Is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier the right dog for you? Are you seeking a small to medium-sized dog with a short, sleek, easy-care coat? Looking for a companion par excellence whose greatest desire is to live life at your side? Perhaps you have read Jock of the Bushveldt, or have seen one of these canine dynamos performing in the agility ring at a local dog show. Maybe you've encountered a Stafford while out walking and wondered about how he could be playing so tirelessly with his owner and then stop and stand calmly, tail wagging, to accept the enthusiastic caresses of a toddler. The breed’s patience and gentle ways with children are legendary.
At first the Staffordshire Bull Terrier seems like a contradiction: he looks so tough, yet his approach to the human race is so loving and all-encompassing; "As early as three to four weeks of age," says Stafford enthusiast and author Steve Eltinge, "a Stafford puppy will often prefer human companionship to that of his mother."
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier standard speaks of the indomitable courage, high intelligence and tenacity that are the legacy of the breed's history. These virtues, combined with a love of people and a reliable and stable nature, make the Stafford an extremely versatile companion. Author Dieter Fleig describes the breed as "a sort of everybody's Man Friday."
A good Stafford is never shy or reclusive and, conversely, should not be snarling and mouthy around people. The latter is not "game," but unstable, and probably improperly socialized. Be aware, however, that the Stafford was originally bred to fight other dogs and that many still retain an antipathy toward strange dogs. Many Staffords also possess a strong "prey drive," i.e., a desire to chase, catch and kill rodents and small mammals. That said, it must be added that a great many Staffords live in harmony with other household pets, having grown up with them in a properly supervised household.
Look for a friendly puppy or adult bursting with health and vitality. His keen, piercing and intelligent eyes should suggest complete awareness and even the possibility that he is reading your mind! In older dogs, the stance should be indicative of readiness: poised and up on the toes. Breed scribe John Gordon describes the aura of temperamentally correct Stafford as, "vibratory in energetic outline." Staffords of any age display a level of energy and a bounty of enthusiasm unequaled in the canine world.
The Stafford is often described as "a buff little dude” by admirers, but perhaps the words of an old cigarette advertising campaign best describe the appearance of the typical Stafford: "So round . . . so firm . . . so fully packed!"
Please check out the NATURE OF THE BEAST article to learn more about the mannerisms, abilities, and inclinations that make the Stafford unique in the world of dogs.
Origins
Although there has been some discussion through the years about the origin of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, authorities generally agree that the breed can be traced back to the Mastiff-like dogs through the old Bulldog which, when crossed with British terriers, produced the first "Bull and Terriers." Books published in the early 1800s which refer to "Bull and Terriers," "Pit Dogs", and "Fighting Dogs" confirm that the cross existed at that time.
The old-fashioned Bulldog was a fierce, courageous animal used in the sports of bear- and bull-baiting as early as the mid-sixteenth century. When these sports fell from public favor and were outlawed, their supporters turned to dog fighting and sought to create a sporting dog that, while retaining the legendary courage and ferocity of the Bulldog, would incorporate the greater agility of the terrier.
Refinement
Terriers thought to have been used in the cross are the Manchester Terrier and the now-extinct English White Terrier. In addition, crosses with various of the old working terriers were made. Because of the attentions of different groups of English fanciers, two distinct types of Bull and Terrier arose and, by 1900, they were easily distinguished. James Hinks's elegant white dogs, produced by crossing the predecessor of the modern Bulldog with the English White Terrier (and some say Pointer and Dalmatian) were recognized by the Kennel Club (UK) and the American Kennel Club at the turn of the century. This "White Cavalier" is known today as the Bull Terrier.
The other Bull and Terrier -- the Stafford, which was owned by the common man -- was not as easily "legitimized." Fanciers of the "working class dog" met in England in 1935 to form a club for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier fanciers and draw up a Breed Standard.
Recognition
In 1938, the first Championship points were awarded in Birmingham. The first two members of their sex to claim championships in England were the bitch, Lady Eve and the dog, Gentleman Jim in 1939.
The first Staffordshire Bull Terriers brought to the United States lived their lives out simply as companions; it was not until 1975 that The American Kennel Club recognized the Staffordshire Bull Terrier as a registerable breed that could be shown outside of the Miscellaneous Classes. The first Stafford to be registered in the American Kennel Club Stud Book was the English import, Ch. Tinkinswood Imperial. The first U.S. champion was a bitch, the Australian import, Northwark Becky Sharpe.
The Stafford is a well-kept secret: smart, healthy, rough and tumble, comfort-loving, and a family pet and chum without equal when properly trained and socialized. One of the best known terriers in The British Isles (where at least 15 Stafford clubs exist), it is also one of the ten most popular dogs in Australia and the most popular terrier in South Africa. In the U.S., it is often mistaken for its cousin, the American Pit Bull Terrier, which has established a greater foothold there.