Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Even in the days of blood sport, the Stafford was always a family pet and companion dog, and is even more so today.[2] They are considered loyal, courageous and affectionate, and are among the dog breeds recommended by the KC as suitable for families.[2][6] They have a reputation for pugnaciousness, and when challenged by another dog it is characteristic of them to not back away.[5][7] It is recommended that puppies receive early socialisation; certainly before 18 months.[7] Staffords are healthy and robust dogs with a life expectancy of 12–14 years.[8] Hereditary eye conditions, including L-2 Hydroxy Glutaric Aciduria (L-2HGA) and Hereditary Cataract (HC-HSF4Hereditary, are known to occur in the breed. The condition is caused by a mutant gene that can be identified through DNA screening to determine if the dog is clear, a carrier or affected. The KC, AKC, various other reputable organisations and breed clubs run DNA screening schemes and maintain the results in an effort to accurately identify and eliminate undesirable genetic diseases.[9]

The Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 made blood sports illegal, and effectively stopped bull and bear baiting in the UK.[10][11] Bull and bear-baiting required large arenas which made it easier for authorities to police, whereas illegal dog fighting was much harder to terminate because fight sponsors kept their venues hidden and closely guarded in private basements and similar locations. As a result, dog fighting continued long after bull and bear-baiting had ceased. It was not until the passage of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 that organised dog fighting in Britain largely came to an end.[10]

In the early 1800s, “bull and terrier” crossbreeds had been developed to satisfy the need for vermin control and the taste for blood sports.[12] In the mid–19th century, James Hinks wanted to develop a socially acceptable "gentleman's companion" with refinement, cleaner lines, and courage without the aggressive tendencies.[13] Two different types of bull and terriers resulted, including Hink's cross of the bull and terrier with the English White Terrier to achieve a more refined appearance with better legs and a more appealing head. A later outcross included the Dalmatian and Collie which led to the development of an athletic white dog known as Hink's "white cavalier", the forerunner to the modern Bull Terrier.[2][14] Devotees preferred the original bull and terrier type over Hink's Bull Terrier, and remained loyal to their preferred type, which became the modern Staffordshire Bull Terrier of the same ancestry as the Bull Terrier.[2]

The Stafford was developed in what was then considered the "black country" of Staffordshire and northern parts of Birmingham.[2] There are two theories about the development of the Stafford as recognised by the KC registry.[10][14]

The first and more widely held theory is that the Stafford, like the Bull Terrier, descends from the long-extinct bull and terrier,[2][10] which originated as a cross between the ferocious, thickly muscled Old English Bulldog and the agile, lithe and feisty Black and Tan Terrier.[2][10] The aggressive Old English Bulldog, bred for bear and bull baiting, was often pitted against its own kind in organised dog fights, but it was determined that lighter, faster dogs were better suited for dogfighting than the heavier Bulldog.[10] In an effort to produce a lighter, faster, more agile dog with the courage and tenacity of the Bulldog, breeders outcrossed with local terriers and ultimately achieved success.[2][10]

The second less widely held theory is that the Old English Bulldog was not crossed with terriers; rather, the Stafford as a breed began with direct descendants derived from generations of selective breeding of early Bulldogs which produced a smaller dog with a more athletic build.[10][14] Some believe the theory is evidentially supported by certain genetic characteristics and similarities in the appearances of modern Staffords when compared to the Old English Bulldogs depicted in some of the early 19th-century paintings.[10][14]

In 2017, a genome-wide study revealed that all of the bull and terrier–type dogs, including the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, map back to the terriers of Ireland and to origins which date to the period 1860–1870. The timing coincides with historical descriptions of dog fighting contests in Ireland, a lack of accurate stud book documentation, and subsequently, the undocumented crosses of dogs during the time when these breeds were first created.[15] By 1874, in Britain the first Kennel Club Stud Book was published, which included Bull Terriers[16] and Bulldogs.[17]

The Stafford's early origins as a fighting dog made it difficult to gain recognition as a breed for entry in the KC's breed registry.[2][4] In 1930, the name "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" first appeared in advertisements for dogs of the type.[10] Throughout 1932 and 1933 attempts were made by dog show judge and breeder Joseph Dunn to gain breed registry recognition from the KC.

In early 1935, the first show was held on the bowling green of the Conservative Club at Cradley Heath and in May that year, the KC approved the name "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" (the first name requested, "Original Bull Terrier", was rejected by the Kennel Club).[2][10] In June 1935, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club was formed during a meeting at the Old Cross Guns pub in Cradley Heath. That same day, the breed standards were approved and further shows were held that year.[10] Other pivotal breeders involved in acquiring breed recognition were Joe Mallen and actor Tom Walls.[10] The first champions recognised in England were awarded in 1939 to the bitch Lady Eve and the dog Gentleman Jim.

Staffordshires, as the English bull and terrier crosses have been historically referred, first arrived in North America in the mid to late 1800s.[8] AKC would not recognize anything they deemed to be pit bull types into their breed registry as they neither endorsed nor wanted to be associated with dog fighting.[18][19] It was not until 1936, long after blood sports were banned and legislation was enacted, that AKC recognised and accepted the Staffordshire Terrier into its purebred registry, and in 1972 changed the name to American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff). AKC recognition of the English bred Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Stafford) would come two years later.[20]

In an effort to achieve AKC recognition of the Stafford, Steve Stone organised the US Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club, January 14, 1967.[21] There were few Staffords in the country at that time, most being imports from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other parts of the world. The first attempts to encourage club membership and gain AKC recognition began with the first rally held in the summer of 1967 which resulted in 14 memberships and 8 Staffords registered by the club. By year's end, the count had increased to 39 registered dogs. Dog imports continued, and the number of memberships and registered dogs increased exponentially but it would take nearly a decade of hosting sanctioned shows and demonstrating consistency in the breed standard by maintaining responsible breeding practices that the club would acquire official AKC recognition.[8][21]

In 1974, the AKC officially recognised the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club, giving it recognition as the official AKC Parent Club representing the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. On March 5, 1974, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was the 120th breed recognised by the AKC.[8] Confusion often arises over the Stafford and AmStaff being separate breeds, typically because of the similarities in nomenclature, appearances, ancestry, and variances between the standards of several different purebred registries.[8][20][22]

In the UK, American Pit Bull Terriers are sometimes advertised as Irish Staffordshire Bull Terriers in an attempt to circumvent the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.[37] The Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not recognised as a breed by the Irish Kennel Club or any other official breed registry,[38] and is attributed by the RSPCA to be contributing "to a rise in incidents of dog fighting". The editor of Dogs Today magazine described the Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed as "complete fiction".[37]