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Really helpful thanks, definitely up for a stroll around Brixton once it's safe to do so.
In your experience do they prefer large crates they can move around in easily or is smaller better in terms of feeling more like a safe space for them? I take it you lock them in the crate so there needs to be enough space for water etc?
I've started going for walks/jogs in the park in the morning to get into the habit. Sadly I noted missing posters for a Staffie taken from someones home/garden (didn't specify, I guess more likely the latter). Although we're pretty secure where we are I'm hoping this isn't common, knowing me I'll pick the ugliest dog possible so maybe a slight deterrent!
jono84-
I think the general advice is that the crate needs to be big enough for the dog to stand up without touching the roof and for it to be able to turn around easily. For an adult dog, i'd go with the largest you have space for.
One caveat is that its easier to crate train a puppy with a smaller crate as it's less likely to use one end as a toilet. You can get round this by buying a bigger crate and blocking some of it off with boxes though.
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What @Stonehedge said on crates. Mine has the largest size you can get and I leave a water bowl in there, which invariably gets spilled or he drops his bedding in it, so I'm looking into a water bottle that will attach to the outside. Not an issue at the moment as I'm home full time.
My old staffy had a dog flap to the back garden at my old house, but it was totally secure and he could come and go as he pleased, whether I was home or not. He had an outdoor kennel, which he loved. Where I am now, I would never leave Reggie in the garden without being at home. Dogs are stolen primarily for breeding or to be sold on, occasionally for ransom, Staffies unfortunately are often stolen to be used as bait dogs. Really sad.
Stonehedge
Markyboy
I have a re-homed Staffie - a few pictures in this thread - so can try to answer some of your questions:
Reggie is crate trained and will happily spend the entire day in it if absolutely necessary, which is rare. I'm fortunate to have teenage kids and a niece who lives locally, who will feed and let him out, but he's fine to be left all day if I have to. Typically (i.e. not lock down) I will be at home a couple of days a week, so he has three when he is mainly on his own, but will have a visitor.
I spend about £60 a month on food, £25 on insurance (would be cheaper, but I had a claim) and nothing on training or care. Staffies are generally pretty easy to train because they are desperate to please you and mine is treat motivated. It is important to train them to at least have very good recall as they will otherwise be off introducing them to other people. I adopted mine at about 16 weeks, so still young enough for me to train - he did come house trained.
Only you know whether a Staffie is the right dog for you. I've had two (both males) and would characterise them as incredibly people friendly, craving attention insofar as they want to be around you whenever they can, will take as much exercise as you can throw at them (mine gets an hour's walk twice a day, plus lots of chasing, fetching, tugging, etc.), don't shed much fur, few health problems and rarely neurotic. The main difference between my two is that the first was sometimes dog-aggressive, whereas the current one - at two - seems not to be in the slightest, but that might change. Socialising with other dogs early is essential but, I don't care what anyone says, given their fighting/baiting/ratting heritage, they do have a strong prey drive and potential propensity for aggression to other dogs. And it's not a growl and a nip, they can bite, hold and shake with strength. They also have a very high pain threshold.
I'm not sure whether Battersea are re-homing at the moment and they're known to be stringent in their requirements of potential adopters - being at home and having a garden is a huge plus. Look at the Blue Cross too and these people - https://www.staffierescue.co.uk/
Happy to try to answer any other questions you might have, and you're welcome to meet mine and take him out for a test drive once lock down allows. I'm in Brixton.
One final thing I would say is that rescuing a Staffie these days is likely to get you a better and healthier dog than what you'd get from most breeders. The fashion over the last few years for chunky, blue, big headed, low slung, short legged dogs that bear no resemblance to what the breed originally looked like will bring a host of health issues at eye watering prices - £1-1.5K for a pup. Blue is a recessive gene in Staffies and reliably breeding them involves a lot of in-breeding.
Good luck, whatever you decide.