…naturally
The Stafford moves differently than the other Terrier breeds. To most all-rounder judges, the Stafford movement is quite misunderstood so oftentimes they tend to go with what is comfortable in the ring – whether that means bypass the Stafford due to lack of understanding it – or choosing a Stafford whose movement is more typical of a pretty show dog. Continue reading “Gait”
First let me state that we are not geneticists so in order to write this bit we have consulted a couple of Stafford folks who happen to also be experts in the field of genetics. The following information is what we gleaned from them. Thank you to Norman Berry (Rendorn) and Sian Hammond (Hammystaff) for your interpretations.
The easiest way to determine correct coat on a Staffordshire Bull Terrier is to put your hands on them. Run your hand along the coat from shoulder to croup. The coat should feel hard and smooth and sit close to the skin. The hairs themselves should be short and lie flat. When you rub your hand along in the opposite direction, the hairs should feel spiky. Continue reading “Coat”
Not much can be said about the hindquarters bit of the standard as it is fairly clear and concise. When you are looking at a dog’s rear assembly, their are multiple points to look at. BUT, they cannot be viewed as separate points. They have to be viewed as one assembly and how it fits together. Continue reading “Hindquarters”
“ Height at shoulder: 14 to 16 inches. Weight: Dogs, 28 to 38 pounds; bitches, 24 to 34 pounds, these heights being related to weights. Non-conformity with these limits is a fault. In proportion, the length of back, from withers to tail set, is equal to the distance from withers to ground.” Continue reading “Size, Proportion, Substance”
From the past history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the modern dog draws 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, makes it a foremost all-purpose dog.
Continue reading “Temperament”
With the exception of the noted images, we do not own the rights to these but have made efforts to locate whoever does own the usage rights. We will gladly remove them if anyone objects. Otherwise we feel these are useful illustrations. Thank you to Griet Coetzer (Zeracious) for the use of the center illustrations. Continue reading “Illustrated Standards”
A lot has been said about “Balance” and “Breed Type” but here we will attempt to explain how we interpret these terms as we understand them to mean. We are quite certain our assessments will not be identical to others, however, since this is our website we can only type here what we believe to be true as WE understand the breed to be intended. All that said, if we learn that we are incorrect in our assessment we are quite happy to alter our opinions as such when proven wrong. In order to respect the breed, one must never stop learning and should keep an open mind. This is especially true for breeders as they hold the future of the breed in their hands. Continue reading “Balance & Breed Type”