A Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppy in the grass

A blue Staffordshire Bull Terrier leaning on the arm of the sofa

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier (also known as a Stafford, Staffy or Staffie) is often wrongly judged by their history in dog fighting. They&rsquo;re a sensitive and loving breed. Whether you&rsquo;re going for a walk, playing, or just cuddling up on the sofa, a Staffy will be happy just being near you. They form strong bonds and will follow your every command to make you happy.&nbsp;This breed guide has all the information you need for looking after a Staffy.

Terrier

Type

12 - 14 years

Lifespan

Large

Size

11 - 17 kg

Weight

33 - 41 cm

Height

Intelligent, stubborn, loyal

Temperament

60 mins per day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

<ul>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Staffordshire Bull Terrier. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/breeds-pages/staffordshire-bull-terrier" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Staffordshire Bull Terrier page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/breeds-pages/staffordshire-bull-terrier</a></li>
	<li>Dennis E Brooks, David L Williams (online) Lens: hereditary primary cataract. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/diseases/lens-hereditary-primary-cataract" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog hereditary cataract page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/diseases/lens-hereditary-primary-cataract</a></li>
	<li>Natasha Mitchell, David Gould (online) Eye: persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/diseases/eye-persistent-hyperplastic-primary-vitreous" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/diseases/eye-persistent-hyperplastic-primary-vitreous</a></li>
	<li>Carley Abramson, Laurent Garosi, Simon Platt (online) L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/diseases/l-2-hydroxyglutaric-aciduria" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/diseases/l-2-hydroxyglutaric-aciduria</a></li>
	<li>Harari J &amp; Langley-Hobbs S (online) Hip: dysplasia. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/Hip-dysplasia" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog hip dysplasia page">https://vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/Hip-dysplasia</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Hip dysplasia. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/canis/client-information/hip-dysplasia" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog hip-dysplasia client information page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/canis/client-information/hip-dysplasia</a></li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to vet experts Vetstream's website">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Canis</a>

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

That's All You Need to Know About Staffies

Gentle, fun-loving, and loyal, this is a misunderstood breed, wrongly judged for its aggressive dog fighting history. They&rsquo;re a sensitive and loving breed, well suited to family life. They enjoy going for walks and playing games, but they also love to veg out on the sofa.

Early socialisation and training are key for this sometimes-stubborn breed. Make sure you&rsquo;re up to speed with common health conditions so that you can provide treatment early on.

Gentle, fun-loving, and loyal, this is a misunderstood breed, wrongly judged for its aggressive dog fighting history. They&rsquo;re a sensitive and loving breed, well suited to family life. They enjoy <a href="/all-things-pet/guide-to-dog-walking" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Walking Guide">going for walks</a> and <a href="/all-things-pet/games-to-play-with-your-dog" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to dog-friendly games">playing games</a>, but they also love to veg out on the sofa.

<a href="/all-things-pet/puppy-socialisation-helping-your-pooch-make-pals" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to puppy socialisation">Early socialisation</a> and training are key for this sometimes-stubborn breed. Make sure you&rsquo;re up to speed with common health conditions so that you can provide treatment early on.

Is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Right for Me?

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier makes a <a href="/all-things-pet/best-dog-breeds-for-families-with-kids" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to the best dog breeds for families">wonderful family pet</a> due to their loving and playful nature. If you devote your time to them, they&rsquo;ll devote themselves to you. They&rsquo;re suited to most households, including those with other pets and children. They&rsquo;re often known as &lsquo;nanny dogs&rsquo; for this reason.

As they can be wary and aggressive towards other dogs, they may prefer to be the only dog in the household. They&rsquo;re much happier being around people and are best suited to experienced owners. &nbsp;

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier makes a <a href="/all-things-pet/best-dog-breeds-for-families-with-kids" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to the best dog breeds for families">wonderful family pet</a> due to their loving and playful nature. If you devote your time to them, they&rsquo;ll devote themselves to you. They&rsquo;re suited to most households, including those with other pets and children. They&rsquo;re often known as &lsquo;nanny dogs&rsquo; for this reason.

