| HISTORY
Orgin
The American Staffordshire
can be traced with reasonable certainty to late 18th Century England.
Bull Baiting, a variety of other baiting sports, and dog fighting
were all common pastimes. In an effort to produce ever more efficient
fighting machines.
Numerous crosses
between bulldogs and working terriers were carried out over a period
of several decades. The products of these crosses as early as 1806
bear a striking resemblance to today's American Staffordshire Terrier.
Keep in mind that breeds as we know them today did not exist until
well into the 19th century.
Bulldogs pictured
in "The Sporting Magazine" from 1798 to 1824 also resemble
today's American Staffordshire Terrier far more closely than the
modern Bulldog. In 1835 with the passage of Cruelty to Animals Acts,
Baiting, Dog Fighting and other blood sports were driven underground.
About 1860,
the white Bull Terrier emerged as a distinct off shoot of the basic
Bull-and-Terrier. The originator of this cousin of our American
Staffordshire Terrier was James Hinks. James Hinks bred the white
Bull Terrier using a combination of bull and white terrier and Dalmatian,
white English Terrier. Hinks had success in the pit with this "White
Cavalier". There is no hard evidence however that the Bull
Terrier has been used for that purpose more than occasionally since
the mid-19th century. In the early 1900's the colored Bull Terrier
was developed by crossing the white Bull Terrier back to the Pit
Bull.
The Breed in
the United States
1850-1930
Many dog were
brought to this country before 1860. For example, the great dog
Spring was imported by McCaffrey in 1857. Abut 1880, "Cockney"
Charlie Floy imported Paddy and Pilot. Both destined to win fame
in the fighting pits of the Northeast.
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,
making the breed one of the most popular dogs during the first quarter
of the Century.
"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. The American Pit Bull Terrier Club, founded in 1921
in Clay Center, Kansas, published a standard from which our present
day standard is derived.
It should be noted that while the American Pit Bull Terrier and
the American Bull Terrier was being developed in this country, the
English continued to develop their version of the Pit Bull. This
dog distinctively smaller and some what 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 recognition was Wilfred T. Brandon. The original petition
was under the name "American Bull Terrier" was denied,
at least in part.
At this time, Captain Will Judy, publisher of "Dog World"
magazine proposed the name "Yankee Terrier" this was also
denied. A compromise was therefore reached and the breed recognized
in 1936 as the Staffordshire Terrier. The final step in this long
evolution of names occurred in the early 1970's as a result of the
coming recognition by AKC of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Thus
the name AKC offered "American Staffordshire Terrier"
as the final designation of the breed.
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