[edit] History
During the nineteenth century, dog fanciers in
England,
Ireland, and
Scotland began to experiment with crosses between
bulldogs and
terriers, looking for a dog that combined the
gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog.
[1]
In the late 1800s to early 1900s, two clubs were formed for the specific purpose of registering APBTs: the
United Kennel Club and the
American Dog Breeders Association. The United Kennel Club was founded in 1898, and was the first registry to recognize the breed, with the owner assigning the first number to his own APBT.
[2]
The dog was bred first to bait bulls and bears.
[3] When baiting bulls was deemed inhumane,
ratting, a sport where a number of rats were placed in a pit for a specified time with the dog, and dogfighting became more popular. The APBT was used in both sports, and its prevalence in being put in pits with rats led to 'pit' being added to its name.
[4] With time, the dogs became more commonly used as house pets due to their friendliness towards people.
[5] In America, farmers and ranchers used their APBTs for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, and to drive livestock.
[6] The dog was used during World War I and World War II as a way of delivering messages on the battlefield.
[5]
The name "
Staffordshire Terrier" was adopted by some owners as a way of distancing the breed from a name with a stigma, and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. Later, the word "American" was added to reduce confusion with its smaller British cousin, the
Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Once an extremely popular family dog in the United States (for example, the dog in
The Little Rascals movies and in
Buster Brown was an APBT), the American Pit Bull Terrier's popularity began to decline in the United States following
World War II in favor of other breeds.
[citation needed]
An early predecessor to the American pit bull terrier.
[edit] Characteristics
[edit] Appearance
The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized dog. It has a short coat and smooth, well-defined muscle structure. Its eyes are round to almond shaped, and its ears are small to medium in length and can be natural or cropped. The tail is thick and tapers to a point. The coat is glossy, smooth, short, and slightly coarse and can be any color.
[1] The breed ranges from a height of about 18 to 22 inches (45.7 cm-56 cm) at shoulders, and weighs between 35 and 65 lbs (16 to 27 kg).
[2]
[edit] Temperament
The APBT is a breed that is loyal to friends and family, and is generally friendly towards strangers. People have been known to be afraid of them because of their bad reputations. Nonetheless, an APBT can be a very congenial pet as they have a general love of people. They do exhibit a higher percentage of dog aggression than some other breeds, and a very high prey drive toward small animals. Proper training can make the dog obedient and have a high desire to please, and socialization at an early age is a must. Without proper guidance, though, the breed can become dominant and destructive. According to the UKC, "aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable."
[2] A study done by the
CDC showed that "pit bull type" dogs accounted for the majority of dog related fatalities in the United States between 1979 and 1996, though the study admits some limitations in its data.
[7]
The American Temperament Testing Society shows a pass percentage of 84.3% for American Pit Bull Terriers.
[8] Still, a firm, even hand and early
obedience training are best. They generally have a lot of energy and high
prey drive ; they need exercise and stimulation in order to channel their energy properly and not become frustrated, bored, and destructive.
[9]
[edit] Health
An American Pit Bull Terrier puppy
This section requires
expansion.
The average life expectancy of an American pit bull terrier is about twelve years.
[10] The breed tends to have a high incidence of hip dysplasia.
[11] They may also suffer from patella problems, thyroid dysfunction and congenital heart disease.
[12]
[edit] Activities
Being intelligent, athletic dogs
[13], American Pit Bull Terriers excel in many
dog sports, including
weight pulling,
dog agility,
flyball,
lure coursing, and advanced
obedience competition. Some APBTs have been known to do well in
schutzhund as well. Out of the 25 dogs who have earned UKC "superdog" status (by gaining championship titles in conformation, obedience, agility, and weightpull), fourteen have been American Pit Bull Terriers.
The American Pit Bull Terrier is a
working dog, and is suitable for a wide range of working disciplines due to their intelligence, high energy, and endurance. In the United States they have been used as search and rescue dogs that save lives,
[14] police dogs performing narcotics and explosives detection,
[15][16] Border Patrol dogs,
hearing dogs to provide services to the deaf, as well as general
service dogs.
