Staffordshire bull terriers

[dworx]

Watching the recent media rants on the supposed viciousness of the SBT, I am beginning to feel there is a secret agenda to make them the next banned dog. Just wondering if there is any Staffy lovers here that might also get this feeling?

[Slybacon]

I am very fond of staffies-

Most people don't realise that the staffy bloodline is almost the same as pitbulls and American staffies. SBT , APBT and Amstaffs are the only three separate breeds that required no other blood to create. Basically they are all the same but selective breeding within there own bloodlines causes the differences. SBT were originally created to take on the pitbulls in the fight ring. They were smaller with looser neck skin and were often trained to attack the ankle of the attacking dog whilst it wasted its time lock jawing the loose neck skin.

The history of dog fighting is very interesting. It has many similar traits to boxing. First you would take you dog and swap with your competitors dog. The dog would need to be quiet and calm enough to let the other owner take it and wash it ( in other words very friendly). When the dogs entered the ring they were restrained so that only there heads could cross. The fight was done in rounds and a round was won by getting into a position of dominance. Kinda like boxing rounds with points. At the end of the day alot of the dogs would be left to play together. They knew they only had to fight in the ring......

As for SBT being banned, not for a while yet. The biggest problem is with poorly breed pitbulls being fasley identified as Amstaffs or SBT.

For the record-

Amstaffs are the largest and most heavy set and were originally pitbulls who were line breed for show ring and agility comps. These dogs have very gracefull movement and a generally very good a weight pulls and agility comps. Alot of time has gone into selective breeding for temperment and looks.

Pit bulls are tall but generally slim and athletic and were line breed for dog fighting and bull baiting / hunting, generally the show breed bloodlines were registered as amstaffs and they were not as selectively breed for temperment

Brittish Staffs are tight and compact with heavy set muscles. They were originally breed by selective breeding to fight in the ring. The modern Staff is generally very very well tempered and this seems to have become the focus of the breed today.

Heres a picture of my Black Brindle Brittish Staffordshire bull terrier. He came from a hunting line and was very obedient and intelligent. My whole st cried when he died. Rest in Peace Mr Bojangles

[FancyPants]

Staffies are such beautiful sooks, I'd absolutely hate the breed to be "banned" just because of a few Fwits not bothering with at least basic training. Just as frustrating when a lot of people don't give basic training to their non-fighting bred dogs or little yappers and when they turn viscious or agressive dominant due to confusion it's either forgiven or forgotten because it's not a big dog or a mean-looking dog. Vast majority of the time it's the owner not the dog... time to ban incompetant owners.

[Alice]

Excellent info Slybacon, thanks.

You had a beautiful dog.

[dworx]

Fancypants I agree wholeheartedly, Sly the SBT standard changed from what it was, the British standard was a heavier and taller dog than what most breeders in Australia breed. I personally favor the bigger standard, however have dogs from both. I have just notice the media is really bashing the breed, then the couple fighting for the Amstaff and at the supreme court level, and as you say they come from the same Bull [dog] and terrier lines. That supreme court case stated that as they could not tell the difference between Amstaff and Am Pit bull than they are the same dog. I sincerely doubt that the same courts would be able to tell the difference between Amstaff, SBT & Am pit bull. The media showing stories of staffies killing 5 chihuahuas etc

Edited May 4, 2010 by dworx

[Slybacon]

^^^ yeah my fella was heavier and taller then most. Are you saying the old standard was of a similar size to most Amstaffs????

EDIT> where are you located, Im going to get another staffiy in the next 12 months, was considering rescuing one but im keeping my options open.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Slybacon

[dworx]

I am in QLD The Wide Bay area, we are just stepping back from the whole breeding thing, but we have a litter on the way our final litter [ White pied dog x blue bitch ] for a couple of years. We want to enjoy our dogs for a while in a pack level way.. There are a lot of breeders out there and I recommend looking at dogzonline.com.au there are sometimes rescue dogs, mature, pups, and right now the market is really heavily flooded - so prices are really low as compared to say six months ago.

Edited May 3, 2010 by dworx

[dworx]

Sorry, on the Amstaff size - yeah they were probably similar I don't know the Amstaff standard but the old SBT standard was two inches taller and I think dogs were 22 to 24kg from memory where todays standard is 12.7-17kg and 14-16". I have an 8mth old boy about 20kg at the moment, and he is a big teddy. Bitches are same height weighed less.

