How to Raise and Train a Staffordshire Terrier

HOW TO RAISE AND TRAIN A STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER By Edwin E. Rosenblum Distributed in the U.S.A. by T.F.H. Publications, Inc., 211 West Sylva- nia Avenue, P.O. Box 27, Neptune City, N.J. 07753; in England by T.F.H. (Gt. Britain) Ltd., 13 Nutley Lane, Reigate, Surrey; in Canada to the book store and library trade by Clarke, Irwin & Company, Clarwin House, 791 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto 10, Ontario; in Canada to the pet trade by Rolf C. Hagen Ltd., 3225 Sartelon Street, Montreal 382, Quebec; in Southeast Asia by Y.W. Ong, 9 Lorong 36 Geylang, Singapore 14; in Australia and the south Pacific by Pet Imports Pty. Ltd., P.O. Box 149, Brookvale 2100, N.S.W., Australia. Published by T.F.H. Publications Inc. Ltd., The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. TO MY WIFE CECEIL Frontispiece Ch. Gallant Ruff's Susie Q, bred by Miss Martha V. Smith, owned by Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Stinson. ISBN 0-87666-399-4 © 1964 by T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Rights reserved throughout the world. Contents ORIGIN OF THE STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER 4 Purpose of development . Ancestors . Bull Terrier . Staffordshire Bull Terrier . Staffordshire Terrier . Pit Bull Terrier BUYING THE PUPPY 7 What age . Which sex . Health signs . Where to buy . Pedigrees and registration THE NEW PUPPY AT HOME 12 First day . The dog's bed . The doghouse . Feeding TRAINING 19 Consistency . Rewards . "No" . Walking on leash . Housetraining . Paper-training . Housebreaking . Obedience training . Training gear . Sit . Stay . Come . Heeling GROOMING 34 Brushing . Bathing . Ears . Claws . Teeth MATING 37 Spaying . Estrus . Mating . Contracts and shipping . The stud . Breeding terms REPRODUCTION 42 Pregnancy . Whelping box . Whelping . Postpartum feeding . Postpartum occurrences . Eclampsia . Puppy formula . Puppy feeding and weaning . Puppy sleep HEALTH 47 Distemper . Hepatitis . Leptospirosis . Hard pad disease . Housedog disease . Pneumonia . Rabies . Roundworms . Fleas . Other worm parasites and ticks DOG SHOWS 59 Types of shows . Entry requirements . Regular classes . Championships . Non-regular classes . U.K.C. dog shows . Obedience trials . Handlers . Stafford- shire Terrier standard I. Origin of the Staffordshire Terrier The Staffordshire Terrier is considered by many to be the most powerful dog, pound for pound, ever developed. It is a robust, muscular, and courageous dog, admirably suited for guard duty. In several of the southern states, it is also used as a "catch" dog to round up wild-ranging hogs that may weigh over 400 pounds. Catch dogs, by daring and agility, fasten their teeth into the ear or jowl of a hog to distract and hinder the animal, allowing it to be roped and tied. The Staffordshire Terrier will also hunt rats and other vermin, as other terriers do, and yet it is quite at home in the family living room. Its medium size and short coat permit it to live comfortably in a city apartment without excessive care. The Staffordshire Terrier owes its characteristics and even its origin to the grueling sport of dogfighting. The Staffordshire Terrier and the closely related Bull Terrier are the only two modern European or American breeds specifically developed as fighting dogs. For many centuries bull-baiting, or the pitting of dogs against bulls, was generally the most popular form of animal combat in Britain. In the early 1800's, however, bull-baiting declined in popularity and was finally out- lawed in 1835, though some unscrupulous individuals continued the pastime for a number of years afterward. The demise of bull-baiting permitted dogfighting, which had previously been unable to maintain a large following, to attract increased attention. The courageous Bulldog—a large, long-legged animal weighing 80 to 90 pounds and resembling a Mastiff or a large Staf- fordshire Terrier—was considered too slow for dogfighting and, consequently, was crossed with various types of terriers to produce a lighter and faster dog. The resulting hybrids were known as Bull-and-Terriers or Bull Terriers. It is not certain which terriers were used in this breeding, but the old English White Terrier (which probably became extinct in the early 1900's), the Black-and-Tan (Manchester) Terrier, and the Fox Terrier are considered the most likely candidates, with many authorities giving credit to the English White Terrier. Actually, during this period, these three terriers did not differ greatly in body conformation, and any or all of them could have been used with approximately similar results. Consequently, there was little conformity among the Bull-and-Terriers themselves; some retained a Bulldog-like appearance and weighed up to 50 pounds, while others resembled terriers and rarely weighed more than 20 pounds. 