Do we know what we own? Discussions

Good point Luke.

This is where my ignorance comes in...did Staffies start out more long legged etc with this 'other' look or did they always look the way they do today?

If they started out with the appearance of this other look what is wrong with admiring that original look?...

Like GSD's with straighter backs etc? Or longer legged Labs instead of these little short tubby ones you see?

If they didn't start out with this look then I see what you are saying Luke.

I agree

If my memory serves me correct they were slightly larger, racier, more like the Irish style Staffords i guess than the type we see today
Correct me if i'm wrong folks!

Because they wernt bred for fighting?

Why can't SBT's lead a normal life aswell then?

Cheers Luke. If that's right then there is nothing wrong with appreciating the more original look?

At the time my Grandfather owned Staffords (his passion Started in the 1950's) right up until he had to retire from the breed in the mid eighties. They were (infact glancing at some photographs of his dogs now) longer legged and much much leaner although he did have some 'thicker' set dogs that still appeared to be longer in the leg. Even way back then, in the hieght of his passion he owned 5 Staffords not one kennel fight broke out nor did they display any aggressive tendancies towards my Grandmothers chosen breed (Toy Poodles)

Hate to bring it up again, but anyone remember this?

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=39062&highlight=hayley sbt

Nothing wrong with it now-HOWEVER, coming from someone who said that they were against changing the breed to suit us, when they then say they want a/prefer/only like staffords which are different/non standard (physically) from the properly bred stafford that is the breed we love and know, the breed that is The Staffordshire Bull Terrier. just doesn't seem to make sense.

Oddly enough i looked at that earlier on today..

You obviously have not had much contact with Greyhounds Azz, "Why do you think they wear muzzles?" it is a case of those who know and those who surmise I'm afriad.

Ah. I thought that they look of what some of them have today would have been the change, not what look they did have?

I must be missing something here :? What relevance does that have to this thread as I am completely missing it, sorry in advance

Off Topic: I have seen PLENTY of greyhound/lurchers, rescue's-naturally, without muzzles-many even off the lead!! We have a beutiful blue greyhound belonging to a neighbour-ex racer, then went briefly to a working home-ended up in rescue again, neighbours adopted him etc etc. He actually loves our cat-regularly comes to say hello to her when they pass the house on 'walkies'.
Its not all as black and white as one may perceive in most cases.

True but the change of looks from what they were isn't something that happened last week-they have been taking the shape of the 'show stafford' for a while. The show type stafford (not all small n stubby, plenty of big heavy boned dogs in the ring!) are what the breed has evolved into as you were-many of the 'non standard' and TBH non stafford looking (!) 'leggier' non registered, non pedigree staffords that one see's are often not of pure stafford heritage. One can never be totally sure without pedigree papers (even if not KC registered!). Even non recognised breeds still have a pedigree!
Im digressing now...so i'll shaatup!
To me the staffordshire bull terrier is as the standard reads, anything different isn't a 'standard stafford' therefore is a different dog to the 'standardised stafford' (nowt wrong with them BTW), but therefore that is opting for a slight change within the breed.
Again im rambling..

I don't like what showing has done to a lot of breeds Hayley, the reason being, the standards have changed so much the dogs seem to have more and more problems enjoying every day life. This in my opinion is wrong. Aggressiveness is a trait that also prevents dogs enjoying life to the max. They can't run and play with other dogs, they can't really even be let off lead, they should be muzzled in public to prevent harm, how Hayley, can you say, that this is beneficial? How is this benefitting the breed? How are the dogs happier and healthier this way? Aggressiveness was bred into such dogs by humans, it is not natural, they were never born that way, WE MADE THEM THAT WAY IN THE FIRST PLACE, and for OUR OWN BENEFIT!

Amen to that!

(good lord i've been debating so long i have turned to the holyness to give me strength!)

I've had contact with Greyhounds (I owned one, she wasn't dog aggressive and yes she was an ex racer) Dog aggression with Greyhounds I would say is partly because of the conditions they are used to living in as 'racers' it's not bred into them.

its called trolling by someone called bordercollie lover luke should know what shes about and nicci

Loads of dogs can't be let off lead for loads of reasons owing to their origins though yet people still have them live happy lives?

If you go that route you have to ask how happy is a Mal or Sibe living in modern day environments where they can't get off lead, cuz not everybody works them everyday even if they do sometimes.

Infact how happy are any dogs living in modern day society worlds apart from what they were originally breed for?

As an owner of a particular breed you surely have to either know that you can provide a happy life around certain issues that be arise due to it's ancestry or not take on that breed?

I cant speak for Mals or Sibes but is part of that because they are not good at recall? Because if everytime I have seen a Sibe they have been delightful dogs which have responded well to others.