American Staffordshire Terriers History:

Origins:
The origins of the American Staffordshire Terrier can be traced with reasonable certainty tolate 18th century England. Bull baiting, a variety of other baiting sports, and dog fighting were all common pastimes. Vivid accounts of these barbarous and gory contests are still readily available. The bulldog, a large rangy dog of up to 90 pounds in weight, and the possessor of phenomenal courage, was used in the baiting of bulls and bears. Terriers, usually smooth coated and frequently of black and tan coloration, were involved in rat killing contests, badger baiting, dog fighting, and in other situations where a small, fast and courageous dog excelled. In an effort to produce ever more efficient fighting machines to participate in dog fighting,numerous crosses between bulldogs and working terriers were carried out over a period of several decades. Sources dating to this period describe the breeding of bulldogs to large terriers in order to add speed to the former and size and power to the latter. The gameness of both forebears was maintained in the resulting "bull-and-terriers" . The products of these crosses depicted in publications as early as 1806 bear a striking resemblance to today's American Staffordshire Terrier. In the study of these early dogs, it must be kept in mind that breeds as we know them today did not exist until well into the 19th century. The "terrier," for example, was a dog that would go to ground after game; the designation "terrier" referred to the dog's utility rather than to his appearance. Any dog used in this way, regardless of breeding background, was then designated a terrier. For this reason, efforts to assign to one or another of today's terriers or to terriers of the mid-19th century a foundation position in the development of "bull-and-terriers" are not reasonable. None of the candidates were themselves in existence. Bulldogs of this period were larger and much rangier than today's dogs of that name. Again, the term "bull dog" referred to the function of the dog rather than to his appearance although variations in appearance were apparently less pronounced than with terriers. Bulldogs pictured in "The Sporting Magazine" from 1798 to 1824 resemble today's American Staffordshire Terrier far more closely than the modern english bulldog. In fact, the type of the modern english bulldog is so vastly different from his working ancestors that the latter must be considered extinct. With the passage, in England, of the Cruelty to Animals Acts of 1835,bull baiting, dog fighting, and other blood sports were driven underground. Public participation was greatly reduced. About 1860, the white bull terrier emerged as a distinct offshoot of the basic bull and terrier. The originator of this cousin of our American Staffordshire Terrier was James Hinks. According to his son, James Hinks 2nd ,the younger, the white bull terrier was bred using a combination of bull-and-terrier, white English terrier, and Dalmatian. The type of these early white dogs has been altered considerably in the intervening century. Hinks had success in the pit with this "White Cavalier." There is no hard evidence, however, that the white bull terrier has been used for that purpose more than occasionally since the mid-19th century. In the early 1900's the colored english bull terrier was developed by crossing the white bull terrier back to the pit bull.

The Breed in the United States ---- 1850-1930:

Many dogs were brought to this country before 1860. For example, the great dog Spring was imported by McCaffrey in 1857 and started a line of great dogs. About 1880, "Cockney" Charlie Lloyd imported Paddy and Pilot, both destined to win fame in the fighting pits of the northeast. By this time the breed was already well known in the States. Designated as the Pit Bull, or Pit Bull Terrier, the breed became increasingly

popular. Dog fighting contests were openly held and widely publicized. Champion fighters became famous along with their owners and breeders. In 1898 the United Kennel Club was founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by C. Bennett for the purpose of registering the American Pit Bull Terrier.Owned by such famous persons as John L. Sullivan and Theodore Roosevelt, the breed became one of the most popular dogs during the first quarter of the century. Patriotic posters from World War 1 depict the American Pit Bull Terrier along with representative dogs from the other allied nations as the defenders of the allied cause. In fact, the most decorated American war dog of World War 1 was an American Pit Bull Terrier ,his name is "Sergent Stubby". This dog and a special exhibit depicting her heroic feats were long on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. One of James Thurber's best loved short stories is a nostalgic tale of the American Pit Bull Terrier of his childhood. He was also the loyal and familiar companion to Buster Brown in an early comic strip. "Pete" , the famous dog with the ring around his eye of the "Our Gang Comedies", was the first Staff registered by the American Kennel Club in 1936. He was the only dog to survive the transition from silent movies to sound --- a tribute to the intelligence of the dog and to the skill and ingenuity of his trainer, Harry Lucenay. The American Bull Terrier Club, founded in 1921 in Clay Center, Kansas, published a standard from which our present standard is derived. (W. M. Whitaker, June 1966 AKC Gazette.) "The Dog Fancier," a magazine of national circulation, was devoted to the American Pit Bull Terrier. Accounts of pit winnings were also carried in "Bloodlines," the journal of the United Kennel Club. It should be noted that while the American Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull Terrier was being developed in the is country, the English continued to develop their version of the pit bull. This dog, distinctly smaller and of somewhat different type, was recognized in 1935 by the British Kennel Club under the name Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Modern History:
By 1930 a number of fanciers of the American Pit Bull Terrier began to work toward American Kennel Club recognition. The man most responsible for achieving this recognition was Wilfred T. Brandon. Mr. Brandon almost single handedly convinced representatives of the AKC that this was a breed of sufficiently documentable background and uniform physical type to warrant inclusion by the registry. He adopted and modified previously existing standards to forge the standard which had now survived unchanged for over forty years. The original petition called for recognition under the traditional name "American Bull Terrier," a designation still considered by some the most appropriate for the breed. This was denied, at least in part, as a result of opposition by the Bull Terrier Club of America. It is interesting to note that the restriction on white, which is in the current standard, was not a part of the original document as submitted by Mr. Brandon. At this time, Captain Will Judy, publisher of "Dog World" magazine and a strong supporter of the breed, proposed the name "Yankee Terrier" was never acceptable to more than a few fanciers. The recognition by the British Kennel Club in 1935 of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier proved an important step in the subsequent recognition the following year of the Staffordshire Terrier. It was intended from the start that the Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier be preserved as separate breeds. This was due to the considerable physical differences which had evolved through 60 to 80 years of totally unrelated breeding in England and the United States. That the similar names would eventually cause confusion should have been appreciated at that time. However, recognition was a difficult and often tenuous matter. A compromise was therefore reached and the breed recognized in 1936 as the Staffordshire Terrier --- an acknowledgement of the distant relationship to a far away English country. The final step in this long evolution of names occurred in the early 1970's as a result of the coming recognition by the AKC of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Reacting to the untenable similarity of names, the AKC offered "American Staffordshire Terrier" as the final designation of the breed. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was finally recognized by the AKC in 1975. This sequence of name changes from Bull-and-Terrier, Pit Bull, Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bull Terrier, Yankee Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, and finally, American Staffordshire Terrier, has created an incredibly complicated and

