Staffordshire Bull Terrier

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Staffordshire Bull Terrier

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With pronounced cheek muscles, short, broad head and tight-fitting coat, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier are rock-solid, muscular terriers. He retains the traits of courage and tenacity, resembling the pugnacious brawlers who once ruled England’s fighting pits. They enjoy the reputation of being patient with kids, which makes them true-blue loyal companions of the family today.

Other Names Staffy Bull
Color Black, Black & White, Blue, Blue & White, Brindle, Brindle & White, Fawn, Fawn & White, Red, Red & White, White
Height Males: 14-16 inches. Females: 14-16 inches.
Weight Males: 28-38 pounds. Females: 24-34 pounds.
Life Span 12-14 years
Personality Clever, Brave, Tenacious
Exercise Regular Exercise
Origin
Popularity #82
Groom Needs Weekly Brushing
Kids Friendly Yes
Dog Friendly Yes with supervision
Watch Dog Yes
Family Dog Yes
Litter Size 5-7 puppies

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Pictures

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Video

Introduction

The smooth, short, and tight-fitting coat of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier come in a variety of colors, which include black, red, blue, fawn, white, or brindle. Double-colored types have white markings combined with any of the above colors. It has strong shoulders, a broad chest, and a short and broad head. Staffordshires exhibit a high level of intelligence, tenacity, and drive.

A standard Staffordshire Bull Terrier stands at 14-16 inches from shoulder to paw. The male has a slightly stockier build than the female and they weigh between 28 and 38 pounds, while a similar female weighs less at around 24-34 pounds. The Staffy Bull has evolved from the cantankerous fighting dog in the pits to a gentle and affectionate companion of the family. They have an average life expectancy of 11-14 years.

Living with Staffordshire Bull Terrier

The Stafford has modest grooming needs with short, smooth coat. Begin getting your Staffordshire Bull Terrier used to being brushed and examined when he’s a puppy, making grooming a positive experience filled with praise and rewards, and you’ll lay the groundwork for easy veterinary exams and other handling when he’s an adult.

Brush the coat with a horsehair mitt or hound glove once or twice a week to keep shedding to a minimum and pull away dead hairs. And you should bathe him every three or four months to keep them clean. This breed has little odor, so he usually doesn’t require frequent bathing.

Check the ears weekly to remove dirt that can cause infection, irritation, or wax build up and wipe around the outer edge of the ear canal, and don’t stick the cotton ball any deeper than the first knuckle of your finger. Your breeder and your veterinarian can suggest a good routine and cleaning materials and will show you how to do it without damaging his inner ear.

Nails should be trimmed once per month if the dog does not wear down the toenails naturally to avoid painful cracking.

Brush the teeth at least once per week to prevent tartar buildup and fight gum disease. Daily brushing will help more.

Staffies are energetic and need a moderate-to-high amount of exercise each day to keep mentally and physically fit. The breed, with great intelligence, needs lots of mental stimulation to make themselves truly happy, relaxed and well-balanced.

A few long walks and a vigorous game of catch in the backyard will be sufficient to meet his exercise needs.

As diggers with a strong prey drive, they benefit from having a fenced yard to run around in, but they should not be left alone outside for too long, in which case they will get bored easily and become destructive.

Some Staffords prefer to play in water and will appreciate having a kiddie pool to lounge in on hot days, but they are not good swimmers, so you’d better take steps to protect them from falling into a swimming pool or spa.

The breed usually settles right in when they come back in the house after a good exercise session. Sensitive to the heat and the cold, the breed is not appropriate for outside living, and they should never be overworked in such condition.

Generally, this breed requires good quality of food whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian’s supervision and approval each day to meet his nutrition needs. But it’s important to feed the breed according to his age, size, activity level and metabolism.

Staff puppies should be fed with good quality diet that provides them with all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients they need to grow and develop properly. In general, the puppies need to be fed with same diet at least 3 to 4 times a day to avoid the puppy developing a tummy upset.

