Introduction
My family have owned Staffordshire Bull Terriers since the 1950’s - my great grand father kept Bulldogs back in the 1920’s, so it is perhaps not surprising that Staffords have become a lifelong interest and hobby of mine. The experiences of owning this remarkable breed has inspired me to produce this website.
From a young age I loved the Staffords character and physical abilities and enjoyed getting hands-on and gaining a connection with them and understanding their personalities. I never tired of watching them chasing balls or jumping for a lure or playing tug-of-war games. I admired their strength and muscularity, that special expression and knew I would own the breed when old enough.
Through the years I have seen a number of brilliant Staffords from different eras, both in and out of the show ring, that I would loved to have owned and also come to know many enthusiasts; some come and go, but most are dedicated to the breed and have a lifelong involvement like myself. Some of these Staffords will be seen in the site.
It has been a pleasure spending numerous days at KC shows, looking at Staffords and catching up with friends. However, I rarely agree with most judges - if good Staffords are recognised and win or become a Champion then great, but to be honest I reserve my own judgement. I like to see Staffords displaying some personality and ‘bounce’, they don’t have to stand like lumps of wood to impress me.
Since I came into the breed there have been concerns and criticism at the way the breed is judged at KC shows. This goes way back to the revision of the original Breed Standard (1935) in 1948 when there was a major change to the size clause, causing much debate and belligerence among fanciers. I believe this was a mistake and a far less radical change should have been agreed.
This is a long time ago and largely forgotten now, but this change shaped the way judges perceived the breed and exaggerations crept in. The more ‘typical’ and functional type of Stafford has been too often overlooked and this has led to implications on the breeds health. The breed needs to be healthy and robust. There is an old saying ‘you can exaggerate strength and athleticism, but not one at the expense of the other.’
The world is a different place from when I first became interested in the breed and attitudes change. To secure the breeds longevity it needs responsible ownership and enthusiasts that will not allow the breed to decline the way of some other show breeds.
I enjoy owning the breed now as much as I ever did - they are still a great breed.
From a young age I loved the Staffords character and physical abilities and enjoyed getting hands-on and gaining a connection with them and understanding their personalities. I never tired of watching them chasing balls or jumping for a lure or playing tug-of-war games. I admired their strength and muscularity, that special expression and knew I would own the breed when old enough.
Through the years I have seen a number of brilliant Staffords from different eras, both in and out of the show ring, that I would loved to have owned and also come to know many enthusiasts; some come and go, but most are dedicated to the breed and have a lifelong involvement like myself. Some of these Staffords will be seen in the site.
It has been a pleasure spending numerous days at KC shows, looking at Staffords and catching up with friends. However, I rarely agree with most judges - if good Staffords are recognised and win or become a Champion then great, but to be honest I reserve my own judgement. I like to see Staffords displaying some personality and ‘bounce’, they don’t have to stand like lumps of wood to impress me.
Since I came into the breed there have been concerns and criticism at the way the breed is judged at KC shows. This goes way back to the revision of the original Breed Standard (1935) in 1948 when there was a major change to the size clause, causing much debate and belligerence among fanciers. I believe this was a mistake and a far less radical change should have been agreed.
This is a long time ago and largely forgotten now, but this change shaped the way judges perceived the breed and exaggerations crept in. The more ‘typical’ and functional type of Stafford has been too often overlooked and this has led to implications on the breeds health. The breed needs to be healthy and robust. There is an old saying ‘you can exaggerate strength and athleticism, but not one at the expense of the other.’
The world is a different place from when I first became interested in the breed and attitudes change. To secure the breeds longevity it needs responsible ownership and enthusiasts that will not allow the breed to decline the way of some other show breeds.
I enjoy owning the breed now as much as I ever did - they are still a great breed.