Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Fierce looking, but with a tender and caring personality. Everyone who knows a Staffordshire Bull Terrier falls in love with him.  This breed had an undesirable beginning, but with its great character and its incredible physique, it managed to conquer its owners, who began to be proud of them. Today we will get to know and admire this peculiar breed even more.

History and origin of the Staffordshire bull terrier

The origins of the Staffordshire bull terrier are related to those of other bull breeds  .  They were bred to hunt and fight bulls.

Bull dogs are descended from large molossos, which were trained for combat. It is a direct descendant of the first British bulls, now extinct.

This breed arose from a mixture of these genes, bull type, with the genes of the Old English  terrier, also extinct. This was done to  achieve a mix of the strength and stamina of the former, with the happy and restless demeanor of the latter.

Originally, they were desired for clandestine dog fights, since, due to their physique and behavior, they were a winning dog. When these fights were banned around 1930, breed admirers decided to create a regular standard and officially introduce it as a registered breed.

Characteristics

The Staffordshire bull terrier is a medium sized dog. The desirable height is 35-40 cm in cross, in males and females. However, the desired weight is between 12 and 17 kg for males, and between 11 and 15 kg for females.

As can be seen, they are short and heavy dogs.  This is because staff are large and very muscular dogs  . The head is short and wide, like all bull dogs. The neck is wide, short and muscular. They have a broad, deep chest with a well arched back. The legs are short, separated and broad-boned. They also have a heavy, square-shaped body.

Thanks to these physical characteristics,  the “staffies” move in an agile and vigorous way.

Their fur is smooth and short. They can come in many different colors:  red, cream, white, black or blue, and any of these colors combined with white. There are also brindle colored stafforshire bull terriers.

Behavior

The Staffordshire bull terrier mixes the characteristics of bull and terrier breeds. He is brave, tenacious and intelligent, at the same time obstinate and patient.  It has a very balanced and predictable behavior  .

They are very active dogs that demand physical and mental exercise. They are athletic, loyal, fun and very friendly. Therefore, they are tremendously loyal dogs to their owner, and feel devotion to the humans who make up their family. Despite their ferocious animal appearance, they  are sweet, with a great desire to please their owner, and will not stop until they do.

However, it cannot be forgotten that he shares his genetics with bull dogs. In your relationship with other dogs, especially during play, they can be a bit brusque and other furry ones can misinterpret you.

Disputes can sometimes be generated with other dogs, due to the tendency of these Staffordshires to play with mouth blows or small bites. However,  it is nothing more than a joke, and disputes tend to be just that:  disputes within a joke.

The origin of this breed defines its character. They looked for dogs that were strong and brave, but affectionate, loyal and predictable in their dealings with people. Despite the bad start of their breed, they  are familiar dogs that keep a very good relationship with humans and other dogs.

care

The Staffordshire terrier is one of the dogs classified as Potentially Dangerous in  the eyes of the law, despite its good behavior. Therefore, in order to have one in the family, in some countries civil liability insurance is required. In addition, he will always have to walk around tied to the strap and with a muzzle.

The staff’s character is balanced and predictable, but in the face of any behavioral problem, respectful, kind and positive methods must be used,  as their stubbornness and bravery will prevent them from learning through pain  (punishment or training necklaces) or punishments (methods based on dominance).

It is an active and intelligent dog that needs both physical and mental exercises. He likes to run and play with other dogs, but he also loves nature walks and physical play with his owner, which is more than just chasing a ball.

Because they are smart and have a constant desire to please their owners, they  will enjoy learning any activity, whether basic obedience exercises or interactive toys.

The physical care of this breed is very simple, as with its short fur, only sporadic brushing is necessary so that the dead hair can be removed.

We must not forget to make periodic veterinary checks, to keep your vaccination book up to date and  ensure that the most common diseases in your breed  (cataracts and joint problems) do not harm your health.

Anyone who knows and lives with a staffordshire bull terrier cannot help but fall in love with these small but robust dogs. In addition to their imposing appearance, they have a tender and caring heart.