Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Good article Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox dog breed
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the Staffy or Stafford, is a purebred dog of small to medium size in the terrier group that originated in the northern parts of Birmingham and in the Black Country of Staffordshire, for which it is named. They descended from 19th-century bull terriers that were developed by crossing bulldogs with various terriers to create a generic type of dog generally known as bull and terriers. Staffords share the same ancestry with the modern Bull Terrier, although the two breeds developed along independent lines, and do not resemble each other. Modern Staffords more closely resemble the old type of bull terrier, and were first recognised as a purebred dog breed by The Kennel Club of Great Britain in 1935.
Within the broad sweep of dog history, the story behind the modern Stafford is rather brief and somewhat confusing because of the multiple aliases attached to these dogs in centuries past, such as the "Patched Fighting Terrier", "Staffordshire Pit-dog", "Brindle Bull", and "Bull-and-Terrier".<ref name="AKC2017" /> Similar crosses also had aliases such as half-and-halves and half-breds. Blood sports such as bull-baiting and bear-baiting were outlawed with the passing of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 by Parliament, making it illegal to bait animals but promoting the matching of dogs against each other. Dog breeders migrated away from the heavier bulldogs, and introduced terrier blood into their crosses for gameness and agility. These bull and terrier crosses produced the ancestral breeding stock that, over the course of decades, evolved into the modern conformation show dogs we know today as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Bull Terrier. It was shortly before the American Civil War that immigrants from Great Britain brought their bull and terrier crossbreeds into the U.S. They became the ancestral progenitors of the American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff), Miniature Bull Terrier, Boston Terrier, and American Pit Bull Terrier.
History
The unregulated breeding history and inconsistent genetic makeup of the Stafford's early ancestry have led to misconceptions about its origins.<ref name="Klerk 2019"/>Template:Rp Individual types and styles of crossbred dogs varied by geographic region.<ref name="Harris 2008">Template:Cite book</ref> For example, the progeny from one area may have a higher percentage of terrier than bulldog, whereas other reports claim that bulldog to terrier was preferred over bull and terrier to bull terrier.<ref name="Harris 2008" /> Dog breeders made careful selections to reinforce inheritable traits from specific dog types. Many of the mixed breed types, or mongrels that were used to create the early fighting dogs have long since evolved and stabilised into the modern purebred dogs we know today. Many of the desirable phylogenetic traits of the breed's ancestry have been preserved and further refined by selective breeding to better suit the Stafford's modern purpose as a conformation show dog, while the unwanted traits have been bred out.<ref name="Popular Science p. 126">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Two Bull Terriers
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In the mid–19th century, bull and terrier hybrids were known by several different aliases, such as the Patched Fighting Terrier, Staffordshire Pit-dog, Brindle Bull, and Bull-and-Terrier.<ref name="AKC2017">Template:Cite web</ref> They were also referred to as half-and-halfs, half-breds, or more commonly as the bull and terrier, although they were not true breeds in the same sense that modern dog breeds are known. However, at least six modern breeds can trace their ancestry to the bull and terrier crosses.<ref name="AKC-Flaim" /> Another common name used for bull and terrier was simply Bull Terrier, which became the name for the new breed that James Hinks developed.<ref name="Klerk 2019">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Hinks used various undocumented outcrosses, including Dalmatians and Collies, that devotees of the original strain considered undesirable. They chose instead to remain loyal to their preferred type.<ref name=KCdescription/><ref name=Hancock/> As a result, two different breeds of Bull Terriers emerged: the Bull Terrier, nicknamed the White Cavalier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, named for the county where it was developed.<ref name="AKC-Flaim">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Flaim-AmStaff">Template:Cite web</ref> The Bull Terrier's fighting heritage was left behind whereas breeders of Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the UK continued their illegal competitions which paralleled what was happening in the U.S. with the American Staffordshire Terrier; neither breed could gain official acceptance in their respective native lands. Journalist and dog expert Denise Flaim stated succinctly: "No established registry wanted to be affiliated with a dog that drew the blood of its own kind for a living."<ref name="Flaim-AmStaff" />
Recognition as a purebred
Traceable pedigrees did not exist prior to the founding of The Kennel Club (KC) in 1873, which was initially formed by a group of dog show fanciers who wanted to preserve the reputation of dog shows, while at the same time, avoid breeder fraud by establishing a dog's identity and documenting its pedigree.<ref name="Ritvo 1986 pp. 227–253">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Nature 2018">Template:Cite journal</ref> The first volume of The Kennel Club Stud Book was published in 1874, and included a list of dog shows and names of dogs that were exhibited at each show, beginning with the first dog show in 1859.<ref name="Ritvo 1986 pp. 227–253" /> Bull Terriers, and Bulldogs were also recognised and included in the first volume.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, it was not until 1935 that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was officially recognised by the KC.<ref name="KC-description">Template:Cite web</ref> It was much later, in 1974, that the American Kennel Club (AKC) accepted the Staffordshire Bull Terrier into its breed registry as its 121st official breed.<ref name="NYTimes.com 1974">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="American Kennel Club 2017"/>
Shared ancestry
Of the six distinct breeds that descended from the bull and terrier breeds, five are recognised by the AKC in the following order: Bull Terrier, Boston Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff), Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and Miniature Bull Terrier.<ref name="Harris 2008" />Template:Rp<ref name="American Kennel Club 2017" /><ref name="American Kennel Club 2017-AmStaff">Template:Cite web</ref> The same five breeds are also recognised by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC). The KC recognises only four of the breeds and does not accept the AmStaff or American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT).<ref name="Harris 2008" />Template:Rp The APBT is recognised by the United Kennel Club (UKC).
