Is a Staffy Right for You?
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier
was bred in Birmingham, England in the mid-1800’s. They were specifically bred for bull-baiting and dog fighting. In the early days, these dogs were not bred for looks, they were bred to be tenacious and never quit. But it was also important for them to trustworthy with humans and only aggressive in the “pit” with other animals.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a Mix of
Bulldog and Manchester terrier and/or English White terrier, although there could have been other terriers used. From this mix, two distinct dogs arose: the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Bull Terrier.
While the Bull Terrier was Recognized
in England and by the AKC in 1885, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (which was considered a “commoners” dog) did not get recognition until 1935. The AKC did not recognize the breed until 1974!
Is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier a Pitbull?
PitBull “type” dogs are the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The American Kennel Club does not recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier as it’s own breed but it is recognized by some other kennel clubs. While the Staffy is a Pitbull “type” dog it is NOT an American Pitbull terrier!
According to FCI Breed Standard
the Staffordshire Bull Terrier can reach up to 16 inches in height and 38 pounds in weight. Accepted coat colors are:
“Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any of these colors with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Black-and-tan or liver color to be disqualified.”
Growing Up Staffy
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Staffy Humor!
In this Same Research
the Staffordshire Bull Terrier ranks 22 out of 124 breeds in trainability. Essentially, this means they are generally eager and willing to learn new commands and obey them quickly without distraction.
In the Landmark Book
entitled, “The Intelligence of Dogs”, professor Stanley Coren researched and documented the intelligence of over 130 different dog breeds. In his book, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier’s ranks 49th out of 130 breeds in working/obedience intelligence. Essentially this means they will learn new commands in 25 to 40 repetitions and obey first commands more than 50% of the time. This puts them in the “average working and obedience intelligence” category. In contrast, the lest intelligent breeds will require 80-100 repetitions to learn and follow the same commands and the most intelligent, 5 repetitions or less!
Are Staffy’s Natural Swimmers?
In one word “NO”. There are some that will do anything to avoid the water, others that may wade in water and a few that will actually jump in and swim. Because the their dense musculature, they are not very buoyant and have to work extra hard to stay afloat.
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About the Amazing Staffordshire Bull Terrier Dog Breed Infographic
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