Early Ancestry Part 4/End

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At the risk of stating the obvious, the Bull Terrier differs significantly from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier both physically and mentally.  While neither height nor weight limits are specified for the Bull Terrier, the breed is generally taller and heavier than the Stafford.  The heads are completely different; the Stafford has a distinct stop between the skull and muzzle; the Bull Terrier is downed face.  The Stafford has round eyes set to look ahead and rose ears; the Bull Terrier's eyes are placed obliquely, are triangular and deep-set, and it has prick ears.
Bull Terrier enthusiasts tell us that their breed's type of eye is preferable in a fighting dog and that the Bull Terrier's head is more suitable for fighting.  I doubt it.  Although, in theory, the eye of the Stafford may appear more vulnerable, the general head conformation, with its broad skull and pronounced cheek muscles, make it a harder-biting dog; it also has greater agility and tenacity.
During the early part of the twentieth century there certainly appears to have been a great deal of crossing the two breeds, and photographs of this period show numerous specimens which seem to have Stafford bodies and Bull Terrier heads.  This is one of the reasons why even today we produce the occasional Stafford noticeable lacking the necessary 'stop' between skull and muzzle.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club's first officers were two breeders who were later to influence the progress of not only the club, but also the breed; Jack Barnard was elected president and Joe Dunn became secretary.  Jack Barnard divided his canine interests between Staffords and Bull Mastiffs and was always willing to share his firsthand knowledge of the early days of the breed.  Although not universally acknowledged, Barnard affirmed that it was his dog Jim the Dandy which became the blueprint from which the first Breed Standard derived.  At this time Jim the Dandy was a mature dog, nearly 3 years old, standing 17.5 in at the shoulder and weighing 33 lbs.  The circumference of his skull was 17 in, which is relatively small compared with today's dogs; indeed, not only was the original Standard amended in 1948 but a different type of dog has evolved in the forty-six years since the Club was originally formed.

Ch Gentleman Jim, the breeds first dog champion

Early Ancestry Part 3

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In the latter part of the nineteenth century, pedigree dog breeding began to be taken more seriously, and the Bull and Terrier, or Pit Dog as it was sometimes called, achieved a certain amount of notoriety because of its somewhat unpalatable past.  It was because of the enthusiasm and dedication of the miners and ironworkers that the breed was preserved, and it was fitting that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club found its beginnings in Cradley Heath.
Towards the end of 1934, a number of enthusiasts discussed at a series of meetings, the possible formation of a breed club, but this was not officially established until May 1935.  Over forty breeders attended a meeting at the Old Cross Guns Hotel, Cradley Heath, where Joe Mallen, later to make quite a name in the breed, was the landlord.  Although the majority of those present opted for the title "The Original Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club', this found little favour with the Kennel Club, and the registered name became simply 'The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club'.  Possibly the word 'original' reflected a desire to record that this breed was more directly descended from the original Bull and Terrier than was the Bull Terrier, which had been recognized as a breed by the Kennel Club some years previously.
The 'White' Bull and Terrier originated by James Hinks of Birmingham about the middle of the nineteenth century, was an amalgam of a number of breeds; even today many different theories exist relating to its origins.  Certainly the down face, which typifies the breed, is not found in many other dogs; the Collie and the Bedlinton Terrier have it, and it has been suggested that the "White Collie" made a significant contribution to the evolution of the Bull Terrier - also down faced.  Theories have been advanced that Dalmatian blood was also used, although it is only recently that the Bedlington Terrier has been mentioned as a possible contributor!  Whatever its origins, the breed quickly gained popularity.

Bull Terrier from 1915

Modern Day Bull Terrier

Modern Day Nugget

Dinner Plans?

In case anyone is looking for raw food ideas, here is a recipe from Leah... Lincoln gives it 2 paws up!

Here is Lincolns raw food recipe. Its not exact -  we just kind of 'eyeball' it. haha. Also, you can use whichever kinds of meat you like (not just beef/chicken/turkey). Also, I don't always use these veggies... I try to switch it up.

4 kg of ground beef

2 kg of ground chicken or turkey

2 pkg's of chicken hearts (Surrey Meat Packers)

2 pkg's of chicken livers (Surrey Meat Packers)

1 giant yam

2 zuchinis

a few carrots

a head of broccoli

6-8 hard boiled eggs 

4 cups of cooked quinoa (or brown rice)

1 cup bone powder (optional- dependant on whether or not your dog eats chicken necks, or other meaty bones regularly)

1. Put the beef and chicken in a large tupperware bin

2. Blitz the chicken livers and hearts in the food processor (pulse a few times - do not liquify). Add to the bin.

3. Juice the veggies and add the pulp and juice to the bin. If you don't have a juicer, you may want to just pulverize them in the food processor.