The KC, which was the first breed registry to accept the newly developed Staffordshire Bull Terrier into its Stud Book, stated that the breed "shares the same ancestry as the Bull Terrier, i.e. Bulldog crossed with the Black and Tan terrier, and was developed as a fighting dog." They further acknowledged that because of the dog's "early association with fighting it was, for some time, difficult to get recognition for the breed and it was not until the 1930s that The Kennel Club recognised the breed."<ref name="KC-description" /><ref name="KCSBT" /> The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) did not recognise the Stafford until 1952, and afforded more credence to the breed's bull and terrier heritage: "The Bull and Terrier might have disappeared if not for a group of fanciers led by Joseph Dunn, who appreciated the dogs for their own sakes and persuaded The Kennel Club (England) to recognise the breed as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the name of the English county where the breed was most popular."<ref name="CKC-origin">Template:Cite web</ref>
Other theories of origin
When comparing the centuries-old bull and terrier to the modern Stafford, Joanna de Klerk, DVM, author of The Complete Guide to Staffordshire Bull Terriers (2019), said that "being so similar to the original Old English Bulldog, which has since been bred beyond recognition, some argue the Staffie originates solely from that breed rather than having any Terrier in the mix."<ref name="Klerk 2019"/>Template:Rp Part of the confusion and misconceptions about the breed is due to the breed's inconsistent genetic makeup as a result of unregulated breeding practices beginning with the Staffie's origins and continuing much later into its development, well before traceable pedigrees existed. It is generally accepted that the Stafford descended from the 19th-century bulldog–terrier crosses that were later bred for dog fighting after blood sports were declared illegal.<ref name="Klerk 2019"/>Template:Rp But it wasn't until the early 20th century, well after selective breeding refined the bull and terrier crosses into what became the English Bull Terrier, that the Stafford eventually emerged, a breed standard was created, and in 1935, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was officially recognised by the KC.<ref name="Klerk 2019"/>Template:Rp
In the spring 2013 issue of The Stafford Knot, Jason Nicolai describes some important evolutionary factors in the breed standards of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier that are "very often misquoted and misunderstood."<ref name="SK-Evolution">Template:Cite web</ref> The standard for the modern Stafford aligns with the breed's transformation from its bull and terrier ancestry as a fighting dog to a modern conformation show dog.<ref name="SK-Evolution" /> Some book authors have compared nineteenth-century drawings or paintings to the visual appearances of modern Staffords. Author and Stafford enthusiast, James Beaufoy, wrote in his book Staffordshire Bull Terriers: a practical guide for owners and breeders (2016) that there is "interesting evidence" in some of the early 19th-century paintings that depict conformation and coat colour similarities of the modern Stafford when compared to the Old English Bulldog. One such painting is by artist Abraham Cooper (1817), titled Crib and Rosa.<ref name="Beaufoy" />
A.W.A Cairns was the editor of the online Stafford Magazine.<ref name="Stafford Mag">Template:Cite book</ref> Cairns believed a "Stafford-like animal existed at the turn of the 19th Century" and admitted, with the "possibility for slight prejudice", that "the only modern dog of this type is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier". However, Cairns does clarify that the pedigree inscribed on the plaque of the Crib and Rosa painting, specifically the words "the famous Staffordshire bitch", is not suggesting that it was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but that "it could be concluded that animals of that type, existed in that county before 1816."<ref name="KC Gazette 1987" /> The writings of both Cairns and Beaufoy align in that the "Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a relatively 'new breedTemplate:' " in the context of when it was first recognised by the KC.<ref name="KC Gazette 1987" />