Adult Staffies can also be fed a small breakfast and then another meal in the evening with higher in protein because they are energetic dogs who need the extra nutrients to meet their daily needs.

Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight level to prevent some diseases that caused by obesity. 

Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

The breeder should learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any doubts about your dog’s weight or diet.

With an average life span of 12 to 14 years, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is generally healthy, but like all breeds, they may suffer from different health concerns, such as canine hip and elbow dysplasia, hereditary juvenile cataracts, skin conditions(including atopic dermatitis and demodectic mange),osteochondritis dissecans(a joint disorder)and gastric torsion, cystine urolithiasis, allergies, etc. 

Responsible breeders will screen their stock for health conditions regularly. Some common health tests include L2HGA DNA test, hereditary cataracts DNA test and ophthalmologist evaluation.

Be a reputable breeder who tests her breeding dogs to make sure they’re free of genetic diseases that they might pass onto the puppies. And as informed owner, and discuss any health questions or concerns you’re your veterinarian.

Total Annual Cost: $2889

Cost is estimated for the first year and may vary depending on many factors, such as dog food, health care, leash, collar, licensing, possible fencing, crates, training and obedience classes, dog-walking, grooming, treats, toys, flea, tick, and heart-worm meds, microchips, etc.

Independent and strong-willed, Staffordshire Bull Terriers are smart and they learn quickly, and they need consistent training that is patient and loving, yet firm. Most Staffies excel in advanced obedience and agility training and dog sports.

They were originally bred to fight other dogs, and most remain a strong prey drive. So the training of controlling their temperament traits to truly become a perfect pet is very important. Some trainers suggest letting your Stafford run for a bit before conducting training sessions to help calm his mind and keep him focused.

It is imperative that a Stafford should have clear and consistent training from his puppyhood, not only to learn about the rules, but also to accept that they must always follow them.

Always look for behaviors you can reward instead of punishing him for infractions, because harsh corrections could damage the dog’s self-confidence and personality.

Housetraining comes easily to the Stafford. Crate training can help the process and prevents your dog puppy from chewing on things he shouldn’t or otherwise getting into trouble when without supervision. 

As terriers, Staffies are natural hunters of small animals and can be trained for Earthdog trials. So if he ever shows signs of aggression toward other dogs, it’s best to keep training to the back yard or on leash.

History

Before the 1800s when it became outlawed, bull-baiting and bear-baiting using dogs were favorite blood sports in England. The activity involved a dog, which was usually a Bulldog bred for the purpose, let loose on a staked bull or bear. Such gory sports that involved killing animals prompted the passing of the Cruelty to Animals Act in 1835. This act banned the bull- and bear-baiting sports, although gamblers and blood sports lovers resorted to pitting the dogs against their kind which birthed a new kind of blood sport, dogfighting.

The history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a rather brief one, wound around the blood sporting era. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is believed to have developed from the lineage of the Bulldogs which were involved in the dogfights. The Bulldog was a champ at bull-baiting due to its size and tenacity. But what it had in size and doggedness, it lacked in speed and agility in the dogfights, as it was rather too sluggish. Hence blood sport breeders sought to cross-breed the Bulldog with several terriers. This resulted in the Bull and Terrier breed which pioneered the lineage of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Bull Terrier.

In the middle of the 1800s, James Hinks, a breeder set out to improve his Bull and Terrier dogs in order to create a dog that was unlike the Bull and Terriers used in dogfights. This resulted in what he later called the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, to indicate the place of its origin and distinguish the breed from the blood sport type. The Staffordshire breed came into North America in the 1880s, after which the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier was developed from it.

Helpful Information

Breed Club: STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER CLUB OF AMERICA

Breed Club Link: https://sbtca.com/

Breed Club Rescue:  SBTCA Rescue

Breed Club Rescue Link: https://www.facebook.com/sbtcarescue/