Dog lovers must have heard of such an exotic and rare breed of four-legged friends as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They are also called staffbulls or staffs, shortening a long word. What is special about these animals, where they appeared and how they look, features of maintenance, care and education - this informative information in our article.
Material Content:
Description and characteristics of the breed
There are not very many representatives of this breed in the world. And all because dogs are considered one of the most unpredictable in nature, and even capable of attacking people.
In many countries, there are restrictions on the content of such pets. In the UK, for example, they are recognized as a potentially dangerous breed, and the law prohibits getting such dogs at home without the consent of neighbors and local authorities. Therefore, in this country staffballs will be typed no more than two thousand.
But experienced breeders say that with the right training, starting from a very young age, powerful, brave and hardy dogs become true friends.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Origin
The ancestors of modern dogs are considered English mastiffs and bulldogs. It was they who were used by the Duke of Hamilton in the selection of a new breed. This happened in the early 19th century in British Staffordshire - the name of the county and gave the name to dogs.
The breeder’s goal was to breed ideal fighting dogs that could boldly confront rivals, be brave, dexterous and smart. Since 1983, representatives of the new breed have shown themselves in dog fights and in bull-hunting.In addition, dogs were used to hunt small rodents.
In the UK, the club of staff lovers was registered in 1935. And gradually the breed began to be positioned not as a fighting one, but as a domestic one.
The official FCI standard was adopted in 1954, and in 1974 it was slightly modified because a variety of the American Staffordshire Terrier was separated.
Life span
With proper care, dogs live an average of 12 to 14 years. The owner should carefully monitor the nutrition of the four-legged friend, provide timely medical care in case of detection of diseases.
Most often, representatives of the breed have such diseases:
- brachycephaly - pathology of the respiratory system;
- elongated upper palate;
- epilepsy;
- ocular cataract;
- dysplasia of the hip or elbow joints.
And also a common occurrence is considered to be food or atopic allergies.
The purpose and nature of the dog
Despite the poor reputation that dogs have gained thanks to their ancestors, they are wonderful companion dogs, if you approach the education and training correctly.
Staffs like to play, they are friendly, they adore praise from the owners and try to earn it. But pets cannot be spoiled too much, because then they can afford disobedience and dangerous tricks.
The dog treats strangers with apprehension, since it is a good guard and watchman, protects both the owners and the territory from encroachments.
Many dog breeders speak of representatives of the breed as wonderful nannies, where you can safely leave your child. Bull terriers love to play with children and gently treat them. They are active and energetic, so they can be worn around the house and in the yard with the kids.
Balance is another character trait of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. He has a keen mind and quickly assesses the situation.
If you pay little attention to raising a dog, it becomes aggressive and uncontrollable, even dangerous.
The staff will not attack first, but if someone shows aggression towards him or the dog feels danger, the iron grip of the enemy is guaranteed. Only the right regular training can protect against such outbreaks.
Breed standard and puppy selection
The full name of the breed described by FCI sounds like the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier. There is also an American in this group, so you should not be confused.
According to the standard, the representatives of the breed are strong, strong, graceful, with a proportional body and slightly shortened limbs.
- Height at the withers - from 34 to 40 cm.
- The weight of the males is 13-17 kg, the bitches 11-15.4 kg.
- The head is wide, with a proportional muzzle and expressive cheekbones. The forehead is not as massive as that of the bull terriers.
- Teeth are large, scissor bite.
- The nose is black, round.
- Eyes are small, round, pigmentation is more often brown, eyelids are black.
- Ears - erect, with a slight slope, small, elastic.
- Body - muscular, heavy, back sloping, strong. Wide chest, lower back - shortened due to the bending of the ribs.
- The limbs are powerful, small, the front legs are straight, parallel, the hind legs are widely spaced, the hips are embossed.
- The tail is thick, strong, tapers slightly towards the tip, flat, located along the back line or slightly higher.
- The coat is short, dense, not too stiff.
- Color - red, white, black, amber (can be combined with white spots), as well as two-tone.
When choosing puppies of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the criteria of the standard should be taken into account if in the future the dog will participate in exhibitions.
In any case, it is important to ask the breeder for a pedigree, puppy card and medical records of vaccinations.
