True, noble and eternally devoted to humans, the dog has been since time immemorial a valuable contributor at work: guardian of herds, assistant for hunting, shooting, etc. He also fought alongside men on the battlefield, while protecting your home.
However, the dog, the dog does not have a moral sense, is not governed either by ethical standards. Just loves man, without judging. For him everything he does his "God gave it two legs" is well done. This is the reason why the dog has agreed to serve man in abject companies such as animal fighting, an absurd and bloody fun.
The Bull Terrier type, group it belongs to the American Staffordshire Terrier American Stafford commonly called, were created specifically for this activity: fight against other dogs and other animals.
Originally fights bears were organized.
Then came the fights bulls (hence the term Bull, "bull" in English, which gives rise to the name Bull Terrier).
Fights against rats (the rat-ki-lling matches) was also organized.
Currently animal fighting are prohibited (which does not mean, unfortunately, that does not exist), and american stafford are selected for their mental balance and beauty.
When it is known directly, they are lovely animals because they are very affectionate, despite having a strong character, like all Terrier. Clearly, these dogs can not go into the hands of anyone. They need a person with a strong character and you feel like you understand this breed, which bears the brunt of many prejudices and unfounded information. The most important point is to give much love the dog, and at the same time have enough humility to ask for advice when necessary, because mistakes in the education of an American Staffordshire Terrier can have much more serious consequences than wrong in education a Yorkshire. In conclusion, remember that an american stafford good line and well educated is a unique partner.
Origins and history
Animal fighting back to ancient times. In all these dogs were used, provided they were big and strong and were endowed with a powerful jaw.
During the Middle Ages in England, the meat tough and lean bull appreciated. This meat was obtained only if the animal had been wounded before death. For that reason the butchers of the time, before sacrificing the bull threw him a particularly vicious dog, who jumped into neck until put to death. Undoubtedly, this practice gave rise to animal fighting, to which should be added to the fondness of the British for gambling.
In the early seventeenth century a selection process began with the goal of Buenos fighting dogs, who were appointed by the name of bulldogs. It was not a race itself, the current English bulldog has only a few common ancestors with these animals. The bulls of the time had longer legs, were thinner and, despite having all strong muscles, differed markedly, which is not surprising because the selection was not in the hands of cinófilos, but of individuals betting on the blood of either animal.
In this context, it is easy to imagine how little importance they attached to the "types" and "homogeneity".
In the late eighteenth century came, finally, the idea of selecting a line of dogs that guarantee certain characteristics: aggressiveness and lack of sensitivity to the doctor and at the same time, strength, toughness and agility.
For this purpose they passed bulldog, ie, aggressive and strong dogs, with copies provided by additional hereditary characteristics: agility and low sensitivity to pain. In England, there was only one type of dogs that met these requirements Terrier.
Indeed, no other canid is braver than a terrier, a selected underground dog to attack a large and often stronger than the prey.
Since improving agility should not entail a loss of power, a higher rate of Terrier was chosen.
That was how the Bull and Terrier were created. However, I still could not speak of a race in the strict sense of the word because the qualities still prevailed for the fight, and did not take into account the characteristics affecting directly the effectiveness in the fight.
From 1835, when an edict was issued an edict outlawing animal fighting, something began to change.
However, the mentality of bettors no change and only fights that were removed were disputed between dogs and bulls, requiring much space. Bets are re led to bouts of dogs against dogs, rats and dogs against (which still held in secret).
However, in that same time the official cinofilia born. Some visitors first dog shows they liked Bull and Terrier as dogs, not as beasts of battle.
Then they began to breed them seriously, with passion and competence, creating races instead of simple mixtures of blood. There was a split among breeders of pet dogs, work and exposure, and breeders linked to betting circles, which continued to produce dogs with the intention of making them fight. In England the work of the first was aimed at the selection of Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The American Staffordshire Terrier was the result conducted by breeders in the United States and Canada.
Among the ancestors of this canid is the Bull and Terrier, and now extinct race, the Blue Paul Terrier. The latter was named after the Scottish pirate Paul Jones, who took their land several dogs from unknown sources, but endowed with a capacity of struggle that would earn them the favor of bettors. His descendants were bred in Scotland, particularly in Glasgow, and spread rapidly colonial territories.
The history of the American Staffordshire Terrier and the pit bull terrier are very close. Indeed, until 1930 constituted a single breed, breeders unfolded.
The first satellite for breeding working dogs with a very precise standard, hot-tempered, but very balanced. The result was the American Staffordshire Terrier. The pit bull terrier, his brother comes from a production-oriented line of fighting dogs. We can say, however, that the current pit bull has lost the ferocity of yesteryear and that raised responsibly, is a balanced and loving dog. Furthermore, in the American Stafford, the physical qualities were selected much earlier, allowing them more importance.
The "cousins" of the American Staffordshire Terrier
These are the other Bull Terrier type recognized by the International Ginológica Federation (FCI):
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier: is smaller than the American Staffordshire Terrier and currently have as a pet. It is robust and muscular, very tenacious and courageous;
The Bull Terrier: Known for its snout "Roman", is the only Terrier with ears erect natural poise. He is stubborn, but has good character.
The Miniature Bull Terrier: the "bonsai" version of the Bull Terrier. It is a companion dog, which does not prevent you from having a character all his own, that has nothing to envy to their larger cousins.
