Creating a Safe, Comfortable Environment for Newborn Puppies Keeping newborn puppies warm is essential, but warmer isn’t always better. Successful temperature management means balancing the needs of the puppies with the comfort of their mother while avoiding the dangers of both chilling and overheating. To accompany our article, Warmth Before Read more
Why Temperature Matters More Than We Realize Understanding neonatal temperature, the dangers of chilling, and why keeping puppies warm involves considerably more than turning up the heat. There is something particularly comforting about a litter of newborn puppies sleeping together in a warm whelping box, tucked against their mother, occasionally Read more
Birth Weights, Growth Patterns, and the Early Warning Signs We Shouldn’t Ignore There are few pieces of equipment in a whelping room quite as unremarkable as a digital kitchen scale. It doesn’t have the sophistication of an ultrasound machine or the apparent importance of the emergency supplies we’ve carefully assembled Read more
Early Warning Signs & Emergency Response Newborn puppies can decline with alarming speed, and the earliest signs of trouble are not always obvious. A puppy that seems unusually quiet, nurses less enthusiastically, or fails to gain weight may be telling us something important. Recognizing those subtle changes—and knowing when to Read more
Looking Beyond Fading Puppy Syndrome Recognizing the earliest warning signs, understanding what may be happening, and knowing when a struggling newborn needs more than our best intentions. Most experienced breeders have encountered, or at least heard about, the puppy that simply doesn’t seem to be doing as well as its Read more
The first 24 hours of a puppy’s life are critical, particularly when it comes to colostrum intake, early nutrition, and establishing a healthy start. Careful observation is important, but accurate records can reveal concerns that might otherwise go unnoticed. To accompany our article, The First 24 Hours: Colostrum, Immunity, and Read more
Colostrum, Immunity, and a Window We Cannot Get Back What every breeder should understand about a newborn puppy’s first and most important meal. There is something rather extraordinary about watching a newborn puppy find its way to its mother’s milk. Eyes closed, ears still developing, and only minutes into the Read more
A printable guide to keep handy When a newborn puppy struggles to breathe, every second matters. Knowing what to do, what not to do, and when to intervene can make a critical difference. Drawing upon the 2025 RECOVER neonatal resuscitation guidelines and the educational work of Dr. Emmanuel Fontaine, we’ve Read more
What Science Is Teaching Us About Puppy Resuscitation Sometimes responsible breeding means being willing to reconsider what we thought we knew. Anyone who has spent enough years in a whelping box understands that not every puppy arrives ready to take on the world. Most do, of course, but occasionally a Read more
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Standard describes far more than individual anatomical features. It describes a dog whose temperament, construction and movement must work together. The Stafford should never be viewed as a collection of isolated parts. The complete dog should remain recognizably Stafford: strong, agile, balanced, confident and capable. Temperament Read more
Running. Is it important? It is an interesting question when discussing the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Should a Stafford be capable of running for an extended period of time? I believe he should. But perhaps the better question is not simply how far can a Stafford run? It is: What kind Read more
Recently I have noticed a familiar little comment appearing beneath photographs from specialties. A group of Stafford people is sitting around a table after the show. Maybe they are having dinner. Maybe someone has a cocktail. Maybe a visiting judge is sitting among them, talking dogs, laughing and enjoying the Read more