Staffordshire bull terrier characteristics. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed is one of the many prestigious dog breeds bred in Great Britain. Its progenitor is the Bull Terrier, but it differs in specific characteristics and peculiarities, both physical and temperamental. Let’s discover them together in this detailed guide.
General description
It is an alert and companion breed. It has a strong character, is very self-confident and sometimes dominant, particularly the males. For this, the owner must be experienced and able to gently and consistently impose himself. Very playful, it is also suitable for sharing life with children.
It loves the open air but is vulnerable to high or low temperatures. Its main qualities are its physical beauty that combines strength and agility, its great affection for family and children, and its ease of grooming. However, its shortcomings are being aggressive with other dogs and small animals.
Appearance and Attributes of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed
According to the breed standard, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, robust, muscular, and energetic dog. Although it is not large, it needs space to move and does not adapt well to confined spaces.
Well-proportioned dog of great strength for its size. Robust and agile despite having considerable mass and weight. Short HEAD, strong jaws, rose or semi-erect ears, muscular NECK, relatively fast, free, powerful and elegant, effortless gait. Compact BODY.
Physical characteristics permitted by the Standard:
- Height: 33 to 41 cm
- Weight: 13 to 17 kg
- Longevity: 12 to 14 years
- Colours: red, fawn, blue, also combined with white.
- Fur: shorter, compact
- Coat: two-tone, double coat
Price Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed
The average price of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed in the UK is £500-£900. However, this price can vary depending on several factors, including the breeder, the dog’s lineage, and age. Therefore, it is essential to do your research before purchasing a Staffordshire Bull Terrier to ensure you get a healthy and well-bred dog.
Here are some of the factors that can affect the price of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier:
- Breeder: The price of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier can vary depending on the breeder. Reputable breeders will charge more for their puppies as they have invested time and money into breeding healthy, well-socialised dogs.
- Lineage: The price of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier can also vary depending on its origin. Puppies from champion bloodlines will be more expensive than those from non-champion bloodlines.
- Age: The price of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier can also vary depending on its age. Puppies will be more expensive than adult dogs.
It is important to remember that the price of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not the only factor to consider when purchasing a dog. It would be best to consider the dog’s health and temperament and whether it fits your lifestyle well.
As always, even for Staffies, the rule applies that they should only be bought from serious and specialised breeders and not from multibreed catteries, where puppies are produced relentlessly, with little care for their health and education.
Apart from the puppy’s initial maintenance cost, they do not require any other conspicuous expenses. (Maintenance) They do not need professional grooming and usually do not require many vet check-ups. They only need to be fed with quality products.
Pros and cons of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed
Top 5 characteristics:
- It barks to signal danger or to protect
- Has a fair predation instinct
- Easy to keep clean thanks to its very short coat
- It does not shed much fur.
- Very playful and child-friendly
The five most problematic characteristics:
- Not very pleasant towards other dogs, especially males
- Suffers a lot of heat and is vulnerable to heat stroke
- They suffer quite a bit from the cold.
- A sensitive dog who needs an attentive owner
- Supervision is required for those with little experience.
The character of Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed
Very attached to its family and owner, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier hates loneliness and resents it. It is a demanding dog which requires a lot of attention. If left alone for too long, especially in the house, it can destroy whatever comes within its reach out of boredom and nervousness. Still, with careful education and the owner’s lifestyle, it adapts to every need, always within the Staffy limits.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier establishes a firm bond with its owner, on whom it is emotionally dependent. For this reason, temperament poorly tolerates inattentive or less affectionate treatment. The Standard describes it as follows: “Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity. Very intelligent and loving, especially with children. Bold, fearless and trustworthy.
From a former fighter, you wouldn’t think so, but he is in love with his family. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is willing to protect and defend it no matter what. It is cuddly and play-loving, affectionate with children and all their loved ones. The highlight of life for this breed is spending time playing with its family, going outdoors, running, and having fun.
The Staffy is a dog born for fighting and became a dog primarily for companionship. Compared to many other similar breeds, it does not have a natural, strong distrust of strangers but can be trained to have it to guard the house and keep watch. It is friendly even with strangers if kept as a companion dog and adequately socialised. By instinct, it tends to be protective of its family members.
Males of this breed tend to be aggressive and dominant towards other dogs, whereas, in females, the playful aspect of the character usually prevails, always bearing in mind that this is a subjective character factor. In any case, cohabitation between a Staffy and another dog can be rather tricky unless the former is accustomed to the presence of the other from puppyhood or they are of the opposite sex.
The Staffordshire has a strong predation instinct and may vent it by chasing cats and other small animals that have the misfortune of being in its vicinity. Furthermore, he tends to dig and may open a passage under a fence if, beyond it, he sees something that interests him or that particularly irritates him. Therefore, outside the family and where there are other dogs, it is advisable always to keep him on a leash.
The Staffy has a sweet and playful character towards people. It may, however, not be at all friendly towards other dogs and animals. However, a well-behaved and well-socialised dog will always have no problem getting along with anyone, considering it is a former fighter.