In October 1987, Cairns wrote in the Kennel Gazette that "Kennel Club recognition of the breed is shrouded in mystery. Recognition was announced in the April 1935 Kennel Gazette in the name of Staffordshire Bull Terrier. There was no explanation as to how this came about. No Breed Club or Breed Standard existed."<ref name="KC Gazette 1987">Template:Cite web</ref> Cairns also drew attention to the similarities in the Bull Terrier and Stafford in the late 19th century, prior to the downface feature of the modern Bull Terrier: "At that time 'Bull Terriers' could be registered 'Sire, Dam and date of birth unknown', so in effect any dog could be registered as a 'Bull Terrier'. In consequence, many of the dogs registered were found to be, what became known as Staffordshire Bull Terriers."<ref name="KC Gazette 1987" />
DNA analysis
In 2017, a genome-wide study suggested that all of the bull and terrier–type dogs, including the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and five other distinct breeds, map back to the terriers of Ireland and to origins which date to the period 1860–1870. The timing corresponds with historical descriptions of dog fighting competitions in Ireland, a lack of accurate stud book documentation, and, as a result, undocumented dog crosses at the time when these breeds were first created.<ref name="Parker2017">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Pedersen Pooch Liu p.">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Potts 2015">Template:Cite web</ref>
DNA studies have brought some clarity to the hybridisation mystery of bull and terrier crossbreeding, suggestive of a New World dog within some modern breeds, but they do not positively identify all the breeds that were involved.<ref name="Parker2017" /> As supported by the DNA study, as well as the AKC and KC, references to the historic bull and terrier were not as a bona fide breed;<ref name="AKC-Flaim" /><ref name="Harris 2008" /> rather, the term was used to describe a heterogeneous group of dogs that may include purebreds of different breeds, or crosses of those breeds. Bull and terrier hybrids, or pit bull types are considered the forerunner of several modern standardised breeds.<ref name="VJ" >Template:Cite journal</ref>
Early protection
The Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 made blood sports illegal, and effectively stopped bull- and bear-baiting in the UK.<ref name="Beaufoy"/><ref name="Invention"/> Baiting required large arenas which made it easier for authorities to police, whereas illegal dog fighting was much harder to eliminate because fight sponsors kept their venues hidden and closely guarded in private basements and similar locations. As a result, dog fighting continued long after bull- and bear-baiting had ceased. It was not until the passage of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 that organised dog fighting in Britain largely came to an end.<ref name="Beaufoy"/>
The Kennel Club
"The early proto-staffords provided the ancestral foundation stock for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier."<ref name="SBT-1935">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Read 2013-Cabot Briggs">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1930, the name "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" first appeared in advertisements for dogs of the type.<ref name=Beaufoy/> Throughout 1932 and 1933, attempts to achieve Kennel Club (KC) recognition for the breed were made by dog-show judge and breeder, Joseph Dunn, but the Stafford's early origins as a fighting dog made it difficult to gain acceptance.<ref name=KCdescription/><ref name="SK-Link Past to Present">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Read 2013-Cabot Briggs" /> In early 1935, Dunn obtained permission from the KC to hold a variety dog show to see if it would attract Stafford owners to show their dogs; he offered cash as a special attraction. The show was held in April 1935 and was a success.