[dworx]

Press on Bad Behaviour

Since the UK Dangerous Dogs Act made it illegal to own breeds such as the pit bull terrier, the press have reported many cases of attacks by Staffordshire Bull Terriers or dogs described as a 'Staffordshire bull terrier cross' on children, adults and family pets.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] The RSPCA fears that breeders are re-naming pit bulls as Staffordshire bull terriers to avoid prosecution.[13] Also, the description 'Staffordshire terrier cross' is frequently a euphemism for a dog such as the American Pit Bull Terrier. However, the Staffordshire bull terrier, like all dog breeds, is capable of dangerous behavior. A New South Wales state government report analysing 793 dog attacks in late 2009 identified the Staffordshire bull terrier as the leading breed of dog responsible for biting humans (ahead of the Australian Cattle Dog, German Shepherd and Jack Russell Terrier).[14] "Staffordshire" type dogs topped a similar NSW government report in 2006.[15][16] However, while the report identified 279 of the 2325 total recorded attacks as by "Staffordshire" dogs, only 1 of those 2325 reported attacks was positively identified by the report as by an "English Staffordshire" (A.K.A. Staffordshire Bull Terrier). In contrast, 58 of those attacks were positively identified as by an "American Staffordshire," a uniquely different breed that is about 1/3 larger than the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.[17][18]

sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_Bull_Terrier

[Slybacon]

The boy above was 26Kg in his prime

As for staffies being dangerous, any large dog is dangerous but to be honest people scare me more. You dont know love to you've owned a staffy ;)

Pit bulls are beautifull dogs as well but haven't been protected as much by breeders. Alot of teenage boys and bogan males swapping and trading less then well bred dogs. Dogs selected for aggression and looks. As long as these people keep telling everyone "its a staffy cross mate" the staffordshire bull-terrier breed will be under threat. It makes me wonder if it fits in with dis arming the people. No - guns , no dogs , no knives no try and rebel!!!!

Edited May 3, 2010 by Slybacon

[shruman]

Bastids killed our gorgeous sookie Buddha, a Staffie x Pittie. First it was just Pit Bulls then after a while they changed it to pitie x. The ranger that took her cried but had to do his job (or quit but apparently he did'nt take that option) anyway it sucked, she was such a gorgeous loving dog & a big softie with lotsa love to give to our whole family, no matter how much she was poked or prodded or "played" with. Her & our chihuhua x foxie were an inseperable couple too.

Stupid thing is if your rich enough does'nt matter what the breed or temperment is you could still keep your dog. We were told we could have a breed assessment that would have cost over $300 & if they decided she was a Pitbull x we could then get a temperment assessment another $300- 400 & even if the dog has a bad temperment you could still keep them in an enclosure but we were told the price of an apropriate enclosure was $5000 & we were renting so it was'nt feasible for us to persue.

As others have said it aint the dog but the owner.

Fuckers

[rogdog]

Staffs are nice dogs, if they have strong, responsible owners. But if we cant smoke them or extract from them, why are they taking up bandwidth at this place?

[dworx]

Sly that is where I was pointing - dis arm the people switch on TV and obey.. I agree Pitbulls are good dogs also, never had one but all I have met were of goodtemper and so were there owners.

Rog - what the fuck is wrong with you man, are we in a grow thread or a chem thread, the title of the thread is SBT if you don't like it STFU, and just dont post any useless comments. Some people consider their dogs to be members of the family, but all dogs consider owners to be members of their pack [i.e canine tribe]

[PD.]

Us? banned? I doubt it!!!

while the report identified 279 of the 2325 total recorded attacks as by "Staffordshire" dogs, only 1 of those 2325 reported attacks was positively identified by the report as by an "English Staffordshire"

[Slybacon]

Origins of the American Staffordshire Terrier

The ancient ancestors of the Am Staff are the mastiff type dogs who appear in many breed histories. Although much of this information is lost in antiquity, we know from early art of the large, heavy-headed strong dogs who were used throughout history for their strength and guarding abilities. This early group of dogs has left genetic material for all the bulldog breeds and mastiff type dogs of today.

