritionist: what matters is not the formula but consistency and quantity, which you can work out with the kibble calculator. Ideal weight is 14-16 kg for males and 11-14 kg for females, and it is checked with your hands before the scales: ribs should be easy to feel without pressing. Puppies eat three times a day until six months, then twice. Treats between meals are the most common cause of overweight in this breed, far more than the brand of food.

Yes, and it is the right way to get to know us. Del Piccolo Diavolo is in Ostellato, in the province of Ferrara, and receives by appointment only, so that we can give you all the time you need without stressing the dogs. During the visit you see the adult dogs and the mother of the litter, the place where the puppies are born and grow up, and you can check pedigrees and test reports in person. It is also the moment when we ask you a few questions: how many hours the dog will be alone, who is at home, what happens in summer. It is not an interrogation, it is how we work out whether that puppy and that family fit. Anyone taking one of our puppies comes here: we do not ship dogs.

It needs regular exercise, not extreme exercise. For an adult there is no fixed number of minutes: it depends on the dog. It needs outings every day, with at least one that allows sniffing and free movement rather than a march on a tight lead, and without excessive effort, especially when young. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is explosive rather than built for endurance: it performs on short intense efforts, not hours of running. The part most people underestimate is mental work: half an hour of scent games tires a dog as much as an hour of running, without loading the joints. For puppies the usual rule is five minutes per month of age per walk, because growth plates close between twelve and eighteen months. How the same needs fit the routine of an older owner is in Staffies for elderly owners.

It sheds little, but it does shed. The coat is short, smooth and has no undercoat, so there are none of the heavy moults of double-coated breeds and no professional grooming is needed at all. The hairs that come out are short and stiff and tend to work their way into fabric: one weekly brush with a rubber mitt collects them before they reach the sofa. Baths are rarely needed, every two or three months or when the dog is genuinely dirty, because washing too often dries the skin. The flip side of the short coat is temperature sensitivity: a coat for long winter walks, shade and water in summer.

It is an intelligent dog, strongly oriented towards people, which makes training easier than in many breeds, but it also carries a typically terrier streak of stubbornness. It responds very well to positive reinforcement and very badly to coercive methods, which at best shut it down and at worst create problems that were not there before. Basic commands come quickly. The two things worth working on from day one are the recall, because a terrier that sets off after something stops hearing you, and impulse control, because this is a dog that gets excited easily. Consistency beats duration: five minutes every day beat an hour on Sunday.

Yes, and often it does better there than in a garden. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is deeply attached to its family: left outside on its own it gets bored and low, while in a flat it is where the people are, which is all it really wants. What matters is not square metres but walks: two a day, with a chance to sniff and stretch. It also helps that this breed barks little, which in a block of flats removes the most common source of complaints. A garden is convenient for quick toilet breaks but does not replace the walk, and a dog that only goes out into the garden loses its habituation to people and noise.

The breed standard describes a dog that is bold, tenacious and reliable with people, and what strikes owners most is the attachment: this is a dog that wants to be wherever you are. It stays playful into adulthood, is often comical, and with children it is tolerant, always with an adult supervising, as with any breed. The other side of that attachment is that it copes with loneliness less well than many dogs. Towards other dogs it must be said plainly that it is a terrier: reactivity can appear, most often between dogs of the same sex in adulthood, and early socialisation reduces it but does not erase it.

No, it is one of the quieter breeds in its group, which matters a great deal in a block of flats. It is not a watchdog and does not bark out of habit: it signals something new at the door and then stops. When a Staffy does bark a lot, the problem is usually not the breed but the situation: boredom, too little exercise, or long periods alone. In that last case barking can be a symptom of separation anxiety, which is a recognised disorder and not misbehaviour, and is treated with a gradual programme and professional help. Telling off a dog that barks from anxiety makes the anxiety worse.

Yes, but it has to be taught gradually and not for long stretches. This breed is very attached to people, so it tolerates solitude worse than many dogs: four or five hours is a reasonable limit for a settled adult, while a puppy will not manage more than a couple. The habit is built from the first day with very short absences, extended little by little, and with no drama either on leaving or on returning. The warning sign is not mess but panic: continuous vocalising, drooling, attempts to get through the door. That is separation anxiety, and it is worth involving a professional rather than waiting for it to pass.

Yes, to both, and for the same reason: the coat is short with no undercoat, so it does not insulate. In winter, below about five degrees, a coat is worth having for long walks, especially for puppies and older dogs. Summer is the more serious issue, because the shortened muzzle makes panting (the dog's only real cooling system) less efficient than in a long-muzzled breed. Above 25 degrees walk in the cool hours, reduce intensity and carry water. Never leave the dog in a car, not even briefly and not even with windows ajar: heatstroke is a veterinary emergency.

The routine costs are food, veterinary check-ups with boosters, monthly parasite treatment and equipment. Food is the biggest item, and no single figure can be given: between the many kibbles on the market, raw feeding (BARF) and home cooking, costs vary enormously. Grooming is not needed at all, since the short coat requires nothing beyond a weekly brush. In other breeds that is a substantial line. Two things come on top. Third-party liability insurance, a few tens of euros, which is worth having in any case. And unexpected costs: an investigation, an operation, a long course of treatment. Nobody can predict them, but over twelve to fourteen years they arrive, and it is honest to budget for them before taking a puppy rather than after.