In May 1935, the KC approved the name "Staffordshire Bull Terrier"; the first name requested, "Original Bull Terrier", had been rejected.<ref name="KCdescription" /><ref name="Beaufoy" /> Dunn decided to form a club and invited other dog breeders to participate.<ref name="SK-Link Past to Present" /> In June 1935, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club was formed during a meeting at the Old Cross Guns pub in Cradley Heath; a breed standard was approved the same day, and further shows were held that year.<ref name="Beaufoy" /> Other pivotal breeders involved in acquiring breed recognition were Joe Mallen and actor Tom Walls.<ref name="Beaufoy" /> The first champions recognised in England were the bitch Lady Eve and the stud Gentleman Jim in 1939.<ref name="AKC2017" /><ref name="KCSBT">Template:Cite web</ref>
Phil Drabble reported that among the various types of bull and terrier, the type from Cradley Heath was recognised as a separate breed to be named the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> It was subsequently accepted by The Kennel Club in July 1935, marking an official milestone for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier's acceptance into the KC's breed registry.<ref name="SK-Link Past to Present" />
FCI
In 1954, the breed was recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale located in Thuin, Belgium.Template:R
American Kennel Club
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier are three distinct modern purebred dogs in the AKC Terrier group, all with a similar ancestry.<ref name="American Kennel Club 2017"/> Historically, the Staffordshire Terriers had arrived in America by the mid-1800s. After their arrival, two distinct breeds were developed, one of which some American breeders developed into a taller, heavier offshoot of the English version which became the American Staffordshire Terrier.<ref name="American Kennel Club 2017-AST">Template:Cite web</ref>
Initially, the AKC refused to recognise any breeds that were associated with dog fighting.<ref name="American Kennel Club 2017-AST" /><ref name="Flaim 2021-AmStaff">Template:Cite web</ref> The early Bull Terrier breed developed by James Hinks as a conformation show dog was recognised by the AKC in 1885. Nearly 50 years later, in 1936, AKC recognised the Staffordshire Terrier, later changing the breed's name to the American Staffordshire Terrier to avoid confusion with the English version.<ref name="Flaim 2021-AmStaff" /><ref name="American Kennel Club 2017-AST" /> In an effort to achieve AKC recognition of the English Stafford, Steve Stone organised the US Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club on 14 January 1967.<ref name=NYT-1971>Template:Cite news</ref> There were few Staffords in the country at the time, most being imports from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and other parts of the world.
The first attempts to encourage club membership and gain AKC recognition began with a rally held in the summer of 1967 which resulted in 14 memberships and 8 Staffords registered by the club. By year's end the count had increased to 39 registered dogs. Dog imports continued and the number of memberships and registered dogs increased, but it took nearly a decade of hosting sanctioned shows and demonstrating consistency in the breed standard by maintaining responsible breeding practices before the club acquired official AKC recognition.<ref name="American Kennel Club 2017">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="NYT-1971" />
In 1974, AKC officially recognised the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club, giving it recognition as the official AKC Parent Club representing the breed. The first Stafford to be registered and entered into the AKC Stud Book was Ch. Tinkinswood Imperial, an English import. An Australian import, Northwark Becky Sharpe, was the first U.S. champion.<ref name=NYT-1971 /><ref name="SBTCA 2021">Template:Cite web</ref>
Characteristics
Appearance
The Stafford is short-haired, and of roughly equal length from the withers to the tail and from the withers to the ground. The coat is short, stiff and close. It may be white; black, blue, fawn or red, all with or without white; or any variety of brindle, with or without white.<ref name=kc /><ref name="Hall" /> It has a broad head; the ears fold at the tip. It is muscular and well-boned, with strong shoulders, a wide chest and wide-set legs. It is agile and quite active. It is a terrier, and is so classified by the Kennel Club and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.Template:R The dog usually stands Template:Convert at the withers. Dogs weigh about Template:Convert; bitches approximately Template:Convert less.Template:R<ref name="KCdescription" /><ref name=kc />
Temperament
The Stafford has a reputation for pugnacity; when challenged by another dog it is known to not back away. They have a mixed reputation in the UK, with some people associating the breed with chavs.<ref name="Hall" /><ref name="Potts 2015" />
Health
A 2022 UK study of veterinary records found the breed to have a life expectancy of 11.33 years, slightly below the life expectancy of crossbreeds: 11.82 but just above the overall average of 11.23 years.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
A UK study found a predisposition to juvenile onset demodicosis in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier: In dogs under the age of two years 2.14% of Staffords had demodicosis compared to 0.48% overall.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> An American study found the same predisposition with 10% of Staffords having the condition compared to 0.58% overall.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Neurological disorders identified in the breed include cerebellar abiotrophy, Chiari-like malformation, myotonia congenita and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria.Template:R The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is one of the most commonly affected breeds for hereditary cataracts.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Popularity and use
