The Staffordshire Bull Terrier – Great Strength for Its Size Muscular, Active & Agile

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier – Great Strength for Its Size Muscular, Active & Agile

GENERAL APPEARANCE

Great Strength for Size

The Stafford is a medium-sized dog. Its appearance should be that of an athlete or a gladiator. They should be quite active indeed—sometimes too active for many people.

A Stafford should be very agile. He will exhibit “economy of effort” in every move and is in general nimble—both physically AND mentally.

They are amazing athletes when kept in good condition. Staffords excel in many sports such as Agility, Flyball, Coursing, Weight Pull, Disk Sports, Dock Diving, and more. Mentally they are agile thinkers whether it be for Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Search and Rescue, Nose Work, Barn Hunt, or as a Service Dog or Therapy Dog. As the Breed Standard points out, the Stafford is “a foremost all-purpose dog.”

Staffords should be shown in fit, athletic condition. This doesn’t mean completely “stripped down” as if they are getting ready to go into the pit, but it certainly does not mean the dog should be carrying excess fat. Excess weight is unhealthy and interferes with the dog’s function. Always look for a well-defined waistline and “tuck.” The Stafford is “rather light in the loin.”

Expect great strength for his size, comprised of long, lean, hard, resilient muscle; not bulky, rounded muscle that has power, yet lacks stamina. The Stafford is not a bulky dog. Excess bulk would hinder his job and movement, which should be effortless.

“Great strength for his size” again alludes to efficiency. The Stafford Standard is not describing a large, heavy dog, but rather a balanced athletic dog with great strength. A Stafford’s strength is sometimes surprising since the package should be much more compact than other dogs of similar strength. His size is well-defined within the written Breed Standard. Become familiar with what 14″ to 16″ measures to and keep in mind it must be balanced with the described weights.

“Heights in relation to weights” and anything falling out of this range is to be considered a fault. Remember the job this breed was designed to perform.

This is a good reminder to not only look for the balanced Stafford, remember its origin, but also to balance your judging when in the ring with the breed.

“Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.” The clean outline of the athletic Stafford is distinctive and a delight to see. He is indeed a breed like no other.