A healthy puppy will:
- active;
- with a wet nose;
- no unpleasant odor;
- kept in comfortable conditions.
It is better to contact a specialized nursery for the acquisition, where puppies are provided with proper care and proper nutrition.
Maintenance, care and feeding
A dog can live in an apartment, if at the same time every day at least 3-4 hours will be walking. This is problematic for many families, so before you make a staff, you must always consider this point. If the dog is not walked enough, it becomes uncontrollable and can damage furniture and things in the house.
Since the dog needs its own territory in order to protect it, it is necessary to allocate him such an area. Owners of their own homes can provide the pet with a yard or part of it (you just need to provide a high fence). The apartment is more difficult, but the corridor can also be allocated to the dog for protection.
A muzzle, a collar and a reliable leash must be on the dog when going outside. Aggressiveness can manifest itself at any moment, it is worth the dog only to see its relatives, so it is necessary to protect others.
Staffballs are fairly simple to care for:
- comb out the hair with a massage brush 2-3 times a week, during molting - every day;
- bathe no more than four times a year, with severe pollution after the street - wipe the wool with a towel;
- brush your teeth at least once a week;
- monitor your ears and clean them once a month;
- clip nails every two weeks.
The issue of feeding is very important for bull terriers. You can use ready-made feeds balanced according to the needs of the dogs.
Using natural food, you must adhere to the percentage of products:
- meat - 75% of the diet (offal can make up only 10 - 15% of the total amount of meat);
- cereals - 20% (rice, barley groats, buckwheat);
- vegetables, fruits - 20% (carrots, tomatoes, raw potatoes, pumpkin, greens, apples);
- dairy products - 10% (it is especially important to include calcined cottage cheese).
Low-fat fish can be given once a week, not more often!
You can not feed staffs:
- boiled potatoes and beets;
- grapes;
- raisins;
- raw cabbage;
- flour products;
- sweets.
Dogs are prone to obesity, so you need to strictly adhere to the rules, do not increase portions and do not offer snacks.
Training Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Only proper education will allow the dog to become a companion and not to show its negative qualities inherent in nature. Therefore, the training of staffs begins at a very young age and lasts a lifetime.
It is important immediately after acquiring a puppy to begin to accustom him to society. Experts advise taking it with you to crowded places, even taking a ride in public transport so that he gets used to outsiders and does not show aggression towards them.
The dog must clearly learn the command “Next!” And obey the owner’s order. But even after that, you can not let go of the bull terrier. The dog on the street - only in a muzzle and only on a short leash, nothing else. This will protect others from possible outbreaks of aggression and unpleasant consequences (including for the owners).
One cannot encourage aggressive manifestations, immediately muffle them, and in no case develop them. Otherwise, the dog will become uncontrollable and dangerous. Only an iron hand in the process of education.
The dog feels the owner’s strength, so he obeys him, no weakness can be shown in relation to the pet during training. Thanks to a natural mind, it quickly assimilates commands after several repetitions. But training should be carried out regularly to achieve the desired result.
It is often necessary to change the type of activity, because the dog quickly gets bored of repeating the same thing. It is better to conduct training in the form of a game.
It is important to ensure high physical activity for staffs, only then can they adequately behave in the family circle and in relation to other people and animals. Since the dog will not be able to run in during a normal walk (a leash is obligatory!), It is necessary to find a place where it can compensate for the lack of motor activity.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
If you adhere to all the rules on training a pet, load it physically and provide proper care, then the dog will become a faithful companion, assistant and guard.
Dogs:
- cheerful
- get along well with children;
- excellent watchmen and guards;
- easy to learn and execute commands;
- calm and balanced.
Cons can occur with improper care. Among them:
- increased activity - without walking, the dog becomes a real destroyer of everything that comes to hand (that is, a paw);
- aggressive behavior - if the owner accustoms the animal to be hostile to strangers, or pays little attention to the training, and staffballs do not tolerate other animals on its territory;
- perseverance - which may result in unwillingness to execute commands;
- frequent barking without cause due to an increased sense of anxiety - neighbors are unlikely to approve of such behavior.
Only those owners who can provide regular and serious training, as well as experienced and strong characters can start such a dog. For beginners, it is better to choose a pet of a different breed.
