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The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium sized, short coated, old time breed of dog, originally bred for bull and bear fighting. Dogs proven in the pit were bred with others of like skill and ability and over time the Staffie was produced. In the early part of the 20th century they gained respectablity and were accepted into the Kennel Club of England as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier - not to be confused with the English Bull Terrier. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is an English breed of dog and should not be confused with their larger cousin the American Staffordshire Terrier or the American Pit Bull Terrier.
The Staffie is a breed that has many supporters and perhaps
just as many detractors. Over the generations the Staffie has
put his fighting history behind him and his other famous
trait, as a loving family member, has earned him a place in
the hearts of many. Staffie owners recommend their dogs as
confident, people-loving dogs. A typical staffie is energetic,
devoted to his families, and normally loves meeting strangers.
Often held responsible for many of the unpleasant attacks
reported on humans and other animals, the Staffie can polarise
public opinion. When spoken of, people will generally fall
into one of two camps, those strongly for the breed and those
strongly against.
In cases of reported attacks, there is often little
distinction made between the bull terrier breeds, such as the
American Staffordshire Terrier, the Pit-Bull Terrier, the Bull
Terrier and the Staffie. Perhaps because of its comparative
high numbers and poor recognition by the public, the Staffie
wears much of the blame for reported attacks that may have
been perpetrated by any member of the bull terrier breeds.
Appearance: Black and white pied StaffieLovingly
referred to as a "keg on legs", the Staffordshire
Bull Terrier is a stocky, muscular dog that exudes character,
strength and athletic ability. Their expressive countenances
indicate their mood and intelligence.
They have a broad head, defined occipital muscles, a
relatively short foreface, half prick ears, dark round eyes
and a wide mouth with a clean scissor-like bite. The ears are
small and either rose or half-prick. The cheek muscles are
usually pronounced and give the impression of strength. Their
lips show no looseness, and they rarely drool.
The head tapers down to a strong well muscled neck and
shoulders placed on squarely spaced forelimbs. Their rib cage
is well sprung and is topped by a level top line. They are
tucked up in their loins and the last rib of their cage should
be visible. Their tail is carried like an old fashioned pump
handle and should be neither too long nor too short. Their
hind quarters are well muscled and are the drive in the
Staffie's gait, being well let down in the hock.
They may be coloured black, brindle, red, blue(rare), white,
or any blending of these colours with white. White with any
colour over an eye is known as piebald or pied'.
Liver-coloured and black and tan dogs sometimes occur but
these are considered an unacceptable colour for the showring
or any reputable breeding program. The coat is smooth and
short.
The dogs stand 35-40 cm (14-16 in) at the withers and weigh
13-20 kg (24-38 lb) with female dogs on the lighter side and
male dogs on the heavier side.
Temperament: Terrier breeds are generally bold,
inquisitive and fearless. The Staffie is renowned for its
reliability as a family dog. They are extremely loving dogs,
being loyal and devoted to man, with special emphasis on their
reliability with children. The breed thrives in the family
environment, being a suitably compact size for close family
living. They can be protective of their family, especially
those with small children, and it is for this reason that they
make an excellent family guardian and watch dog.
As a result of their dog fighting heritage, one of the major
problems noticed in this breed is a tendency of aggression
towards other dogs. It must be understood that even a
Staffordshire Bull Terrier with "good" temperament
may fight when challenged by another dog and should therefore
be adequately controlled in public places.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier owners have a certain obligation to
society, and should always ensure that their dogs are
correctly and adequately housed and not allowed to roam freely
in public and in the vicinity of unfamiliar dogs. It is always
good advice to avoid allowing your Staffie to make eye to eye
contact with strange dogs, as this is normally seen as a
challenge. It must also be understood, however, that dog
aggression is not related to human aggression in this breed. A
staffie that is aggressive to strange dogs may still be
completely trustworthy to humans.