confusing situation, especially to the novice who must also contend with the related breeds, English Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Added to this complex picture is the fact that many breeders of American Pit Bull Terriers chose not to register their dogs with the American Kennel Club. This decision was made for a variety of reasons including distrust of the show medium as a worthwhile vehicle for the advancement of the breed and distaste for the name "Staffordshire Terrier." As a result, we find many dogs registered as American Pit Bull Terriers by the united Kennel Club and other organizations. Furthermore, many breeders registered their dogs as American Staffordshire Terriers with the American Kennel Club and as American Pit Bull Terriers with he United Kennel Club --- a situation that is still in common practice.

Pascoe, H. Richard, Williamson Printing Corp, Dallas, Texas, 1977.

Histoire de l'Amercican Staffordshire Terrier:

Origines de la race:
Les origines de l'American Staffordshire Terrier remontent aux alentours de la fin du 18 me sicle en Angleterre. Les combats contre les taureaux et contre d'autres types d'animaux ainsi que les combats de chiens taient frquents. On utilisait le Bulldog ( bien diffrent de celui que l'on connait aujourd'hui) un grand chien lanc, allant jusqu' 45 kg et dot d'un courage phnomnal, qui tait employ pour des combats contre les ours et les taureaux. Des Terriers lgrement plus lourds et de couleur noire et feu, taient impliqus pour chasser les blaireaux, dratiser les villes, faire des combats de chiens et dans toutes autres disciplines o un chien petit, rapide et courageux excelle. Dans un effort de produire des machines combattre toujours plus efficaces pour participer aux combats de chiens, de nombreux croisements entre le BullDog et le Terrier ont t effectu pendant plusieurs dcennies. Les origines datant de cette priode dcrivaient les mariages des BullDogs de grands Terriers dans le but d'ajouter la vitesse, la puissance, la combativit et la tnacit. Les caractristiques des deux races furent fixes pour donner naissance un nouveau type de chien, le "Bull-ant-Terrier". Le produit de ce croisement dcrit dans les publications de l'poque -1806- dmontre la ressemblance frappante avec l'American Staffordshire Terrier d'aujourd'hui. On doit garder l'esprit que les mariages que nous connaissons actuellement n'existaient pas jusqu'au dbut du 18 me sicle. Le Terrier par exemple tait un chien qui allait se dvelopper. La dsignation "Terrier" s'est rapporte l'utilit du chien plutt qu' son aspect. N'importe quel chien utilis, sans regarder les origines taient ainsi dsign comme des Terriers. En 1835, en Angleterre les combats de chiens et autre sport sanglant furent interdits mais ils continurent de faon illgale. Aux alentours de 1860 une nouvelle race de Terriers a vu le jour: Le Bull Terrier Blanc. Issus de mariage entre le Dalmatien , le Bull and Terrier et l'English White Terrier. James Hinks a eu du succes dans les fosses avec ce "cavalier blanc". Au dbut du 19 me sicle, apparu l'English Bull Terrier color, en croisant un Bull Terrier blanc avec un Pit Bull.

