The Staffordshire Bull Terrier (informally: Staffie,
Stafford, Staffy or Staff) is a medium-sized, short-coated breed of dog. It is
an English dog, the fifth most popular breed, and related to the bull terrier.
Descended from bull baiting ancestors, it is muscular and loyal.
History
Before the 19th century, blood sports such as bull baiting,
bear baiting and cock fighting were common. Bulls brought to market were set
upon by dogs as a way of tenderizing 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 to resemble the
companion animals of today, but for the characteristic known as gameness, with
the pitting of dogs against bear or bull and exotic animals testing this
attribute along with the strength and skill of the dog. Landrace working dogs
crossbred with bulldogs provided the ancestral foundation stock for the
Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier and
American Staffordshire Terrier. This ancestor is traditionally known as a
"Bull Terrier", believed to be around 200 years old by the time of
the early 21st century, and is rather a class of races than a particular breed
.
These bloodsports were officially eliminated in 1835 as
Britain began to introduce animal welfare laws. Since dogfights were cheaper to
organise and far easier to conceal from the law than bull or bear baits,
bloodsport proponents turned to pitting their dogs against each other instead.
Dog fighting was used as both a bloodsport (often involving gambling) and a way
to continue to test the quality of their stock. For decades afterward, dog
fighting clandestinely took place in pockets of Britain and America. Dogs were
released into a pit, and the last dog still fighting (or occasionally, the last
dog surviving) was recognised 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." Despite being trained to be aggressive
towards fellow dogs, they had to be of good temperament with people as the
handler would have to bring the dog back to scratch for each round.
As time went on the modern breed has become one with a
temperament suitable for a pet and companion. It gained respectability,
becoming a dog worthy to show, and was accepted by The Kennel Club of the
United Kingdom as the Staffordshire bull terrier in 1935. Examples of the breed
currently found in the United States have no local fighting history, being
descendants of the later show dogs who migrated over the Atlantic from the United
Kingdom.
Appearance
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, stocky,
and very muscular dog, with a similar appearance to the much larger American
Staffordshire terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier, the latter of which has
much longer legs and outweighs the Staffie Bull by approximately 14 kg (30
lbs.) It has a broad wedge shaped head (male considerably more so than female),
defined occipital muscles, a relatively short fore-face, dark round eyes and a
wide mouth with a clean scissor-like bite (the top incisors slightly overlap
the bottom incisors). The ears are small. The cheek muscles are very
pronounced. The lips show no looseness. The teeth form a scissors bite. The
head tapers down to a strong well-muscled neck and shoulders placed on squarely
spaced forelimbs. They are tucked up in their loins and the last 1-2 ribs of
the rib-cage are usually visible. The tail resembles an old fashioned pump
handle. The hind quarters are well-muscled and are what give the Stafford drive
when baiting. They are coloured brindle, black, red, fawn, blue, white, or any
blending of these colours with white. White with any other colour broken up
over the body is known as pied. Liver-coloured, black and tan dogs can occur but
are rare and it is advised not to breed from either as well as those with light
eyes. The exception to the light eye rule are Blue staffies; all others should
have dark brown eyes even if fawn coat. The coat is smooth and clings tightly
to the body giving the dog a streamlined appearance.
The dogs stand 36 to 41 cm (14 to 16 in) at the withers and
weigh 13 to 17 kg (29 to 37 lb) for males; females are 11 to 15.4 kg (24 to 34
lb).[3]
Temperament
Although individual differences in personality exist, common
traits exist throughout the Staffords. Due to its breeding, and history, the
Staffordshire Bull Terrier is known for its character of fearlessness and
loyalty. This, coupled with its affection for its friends, its off-duty
quietness and trustworthy stability, make it a foremost all-purpose dog.
Affinity with people
Staffordshire Bull Terriers are friendly, enthusiastic and usually
extremely affectionate towards humans. They express their affection through
jumping up, nuzzling, licking and pawing, and even when trained can still be
'fussy' with owners and others. Staffordshires are perhaps not suitable pets
for those who prefer more reserved dogs. Staffordshires are notably adaptable
in terms of changing home or even owners, and unfortunately this can make them
easy prey for dognappers.
RSPCA chief vet Mark Evans said: "Staffies have had a
terrible press, but this is not of their own making—in fact they're wonderful
dogs. If people think that Staffies have problems, they're looking at the wrong
end of the dog lead! When well cared for and properly trained they can make
brilliant companions. Our experience suggests that problems occur when bad
owners exploit the Staffie's desire to please by training them to show
aggression."
Health
Staffordshire Bull Terriers are known to suffer from
Hereditary Cataracts (HC) and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L2HGA)—a metabolic
disorder resulting in behavioural changes and dementia-like symptoms—both of
which are detectable via DNA tests.
Distichiasis (commonly known as “double eyelash”) and
Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (or PHPV)—a condition whereby the
blood supply to the ocular lens fails to regress and fibrovascular tissue forms
causing hazy vision—both of which are checked by way of an ocular examination
throughout the life of a breeding stud or brood-bitch to minimise the transfer
and spread of these conditions.
The breed is known to be at a higher risk from mastocytoma
(mast cell tumours) than the general population of dogs.
A UK Kennel Club survey puts the median lifespan at 12.75
years. UK vet clinic data puts the median at 10.7 years.
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