In earlier days in England, mastiff types were bred down to smaller size and some became bulldogs (actually bulldogs were named because they were used to hold on to bulls or cattle/oxen). Originally the dogs were butchers dogs or farmers dogs who helped move the cattle around and held them still fore their owners. They kept them still literally by holding on to them, usually by the nose. It became a customary entertainment in England to watch as the butcher’s dog caught the bull and held in while it was killed by the butcher. For some reason the common folk began to think that meat that had been harried by the dog before dying was tastier than the meat the had died peacefully. There was for a time an English law enacted that the butcher MUST bait the bull with a dog before butchering it ! The entertainment value was so great, that the Queen reportedly even forbid other butchers from killing their stock on the same day her royal butcher did, so that the commoners would watch her dogs work.

Eventually this sport gave way to some other type of meat tenderizer and the dogs were used on other "game". One of these uses was rat killing. The English seem to have had lots of rats and folks amused themselves by watching dogs put into "pits" (arenas) with hundreds of rats. OF course betting was done on how many could be dispatched how fast. This called for a smaller, faster dog so some of the now extinct English terriers were crossed with the bulldog. These were probably Black and Tan terriers (similar to today’ Manchester) and the old White terrier. Rates were too easy, so these sporting souls were always thinking up new challenges for their dogs. These early bulldogs and now bull-and-terriers were used to fight bears, stage, badgers, and each other. Dogs were more easily come by than bears, which were probably getting kind of scarce in England, and dos were probably easier to keep for a commoner than expensive cattle.

The bull-and-terriers evolved into three of our modern breeds: the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier.

The early bull-and-terrier came to America with immigrants from England and Ireland. Here some grew bigger and taller in response to their duties in a new and wilder country. Some stayed in cites and were kept by the same type of "sporting" owner as in England and Ireland. These were fought against each other around the pubs of New York, Chicago, and Boston (and other cities of course). A product of some of these dogs is the very American breed of Boston Bulldog, or Boston terrier as it is now known. These used to be 35-40 lb dogs, and except for the shorter bulldog face and screw tail were very similar to the early Am Staff (or Pit Bull, Bulldog, American Bulldog, Bull and Terrier, Yankee Terrier, some of the names these dogs were know under then).

The Larger bull-and-terrier was still a farm dog and stockman’s dog. He followed the wagons west with the settlers and helped work stock and guarded the homestead. He was a general purpose homestead dog, much as the dog describe in the book and movie, Old Yeller. He ran with the hounds on hunting expeditions, exactly as depicted in the old movie, The Yearling, and although not as fleet or strong of nose as the hounds, he was still the "catch" dog who dispatched the animal when it turned at bay.

By the late 1800’s a fighting dog registry was started in America to keep track of the prized pedigrees and publish the rules for fighting organization in the country. The United Kennel Club registered the dogs as American Pit Bull Terriers. Sometimes this was written as American (pit) Bull, or American Bull Terrier. Mostly they were known as bulldogs, or Pit Bulls.

Although it is this dog fighting background that is mostly remembered, only a relatively small number of the dogs were fought. Most of them went on being farmer’s and general purpose countrymen’s dogs, and still worked stock, penning and guarding and helping, just as they had done in their earliest days.

In the early 1930’s a group of fanciers petitioned the American Kennel Club to accept their dogs into the registry. These dogs already registered with the United Kennel Club, but their owners had no interest in dog fighting. They wanted to promote their breed as family dogs and show dogs. They formed a national breed club and wrote a standard for the breed. Much agonizing was done over the proper name for the breed, and the American Kennel Club was not inclined to register them with the same name as the United Kennel Club did. Finally they were accepted with the name of Staffordshire Terrier in 1936. This was just a year after the English bull-and-terriers under the same name of the Staffordshire Bull Terriers were recognized with the Kennel Club of England. The standards of both the English and American breeds were written similarly, and even contained some identical phrases. The authors of both kept in touch with each other, working toward their common goad of acceptance by their kennel clubs. At that time, the dogs described were more similar in size and structure than the breeds appear today.

In the early 1970’s the name of the Staffordshire terrier was changed to American Staffordshire terrier with the American Kennel Club recognized the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed.

Even as the late as the 1960’s, the AKC stud books were opened to permit United Kennel Club registered American Pit Bull Terrier to compete in AKC shows as American Staffordshire Terriers. Some exceptional dogs were brought into the AKC registry at the time, some even winning the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America National Speciality and an all-breed best in Show. Their influence is still strong in some breeder’s lines today.

The American Staffordshire Terrier has an amazing identity problem. The same dog can still be registered the Untied Kennel Club (which is no longer a fighting dogs registry, but an all breed registry similar to the American Kennel Club), and/or with the American Dog Breeder’s Association, as an American Pit Bull Terrier and if its parents were registered with the AKC, it can also be registered by the AKC under the name of the American Staffordshire Terrier.