The Staffy loves chasing small animals like cats, rabbits or chickens. Care must be taken when driving him around, especially in the countryside. He can easily be tempted to jump in pursuit of some animal alerted by his scent, which has come into his field of vision. If unaccustomed as a puppy (and sometimes even if he is), it can be challenging to get him to live with cats and other animals he recognises almost exclusively as prey.
Staffordshire is quiet, which will disturb you or your neighbours. However, it is a dog that protects its family and can be used as a warning in case of danger. In this case, barking becomes his way of signalling danger or warning a stranger. He does not tend to bark to communicate with other dogs.
Very energetic – even if it does not reach the hyperactivity of other dogs – the Staffy is a lively dog that has to move around a lot. If he lives in a flat, he often asks to go out and play. It is unsuitable for those who enjoy a sedentary life and are unprepared to accompany their dog for daily brisk walks and play sessions.
This breed may be impetuous and vigorous, significantly, if the owner does not reduce it to calmness and obedience. However, it is a small dog that, however much it pulls, cannot physically overpower a human being. However, it is better to train him to be calm and obedient, especially for the peace of mind of other dogs. In addition, the Staffy tends to have a high pain threshold, inherited from selection as a fighter, and may not realise that it is hurting itself when playing or pulling hard.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed loves to play a lot and needs it to be happy and let off steam. Unfortunately, he is not very fond of other dogs, especially of the same sex, and his favourite playmates are humans. However, when he does play, he is tireless and needs sturdy toys to have fun and let off steam, especially as a puppy.
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Intelligence and Trainability of Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed
If you are not prepared to spend much time or rely on a trainer to educate your Staffordshire Bull Terrier, turn to another breed. This dog needs an experienced owner who can assert himself as a pack leader and does not succumb to his dog’s will. If not well-behaved, the Staffy may become too rowdy and get out of the owner’s control.
Children and more
Although the Staffy is certainly not known for its docile character, it is sweet and friendly with children. Since he loves to play, he loves to have fun with them, but he can also be patient and protective. He is nicknamed Nannydog in England because of his endless love for them. The only problem is that he tends to overdo the liveliness a bit, and a tiny child could be thrown to the ground by his carelessness. Therefore, adult supervision is essential during an interaction.
Breed health of Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier establishes a strong bond with its emotionally dependent owner. For this reason, by character, it bears poorly any careless or unfriendly treatment. The Standard describes it as follows: “Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity. Very intelligent and affectionate, especially with children. Bold, fearless and trustworthy”.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier tolerates heat very poorly due to its short muzzle, which does not allow it to regulate its body temperature effectively. Therefore, when it is scorching, these dogs must be kept under cover without letting them go outside. If they live outdoors, you must ensure enough water, shade and coolness and check them for heatstroke.
The Staffy generally enjoys good health and has a reasonably long life span but can suffer from some congenital diseases that should be controlled. He should be tested for L2HGA (L-2 hydroxybutyric aciduria), hereditary cataracts and PHPV (persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous).
This dog has a voracious appetite and is very greedy, and often, the owner indulges him instead of keeping him on a diet. In doing so, however, he may put on weight, especially if he lives in a flat. Therefore, one must avoid giving him too many treats, keep him on his established diet and allow him to move around as much as he needs to.
Caring for Staffordshire Bull Terriers
These dogs do not tend to drool. However, should they have saliva leakage, a check of the oral cavity would be helpful to ensure no inflammation or infection.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier grooming
This dog’s short coat will not cause significant problems if you want to keep it indoors. Regular brushing significantly reduces shedding and keeps its coat clean and beautiful. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier’s coat generally requires little care and does not create significant problems.
As we said, Staffy’s coat is short and delicate, and it is essential to keep it clean and shiny. Just brush it weekly to remove dead hair. This breed has no particular grooming needs other than checking the ears.
Exercise Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Although, as we have already said, it is not a hyperactive dog, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier still needs to move around daily. The idea is to keep him in a house with an enclosed outdoor space to go to when he feels like it. If, on the other hand, you keep him in a flat, you must give him a good run or a brisk walk every day and a good play session. With the Staffy, you can do various sporting physical activities such as agility, rallying, searching, etc.
Tips for buying a Staffordshire Bull Terrier
The Staffy is an enthusiastic and energetic dog, but at the same time, very sleepy, going so far as not to leave the house in rainy weather, perhaps staying on the sofa. That is why it is adapted to a balanced life. It needs a lot of space to move, run, and play and can only live indoors if it is taken outside to let off steam frequently. But, on the other hand, it loves to play very much and needs to be engaged and stimulated to be calm and fit.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier’s origins lie in the British fighting pens, where this little dog would attack other dogs to amuse spectators and keep the betting money flowing. Today, this breed is exclusively devoted to companionship, and the more aggressive sides of its character have been softened by selection. However, it is suitable for beginners supervised by an experienced person, as this dog has a solid and authoritarian personality. If this is the case, a good trainer must be employed to follow its growth step by step with the beginner.
Helpful links:
- The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club
- East Anglian Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club
- North West Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club
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