The Official AKC Breed Standard & The Official UKC Breed Standard on Monday 19 March 2007 by Deb in content hits: 1830
Standards by American Kennel Club & United Kennel Club for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier
STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER
Official A.K.C. Breed Standard Approved November 14, 1989 Effective January 1, 1990
General Appearance
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a smooth-coated dog. It should be of great strength for its size and, although muscular, should be active and agile.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Height at shoulder: 14 to 16 inches. Weight: Dogs, 28 to 38 pounds; bitches, 24 to 34 pounds, these heights being related to weights. Non-conformity with these limits is a fault. In proportion, the length of back, from withers to tail set, is equal to the distance from withers to ground.
Head
Short, deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short foreface, black nose. Pink (Dudley) nose to be considered a serious fault. Eyes--Dark preferable, but may bear some relation to coat color. Round, of medium size, and set to look straight ahead. Light eyes or pink eye rims to be considered a fault, except that where the coat surrounding the eye is white the eye rim may be pink. Ears--Rose or half-pricked and not large. Full drop or full prick to be considered a serious fault. Mouth--A bite in which the outer side of the lower incisors touches the inner side of the upper incisors. The lips should be tight and clean. The badly undershot or overshot bite is a serious fault.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is muscular, rather short, clean in outline and gradually widening toward the shoulders. The body is close coupled, with a level topline, wide front, deep brisket and well sprung ribs being rather light in the loins. The tail is undocked, 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. A tail that is too long or badly curled is a fault.
Forequarters
Legs straight and well boned, set rather far apart, without looseness at the shoulders and showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point the feet turn out a little. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed. The feet should be well padded, strong and of medium size.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters should be well muscled, hocks let down with stifles well bent. Legs should be parallel when viewed from behind. Dewclaws, if any, on the hind legs are generally removed. Feet as in front.
Coat
Smooth, short and close to the skin, not to be trimmed or de-whiskered.
Color
Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any of these colors with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Black-and-tan or liver color to be disqualified.
Gait
Free, powerful and agile with economy of effort. Legs moving parallel when viewed from front or rear. Discernible drive from hind legs.
Temperament
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.
Official U.K.C. Breed Standard Recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1975
General Appearance and Characteristics
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is one that possesses great strength for its size. Although muscular, it is active and agile. Its character is one of indomitable courage, high intelligence and tenacity. Coupled with its affection for its friends, and children in particular, its quietness and trustworthy stability make it an all-purpose dog. It is smooth-coated.
Head
The head is short and deep through. The skull is broad. The stop is distinct. The cheek muscles are very pronounced. The foreface is short.
TEETH -- A full complement of strong, white teeth meet in a scissors bite; the outer side of the lower incisors touching the inner side of the upper incisors.
Serious fault: Overshot or undershot bites.
EYES -- Dark eyes are preferred, but may bear some relation to coat color. The round, medium size eyes are set on to look straight ahead.
Faults: Light eyes. Pink eye rims, except where the coat color surrounding the eye is white.
NOSE -- The nose is black.
Serious fault: Dudley nose.
EARS -- The rose or half-pricked ears are not large.
Serious faults: Full drop ear. Full prick ear.
Neck
The muscular, rather short neck is clean in outline and widens gradually toward the shoulders.
Forequarters
FORELEGS -- The straight, well-boned forelegs are set rather far apart at the shoulders, showing no looseness. The feet turn out a little at the pasterns, which are strong. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed.
Body
The body is close-coupled. The topline is level. The length of the backline, measured from the withers to the tailset, is equal to the distance measured from the withers to the ground. It is rather light in the loins. The front is wide, with a deep brisket. The ribs are well-sprung.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters are well-muscled.
HIND LEGS -- The stifles are well-bent. The hocks are well let down. The legs are parallel when viewed from behind. Dewclaws are generally removed from the hind legs.
The strong, medium-sized feet are well padded.
Tail
The medium-length tail is not docked. It is low-set, carried rather low and tapers to a point. It does not curl much, and may be likened to an old-fashioned pump handle.
Faults: Too long or badly curled tail.
Coat
The short, smooth coat is close to the skin. Neither the coat nor the whiskers are to be trimmed.
Color
Acceptable colors include red, fawn, white, black, any shade of brindle, and blue, with or without white.
Height and Weight
Height, measured at the shoulders, ranges from 14 to 16 inches.
Weight ranges are as follows: dogs, 28 to 38 pounds; bitches, 24 to 34 pounds.
Weight depends on the height of the individual dog.
Fault: Nonconformity with height and weight standards.
Movement
The free, powerful, agile movement is accomplished with an economy of effort. When viewed from the front or the rear, the legs move parallel. There is a noticeable drive from the hind legs.
Disqualifications
Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness. Albinism. Black and tan, or liver-colored dogs.
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