Some of the breeders of both American Staffordshire Terriers and American Pit Bull Terriers will tell you that they are not the same breed and the "the other registry group" is ruining the breed.

However, the only real difference between these dogs is their name and registry, and the individual breeder’s selections and goals. There was no other breed of dog added to the bloodlines to create American Staffordshire Terriers.

This breed, under several of its names, along with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has been under attack by anti-dog groups and has been wrongly maligned by the media. The generic name of "pit bull" has now become a term to denote a dog used for fighting, no matter what its genetic background, much like saying "bird dog" or "guard dog". Most of the dogs now called that, we would all call mixed breeds. However, there is still a Breed of dog called American Pit Bull Terrier, and many of them trace their pedigrees back to the 1800’s. Many of them are still exactly where they have always been, working at their jobs and being faithful companions.

This article was written by the S.T.C.A breed study.

American Staffordshire Bullterrier

Female

Male

http://www.amseraphsamstaffs.com/Home.htm

 

[dworx]

Thanks for the info Sly interesting, I knew about the mastiff style origins and that Staffies along with rotties and St. Bernards etc are only two steps down the ladder from the marauding Aryan devildog that were apparently sent into towns etc before the conquering blow was delivered by the Aryans, HEnce the spread of the differing types of dogs to so many regions, and so long before the bull & terrier.

[Quill]

Goddamn that is a cute dog Sly. Ive wanted a staffy for like 7 years. was just forgetting about them. Love the name Mr Bojangles, my favourite bong was called Mr Bojangles

[nabraxas]

Originally the dogs were butchers dogs or farmers dogs who helped move the cattle around and held them still fore their owners. They kept them still literally by holding on to them, usually by the nose. It became a customary entertainment in England to watch as the butcher’s dog caught the bull and held in while it was killed by the butcher.

That sounds abit unlikely.

Some other descriptions ov the history ov bull baiting:

http://www.bulldoginformation.com/bull-baiting.html

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-bear-bull-baiting.htm

Edited May 4, 2010 by nabraxas

[Slybacon]

From the Links above >

The following anecdote of a Bulldog bitch appeared in Sporting Magazine, January 1824: A butcher brought a bitch accompanied by her litter of puppies to a bull-bait. Upon letting the bitch loose, the butcher exclaimed, "Now gentlemen, I will say nothing of the goodness of this breed; you will see." Although she had scarcely a tooth in her head, the bitch immediately pinned the bull. The butcher then cut her to pieces with a hedge-bill, and she only quitted her hold with her last breath. There was instantly a great demand for her puppies which the butcher sold for five guineas apiece.

Another man, confident of the pure blood and intensive courage of his dog, proposed a trifling wager: that he would at four distinct intervals deprive the animal of one of his feet by amputation, and that after every individual deprivation, the dog, on his stumps, would continue to attack the bull. The dog attacked as his master had predicted. His master then called him off, and as soon as the dog had limped bleeding into his master's arms, cut off his head-certainly the more merciful action of the two.

 

[GingaNinja]

WTF

[dworx]

Man does have a bad history of cruelty towards animals / for profit..

[FancyPants]

OK that's F-ed UP! And most of the reason why this breed has been targeted; because of what some of the owners use them for. On the other hand regrettably, the breed probably wouldn't exist if it weren't for the original purpose... Doesn't mean we have to keep doing that though poor dogs

My brother's staffy bitch had a litter with a cattle dog that got into their yard 2 years ago and they couldn't sell all the pups so I called my flatmate at the time who I knew had been wanting a dog. I took the only male from the litter and brought him home. Flatmate called him Truck:

Unfortunately Flatmate was a lazy and negligent F*** when it came to his dog so he never taught him anything and rarely took him for walks. I offered to train basics since I was home a lot but he didn't want me to. Being half staff, half cattle dog he was very energetic and mischievous but very loving and eager to please so he could've easily been reined in with good long walks and basic commands, but nooo... Truckie ended up eating a lot of my plants which I had only just started building up in the yard. I never blamed Truck though. Eventually Flatmate moved out for his job, left Truck here until he had a house with a yard, then dumped poor Truckie on another mutual friend who had two other staffies but wasn't home a lot. By then though Truck had become wary and a bit nervous, but whenever I saw him at this friend's place he was still extremely affectionate towards me. NOT good in a staffxcattle. Flatmate wouldn't even get him desexed even though I'd told him plenty of times it would be a bad idea not to in this situation. Eventually Truck got out of our other friend's yard and hasn't been seen since. It breaks my heart to think I rescued him from probably being put down, only to have him either run away and picked up by a ranger (and likely put down) or picked up by some sick bastard who'd use him for backyard dogfights which I imagine he'd be very good at.