Description<H3>[edit] Appearance</H3>
A puppy of the breed.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, stocky, muscular dog with athletic ability. They have a broad head, defined occipital muscles, a relatively short foreface, dark round eyes and a wide mouth with a clean scissor-like bite (the top incisors slightly overlap the bottom incisors). The ears are small. The cheek muscles are very pronounced. Their lips show no looseness, and they rarely drool. From above the head loosely resembles a triangle. The head tapers down to a strong well-muscled neck and shoulders placed on squarely spaced forelimbs. They are tucked up in their loins and the last 1-2 ribs of their ribcage are usually visible. Their tail resembles an old fashioned pump handle. Their hind quarters are well-muscled and are what gave the Staffy drive when baiting.
They are coloured brindle, black, red, fawn, blue, white, or any blending of these colors with white. White with any color over an eye is known as piebald or pied. Skewbald is white with red patches. Liver-colored and black and tan dogs sometimes occur. The coat is smooth and clings tightly to the body giving the dog a streamlined appearance.
The dogs stand 14 to 16 in (36 to 41 cm) at the withers and weigh 24 to 32 lb (11 to 15 kg) (male dogs are normally up to 6lb heavier).[2]
The 'Staffordshire Bull Terrier' can suffer from health problems common to other dog breeds such as cataracts, hip dysplasia and breathing problems but are overall a very healthy breed.
<H3>[edit] Temperament</H3>Although individual differences in personality exist, common traits exist throughout the Staffords. Due to its breeding, the modern dog is known for its character of indomitable courage, high intelligence, and tenacity. This, coupled with its affection for its friends (and children in particular), its off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, make it a foremost all-purpose dog [1]. It has been said that "No breed is more loving with its family"[3]
The breed is naturally muscular and may appear intimidating; however, because of their natural fondness for people, most Staffords are temperamentally ill-suited for guard or attack-dog training.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier appeared in the top 10 breeds most suitable for families and especially children in a report researched and published by Southampton University in 1996[4]. Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies are very easy to house train. [5]
<H3>[edit] Courage</H3>The most important characteristic of all the ancestors of the Stafford was their great courage. Aggression was necessary in a fighting dog - but, whereas a dog can be trained and conditioned to be aggressive, nothing can teach him courage. This is bred in him at birth. Breeders today value the courage of their dogs. Nobody is proud to own a timid Stafford, but no sensible breeder encourages aggression towards other animals. Responsible owners and breeders deliberately avoid confrontational experiences.
Courage is important in a pet dog because more dogs bite out of fear than for any other reason. A dog who is not alarmed can cope much better with the rough and tumble of a busy family home, one of the reasons the Stafford is such a success as a dog for children. He is as hardy and fun-loving, and fearless, as they are.
The Stafford represents, more than any other breed, the 'survival of the fittest' theory - history would surely have weeded out the weaker animals - and experienced breeders aim to keep up this tradition.
[6]
<H3>[edit] Press on Bad Behaviour</H3>Since the UK Dangerous Dogs Act made it illegal to own breeds such as the pit bull terrier, the press have reported many cases of attacks by Staffordshire Bull Terriers or dogs described as a 'Staffordshire bull terrier cross' on children, adults and family pets.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] The RSPCA fears that breeders are re-naming pit bulls as Staffordshire bull terriers to avoid prosecution.[13] Also, the description 'Staffordshire bull terrier cross' is frequently a euphemism for a dog such as the American Pit Bull Terrier.
<H3>[edit] Affinity with people</H3>Staffordshire Bull Terriers are large-hearted and usually affectionate towards humans. They express their affection through jumping up, nuzzling and pawing, and even when trained can still be 'fussy' with owners and others. Staffordshires are perhaps not suitable pets for those who prefer quiet, reserved dogs. Staffordshires are notably adaptable in terms of changing home or even owners, and unfortunately this can make them easy prey for dognappers.[14]
RSPCA chief vet Mark Evans said: "Staffies have had a terrible press, but this is not of their own making - in fact they're wonderful dogs. If people think that Staffies have problems, they're looking at the wrong end of the dog lead! When well cared for and properly trained they can make brilliant companions. Our experience suggests that problems occur when bad owners exploit the Staffie's desire to please by training them to show aggression." [15].
