A History of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier

So much has already been written about the history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier that I was wondering if there really was a need to write more.

But it is important that an owner or potential owner knows something about its origin and upbringing; to understand the habits, nature and trends of the breed today. If you were to neglect history, owners or potential owners may miss out on the insight that history brings.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier of today is largely the result of man’s perverse desires in the area of ​​animal fighting. However, in this case, despite the appalling cruelty that caused it, humanity has indeed been blessed and now benefits from the existence of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in my somewhat skewed experience!

Although Staffordshire Bull Terrier records are not detailed, there is evidence of a history of Bull and Terrier dogs in the 19th century, at a time when dogs were specifically bred to fatten bulls. However, this dog was a much larger animal, about the size of a mastiff. The barbaric practices of dogs versus anything, were considered public entertainment, I can only say that sometimes I feel like I would like to entertain the public with some of these individuals!

For those who are shocked by the stories of cruelty, may I suggest that you skip the next five paragraphs?

According to John F. Gordon, bull baiting, bear baiting, and badger baiting were old English pastimes and stories of such events are common in history. He says: “any large, strong animal was fair game for the pleasure-loving Briton with his heavy, ferocious dog.”

And he goes on to say: “This sport soon spread throughout the country and it was not long before every market town had its bullring or a place where the bull was tied up and fattened by dogs.”

In the practice of bull-baiting, a tied bull was to be attacked by a dog. To achieve a victory, the dog was expected to hold the bull’s nose to the ground and succeed in this without being gored, so the dog needed to be strong, but small enough to avoid the horns. Therefore, a compact, muscular dog that was close to the ground was seen to be more likely to be successful. It is here that the stocky, short musculature of the Staffordshire originates. One does not want to dwell too much on how many dogs were unsuccessful, or the extent of their injuries!

Existing records from the Staffordshire region apparently report events and betting, hence the town’s association with the animal, although the practice was not limited to this area.

Eventually, one has to assume that people finally came to their senses, because the sport was finally outlawed, though not without considerable delay.

Being a dog lover, that’s where I’d like to leave the story of dogs and fighting. I could go on describing bear and badger baiting the way Gordon does, but I hate to think about it, and I think any reader who really loves dogs would feel similarly too.

Sketches and line drawings of the early types of dogs used in fighting resemble something that crosses between what we would now call a Bulldog and the modern English Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Crossbreeding continued and it is generally accepted that today’s dog was arrived at by crossing the Bulldog with the Old English Terrier and the English White Terrier.

The history of the breed itself dates back to the early 19th century. But according to Gordon, they were not fully recognized as a breed by the Kennel Club of Great Britain and the American Kennel Club until the mid-1930s. Today, Staffordshire Bull Terriers have become one of the MOST POPULAR breeds in the world, And for good reason. Despite their fighting history, they make great family pets!

But maybe you’re still not sure? I LOVE Staffordshire Bull Terriers, so maybe I’m a little too biased?

Might I suggest you locate and watch the 2 videos I found on YouTube recently (at the bottom of the Should YOU Own a Staffordshire Bull Terrier article) and see a wonderful perspective on Staffordshire Bull Terriers and how they fit right in with families.

Steve