BREED STANDARD

FOR THE STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER

GENERAL APPEARANCE:

Smooth coated, well balanced, of great strength for his size. muscular active and agile.

CHARACTERISTICS:

Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity.   Highly intelligent and affectionate, especially with children.

TEMPERAMENT:

Bold, fearless and totally reliable.

HEAD AND SKULL:

Short, deep through with broad skull.   Very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short foreface, and nose black.

EYES:

Dark preferred but may bear some relation to coat colour.   Round, of medium size and set to look straight ahead.   Eye rims dark.

EARS:

Rose or half pricked, not large or heavy.   Full drop or pricked ears highly undesirable.

MOUTH:

Lips tight and clean.   Jaws strong, teeth large, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e., upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

NECK:

Muscular, rather short, clean in outline gradually widening towards shoulders.

FOREQUARTERS:

Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart, and showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point the feet turn out a little.   Shoulders well laid back with no looseness at the elbow.

BODY:

Close coupled with level top line, wide front, deep brisket, well sprung ribs; muscular and well defined.

HINDQUARTERS:

Well muscled, hocks well let down with stifles well bent.   Legs parallel when viewed from behind.

FEET:

Well padded, strong and of medium size, nails black in solid coloured dogs.

TAIL:

Medium length, low set, tapering to a point and carried rather low.   Should not curl much and may be likened to an old-fashioned pump handle.

GAIT / MOVEMENT:

Free, powerful and agile with economy of effort.   Legs moving parallel when viewed from front or rear.   Discernible drive from hindlegs.

COAT:

Smooth, short and close.

COLOUR:

Red, fawn, white, black or blue or any of these colours with white.   Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white.   Black and tan or liver colour highly undesirable.

SIZE:

Weight;   Dogs 12.7 - 17 kgs (28 - 38 lbs).   Bitches 11 - 15.4 kgs (24 - 34 lbs).   Desirable height (at withers) 14 to 16 inches, these heights being related to the weights.

FAULTS:

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.

NOTE:

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

The breed standard is reproduced by kind permission of the Kennel Club.

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