I wish I'd gone against Flatmate's wishes now and gave him the basics he really needed. Respect for FM be damned.

[dworx]

Taken from http://www.brookshirestaffords.com/breedinfopage.htm has some old photos of old staffies

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER

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The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is an intense, energetic dog with exceptional strength and stamina.

He has been described as: .

Versatile

Highly Intelligent

Determined

Fearless

Confident

Tenacious

Loyal

Affectionate with family especially children

Devoted

Dependable

Tolerant

Adaptable

Demanding

Totally Reliable

Back to top

THE ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT AND PURPOSE OF THE STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER

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The first two champions of the breed. Ch Gentleman Jim (left) and Ch Lady Eve. Both titled 4th May 1939

A typical working foundry scene

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The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the smallest and most compact of the bull breeds, breathed life in the early 1800s and is a cross between the bulldog of that day and the old English Terrier, a now extinct breed. Impoverished miners and ironworkers of Staffordshire, then a poor industrious county famous for its rich coal and iron deposits, cultivated the breed and the core character traits of the Stafford - boldness, fearlessness and reliability emerged. In contrast to the Black Country landscapes (a legacy due to the smoke from the many thousands of iron working foundries and forges) Staffordshire boasts pottery giants Royal Doulton and Wedgewood and whilst Josiah Wedgewood was slaving away at his kiln in the 1700s, just down the road the Staffords' forebears were probably being readied for another round of bull-baiting. It was thought beef would be tough unless the beast was 'hot' before slaughter and so Staffordshire Bull Terriers were developed to tease cattle. Whether an honest belief or an excuse for cruelty, bull-baiting was a popular pastime, later replaced by dog fights. Today's dog, however, is literally centuries away.

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With the introduction of the Humane Act in 1835 thankfully these horrific bloodsports were officially outlawed. 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. It is this exceedingly cruel history that gives the Staffordshire Bull Terrier 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''.

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AUSTRALIAN HISTORY

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In 1951 Mr and Mrs W Stevens emigrated from England, bringing with them a pair of Staffordshire Bull Terriers named “Tinkers China” and “Bills Hope”. Both were “J” line. Intending to settle in Queensland, they sailed first into Melbourne then Sydney and contacted the Controls and registered the pair as the first of the breed to be recorded. In Queensland their prefix “Westaff” was the first to be recorded. A litter from the pair was born in quarantine. Early fanciers of prominence were Mr J Johnson (Raijoh), Mr R Orpin from Bundaberg (Nipro) who imported a bitch named Loggerheads Jeannie from NZ in the late fifties, and Dr I Lamb (Rettendon) who bought her pet bitch, Brindle Babs of Bandits, with her when emigrating in 1958. Another fancier Mrs A Knight (Kumbari) who made up the first Australian champion of the breed called Ch Westaff Red Devil (Tinkers China x Bills Hope). In 1961 Rettendon imported another bitch from NZ named Redheads Gigi. In 1966 the breed was given a much needed boost by the arrival of a pet dog owned by Mr R Pavey named Constones Cadet Again. In 1967 Dr L Davidson (Olmoday) imported Linksbury Modesty Blaize (UK) and Lydes Jaguar of Linksbury (UK) as puppies. In 1969 Olmoday imported another bitch, Linksbury Isola of Olmoday (UK). The combination of these dogs improved the breed enormously in Queensland and filtered interstate during the early ‘70s where they also made their mark. Other imports during the early ‘70’s included Loggerheads Jickory (NZ), Ramlyn Tomahawk of Linksbury (UK) and Loggerheads Gewalt (NZ) was acquired by Olmoday between 1970 and 1974. During the later ‘70s fanciers bought stock from interstate, these included Crossguns Justice by Mrs M Murry (Boyendale), Crossguns Deputy Winks for the Mackay area by R and D Jenks (Pitstaff), and for the Cairns area Crossguns Newman Noggs by R and R Bowen (Safbown).

