Vigilant Kennels: Content / content / History of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier

on Monday 19 March 2007
by Deb

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The breed history

Breed History
and Temperament

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 twentieth century they gained respectablity and were accepted into the Kennel Club of England as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier - not to be confused with the 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.

History

Before the nineteenth 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 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 dog against bear or bull tested the gameness, strength and skill of the dog. The Staffie was used mainly for lion baiting because they were known to be better than any other dog at dodging the claws and getting straight to the face, unlike the cousin the sixteenth century staffords that would crush a lion in seconds, the eighteenth century version was a lot smaller around 60 cm which gave them a disadvantage, but 60 percent of the time they beat the odds. 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 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 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."

Initially a bull-baiting dog, this breed developed in the early 1800's by crossing the old British bulldogges with local hunting terriers in England, such as the English White Terrier and the Manchester Terrier. The result was a dog combining the immense physical strength of early bulldogs with the tenacity and prey-drive of terriers, creating a whole new category of dogs, the so-called Bull & Terrier group. Contrary to popular belief, the breed was named after a bar where the first Standard was written up and not after Staffordshire County. Regarded as the first of its kind, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was hugely influential in inspiring other bulldog/terrier crosses throughout England and Ireland. When bull-baiting was banned in 1835, the S.B.T. proved itself to be the ultimate dog fighter of the day, which resulted in spawning an endless list of worldwide outcrosses and improvements which eventually matched, and then surpassed the original Bull & Terrier breed. Once the Staffy became a popular pet and Show dog, some old strains were re-classified as separate breeds in their own right, as is the case with the Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is still a well-respected working dog today.

Today, this is a very different dog, modified over the past 100 years in terms of temperament and personality traits, while retaining its impressive physical appearance. The body is muscular and strongly boned, with a powerful head and neck. Even though the breed is fully standardized and recognizable, there are 2 main types of the S.B.T. encountered today, these being the terrier and bully variety, differentiated by their physical built, one being lighter and more agile, while the other is a bit more massive and slightly larger, as preferred for the Show ring. An affectionate family dog, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is very gentle with children and friendly with people, even strangers. But it still shows signs of dog-aggression, which is why it needs proper handling. Smooth, short coat comes in all colours, from white to fawn to black, as well as various bicolours, although black-n-tan dogs are undesirable. Average height is around 16 inches, but taller examples exist.

Temperament

Terrier breeds are generally bold, inquisitive and fearless. The Staffie is renowned for its reliability as a nanny dog. They are extremely loving dogs, being loyal and devoted to people, with special emphasis on their reliability with children. The breed thrives in the family environment, being a suitably compact size for close family living. For these reasons, they are sometimes referred to as "nanny dogs". As a result of their dog fighting heritage, one of the 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. It is a good idea to avoid possible confrontational situations and a good idea to use a toy to distract the dog around other dogs.Staffordshire Bull Terrier owners have a certain obligation to society (as could be said of all dog owners), 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. Staffys are notorious for their tenacity and strength. They will not start fights with other dogs, but won't back down, and usually win. If they get hit in the head or hurt themselves they show no pain. Although they are fighters, they are good pets and generally won't harm anyone.The German Shepherd Dog League of N.S.W recognized 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 socialized animal. The Staffie is as 'daft as a brush' in its home environment, but needs a lot of exercise for its powerful jaws. Unless you are prepared to have your house and furniture chewed to rubble by your pet, you should keep it in an area where it can do minimal damage to your home - and ensure it is exercised daily. It also needs plenty of things to chew on which you don't value, such as chewing materials you can buy at pet shops. Staffies also swallow almost anything - so, to avoid taking them to the vet to have foreign objects surgically removed from their insides, they need good supervision and keeping under control.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 socialized from an early age and properly trained, owners can let their dogs roam at off leash parks with confidence. Staffie puppies are also quick learners and if properly trained and given clear boundaries from day one then are very obedient and loyal dogs to have. They are also ideal family pets as they love children and other pets if brought up with them. As with most breeds females are easier to train and less aggressive when they're older. However, given proper training and boundaries, dogs and females are lovely loyal pets.