As they can be wary and <a href="/all-things-pet/dealing-with-dog-behaviour-issues" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to dealing with dog behviour issues">aggressive towards other dogs</a>, they may prefer to be the only dog in the household. They&rsquo;re much happier being around people and are best suited to experienced owners. &nbsp;

A Brindle Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppy running in a field

What are Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppies Like?

Staffies need to be <a href="/all-things-pet/puppy-socialisation-helping-your-pooch-make-pals" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to puppy socialisation">well socialised at an early age</a> so that they can be secure and comfortable in any situation. They can be energetic dogs, fearless and boisterous, and as a terrier breed and you should be prepared for some full-on work... and maybe breakables are moved to a safe place. A Staff puppy may be athletic but they are also 100% endearing.

A Staffordshire Bull Terrier sitting in field

Staffies love being around their families and don&rsquo;t like to be left on their own too long. They&rsquo;re generally not big barkers though. Being terriers, they can be good diggers and have a high prey drive (a potential problem if you have other small pets). But this <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's dog breed guides">dog breed</a> will always want to be by your side.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers are best fed twice a day. They&rsquo;re known to pile on the pounds so make sure you feed them a <a href="/all-things-pet/dog-food-feeding-guide" title="Link to Everypaws guide to good dog diets">balanced diet</a> with the recommended amount. This is usually on the side of the food packaging, but you can also ask your vet or weight management nurse for advice on how to keep your dog at a healthy weight.

With their short coats, Staffies don&rsquo;t need much grooming, a weekly brush is all that&#39;s needed. And unless they&rsquo;ve rolled in something nasty, they&rsquo;re unlikely to need a bath.

When it comes to Staffordshire Bull Terrier training, a confident, experienced dog owner who has the time and patience to train them is best. They&rsquo;re intelligent and can pick things up quickly from regular training sessions, but watch out for that stubborn streak. They&rsquo;re not particularly noisy or naughty but if left on their own for long periods of time, you may find they can be. As they&rsquo;re people-orientated, they can suffer from <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/all-things-pet/how-to-deal-with-dog-separation-anxiety" title="Link to Everypaw's advice on Dog Separation anxiety">separation anxiety</a>.

Staffies need around an hour of <a href="/all-things-pet/the-dog-exercise-guide" title="Link to Everypaw's dog exercise guide">exercise every day</a>. This can be split into two half-hour sessions. A Staffy is happy to chill out all day, but it&rsquo;s essential to keep them active to avoid <a href="/all-things-pet/tips-for-overweight-dogs" title="Link to Everypaw's tips for overweight dogs">excessive weight gain</a>.

Unless they&rsquo;ve been well trained from a young age with early socialisation, they shouldn&rsquo;t be let off lead. They can also get exercise and mental stimulation through fun, challenging games. &nbsp;

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Staffies are big loveable dogs, and though they&#39;re seen as a healthy dog breed, you never know, and an illness or injury may happen when you least expect it. For times like these, it&#39;s good to think about insuring your dog as soon as possible.

<a href="/Home/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance.html">Everypaw&rsquo;s Lifetime Puppy Insurance</a> is available from 8 weeks of age, and every policy comes with a range of additional benefits that can help when it comes to your dog&#39;s care.&nbsp;

Staffies are big loveable dogs, and though they&#39;re seen as a healthy <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Breed Guides">dog breed</a>, you never know, and an illness or injury may happen when you least expect it. For times like these, it&#39;s good to think about insuring your dog as soon as possible.

