THE IRISH STAFFORD ?

Being that we own Blue Irish Staffords for quite some time now & like your self’s, we all want to know where they came from. Why are they called Irish Staffords. We can only give you the history on where they came from and what dogs what.

Like Ch Psycho / Ch Stormer / The Flynn lines / Dublin red Lines / CH. Gentleman Jim / Kilwickie Lad / Ch Pal of Aveth /The Great Geronimo /Doc’s Gr Ch Duke. And that has lead to more up to date Breeders like the Kaos Kennels / Farmers boys / East streets Northford / Scratch’s / ect ect /.

Updated 16th January 2009

Ive been reading a book written by Shaun Barker Staffordshire Bull Terriers English & Irish. Who i do believe he was the president & S.I.B.T.C Founder once. and he quotes. Throughout the years we have spent the time perfecting, call it molding, a pure-at-heart, natural working form of Stafford. The breed name was put up with many others at a committee meeting back in 1990 and was voted in by the vast majority. Previous to this meeting they were known as OLD TIME STAFFORD’S because of the pit bull issues, we started to preserve the pure bloodlines of the Irish Stafford so as it would not get mixed up with any other breed. To date there are only 372 pure bred and registered Irish Staffords in the world, yet we see hundreds for sale !. This was written a good few years ago but i can see what Shaun Barker is getting at. www.sbtfun.com go on line for Shaun Barkers book.

I was also told by a very good friend of ours high up in the dog world, its just a Stafford, what do you mean by that i said. Well you don’t get  Welsh Stafford you don’t get a Scottish Stafford you don’t get a Cornish Stafford you don’t get a London Stafford, you don’t get a German Stafford ok ok i said i get the massage. Its Just a plain old Stafford. Blue, White, Red, Brindle, what ever color it is. Its still a Stafford weather its got long legs or short legs its still a Stafford !.

Its a bit ironic that the year 2009 the Kennel Club is going to stop Breeding short legged dogs as they have been told that there type of dogs are have problems !. I wonder if that applies to the Kennel Club Stafford, as they have been telling the RSPCA that our type of dog is of Pit Bull Type !. please dont get me wrong on is this one, as i love all Staffords, its just that it seems to be one law for one and one for another. So basically the Staffords are going back to the size that they started of at !.

We cant tell you what has gone into the Irish Staffordshire lines of today. As Jo Bloggs down the road might be putting all sorts of mixed up dogs into the Irish lines, who knows other than the people that are doing it. If they are saying to you that they are a red nose, Blue nose, the American Stafford. Well then its definitely not an Irish Stafford / Old Time Stafford is it. We haven’t got any thing against Pit-Bulls, Blue nose, Red nose, Am-Staffords ect ect.

Just Do Not Confuse The Irish Staffordshire / Old Time Stafford with those types of dogs. We find the Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a wonderful outstanding breed of dog, with all the characteristics of what a Staffordshire Bull Terrier should be like, And very proud to own them.

The reason people think that they are Pit bulls is mainly there size, Just Slightly Bigger then the average Kennel Club Dog. But back in the day that was the size of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The kennel Club breed them down in size, mainly for showing.

They are really Bull & Terriers, again back in the day they was called PIT BULL TERRIERS because of what they were. They was Breed manly for game fighting in a PIT, like Bull fighting / Ratting / Badger fighting / ect ect so what is a Pit Bull then ???. Unfortunately its Just one of them names that go’s with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Click Here for The Good Old Bad Old Days

The Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier is the same as the standard Kennel Club Staffordshire. Coincidentally the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was officially recognized in 1935 by the Kennel Club.

The Kennel Club type dog was taken over to Ireland for Breeders wishing to produce a taller and more gamer type of dog, (Of witch we know of to day ). They imported a dog or bitch for a newer bloodline.

Although many strains of Stafford have been put over the English Bull Terrier over a period time. Others have kept to the Original type and continue to be bred along the correct lines. In particular the Irish strains have kept to the old ideals. The type of Stafford that was created was a taller, fitter slender dog than the English Kennel Club Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

The Irish Staffordshire Bull Terriers are also shown in dog shows all over the country apart from the Kennel Club shows like Cruffs.

What we have been seeing lately is Kennel Club Staffordshire Bull Terrier Blue dogs & bitch’s that are between 19” inch to 21” / 22” in Height, When really they are between 13” Height to 16” inch in Height. So those of you that own a Kennel Club dog can you honestly say that you know what lines are in your dog then ?.

What with all this back street breeding that’s going on. I was reading one ad on the free ads Pick & Mix Stafford’s for sale any colour & Any size what do they thing they are a shopping Center !. Shame its not buy one get one free LOL.

So who’s mixing the lines up then !, and deceiving the public and charging up to £800.00 to a £1000.00. Well that’s all good and well if its a genuine Kennel Club Stafford. Just lately we’ve been getting phone call’s on advice about the Kennel Club dog that is getting very long legs, with a slight pointed face and is all ready 14” inch high at 4 months old LOL. Well what do you think ?. Any way lets get back to what I was saying and stop bitching.

In the early 19th century a Blue variety was produced, Witch was known as The Blue Paul from Scotland. There was a Scottish Bull Terrier that is now Extinct by the way. ( Click Here for History on the Blues ) The Irish Blue variety (Blue Bullet line) was started by M. A. Smith and C. Smith, from a dog acquired in the Black Country.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW OLD TIME DOGS

Was born in 1937 and lived for twelve years. He was the sire of over 250 registered Staffordshire Bull Terriers at a time when the breed was enjoying a boom following upon the war-starved years. He continued siring stock up to the age of ten years and it is clear that his influence must have been immense.