L'histoire de la race au U.S.A. de 1850 1930:

Beaucoup de chiens ont t imports au usa avant 1860. Par exemple, "the great dog Spring" a t import par McCaffrey en 1857 et il commena une lign de chiens rput son temps. En1880, "Cockney" Charlie Lloyd a import Paddy et Pilot, les 2 ont t utilis pour les combats de chiens dans les pit du nord-est. A cette date, la race tait dj bien connue au usa. Nomm Pit Bull, ou Pit Bull Terrier, la race est devenue de plus en plus populaires. Des combats de chiens ont t ouvertement tenue et les organisateurs

n'hesitant pas en faire la publicit. Les vainqueurs sont devenu clbre avec leurs propritaires et leurs leveurs. En 1898, l'United Kennel Club a t fond Kalamazoo, au Michigan, par C. Bennett dans le but d'enregistrer l'American Pit Bull Terrier. Une fois que des personnes clbres comme John L. Sullivan et Theodore Roosevelt en ont eus comme compagnons, la race est devenue l'une des plus populaires du premier quart du 20 sicle. Des affiches patriotiques de la Premire Guerre mondiale reprsentent l'American Pit Bull Terrier au cot d'autres races de chiens des pays allis comme les dfenseurs des soldats de l'alliance. En fait, le chien le plus dcor de la Premire Guerre mondiale tait un American Pit Bull Terrier,il se nommait Sergent Stubby. Ce chien et une exposition spciale illustrant ses exploits hroques ont t longtemps exposes la Smithsonian Institution Washington DC. Une des histoires prfrs de James Thurber est un conte nostalgique de l'American Pit Bull Terrier et de son enfance. "Pete" tait aussi le compagnon fidle et familier de Buster Brown dans une bande dessine "Our gang comedies" et fut le premier chien enregistr par AKC en 1936.Il tait le seul chien de survivre la transition entre les films muets et avec bande sonore ,un hommage l'intelligence du chien et l'habilet et l'ingniosit de son entraneur, Harry Lucenay.The American Bull Terrier Club, fond en 1921 Clay Center, Kansas, a publi une standard de la race partir de laquelle notre standard actuelle est driv (WM Whitaker, juin 1966 AKC Gazette). "The Dog Fancier", un magazine de diffusion nationale, a t consacre l'American Pit Bull Terrier. Les American Pit Bull gagnants ont galement t mis jour dans Bloodlines, le journal de la United Kennel Club. Il convient de noter que, bien que l'American Bull Terrier ou American Pit Bull Terrier etait encore en cours d'laboration dans le pays , les Anglais ont continu dvelopper leur version des pit-bull. Ce chien, nettement plus petits et de nature quelque peu diffrente, a t reconnue en 1935 par le Kennel Club britannique sous le nom de Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

De 1930 nos jours:

En 1930, un certain nombre de puristes de l'American Pit Bull Terrier ont commenc travailler l'identification de l'American kennel club. L'homme le plus responsable pour raliser cette identification ft WILFRED T.BRANDON. Mr BRANDON a presque convaicu les reprsentants de l'AKC que c'tait une race de fond suffisamment riche d'informations et de type physique uniforme pour justifier son inclusion au registre de l'AKC. Il adopta et modifia des normes prcdemment existantes pour forger le standard qui avait maintenant survcu sans changement pendant plus de 40 ans. La ptition de dpart, a rclam l'identification de la race sous son nom traditionnel de "American bull terrier", cette dsignation tait considre pour certains comme la plus approprie pour la race. Ceci ft refus, du moins en partie, en raison de l'opposition par le Club de Bull Terrier Amricain. Il est interressant de noter que la restriction du blanc, qui est dans le standard, ne faisait pas partie du standard original soumis par Mr BRANDON l'AKC. En ce temps l, Captain Will Judy, diteur du magazine "DOG WORLD" et supporter de la race, propose le nom de "YANKEE TERRIER". Bien qu'utilis dans "DOG WORLD" pendant un moment YANKEE TERRIER ne pouvait tre acceptable de part la majorit des puristes. La reconnaissance par le Kennel Club Anglais en 1935 du Staffordshire Bull Terrier marqua une tape importante dans la reconnaissance de la race. Ds le dpart, il ft prvu que le Staffordshire Terrier et le Staffordshire Bull Terrier soient prservs comme deux races distinctes, notamment cause des diffrences physiques qui avaient volu durant 60 80 ans avec des reproductions en Angleterre et aux Etats-Unis. Ces noms similaires causeraient par la suite des confusions. L'tape finale dans cette longue volution des noms eut lieu au dbut des annes 1970 par le rsultat de l'identification par l'AKC de l'American Staffordshire Terrier. Le Staffordshire Bull Terrier a t finalement identifi par l'AKC en 1975. Ce ft un long chemin pour l'identification de l'Amstaff, qui induit beaucoup de dbutant dans l'erreur car tout a commenc par : Bulland-Terrier, Pit Bull, Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bull Terrier, Yankee Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, et finalement American Staffordshire Terrier. Cela a cr une situation incroyablement complique et embrouillante. Ajout cette histoire, beaucoup d'leveurs d'APBT ont choisi de ne pas enregistrer leurs chiens l'AKC. Cette

dcision ft prise pour de multiples raisons, dont l'une concernant la mfiance du milieu des expositions.... En consquence, grands nombres de chiens furent inscrits aux deux registres ( l'AKC en tant qu'American Staffordshire Terrier et l'UKC en tant qu'American Pit Bull Terrier). Une situation qui se pratique toujours de nos jours.

Pascoe, H. Richard, Williamson Printing Corp, Dallas, Texas, 1977.