Blue Staffs

My sister is thinking about buying a blue staffy puppy but is unsure about the pitfalls of buying a good quality dog! I have heard different things from different people about what to look for - any ideas on some points for her to take into consideration?

As long as you find a good breeder there shouldn't be a problem! I know that as they get older they can turn a mushroom colour though.
The only thing I hate is when breeders charge an extra £300/400 because they are blue! I would be dubious of people doing this because if a litter are from a good stock they should all be the same price, regardless of colour.

But maybe I'm biased because mine's brindle and white!!

The pup should also come from L2-hga/ppv tested parents. This should dwindle the choices down a bit as most blues I see advertised are not but it also means if the breeder has taken the time to either have the stock tested themselves or done their homework and bought tested stock and made a point of looking for a tested mate for them as well, then they are probably a more reliable person to buy from. They should expect no less from the breeder than from a breeder of any other color and expect to pay no more either. It's just a color and it isn't rare.

I heard that there was certain characterisitics to look for as well - all claws to be black, not pale for example - is this true?

Should she only consider a blue from black parents or does it really matter as long as they're tested? Sorry if I'm being a bit thick but want to make sure she makes the right choice!!

Black nails are not characteristics thats a sign of good pigment having a good pigmented dog also means black nose and dark eyes and if its a blue pied, it would have "dalmation spots" visible on the white.
The rare thing is - finding a good blue breeder.
To get a good blue with decent pigment then two black parents which carry the blue gene is ideal.
A good breeder who often has blues in there litters is Valglo, who are very well known for there good breeding they have bred many champions such as Ch. Valglo Casanova at Crossguns so showing can also be on the menu.

Hope it helps

For showing, the nails can only be white if surrounded by white fur, so for a solid blue dog they should be black. Same with the nose/dark eyes. I would just make sure they were fully tested and had a genuine love for their Staffs.

I don't think theres a rule about white nails surrounded by white fur as i'm posotive i've seen dogs with white nails with a black brindle fur it's just lack of pigment