History of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier exhibits an incredible blend of intelligence, courage, and tenacity tempered with a sweet affection for his family. As a breed, it is often shrouded in myths and misconceptions about its history and origin. Read on to learn the truth about the origin of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and what is the difference between this breed and others similar in name and appearance.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or “Staffie” as fans of the breed call it, dates back to Elizabethan England when an ancestor of the Bulldog was used in a blood sport called bullbaiting (also bearbaiting). This dog was closely related to the mastiff and weighed between 100 and 120 pounds.

Around the 19th century, when bullbaiting was outlawed, dog fighting quickly gained popularity and massive bullbaiting dogs were crossed with smaller terriers and a smaller and faster breed of dog was born, weighing around 60 pounds. This dog became known as the “Bulldog Terrier” or “Bull and Terrier” and was further refined by crosses with a Manchester Terrier ancestor. This produced a dog around 30 to 45 pounds that came to be known as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is the parent breed from which the English Bull Terrier arose (1860), and later when it was exported to North America around 1880, the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier.

The American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier look very similar to each other and people often hotly debate whether or not they are separate breeds. To clear things up a bit, the American Pit Bull Terrier was first recognized by the UKC and then by the AKC. However, when the American Pit Bull Terrier was entered into the AKC registry, the name was changed to the American Staffordshire Terrier, as the AKC noted on its website, http://www.akc.org, “As the the breed moved to America the names Pitdog and Pitbull Terrier stuck. However, American breeders wanted a heavier animal than the British breed, hence the name American Staffordshire Terrier. This is the breed commonly known as a Pit Bull.” .

Although certain breeders have pursued slightly different goals with the American Staffordshire Terrier, often referred to as the AmStaff, and the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT), the two remain virtually indistinguishable and it is possible for a single dog to simultaneously register as an AmStaff with the AKC. and as an APBT with the UKC.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, however, is a different breed. It’s official, the AKC standard states that the Staffie measures between 14 and 16 inches; male dogs weigh between 28 and 38 pounds and females between 24 and 34 pounds. This is in contrast to AmStaff, which has no such size or weight limit. The color of the Staffie is also restricted, allowing red, fawn, white, black, blue or brindle or any of these colors with black and white and tan and liver disqualifying. AmStaffs can be any color except white (80% or more). ).

Described by the AKC as “the ultimate all-purpose dog,” the Staffordshire Bull Terrier can make both an intelligent, loving family dog ​​and a fearless, tenacious protector. A good dog with a rich history!