4. Blitz the eggs (shells on) in the food processor and add to the bin. 

5. Cook and cool quinoa or brown rice and add to the bin.

5. Add bone powder.

Put some rubber gloves on and mix mix mix! Portion in tupperware containers and freeze.

We feed Lincoln chicken necks for brekkie, then this mixture and green tripe for lunch and dinner. 

Let me know how it goes :) :)

Leah

Early Ancestry Part 2

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Minor disagreements still abound, but it is generally accepted that the modern Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a direct descendant of dogs of mixed origin, generally known during most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, as the Bull and Terrier.
Writers on the breed have suggested that this original crossbreeding may have taken place about 1800, but the facts are uncertain, and it is possible that similar types of dog appeared before this date.  It has been stated that the Bull and Terrier of the early nineteenth century derived from the Bulldog of that time and the Old English Terrier in an attempt to produce a fighting dog with the strength of the former and the agility of the latter.  Some credence can be attached to this theory as it was  about this period that the sports of bear baiting and bull baiting (finally made legal in 1835) began to decline, to be superseded by organized dog fighting.
It is possible, however, that our pragmatic forefathers used the most successful fighting dogs, whatever the pedigrees, as the sires and dams in their breeding programmes; success at fighting was the main criterion.  It is fairly safe to assume that early breeders were not so influenced by the 'looks or books' theory as by the performance of their dogs in the dog pits.  But the Bulldog of that era (not to be confused with the modern species of that name) and any game terrier type of dog showing agility and tenacity probably formed the basis of the present Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
The fighting dog, like his human counterpart the prize fighter, required strength, agility, skill and the capacity to both give and receive severe punishment.  Today, strength and agility are the main physical characteristic of the breed, and many of our most temperamentally sound dogs seem completely impervious even to extremes of pain.

Nugget is a lover not a fighter (Litter #1)

Early Ancestry Part 1

From the book: this is the STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER by W.M. Morley 1982

Although it is possible to trace the early history of dogs - if somewhat tenuously - from about 3000 BC, the further we go back into time, the less accurate our information.
Some type of dog has presumably been kept by the human race since earliest times, but the Romans make the first recorded attempt to classify their dogs into categories which make sense even today.  The three groups were all entirely functional - hunting dogs, shepherding dogs and watch dogs.  It was probably much later when an official sporting group appeared, although no doubt dogs were used even at this time for some types of sporting activity.
Early Britain was supposed to be famed for a large breed know as a "mastyve" of "mastiff", which appears to have been an indigeneous breed, although some records indicate that the Bulldog existed at that time.  Whether or not they were variations of the same breed is difficult to determine.  Certainly Bulldogs, or "Butchers' Dogs" as they were sometimes known, existed during the twelfth century and were used for bull baiting, a sport which continued for over six hundred years.  Many changes occurred during this period, and the original large, mastiff-type animal, which was used to fight against an untethered bull, was replaced by a lighter dog, which attacked tethered bulls and relied on agility, as well as strength, to accomplish his task.
The term "terrier" appears to have been used somewhat generically to identify any smaller breed of dog that may have been used for a variety of purposes.  It is against this somewhat ragged backcloth that we must endeavour to trace the early history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Pennylane Litter #1

Tips for Staying Cool This Summer

Stay close to a stream for fresh, cold water on your walks (Frisco)

Curl up on my lap

(this is more for me, than keeping the dogs cool) 

(Nugget Litter #1)

Find a fan and lay like a Staffy (Rufus Litter #2)

Let it all hang out (Ares Litter #2)

Stay inside in the AC (Lincoln Litter #2)

Find some shade when you can (Bubba Litter #1)

Lay on cold cement (Jersey Litter #2)

And keep smiling 

Cuddle up with some friends and take a nap in the afternoon (Litter #2)

Don't fret, it's Summer, and it won't last long!! (Dune Litter #2)

Everydogs got Kennel Cough...so...what is it?

I admit that I didn't think that dogs actually got Kennel Cough, I have never had a dog with KC in my whole life.  But they do, and they have, all over Vancouver.
Here is a bit of a read, but it has the answer to all of your questions so give it a look.  And then you will know what KC is; and whether your dog has it.
http://www.petairapy.com/canine-cough-kennel-cough-in-dogs/