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STAFFORDSHIRE AND THE BULL TERRIER
Staffies and the county that they take their name from have always had strong connections with each other.
From the very beginning with the creation of the breed the main centre of enthusiasts has always been from the Midlands, England. Whether it was for fighting pride in the early days, or simply as a companion, Staffies have always had a good home with people from the Midlands area.
In the 1850s James Hinks from Birmingham produced a new breed by crossing Bulldogs with English White Terriers. This new breed had much the same spirit as the Bulldog but had a vastly different head shape which hindered its progress in the showring. Over time the breed became known as the Brindle Bull in London and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the Midlands. As all the big enthusiasts came from Staffordshire the latter name was eventually accepted. The main centre of interest for the breed had now become the Midlands.
As time went on dog fighting became increasingly popular, especially in the Black Country area of the Midlands. During this time any dog that proved it had fighting spirit and was capable of winning in the ring was bred irrespective of its looks to produce even more champions for the owner. This led to a wide variation in the appearance of the breed in the early 1900s. These variations had all become specific to certain areas and were all bred from one fighting champion. For instance there were types known as the Cradley, the Warlaston and the Walsall (all areas of the Black Country).
In the early 1930s when the popularity of dog fighting was dwindling a group of owners decided to organise shows for the breed as an alternative to fighting. They were the first people to draw up points that the staffy should be judged on. These points happened to favour the bulldoggy type of dog. Gradually this type has been bred more and the other types have bred out. Now we have an ideal Staffy and all breeders try to conform to this in order to own champions.