A person whom I admire in another breed recently got me thinking about what I, and others, often find frustrating about showing dogs. You hear it every weekend: What the hell is that judge thinking? That dog isnt correct….that dog has disqualifying faults….that judge only puts up faces….that dog is heavily campaigned so what do
Continue readingTherapeutic grade essential oils are an excellent natural support system for both new puppies and your bitch. Here are a few oils we have used. Stress Away : This was invaluable to calm any anxiety, both for mama and breeder. Stress Away is a blend of Copaiba, Lime, Cedarwood, Ocatea, Lavender and Vanilla, which is
Continue readingBy: Alan Mitchell (Hoplite) The Western Staffordshire Bull Terrier Society General Appearance—-Smooth coated, well balanced, of great strength for his size. Muscular, active and agile. The Staff is an athlete. Everything about him should mark him as such. There should be no exaggeration in his make-up. He needs enough bone/substance; enough muscle; enough strength of
Continue readingPerhaps the time has come to revise the color section of our breed standard. Maybe it should read – “All colors and patterns allowed” What this would accomplish in my opinion is an allowance for breeders to place the focus on more important parts of the breed standard and stop all of the prejudice, bickering
Continue readingTSK Illustrated Breed Standard – AKC version TSK Illustrated Breed Standard – KC version If you have been reading this blog over the years and you recently attended a seminar on the Stafford then you may have thought something seems very familiar. Yes, some of the thoughts we have written here on our website as far
Continue readingAt some point in a breeders lifetime they will experience losses. They will mate a bitch who misses conception, lose puppies, lose shows, lose friendships, lose your oldies, certainly lose money and sometimes – may even lose faith. Loss is just part and parcel of the experience. The way one deals with loss and how
Continue readingThis article is an attempt to give a shortened version about construction as it relates to movement of the dog. The whys and wherefores of the main points are discussed. Should you wish to pursue this further, there are several very good books that explain construction and movement in greater detail.Before we analyse the points
Continue readingThe Stafford moves differently than the other Terrier breeds. To most all-rounder judges, the Stafford movement is quite misunderstood so oftentimes they tend to go with what is comfortable in the ring – whether that means bypass the Stafford due to lack of understanding it – or choosing a Stafford whose movement is more typical
Continue readingFirst let me state that we are not geneticists so in order to write this bit we have consulted a couple of Stafford folks who happen to also be experts in the field of genetics. The following information is what we gleaned from them. Thank you to Norman Berry (Rendorn) and Sian Hammond (Hammystaff) for
Continue readingThe easiest way to determine correct coat on a Staffordshire Bull Terrier is to put your hands on them. Run your hand along the coat from shoulder to croup. The coat should feel hard and smooth and sit close to the skin. The hairs themselves should be short and lie flat. When you rub your hand
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