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THE BREEDS OF TEAM TRIPLE THREAT
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The Staffordshire
Bull Terrier
(Bubbles
& Twiztid)
Care and Exercise:
Although dog fighting and other barbaric pastimes of the day were patronised by the aristocracy - Lord Camelford reportedly owned a famous dog called 'Belcher'- fighting dogs were also owned by the poorest of families. The pit dog was a favourite with miners and steelworkers and was prevalent amongst the chainmakers of the " Black Country " where the dogs were not only fought for entertainment but provided a working man with valuable extra income when worked against badgers or as ratters. With the introduction of the Humane Act in 1835, baiting sports and dog fighting became unlawful and a group of men in the Staffordshire area endeavoured to preserve their breed by introducing them to the show world. After much discussion the Standard was written describing the dog's physical attributes and this dog was named the Staffordshire Bull Terrier to differentiate him from the English Bull Terrier. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was officially registered by the Kennel Club in 1935 and the first club show for the breed took place in August 1935 at Cradley Heath in the West Midlands where 60 dogs and bitches were entered . The founder club was named The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club and is affectionately known as 'The Parent Club'. There are now a total of 18 clubs in Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranging from the North of Scotland to the West of England. The breed received championship status in 1938 when CC's were awarded for the first time at the Birmingham National. The first two Champions of the breed were Ch. Gentleman Jim and Ch. Lady Eve. The popularity of the breed
has now spread abroad with well established clubs in many
countries including Australia, Eire, France, Germany,
Holland, Spain and the USA, to name but a few. Over the
years the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has become a successful
show dog and a serious contender in the Terrier Group, where
they frequently have the highest number of entries of all
dogs in the Terrier Group and are occasional winners of Best
in Show. More importantly the Stafford has become a popular
pet retaining the attributes gained from generations of
fighting dogs bred for courage, tenacity and most important:
total reliability and affinity with people and in particular
children |
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The American Pit
Bull Terrier
(Maximus)
Height:
18 - 22 inches Mange and heart murmurs. Breeders should be concerned with doing health testing on the sire or dam such as OFA, PENN HIP History/Origin:His ancestors were brought to the Unites States in the mid - 1800's by Boston-Irish immigrants. Originally bred from a variety of bulldogs and terriers, American breeders increased his weight and gave him a more powerful head. A forbearer to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, they were originally bred to be a fighting dog. Bull baiting was banned in England in 1835 and these dogs are no longer been bred to fight. There is some complication in registries of this breed. The AKC considers the American Staffordshire Terrier as separate and distinct from the American Pit Bull Terrier, yet the UKC will register both as American Pit Bull Terriers (APBTs). In America, the Pit Bull flourished. It was one of the most popular breeds, highly prized by a wide variety of people. The Pit Bull was used to represent the US in WW1 artwork; popular companies like RCA and the Buster Brown Shoe Company used the breed as their mascots. A Pit Bull named Petie starred in the popular children's television series, Our Gang; a Pit Bull mix named Stubby became a decorated WW1 hero. Pit Bulls accompanied pioneer familes on their explorations. Laura Ingalls Wilder of the popular Little House books owned a working Pit Bulldog named Jack. Famous individuals like Theodore Roosevelt and Helen Keller owned the breed. It was during this time that the Pit Bull truly became America?s sweetheart breed, admired, respected and loved.
In
1898 the United Kennel Club was formed with the
express intent of providing registration and
fighting guidelines for the now officially-named
American Pit Bull Terrier. Later, those who wished
to distance themselves from the fighting aspect of
the breed petitioned the American Kennel Club for
recognition of the Pit Bull so that it would be
eligible for dog shows and other performance events.
The AKC conceded in 1936 but only under the
stipulation that the dogs registered with them be
called "Staffordshire Terriers", the name of the
province in England the breed supposedly originated
in. Upon acceptance of the breed, many people
dual-registered their dogs with both the AKC and the
UKC. Lucenay's Peter (the dog that starred in the
Our Gang series) was the first dual-registered Pit
Bull/Staffordshire Terrier. The UKC evolved,
eventually beginning to register other working-type
breeds, and later holding shows similar to those of
the AKC. Currently, the UKC is the second largest
purebred dog registry in the United States, complete
with strict bylaws that ban anyone who is convicted
of dog fighting. The American Dog Breeders
Association was formed in 1909 because of certain
fanciers' opinions that the UKC was not doing it's
job protecting and preserving the Pit Bull breed as
they felt it should be preserved. The ADBA's goal is
the same now is at was then: to register, promote
and preserve the original American Pit Bull Terrier
fighting-type dog.
Today the Pit Bull has
evolved into a marvelous working and companion dog,
used for purposes as varied as those it originally
performed. Pit Bulls are employed as police/armed
services dogs, search and rescuers, therapy animals,
and livestock workers. They compete in all manner of
organized dog sports, from herding to agility to
conformation to obedience and the bite sports like
Schutzhund and French Ring. They make loving pets
for children and seniors, and everyone in between.
The are indeed one of the most versatile breeds on
the planet. Much of this is owed to the activities
it once performed. The harshness and physical
demands of the activities molded a strong, healthy,
stable animal, one anyone should be proud to own. |
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