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance">Everypaw&rsquo;s Lifetime Puppy Insurance</a>&nbsp;is available from <a href="/all-things-pet/puppy-development-8-12-weeks-old" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to puppy development from 8 -12 weeks">8 weeks of age</a>, and every policy comes with a range of additional benefits that can help when it comes to your dog&#39;s care.&nbsp;

A cataract is an opacity in the lens, which affects their eyesight. <a href="/all-things-pet/cataracts-in-dogs" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to dog cataracts">Dogs with cataracts</a> will have loss of vision and cloudy-looking pupils. Treatment involves surgical correction to remove the lens fragments. A DNA test can identify dogs with the gene responsible for the condition.

Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV)

Staffys are also predisposed to Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV), a developmental ocular disorder. There&#39;s a range of symptoms from no visible outward signs to intraocular haemorrhage, cataracts and blindness. There&rsquo;s no treatment to prevent the condition progressing but it can be left untreated if mild.

L-2-Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria (L-2-HGA)is a neurometabolic disorder. The condition affects the nervous system causing symptoms such as seizures, dementia and muscular stiffness. There&rsquo;s no definitive treatment available but an affected dog can still have a reasonably good quality of life. A dog with L-2-HGA may have less energy than other dogs and be harder to train.

To prevent the further breeding of carriers of the gene responsible for the condition, a DNA screening programme for Staffordshire Bull Terriers is available.

Staffies can be prone to <a href="/all-things-pet/hip-dysplasia-in-dogs" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to hip dysplasia in dogs">Hip Dysplasia (HD)</a>, a hereditary condition that causes instability in the hip joint, pain, lameness and arthritis. The BVA/KC hip dysplasia scoring scheme identifies affected dogs with HD. Hip radiographs are used to provide a hip score. Management of the condition at an early stage will mean fewer difficulties in later life.

Being overweight puts extra strain on the bones and joints so weight control and a restricted exercise programme is important. Dogs with HD can be treated with pain relief and anti-inflammatories, but surgery may be needed in severe cases.

Common Staffordshire Bull Terrier Health Problems by Vetstream

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is generally a robust and healthy breed but can be prone to eye conditions. We’ve got together with veterinary experts Vetstream, to give you an idea of what signs and symptoms to look out for in your Staffy.

What were Staffordshire Bull Terriers bred for?

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier; this breed include a sturdy, muscular build and powerful jaws and, not a particularly fun fact, was originally bred as a fighting dog. The breed was created through the cross of the <a href="/Home/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/bulldog-insurance-care-and-health-advice.html">Bulldog</a> with the Old English Terrier.

Are Staffordshire Bull Terriers dangerous?

Staffordshire Bull Terriers are sensitive, gentle and loving. They&rsquo;re incredibly child-friendly dogs and thrive on human companionship. Due to their history, the breed is predisposed to find other animals a threat so they can be wary of other dogs.

Make sure they&rsquo;re well socialised from an early age so they learn not to be afraid of other dogs. They should always be kept on a lead if other dogs are around.

Even if you consider your Staffordshire Bull Terrier to be completely safe with others, you should never leave children alone with them. Always teach your children to respect and care for any animal.

How long do Staffordshire Bull Terriers live?

The average Staffy lifespan is around 12 years, but some have been known to exceed this if well-cared for. Make sure get the right amount of exercise, a good diet and regular vet check-ups.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers don&rsquo;t shed very much so are considered to be low-maintenance due to their short close-lying coat.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Insurance, Care, and Health Advice | Everypaw

Get a quote for your Staffordshire Bull Terrier's insurance

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

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The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
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Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

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As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

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	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
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For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

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Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

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</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

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We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

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Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

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Staffordshire Bull Terrier Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Facts

Is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Right for Me?

What are Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppies Like?

Life with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Caring for Your Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Insurance

Common Staffordshire Bull Terrier Health Problems by Vetstream

Hereditary cataract

Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV)

L-2-Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria (L-2-HGA)

Hip Dysplasia (HD)

Quick Staffordshire Bull Terrier Q&A

What were Staffordshire Bull Terriers bred for?

Are Staffordshire Bull Terriers dangerous?

How long do Staffordshire Bull Terriers live?

Do Staffordshire Bull Terriers shed?

That's All You Need to Know About Staffies

References