EN: (Nederlands is in de maak)
The stafford is known as a "fighting dog", we prefer the term "game bred dog". Game bred comes from the term "gameness". When you search a English dictionary for the word "gameness", this is what you'll find:
- "having or showing a resolute unyielding spirit"
- "willing or ready to proceed"
A dog that has to fight in the pit has to have a resolute unyielding spirit and has to have the will to proceed until the end, no matter what. Not even when they are hurt. That is why the breed standard tells you the characteristics, indomitable courage and tenacity, bold, fearless & totally reliable.
If you want a breed with short legs, short neck, fat and round body, big head and short muzzle, you don't want a stafford. In our opinion a stafford needs long legs, a agile and muscular body. In short terms "it has to be balanced". The construction of a stafford is very important in the job they use to do. When it can't move, turn quick and take a blow it would loose in the pit. Putting a dog in a pit is not allowed and we do not understand the people that still do that kind of things. But that does not mean you shouldn't breed staffords like that. To preserve the breed we try to breed staffords like they could handle their old function. That is what made the breed the breed what it is today.
For us this all means a breed of dog that can and will do everything, bull & terrier games, frisbee, biking, no matter what. A dog can't do all of this without his character, bold, fearless & totally reliable and his athletics ability. This, coupled with the Staffords affection for its friends and children in particular, the Staffords off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, make it a foremost all-purpose dog. It has been said that "No breed is more loving with its family", that is why a lot of people call the Staffordshire bull terrier "the nanny dog". A stafford without that typical stafford character is a empty shell, useless.
The breed is naturally muscular and may appear intimidating. However, because of their natural affection for people, most Staffords are temperamentally ill-suited for guard or attack-dog training.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier appeared in the top 10 breeds most suitable for families and especially children in a report researched and published by Southampton University in 1996.