The Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Size
Exercise Requirements
Grooming Requirements
Weight	11 - 17 Kg (approx)
Life Span	14 - 16 Years (approx)

Easy misidentified as a Pit Bull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier as well as other Bull breeds. He ideally stands between 14’ to 16’ and weighs between 11kg – 17kg. There colours are red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any one of these colours with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Potential owners of the breed should be aware coat colour has no bearing on price and that there are no rare colours in Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a man-made breed and was a cross between the bulldog of the day (not the current Bulldog) and the now extinct Old English Terrier. He was developed in an era when man was less than humane to man and definitely less accommodating towards animals. The breed was recognised by The Kennel Club (UK) in 1935.

This is where the breed really comes into its element. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier has always been a popular choice for Australian families and this tradition looks set to continue. A reliable all purpose family breed, he has an affinity with children and he is their protector and confidant. A Stafford yearns for affection from his family and friends. To be frank - this interaction is required for his well-being. He is happy to go for a walk, ride in the car or snuggle on the couch with his owner/s. It is often said that when this happy-go-lucky soul is around you are never really alone. The SBT is very much child-proof and can handle the punishment young children often inflict. It is highly recommended, as with all breeds, that supervision is always practiced. In a nutshell no child should be left with ANY animal unsupervised.

The original wash and wear dog! Being a single coated breed all that is generally required is a quick weekly rub down with a damp cloth/chamois. Winter care is required with the Stafford. He is not one to tolerate weather extremes – much preferring to spend time inside with his owners day to day activities. It is important not to exercise young puppies (less than 12 months)
too much too soon as this may cause future health problems . Contrary to common belief Staffords do not need copious amounts of exercise. Again, be sensible, a Stafford will walk with you for miles at its own comfortable pace with lots of stops for sniffing etc. No one is advocating running a 10 mile marathon (and yes, it has been known and no you shouldn't even consider it!) Probably the most beneficial exercise is walking/jogging with your Stafford. However with all dogs – Routine is King!

Generally a robust and healthy breed however he can suffer from some genetic diseases. Responsible breeders with the support of the ANKC and other breeders are attempting to selectively breed out these hereditary afflictions. When purchasing a SBT from registered breeders (unfortunately not all breeders are registered with the ANKC and these particular "breeders" generally refrain from health testing breeding stock) do not be afraid to ask the breeder about their stock, their breeding practices nor be afraid to ask to see health certificates.

L2-Hga

L-2-HGA (L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria) in Staffordshire Bull Terriers is a neurometabolic disorder characterised by elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.

L-2-HGA affects the central nervous system, with clinical signs usually apparent between 6 months and one year (although they can appear later). Symptoms include epileptic seizures, "wobbly" gait, tremors, muscle stiffness as a result of exercise or excitement and altered behaviour.

The mutation, or change to the structure of the gene, probably occurred spontaneously in a single dog but once in the population has been inherited from generation to generation like any other gene. The disorder shows an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance: two copies of the defective gene (one inherited from each parent) have to be present for a dog to be affected by the disease.

Individuals with one copy of the defective gene and one copy of the normal gene - called carriers - show no symptoms but can pass the defective gene onto their offspring. When two apparently healthy carriers are crossed, 25% (on average) of the offspring will be affected by the disease, 25% will be clear and the remaining 50% will themselves be carriers.

The mutation responsible for the disease has recently been identified at the Animal Health Trust. Using the information from this research, we have developed a DNA test for the disease. This test not only diagnoses dogs affected with this disease but can also detect those dogs which are carriers, displaying no symptoms of the disease but able to produce affected pups.

Carriers could not be detected by the tests previously available which involved either a blood or urine test detecting elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutarate or magnetic resonance imaging. Under most circumstances, there will be a much greater number of carriers than affected animals in a population. It is important to eliminate such carriers from a breeding population since they represent a hidden reservoir of the disease that can produce affected dogs at any time.

The test is available now and information on submitting samples is given below.

Breeders will be sent results identifying their dog as belonging to one of three categories:

CLEAR: - the dog has 2 copies of the normal gene and will neither develop L-2-HGA, nor pass a copy of the L-2-HGA gene to any of its offspring.

CARRIER:- the dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the mutant gene that causes L-2-HGA. It will not develop L-2-HGA but will pass on the L-2-HGA gene to 50% (on average) of its offspring.

AFFECTED: the dog has two copies of the L-2-HGA mutation and is affected with L-2-HGA. It will develop L-2-HGA at some stage during its lifetime, assuming it lives to an appropriate age.

Carriers can still be bred to clear dogs. On average, 50% of such a litter will be clear and 50% carriers; there can be no affecteds produced from such a mating. Pups which will be used for breeding can themselves be DNA tested to determine whether they are clear or carrier. 
 

Hereditary Cataracts (also called Juvenile Cataracts)

Hereditary Cataract in Staffordshire Bull Terriers has been recognised as an inherited condition since the late 1970’s. Affected dogs develop cataracts in both eyes at an early age. The condition is not congenital, so the lenses are normal at birth but cataracts appear at a few weeks to months in age, progressing to total cataract (and resulting blindness) by 2 to 3 years of age. 

The mutation, or change to the structure of the gene, probably occurred spontaneously in a single dog but once in the population has been inherited from generation to generation like any other gene. The disorder shows an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance: two copies of the defective gene (one inherited from each parent) have to be present for a dog to be affected by the disease.

Individuals with one copy of the defective gene and one copy of the normal gene - called carriers - show no symptoms but can pass the defective gene onto their offspring. When two apparently healthy carriers are crossed, 25% (on average) of the offspring will be affected by the disease, 25% will be clear and the remaining 50% will themselves be carriers.

The mutation responsible for the disease has recently been identified at the Animal Health Trust. Using the information from this research, we have developed a DNA test for the disease. This test not only diagnoses dogs affected with the disease but can also detect those dogs which are carriers, displaying no symptoms of the disease but able to produce affected pups.

Under most circumstances, there will be a much greater number of carriers than affected animals in a population. It is important to eliminate such carriers from a breeding population since they represent a hidden reservoir of the disease that can produce affected dogs at any time.

The test is available now and information on submitting samples is given below.

Breeders will be sent results identifying their dog as belonging to one of three categories:

CLEAR: the dog has 2 copies of the normal gene and will neither develop Hereditary Cataract, nor pass a copy of the Hereditary Cataract gene to any of its offspring.

CARRIER: the dog has one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the mutant gene that causes Hereditary Cataract.  It will not develop Hereditary Cataract but will pass on the Hereditary Cataract gene to 50% (on average) of its offspring.
    
AFFECTED: the dog has two copies of the Hereditary Cataract mutation and is affected with Hereditary Cataract. It will develop Hereditary Cataract at some stage during its lifetime, assuming it lives to an appropriate age.

Carriers can still be bred to clear dogs. On average, 50% of such a litter will be clear and 50% carriers; there can be no affecteds produced from such a mating. Pups which will be used for breeding can themselves be DNA tested to determine whether they are clear or carrier.

L2-HGA and HC Information aquired from AHT.

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