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Staffordshire Bull Terrier

clever / brave / tenacious
Terrier Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

14-16 inches

Weight

28-38 pounds (male)

24-34 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

12-14 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    80% 80%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    100% 100%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    80% 80%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    100% 100%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The powerful but agile Staffordshire Bull Terrier retains the attributes of boldness and persistence from his brawling heritage. Fortunately, superior breeding converted this former gladiator into a gentle, playful friend with a soft spot for children.

 

Staffies are not exceptionally tall, standing from 14 to 16 inches. Staffies, weighing between 24 and 38 pounds, can fit a gallon of dog into a quart-size container. These are strong, powerful terriers. The head is small and broad, with noticeable cheek muscles, and the coat is available in a variety of colors. Staffies still bear resemblance to the brawny brawlers that once commanded England’s fighting pits. Today’s ethical breeders, on the other hand, are breeding sweet-natured, family-oriented Staffies with a reputation as patient nanny dogs for children. These are true-blue loyal companions, but the old fighting impulse still lurks within, making socialization with other dogs essential for Staffie puppies to acquire excellent canine manners.

What To Expect When Caring For a Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Responsible breeders examine their stock for diseases like elbow and hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, and eye anomalies such as inherited juvenile cataracts, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV), and posterior polar subcapsular cataracts (PPSC). SBTs can develop a variety of skin allergies, some of which may be inherited. Breeders can use the DNA test for L-2-HGA, a metabolic disease, to detect carriers and avoid producing affected progeny. Be an informed owner by discussing any health concerns or queries with your dog's breeder and veterinarian.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation
  • Hereditary Cataracts DNA Test
  • L-2-Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) (L-2-HGA) - DNA Test
  • Hereditary Cataracts (HC, JC) - DNA Test

Grooming

It's not difficult to keep a Staffordshire Bull Terrier looking well. Occasional washes and weekly brushings with a horsehair mitt or hound glove to remove dead hairs can keep him looking great. At the very least, his nails should be cut once a month. Avoid allowing them to grow out too long since this can be painful for him. Clean your ears on a regular basis to eliminate extra wax and debris that can lead to an ear infection. Your breeder and veterinarian can provide a good cleaning schedule and products, as well as instruct you on how to do it without injuring your inner ear.

Exercise

To be mentally and physically strong, Stafford demands frequent exercise. This activity can include chasing a thrown ball across the backyard, sprinting alongside a bike or jogging owner, or simply taking a long trip through the woods. Although a physically fit Stafford can keep up with an athletic owner, they usually settle right in when they get home after a good workout. The breed is susceptible to heat exhaustion and should never be overworked in hot or humid weather.  

Training

The Stafford is bright, learns rapidly, responds calmly, and maybe a caring and enjoyable companion. They have a strong desire to please and easily comply with their owners' desires. However, keep in mind that they were originally bred to attack other dogs, and the majority of them have kept a strong prey drive. To genuinely become a perfect pet, they must be trained to regulate their temperament qualities. It is critical that a Stafford puppy receive clear and consistent instruction from the start. They must not only learn the rules but also recognize that they must follow them at all times.

Nutrition

The Stafford is an intelligent dog who learns quickly and responds calmly. He can be a kind and enjoyable companion. They have a tremendous desire to please and quickly comply with the wishes of their owners. Keep in mind, though, that they were raised to fight other dogs, and the majority of them have retained a strong prey drive. To truly become a great pet, they must be trained to control their disposition. A Stafford puppy must be given clear and consistent instructions from the outset. They must not only learn the rules but also recognize the need of adhering to them at all times.    

History

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier’s history is relatively brief in the grand scheme of canine history, although it can be complicated by the several names that have been attached to the breed at various eras. Historically, the Stafford was known as the Bull-and-Terrier, the Patched Fighting Terrier, the Staffordshire Pit-dog, and the Brindle Bull.

Gamblers trained fierce dogs to excel in these horrible spectacles a few centuries ago when wagering on the outcome of dog-oriented blood sports was all the rage in England. The Bulldog was the forefather of all of these breeds. Although blood sports were abolished in 1835, pit dog wagering remained an illegal activity. In these illegal pits, which were mainly held in cellars away from the prying eyes of the law, dogs would either fight gladiator-style or be pitted against a sack full of rats. Bulldogs were unemployed after bull-baiting was banned, so gamblers crossed them with swift, feisty terriers. Fighting dogs with the harsh teeth of a Bulldog and the fiery spirit of a terrier were the result.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, refined by one James Hinks of Birmingham, England, in the mid-19th century, emerged as one of the most successful and lasting of the breeds established in this manner, most of which are now extinct. The name given to these hefty, broad-skulled terriers is a tribute to Staffordshire, where the breed was particularly popular.

After the Staffordshire Bull came to North America in the 1880s, breeders created the American Staffordshire Terrier or AmStaff. More than a century of smart breeding has converted both breeds from brawlers to dependable family pets.