History Room
SBTC/USA Standard
Here is the proposed or "working" SBTC/USA Standard of the Breed. It's identical to the 1948 KC Standard except for a final additional paragraph which forbade cropping and clipping.
Steve Stone
STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER
Standard of the Breed
Characteristics:
From the past history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the modern dog draws his character of indomitable courage, high intelligence and tenacity. This coupled with his affection for his friends, and children in particular, his off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes him the foremost all-purpose dog.
General Appearance:
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a smooth-coated dog. He should be of great strength for his size and although muscular, should be active and agile.
Head and Skull:
Short, deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short fore-face, black nose.
Eyes:
Dark preferable, but may bear some relation to coat color. Round, of medium size, and set to look straight ahead.
Ears:
Rose or half-pricked and not large. Full drop or prick to be penalized.
Mouth:
The mouth should be level, that is, the incisors of the lower jaw should fit closely inside the incisors of the top jaw, and the lips should be tight and clean. The badly undershot or overshot mouth to be heavily penalized.
Neck
Muscular, rather short, clean in outline and gradually widening towards the shoulders.
Forequarters:
Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart, without looseness at the shoulders, and showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point the feet turn out a little.
Body:
The body should be close coupled, with a level topline, wide front, deep brisket, and well sprung ribs being rather light in the loins.
Hindquarters:
The hindquarters should be well muscled, hocks let down with stifles well bent. Legs should be parallel when viewed from behind.
Feet:
The feet should be well padded, strong and of medium size.
Tail:
The tail should be of medium length, low set, tapering to a point and carried rather low. It should not curl much and may be likened to an old-fashioned pump handle.
Coat:
Smooth, short and close to the skin.
Color:
Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any of these colors with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Black-and-tan or liver color not to be encourage.
Weight and Size:
Weight: Dogs, 28 1bs. to 38 1bs. Bitches, 24 1bs. to 34 1bs. Height (at shoulder), 14 in. to 16 in., these heights being related to weights.
Faults:
To be penalized in accordance with the severity of the fault: light eyes or pink eye-rims. Tail too long or badly curled. Non-conformation to limits of weight and height. Full drop and prick ears. Undershot or overshot mouths. The following faults should debar a dog from winning any prize:
Pink (Dudley) nose. Badly undershot or overshot mouth: Badly undershot-where the lower jaw protrudes to such an extent that the incisors of the lower jaw do not touch those of the upper jaw. Badly overshot where the upper jaw protrudes to such an extent that the incisors of the upper jaw do not touch those of the lower jaw.
General:
No exhibit whelped after January 1, 1967, shall be docked, cropped, de-whiskered, trimmed, or altered in any way except that dew claws on the hind legs, if present, may be removed and the long hairs on the underside of the tail may be trimmed. Imported exhibits may have the front dew claws removed.