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.
-
|
Comment "my staffie jack is mint with my son he never leaves his side.
he's the best dog ever...."
Have your say |
|
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.
|
Picture sent in by
Willmott - Many Thanks |
 |
|
blue staff at 5 months old from kent, great with people and other dogs, i think he will be quite big |
Appearance
Lovingly 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.
|
Picture of Boo sent in by Fiona - Many Thanks |
 |
| Hi, this is Boo are 12 week old staffy, we have had her since
she was 8 weeks old, she is the best puppy in the world, very quick to learn and
loves people. |
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.
|
Pictures of
Willow sent in by Richard - Many Thanks |
 |
| Hi - This is Willow my 18 month Staffy - she found this baby
Blackbird in our garden chirping for mummy - Willow had been studying the bird
for some time which so gave me the chance to look what she
was up to. I then went back to the house dug out the camera and managed to take
the picture. At no time did Willow touch the bird maybe she started maternal
instinct sooner than I expected. The other photo gives you a better shot of her.
Regards - Richard |
 |
|
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.
 |
|
Black & White Pied Staffie |
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, blood sports 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.
| Picture of Elvis sent in by David - Many
thanks |
|
 |
|
this is my staffie elvis i got
him when he was 6 months old he is now 3 years old, is a very loving
dog who is one of the family he lives for his walks as all dogs
do and is very good around people kids and other dogs |
 |
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."
|
Photo of Leroy sent in by Lloyd - Thanks |
 |
| This is our 3yr old staffy called Leroy. He's
fantastic, a very full on character and an enormous part of our family. We've
recently had a baby boy and Leroy has been very good around him. We're
definitely big staffy lovers!!! |
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.
|
Picture of Samson sent in by
Emma Many Thanks |
 |
|
This is Samson, he is 5 months old and loves everyone
including dogs 10 times bigger than himself!! |
|
Picture of Ruby sent in by Debbie - Many Thanks |
 |
| This is my baby girl ruby we got her at 8 weeks
and she is 17 months now she is a fab dog and we luv her very much |
 |
| Photo of Chad and Skye sent in by Rach and Dave - Thanks |
 |
| These are our two
fantastic staffys Chad and Skye. Chad is 5 and is soooo handsome,
Skye is18 months and is adorable! Life is so much better with them
in it. Rach and Dave Creed and family. X |
Pictures of your dog wanted |
|
Send a picture of your dog attached to this
Email,
tell us a little about him or her and we will show it here. |
|
Comments |
|
my staffie jack is mint with my son he never leaves his side.
hes the best dog ever |
|
these dogs can be so loving they're not all mean vicious dogs,
people make them that way. give them a chance : ) you'll see |
|
i love the first one |
|
well i have say you're all wrong as my boy is the most
handsome staffie of them all, lol |
|
my fav dog of course is the staff i owned one for 12 years but
sadly she died there very loving and loyal her name was tara and i miss her like
crazy |
|
i think ruby is a fab dog. |
| i have a staffie dog called foster who i rescued from the rescue
centre. i got him when he was 6 months old he had been battered and
kicked about but despite that he has grown into a friendly loving
dog he fantastic with children and other dogs and he's still my baby
he even takes my smelly old shoe he adopted when he was a pup to bed
with him BLESS. foster is now 4 years old and you would never
believe he had such a bad childhood i love him XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX |
|
|
Photo of Lillian the Staffie sent in by Veronika - Thanks |
 |
|
Our 12 weeks old staffordshire bull terrier puppy bitch. Her name is Lillian and
she is so sweet and cute! She is very playful and she is very good with other
people, children and with other animals (dogs, rabbits, horses). She is our
beautiful princess!!! - Veronika
|
|
|
staffies are the best dogs ever, i have one called scally and
he is adorable xxx |
|
my 16month staffy girl only weighs 14.30kgs she don't eat a
lot is that ok or not |
|
i like Lillian staffies rule |
|
Staffies rule my girl Boo is the best i can't imagine not
havin her around xx |
|
well i have a staffy cross cattledog he is so so so cute i
wanna hug him all the time i will send in a photo when my camera works he is
15weeks old we got him in toowoomba at a petshop called everything animals. i
named him bronsan. hes my favourite dog in the world. whoa i love him my name is
georgie |
|
Photos of Molly and Max sent in by Tina and Steve - Thanks |
 |
|
Hi there - these are pictures of
our 2 staffies Molly and Max. Max is 7 years and Molly is
nearly 5. They have had puppies - 7 in total but 2 died, and
Max has also fathered another 15 puppies with 2 other
bitches, quite a stud eh!!. My husband and I think they are
a great breed and we love them and think its a shame that
some people give the breed a bad name. Long live the staffie!
- Yours sincerely - Tina and Steve
|
 |
|
|
why do people think i a bad owner just because i'm young
??????? |
|
why did my cat get killed by one of these dogs. What did
possess it to do this as I know this cat would not have provoked the dog? |
|
i think they are cute |
|
i love my staff they are the best dog in the world |
|
Best dogs in all
planet !!!!!!!!!
Smart, beautiful
... just best ! |
|
ive got the most butiful staffie on earth |
|
that dog is not as cute as mine!!!!!!!!! |
|
i have a Stafford and there great dogs ! |
| Q. My staffie has started come into season what shall i do ? |
| Q. My staffie has some kind of allergy. The vet has done a skin scrape and
that came back clear. Can you help ? |
|
|
Picture of Cute - Many Thanks |
|
My
staffies name is "CUTE" my dad named her for me when we both went to pick her up
from a breeder living in London. I wasn't too keen on the name at first but when
the breeder gave me the pedigree papers with the name Damblues Cutie it just had
to be. Cute was born 28th Jun 2005 Blue and White and very very hyper excited 24
hours a day. I have taken her to ring craft but have not shown her. |
|
