Breed History
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History/Origin:
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier first came into existence in or
around the seventeenth century. They were first bred for the
sport of bull baiting, but due to a decline in the sport, dog fighting
gained interest. It is therefore believed that the Staffordshire Bull
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
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. 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
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier first came into existence in or
around the seventeenth century. They were first bred for the
sport of bull baiting, but due to a decline in the sport, dog fighting
gained interest. It is therefore believed that the Staffordshire Bull
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
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. 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
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