The Stafford is considered a family pet and companion dog, and is among the breeds recommended by the KC for families.<ref name="KCdescription"/><ref name="Cornish 2019">Template:Cite web</ref> Relative to the breed's ancestral progenitors, the AKC states: "From his brawling past, the muscular but agile Staffordshire Bull Terrier retains the traits of courage and tenacity. Happily, good breeding transformed this former gladiator into a mild, playful companion with a special feel for kids."<ref name="American Kennel Club 2017"/>
In the decade 2011–2020, annual registrations with the KC fell from about 7000 to about 5000; in 2019 and 2020 it had the highest number of registrations in the Terrier group.Template:R It is among the most frequently registered breeds in Australia, France, and New Zealand.<ref name="Potts 2015" /><ref name="News.com.au" /><ref name="SCC" /><ref name="NZ-Herald" /> In the United States, it was in 81st place on an AKC list of registrations by number in 2020.Template:R
Pit bull comparisons
Modern Staffords are often confused with the fighting pit bull-types because they share common ancestors that date back to the early 1800s when pit fighting was a popular sport. As a result, Staffords are considered among the breeds with a stigma attached relative to the "chav culture",<ref name="Potts 2015" /> and have been termed "status dogs".<ref name="Unleashed: The Phenomena of Status Dogs and Weapon Dogs">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Dangerous 'status' dogs on the rise">Template:Cite news</ref> Globally, pit bull-types including Staffordshire Bull Terriers have made local news for acts of aggression, but breed advocates have raised questions about the veracity of visual breed identification, and media hype.<ref name="Washington Post 2012">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Adventure 2016">Template:Cite web</ref> News reports often treat the breed as one that attacks other dogs.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Similar breeds have been associated with bites to humans.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Early DNA research found some genetic links between breed and behaviour. A 2022 study from the National Human Genome Research Institute described in detail how non-coding variations in the dog genome are associated with behavioural traits of various breeds.<ref name=Dutrow>Template:Cite journal</ref> They found heritable patterns in terriers "consistent with working roles involving catching and killing prey".<ref name=Dutrow/> Another 2022 study, from the Broad Institute, concluded that most behavioural traits are heritable whereas behaviour "only subtly differentiates breeds".<ref name="Karlsson-2022">Template:Cite journal</ref> That study found that dog breeds that have been stereotyped as being aggressive, such as pit bull types, were not more aggressive than other dogs. The results of that paper indicate that dog behaviour is primarily "shaped by their environment, not their breed".<ref name = "Science-2022 DNA study">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear
Breed-specific legislation
In 2018, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lobbied the British Parliament to have the breed added to the list of restricted dog breeds in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the KC, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, and the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home all objected to the proposal. The proposal was rejected by Parliament;<ref name="Rodger 2018">Template:Cite web</ref> therefore, Staffords are not banned under the UK's Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.<ref name="Potts 2015" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the United States, dogs that are often defined as pit bulls and commonly banned in some counties include American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffords, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Bull Terriers.<ref name="Animal Legal & Historical Center 2012">Template:Cite web</ref> The CDC and ASPCA are among several agencies and organisations that have stood in opposition to the "theory underlying breed-specific laws—that some breeds bite more often and cause more damage than others, ergo laws targeting these breeds will decrease bite incidence and severity", as they do not believe it has been successful in practice.<ref name="ASPCA 2006">Template:Cite web</ref> As of June 2017, there were 21 states in the US that prohibited breed-specific legislation.<ref name="TODAY.com 2017">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Animal Legal & Historical Center 2021">Template:Cite web</ref>
Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier misnomer
In the UK, American Pit Bull Terriers are sometimes advertised as "Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier" in an attempt to circumvent the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.<ref name="Foggo-Lusher" /> The Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not recognised as a breed by the Irish Kennel Club or any other kennel club.<ref name="IKC-2014">Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable dogs
- Watchman – since 1882, the military mascot of the Staffordshire Regiment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Cooper – adopted in 2018 by the Staffordshire Police, the first of the breed in that police force. He worked as police dog until 2022, visited schools and appeared on Crimewatch Live.<ref name="Popular Staffordshire">Template:Cite news</ref>
Gallery
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Red & white -
black -
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Red -
Brindle -
Blue -
Brindle &white -
Fawn -
Black Brindle
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References
External links
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier 1935 - Staffordshire Bull Terrier history, statistics, links etc.
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier UK Club - Staffordshire Bull Terrier UK Club
- SBTpedigree - Staffordshire Bull Terrier Pedigree Search Engine