HISTORY

It is believed that the early Staffordshire Bull Terrier was derived from the crosses between the fighting Bulldog of that day with some terrier blood introduced. The breed emerged around the 17th century, as bull and bear baiting declined in popularity and dog fighting enjoyed a surge of interest in Great Britain. It became necessary to develop a dog which possessed a longer and more punishing head than the Bulldog and also to combine strength and agility.  

The resulting offsprings inherited both characteristics and temperaments of the breeds by becoming known as the Bull-terrier or the Pit Dog. These dogs were renowned for their courage and tenacity and despite their ferocity in the pit were excellent companions, family pets by being exceptionally good with children.  

The breed belonged to people from all walks of life, from lords to ordinary miners.   

With the introduction of the Humane Act in 1835, baiting sports and dog fighting became unlawful and a group of men in the Staffordshire area endeavoured to preserve their breed by introducing them to the show world. On May 25, 1935, the UK Kennel Club recognized the Staffordshire Bull Terrier with the help of Joseph Dunn and Joe Mallan. This is when a breed standard was created and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was officially recognised by the Kennel Club.

 The popularity of the breed has now spread globally with well established clubs in many countries. 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.  

Presently, due to the breed's love to people and children in particular, the Stafford has become a very popular family dog by ranking in the top of 5 or 10 most popular dog breeds in many countries.

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