<H3>[edit] Breed-specific legislation</H3>Main articles: Breed-specific legislation and Pit Bull
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is often subject to breed bans worldwide that target the Bull and Terrier family. However, Australia, England, and New Zealand make clear a distinction between the American Pit Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier and thus are exempted from Breed Specific Legislation.
<H2>[edit] History
Before the nineteenth century,
bloodsports such as
bull baiting,
bear baiting and
cock fighting were common. Bulls brought to market were set upon by dogs as a way of tenderizing the meat and providing entertainment for the spectators; and dog fights with bears, bulls and other animals were often organized as entertainment for both royalty and commoners. Early
Bull and Terriers were not bred for the handsome visual specimen of today, rather they were bred for the characteristic known as
gameness. The pitting of dogs against bear or bull tested the gameness, strength and skill of the dog. These early "proto-staffords" provided the ancestral foundation stock for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier. This common ancestor was known as the "Bull and Terrier".
These bloodsports were officially eliminated in 1835 as Britain began to introduce
animal welfare laws. Since
dogfights were cheaper to organize and far easier to conceal from the law than bull or bear baits, bloodsport proponents turned to pitting their dogs against each other instead. Dog fighting was used as both a bloodsport (often involving
gambling) and a way to continue to test the quality of their stock. For decades afterward, dog fighting clandestinely took place in pockets of working-class Britain and America. Dogs were released into a pit, and the last dog still fighting (or occasionally, the last dog surviving) was recognized as the winner. The quality of pluckiness or "gameness" was still highly prized, and dogs that gave up during a fight were reviled as "curs". As an important aside, fighting dogs were often handled in the pit during fights, by both their owners and the judge, so were bred to be as trustworthy with humans as they were aggressive towards other dogs
[citation needed].
[edit] Breeding
[edit] Kennel clubs
The breed attained UK [Kennel Club] recognition on
25 May 1935.The staffordshire Bull Terrier Club was formed in June,1935,a couple of months after the breed was recognised by the kennel club. It is unusual for a breed to be recognised without a club in existence first, and even more unusual for their not to have been a breed standard in place! A standard was not drawn up until June 1935 at the Old Cross Guns, a Black country pub in Cradley Heath in the west Midlands.A group of 30 Stafford enthusiasts gathered there and devised the standard, as well as electing the clubs first secetary, Joseph Dunn, a well known figure in the breed. Challenge certificates were awarded to the breed in 1938, and the first champions were Ch. Gentleman Jim (bred by joseph Dunn) and Ch. lady Eve (owned by Joseph Dunn), both taking their titles in 1939..
[16]
[edit] American
Staffordshires were imported into the US during this time. Though very popular in the United Kingdom, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has not gained the same fame in the United States
[citation needed].
In the US many were imported by pit fighters and used in their breeding programs to produce the
American Pit Bull Terrier and
American Staffordshire Terrier. Many were imported by British nationals who brought their dogs with them or U.S. expatriates who fell in love with the breed in England and brought it home
[citation needed]. The Staffordshire breed was recognized in the U.S. in 1976.
[edit] Common Health Problems
As with any breed, irresponsible breeding can cause the spread of hereditary genetic flaws. Tests are performed to screen for these conditions.
Two of the conditions that can be detected by
DNA testing are L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L2HGA)
[17] and Hereditary Cataracts (HC). This testing need only be done once. There are another two conditions which can be checked by way of an ocular examination throughout the life of a breeding stud or brood-bitch to minimize the transfer & spread of these conditions. The first is
distachiasis (commonly known as “double eyelash”
where eyelashes are misdirected and begin to rub against the eye, particularly the
cornea, causing ocular surface damage. The second is Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (or PHPV) which is a condition whereby the blood supply to the
ocular lens fails to regress and fibrovascular tissue forms causing hazy vision.
The breed is known to be at risk from
melanoma[18], often seen in the stomach area as Staffies love to sunbathe on their backs.
Puppies should be wormed at two to three weeks and no later. There are simple, liquid forms of wormer that are easy to give at this early age. Because the bitch has been clearing up after them, remember it will be necessary to worm
</H2>
This section requires expansion.
