Which breeds is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier bred from?
I know one of these breeds is the Bulldog, I was wondering what else they are a mix of.
How can they be bred from Bull Dogs and White Terriers? That’s what the English Bull Terrier is a mix of. Staffies and English Bull Terriers are totally different.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier draws its character of indomitable courage, high intelligence, and tenacity from his past history. The breed originated in the nineteenth century when coal miners in Staffordshire, England, wanted a small, fast dog. They combined the Bulldog with a small local terrier similar to the Manchester Terrier.
The Staffie emerged around the 17th century from crosses between Bulldogs and terriers of the time. Due to the breeding the characteristics of both temperaments came through. The resulting offspring became known as the Bull and Terrier or Pit Dog. They came about when Bull and Bear baiting was outlawed in the 1830′s and the interest in dog fighting increased. Although they were known for their ferociousness and courage in the dog pits they made excellent family pets, being exceptionally good with children. They belonged to people from all walks of life, from lords to miners. Dog fighting wasn’t the only thing they were used for; they were also worked in badger hunting and as ratters. When these activities were outlawed some owners decided that they would try to maintain the breed by introducing them to the world of dog showing. A breed standard was created and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was officially recognized by the Kennel Club in 1935.
Although there has been some discussion through the years about the origin of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, authorities generally agree that the breed can be traced back to the Mastiff-like dogs through the old Bulldog which, when crossed with British terriers, produced the first “Bull and Terriers.” Books published in the early 1800s which refer to “Bull and Terriers,” “Pit Dogs,” and “Fighting Dogs” confirm that the cross existed at that time.
The old-fashioned Bulldog was a fierce, courageous animal used in the “sports” of bear and bull baiting as early as the mid-sixteenth century. When these “sports” fell from public favor and were outlawed, their supporters turned to dog fighting and sought to create a sporting dog that, while retaining the legendary courage and ferocity of the Bulldog, would incorporate the greater agility of the terrier.
Terriers thought to have been used in the cross are the Manchester Terrier and the now-extinct English White Terrier. In addition, crosses with various of the old working terriers were made.
Because of the attentions of different groups of English fanciers, two distinct types of Bull and Terriers arose and by 1900, they were easily distinguished. James Hinks’ elegant white dogs, produced by crossing the old Pit Bull Terrier with the English White Terrier (and some say Pointer and Dalmatian), were recognized by the Kennel Club (England) and the American Kennel Club at the turn of the century. This “White Cavalier” is known today as the Bull Terrier. The other Bull and Terrier – the Stafford, which was owned by the common man – was not as easily “legitimized.”
Fanciers of the “working class dog” met in England in 1935 to form a club for Staffordshire Bull Terrier fanciers and draw up a Breed Standard. In 1938, the first Championship Points were awarded in Birmingham. The first Staffordshire Bull Terriers brought to the United States lived their lives out simply as companions; it was not until 1975 that the American Kennel Club recognized the Staffordshire Bull Terrier as a registerable breed that could be shown outside of the Miscellaneous Classes. The first SBT to be registered in the American Kennel Club Stud Book was the dog, an English Import, Champion Tinkinswood Imperial; the first American Champion was a bitch – the Australian import Northwark Becky Sharpe.
Breed All About It – Terrier Group
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