Staffies are regularly the fourth most popular breed in
Australia, behind German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and
Golden Retrievers, according to the numbers of puppies bred
each year. The German Shepherd Dog League of N.S.W recognised
this very problem in its breed and has set up a tough
accreditation program for its breeders. There isn't such a
program amongst Staffie owners, however there are very good
breeders who are mindful of producing dogs with stable
temperaments.
It is important that any breeder can satisfy you that the
puppy you are interested in, and its parents, have a stable
temperament. Avoiding aggression can also be aided by proper
socialisation and training of the puppy. Puppies should be
regularly exposed to the full gamut of situations that they
are likely to encounter as older dogs. Regular, supervised
contact with other dogs, children and any other family pet,
along with early obedience training will help ensure that the
dog grows into a well socialised animal.
Obedience training is imperative to ensure that the owner
feels they will have control over their dog in any situation.
A Staffie well versed in the commands ‘sit’ and ‘stay’
is an animal that knows its place and can be confidently
managed. If they are socialised from an early age and properly
trained, owners can let their dogs roam at off-leash parks
with confidence.
History: Before the 19th Century, bloodsports such as
bull baiting, bear baiting and cock fighting were common.
Bulls bought to market were set upon by dogs as a way of
tenderising the meat and providing entertainment for the
spectators; and dog fights with bears, bulls and other animals
were often organised as entertainment for both Royalty and
Commoners. Early Bull and Terriers were not bred for the
handsome visual specimen of today, rather they were bred for
the characteristic known as gameness. The pitting of dog
against bear or bull tested the gameness, strength and skill
of the dog. These early "proto-staffords" provided
the ancestral foundation stock for the Staffordshire Bull
Terrrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American
Staffordshire Terrier.
These bloodsports were officially eliminated in 1835 as
Britain began introduce animal welfare laws. Since dogfights
were cheaper to organise and far easier to conceal from the
law than bull or bear baits, bloodsport proponents turned to
pitting their dogs one against another instead. Dog fighting
was used as both a bloodsport (often involving gambling) and
as an effort to continue to test the quality of their stock.
For decades afterwards, dog fighting clandestinely took place
in pockets of working class Britain and America. Dogs were
released in a pit, and the last dog still fighting (or
occasionally, the last dog surviving) was recognised as the
winner. The quality of pluckiness or "gameness" was
still highly prized, and dogs that gave up during a fight were
reviled as "curs". As an important aside, fighting
dogs were often handled in the pit during fights, by both
their owners and the judge, so were bred to be as trustworthy
with humans as they were aggressive towards other dogs.
It is this nefarious history that gives the staffie his
celebrated temperament, as in the words of the American Kennel
Club: "from the past history of the Staffordshire Bull
Terrier, the modern dog draws its character of indomitable
courage, high intelligence, and tenacity. This, coupled with
its affection for its friends, and children in particular, its
off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes it a
foremost all-purpose dog."
Kennel Club Recognition: The breed attained UK Kennel
Club recognition on 25 May 1935. Much of the groundwork to
attain this status can be attributed to Joseph Dunn and Joe
Mallan. Dunn and Mallan invited friends to a staffie fanciers
meeting at the Cross Guns Hotel, Cradley Heath, South
Staffordshire (a hotel owned and managed by Mallan). About
fifty breeders met at the hotel and formed the Original
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club. The name was shortly changed
to Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club due to the Bull Terrier
Club objecting the use of the word 'original'. Staffies were
imported into the US during this time. Since that time the
breed has grown to be one of the most popular breeds of dogs
with a large repressentation at the Crufts Dog Show.
In the US many were imported by pit fighters and used in their
breeding programs to produce the American Pit Bull Terrier and
American Staffordshire Terrier. Many were imported by British
nationals who brought their dogs with them or US expatriates
who fell in love with the breed in England and brought it home
to the US. Eventually through the campaign of many people the
Staffie was recognised in the US in 1976. He has a loyal
following.
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