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The ‘80s have seen many imports, 1981 Red Ruby (UK), owned by M Douglas (Headstart), 1985 Pitstaff imported Eastaff Bruiser (UK), both these dogs are making their mark throughout Australia. In 1986 T Sinn introduced Crossguns Mr Cobbs and Havildar of Tarlair (NZ) and a bitch, Aanjuli of Tarlair (NZ). In 1988 R and D Jenks (Pitstaff) brought in Eastaff Likey Lad. These can only contribute to the advancement of our chosen breed. The popularity of the Staffordshire has reached huge proportions resulting in large entries at most shows where they usually have the highest entry in the terrier group. They have come a long way from their humble beginnings, and are now a force to be reckoned with in competition with other breeds.

Courtesy Queensland Dog World September 1988

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TEMPERAMENT

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The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented of all the terrier breeds, without doubt one of the most stereotyped in regards to exaggerated temperaments. Ironically, this frequent tabloid targeted and assassinated breed is Australia’s most popular terrier as well as one of the countries most loved breeds.

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The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a breed that has many supporters and perhaps just as many cynics. Over the generations the Stafford has put his fighting history behind him and his other famous trait, as a loving family member, has earned him a place in the hearts of many. Stafford owners recommend their dogs as confident, people-loving dogs. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is intelligent, energetic and courageous, and is renowned for being exceptionally good with children. Highly affectionate and loyal to their owners, Staffords are also welcoming to new people.

Often held responsible for many of the unpleasant attacks reported on humans and other animals, the Stafford can polarize public opinion. When spoken of, people will generally fall into one of two camps, those strongly for the breed and those strongly against. Personally you have nothing to fear from a Stafford (except maybe personal ignorance and prejudice) as his fighting past was purely as a combatant towards other dogs and not as an aggressor to man. It should be noted that whilst generally not the aggressor of a quarrel he will respond if challenged. They were, after all, a man made gladiatorial breed developed at a time when man was less than humane to man and definitely less accommodating towards their animals.

Staffords will do anything to please their human friends and can be relied upon to uphold their Breed Standard at all times. They are highly intelligent and affectionate especially with children. One concern for existing and potential owners of this breed is the negative media hysteria that arises from time to time. As advocates of this wonderful breed it is essential that ALL owners diffuse this hysteria and educate the detractors of the breed to the correct and wonderful Stafford temperament. The greatest disservice we can do to the breed is tolerate dogs with bad temperaments towards people. It should be noted the cross breeds generally have the market of this offence.

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A Stafford will generally not be an effective guard dog simply because the breed assumes human intentions are honest intentions, regretfully sometimes to their detriment. The Stafford will passionately defend its family from physical harm, conversely, uninterested in worldly possessions, he will gladly show any burglar your best silver with the distinct Stafford grin and the jaunty air of self confidence the breed is renowned for.

Staffords are a breed that very much needs family interaction. They are not a dog that can be left alone in the backyard to amuse themselves. Being an active breed they love to have a regular walk (a long walk once a day is sufficient though of course they will welcome more), a ride in the car and in general be included in your family's day to day routine activities. We will never come into contact with another breed of dog that will show as much faithfulness, companionship and loyalty as the Stafford.

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As part of Responsible Dog Ownership it is imperative to train them to behave in public and respect other dogs. Puppies can be easily trained to obey house rules and obedience training can be an excellent avenue to provide socialisation with other animals. A Stafford that has been raised with other pets will foster an eternal friendship. Nurturing responsibility with discipline and avoid abusing the Staffords potential for aggression is pivotal to achieve the correct disposition. Inevitably when the vandals of the world come into possession of the breed, inflicting misery and menace, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier's temperament is a reflection of its owner, treated correctly he is bold, fearless and totally reliable, treated callously, he will mirror his owners malicious intent towards society.

Are you bold, fearless and totally reliable?

Written by Brookshire Staffords (updated June 2007)

Edited May 6, 2010 by dworx

[incognito]

what should be banned is cockheads owning dogs.

i reckon u should have a license to own a dog, one that takes into account a criminal check, that u have suitable fencing and housing for the dog, and a general course in dog ownership. with an onus on the owner to provide the correct nutrition, exercise and medical treatment for the animal(vaccinations etc)

99% of the time its not the dog, its the owner.

[dworx]

a crim-check to own a dog- WTF, maybe a psych assess, no license although that just equals dog registration so it is already there......