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The Staffordshire Bull Terrier first came into existence
in or around the seventeenth century. As bull baiting declined in popularity
and dog fighting enjoyed a surge of interest, it became necessary to develop
a dog which possessed a longer and more punishing head than the Bulldog
and also to combine strength and agility. It is therefore believed that
the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was derived from the fighting Bulldog of
the day with some terrier blood introduced. This cross produced what was
known as the Bull and Terrier or Pit Dog; these dogs were renowned for
their courage and tenacity and despite their ferocity in the pit were
excellent companions and good with children. In fact it was not unknown
for an injured dog to be transported home in a pram with the baby!
Although dog fighting and other barbaric pastimes of the day were patronised
by the aristocracy - Lord Camelford reportedly owned a famous dog called
'Belcher'- fighting dogs were also owned by the poorest of families. The
pit dog was a favourite with miners and steelworkers and was prevalent
amongst the chainmakers of the " Black Country " where the dogs
were not only fought for entertainment but provided a working man with
valuable extra income when worked against badgers or as ratters.
With the introduction
of the Humane Act in 1835, baiting sports and dog fighting became unlawful
and a group of men in the Staffordshire area endeavoured to preserve their
breed by introducing them to the show world. After much discussion the
Standard was written describing the dog's physical attributes and this
dog was named the Staffordshire Bull Terrier to differentiate him from
the English Bull Terrier.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was officially registered by the Kennel
Club in 1935 and the first club show for the breed took place in August
1935 at Cradley Heath in the West Midlands where 60 dogs and bitches were
entered . The founder club was named The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club
and is affectionately known as 'The Parent Club'. There are now a total
of 18 clubs in Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranging from the North
of Scotland to the West of England.
The breed received championship status in 1938 when CC's were awarded
for the first time at the Birmingham National. The first two Champions
of the breed were Ch. Gentleman Jim and Ch. Lady Eve. The popularity of
the breed has now spread abroad with well established clubs in many countries
including Australia, Eire, France, Germany, Holland, Spain and the USA,
to name but a few.
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Ch
Gentleman Jim |
Ch
Lady Eve |
Over the years the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has become a successful
show dog and a serious contender in the Terrier Group, where they frequently
have the highest number of entries of all dogs in the Terrier Group and
are occasional winners of Best in Show. More importantly the Stafford
has become a popular pet retaining the attributes gained from generations
of fighting dogs bred for courage, tenacity and most important:
total reliability and affinity with people and in particular children.
Compiled by
Jenny Smith © 2001-
2008
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