Staffordshire Bull Terrier

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 Staffordshire Bull Terrier 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.

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 Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a dog with extreme strength for its size with unbeatable bravery. 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 Staffordshire Bull Terrier's gait, being well let down in the hock.
They may be coloured black, brindle, red, blue, 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 13-22 kg (29-48 lb) with female dogs on the lighter side and male dogs on the heavier side.
As with many breeds with show determined characteristics, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier can suffer from several health problems including cataracts, breathing and 'gas' problems. Animal welfarists often campaign to highlight the problems with set breed characteristics on this and other dogs' health.

Temperament

Bold, inquisitive and fearless the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is renowned for its reliability as a family 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 children or unfamiliar dogs. It is always good advice to avoid allowing your Staffordshire Bull Terrier to make eye to eye contact with strange dogs, as this is normally seen as a challenge. It must also be understood, that dog aggression is related to human aggression in this breed. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier that is aggressive to strange dogs may or may not be trustworthy to humans.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers 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.