Breed History

Before the nineteenth century, bloodsports such as bull baiting, bear baiting and cock fighting were common. Bulls brought to market were set upon by dogs as a way of tenderizing the meat and providing entertainment for the spectators; and dog fights with bears, bulls and other animals were often organized 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 dogs 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 Terrier.

These bloodsports were officially eliminated in 1835 as Britain began to introduce animal welfare laws. Since dogfights were cheaper to organize 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 recognized 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 Staffordshire his celebrated temperament, as in the breed standard of the American Kennel Club: "from the past history of the Staffordshire 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." The British colloquial name "Nanny-dog" reflects the breeds' gentle disposition with children.

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 Mallen. Dunn and Mallen invited friends to a Staffordshire fanciers meeting at the Cross Guns Hotel, Cradley Heath, South Staffordshire (a hotel owned and managed by Mallen). About fifty breeders met at the hotel and formed the Original Staffordshire Terrier Club. The name was shortly changed to Staffordshire Terrier Club due to the Bull Terrier Club objecting the use of the word 'original'. Staffordshires were imported into the US during this time.

Breed Standard

CHARACTERISTICS:
From the past history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the modern dog draws his character of indomitable courage, high intelligence and tenacity. This coupled with his affection for his friends and children in particular; his off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes him the foremost all-purpose dog.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a smooth coated dog. He should be of great strength for his size and although muscular, should be active and agile.

Head and Skull:
Short, deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short foreface, black nose.

Eyes:
Dark preferable but may bear some relation to coat colour. Round, of medium size and set to look straight ahead.

Ears:
Rose or half-pricked and not large. Full drop or prick to be penalised.

Mouth:
The mouth should be level, i.e., the incisors of the bottom jaw should fit closely inside the incisors of the top jaw and the lips should be tight and clean. The badly undershot or overshot mouth to be heavily penalised.

Neck:
Muscular, rather short, clean in outline and gradually widening towards the shoulders.

Forequarters:
Legs straight and well-boned, set rather wide apart, without looseness at the shoulders and showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point the feet turn out a little.

Body:
The body should be close-coupled, with a level topline, wide front, deep brisket, well-sprung ribs and rather light in the loins.

Hindquarters:
The hindquarters should be well-muscled, hocks let down with stifles well bent. Legs should be parallel when viewed from behind.

Feet:
The feet should be well-padded, strong and of medium size.

Tail:
The tail should be of medium length, low set, tapering to a point and carried rather low. It should not curl much and may be likened to an old-fashioned pump handle.

Gait/Movement:
Free, powerful and agile with economy of effort. Legs moving parallel when viewed from front or rear. Discernable drive from hind legs.

Coat:
Smooth, short and close to the skin.

Colour:
Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any of these colours with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Black and Tan or liver colour not to be encouraged.

Weight and Size:
Weight: Dogs 12.7 to 17.2 kg (28 to 38 lb). Bitches 11 to 15.4 kg (24 to 34 lb). Height (at shoulder), 35.5 to 40.6 cm (14 to 16 in), these heights being related to the weights.

Faults:
To be penalised in accordance with the severity of the fault:
Light eyes or pink eye-rims.
Tail too long or badly curled.
Non-conformation to the limits of weight or height.
Full drop and prick ears.
Undershot or overshot mouths.
The following faults should debar a dog from winning any prize:-
Pink (Dudley) nose.
Badly undershot or overshot mouth. Badly undershot - where the lower jaw protrudes to such an extent that the incisors of the lower jaw do not touch those of the upper jaw. Badly overshot - where the upper jaw protrudes to such an extent that the incisors of the upper jaw do not touch those of the lower jaw.

Note:
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

All content copyright © 2009