4 The English White Terrier, now extinct, resembled the Manchester Terrier in body conformation. It was a very game dog and is considered to be, along with the old Bulldog, the ancestor of the Staffordshire Terrier. The original Bulldog, meanwhile, became very rare, and only a deter- mined effort by several breeders saved it from extinction. These fanciers, supposedly by crossing Bulldogs with Pugs, gradually modified the original Bulldog type into the modern short-legged breed. In the 1860's, James Hinks of Birmingham, England, crossed the Bull- and-Terrier back to the English White Terrier, and possibly also added traces of other whitish varieties, such as the Pointer and Dalmatian, to produce a new all-white breed known as the White Bull Terrier. The original Bull-and-Terrier, whose greatest popularity as a fighting dog was among the coal miners and ironworkers of Staffordshire in central Eng- land, became known as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier to distinguish it from the new breed. Later, the Colored Bull Terrier was developed by crossing the White Bull Terrier with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. A number of Staffordshire Bull Terriers were sent to the United States shortly after the Civil War. These imported dogs are believed to have been bred to very similar, but distinctly American, strains of Bull-and-Terriers. In 1898, C. B. Bennett set up a stud book, called the United Kennel Club, for the registry of this breed. He chose "Pit Bull Terrier" from the galaxy of names applied to the breed (such as Pit Dog, Half-and-Half, American Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and Yankee Terrier) as the official 5 name of the American strain. Bennett also established official rules and regulations for the pitting of these dogs. In England, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier had no standard other than its gameness and endurance in the pit; indeed, three different varieties developed, the first being terrier-like in conformation and weighing less than 35 pounds; the second, taller and somewhat heavier; and the third, resembling the old breed of bulldog. In 1935, however, a number of British breeders succeeded in having the Staffordshire Bull Terrier officially recognized by the Kennel Club. These fanciers patterned the official breed standard after their own local strain, which closely resembled the old Bulldog. In the United States, about the same time, a group of Pit Bull Terrier breeders attempted to gain A.K.C. recognition for their breed. They felt that the pit-fighting reputation of the U.K.C. dogs hindered the general acceptance of this fine breed and that a greater popularity would be achieved if the breed was under A.K.C. supervision. Accordingly, they peti- tioned the A.K.C. for breed recognition; to facilitate acceptance they changed the breed name to Staffordshire Terrier to conform more closely with the British dogs and the breed's history. The A.K.C. granted official recognition in 1936. The first Pit Bull Terrier officially registered as a Staffordshire Terrier with the A.K.C. was "Pete," the famous dog companion of the youngsters in the "Our Gang" film comedies of the 1930's. In addition to the A.K.C. and the U.K.C.—which today registers Toy Fox Terriers, Spitz, and Coonhounds, and supervises field trials for the Coonhounds—Staffordshire Terriers may also be registered (as Pit Bull Terriers) with the American Dog Breeders Association. The history of the breed, whose end result was the redoubtable and dependable companion and guard we know today, is such that the Stafford- shire Terrier is ever willing to test its mettle against other dogs. For this reason (as well as the danger of automobile accidents, poisoning, etc.), your Staffordshire Terrier should never be allowed to run at large. 2. Buying the Puppy WHAT AGE The initial decisions confronting the prospective buyer of a Staffordshire Terrier are what age and sex should the dog be? A large number, probably the majority, of puppies are sold at six to nine weeks of age. It is true that such young puppies are tiny and appealing, but great difficulties may arise because a puppy of this age, like a child of one year, simply cannot control its bladder and bowel movements. Premature attempts at housebreaking or any other disciplinary training can permanently damage the personality of the dog. In addition, the very young puppy commonly needs worming treatment, puppy-dosage inoculations, and a number of daily feedings. These factors have led most authorities to recommend purchasing a puppy of four to six months in age. Recent findings concerning young puppies will be discussed under "Training." Puppies of the four-to-six-month age group not only retain the engaging juvenile characteristics but can also be given permanent inoculations and are capable of complying with basic training procedures. Some experts recommend purchasing even older dogs, of seven months or more in age. These young animals are still very adaptable and can be molded to suit your tastes. Though they may have lost a lot of the puppy cuteness, they offer all the advantages of the four-to-six-month group and, in addition, enable you to discern faults in body structure or other shortcomings that would not have been detectable at an earlier age.

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