"Irish" staffords - should they have a change of name? Discussions

If a dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier then it should be called a staffordshire bull terrier, if it is not then it should not have Staffordshire in it's name, so the breed known as a irish Staffordshire bull terrier I think should either be called Irish bull terrier or Staffordshire bull terrier.

the main reason they have staffordshire bull terrier in the name is to disguise what they really are, crossbreeds bred for dog fighting. :? the famous dog stormer was an english bull terrier cross so how they can call them "staffordshires" is beyond me :?

Squeak, Unfortunetly there are a lot of people who like you haven`t taken the time to find out what an Irish Staff is before expressing an opinion.
I am not on a mission to make Irish staffs recognised by the KC or any other organisation but what I do want to do is stop people going on and on about any bull terriers and fighting, being aggressive, code for this and that. Its because of this type of attitude that owners are struggling with things like the DDA.
Yes, fighting etc is part of their history, its what made them the dogs they. Ironically if these so called sports didn`t exist than we wouldn`t have the dogs that we now love, but for the most part thats what it is, HISTORY.

The "work" that staffs were created for was so called sports, which as you should know were Fighting, ratting etc. When this was thankfully banned some owners started to show. Shock and horror even todays top show winners will have a fighting/ working dog, even god forbid an old type terrier or bull dog somewhere in its pedigrees history.

These people have created a breed standard which has been adapted, and we now have the great Staffs of today.
But some people didn`t like the standard that was set, so they kept breeding their STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS (note there is no code) to its original type. Yep there is some variation in its size etc but these breeders were as equally interested in keeping the dogs fitness,agility and gameness as in keeping its looks.
These traits that have been maintained are now again being used in sports such as weight pulling, agility and even in some countries Police type work( even pit bulls are being used!!) Showing Irish Staffs is also now becoming more popular and its possible to think that eventually a fixed standard will be set for these dogs, which even the KC might recognise.

We don`t need to change its name because Irish staff is what people are coming to slowly recognise. The name gets tainted when people and the media call it code for something else, but any name change would just create more confussion. They are just old type Staffs. Nothing else!!!!.

Not that I would be put off by owning a pit bull. I think that, like any other dog if its loved and brought up right then they are great dogs. Infact If you take the time to look on the web you`ll see a lot of the amazing things that Pit bulls do. Its a shame the media don`t think that, that news would be as interestng to the public as an attack.:-(

Owning a dog in Britian that LOOKS like a pitbull could mean that it is taken off you and put to sleep. For NO reason other than how it looks. Which really Pi**es me off!.
These dogs are loved, cared for, part of a family!!!!!.
Think about that before you start pointing your finger and calling our dogs Pitbulls. Your uneducated gob could be getting my Baby`s killed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Punish the Deed not the breed!.

WELL SAID MINTER!!
I totally agree with you.
Bieng someone who owns both the standard type SBT + the classic type SBT i have learn to apreciate both 'types' for their similarities + differences.
They are the same dogs, originating from the same places but taken in diferent directions through selective breeding.
Everyone will have their own prefered type but i personally like the midground height + both their individual builds which is reflected in my dogs. jo x

p.s., this is a kc dog from 20 yrs ago, this is my ideal stafford....

CH Ginells Black Tuskyana - placed 2nd in crufts in the early eighties - my inspiration.

I know this is an emotive subject but try not getting personal - you could have replaced uneducated gob with uneducated views and made the same point.

Remember that being a good ambassador for your breed may be worth more to you now than it ever has been.

Point taken, sorry.
Its hard to not take it personally when you see things happen.

Well said Minter
Most so called irish staffords are not cross bred dogs and there are many many pedigrees for irish staffords just as thier are for the kc stafford!
like the IKC

comments such as cross bred dogs for fighting will get so many many dogs pts for no reason
Its like saying tred mills for dogs are only used for dog fighting when this is such media hype and BS

Im in the old type standard stafford camp and i like my staffords to look like what they used to look like! standards are there for people who compete to show thier dogs off
Irish staffords are for people who want the orignal type staffordshire bull terrier, i just like to call them staffords of the orginal type staffords
if u want the newer type staffordshire bull terrier the get a show bred one right?
why slate people for getting an origanal type stafford and why do htey have to be cross breeds when many are not?

what lines are your dogs from Hayley do they have pedigrees and do you know how they are bred?

Pretty much summed up my own feelings well done,the basis of staffords was a much more athletic dog that could go and work not just stand stout in a show ring!

I am involved in a canine fitness club ,we do not condone any form of ill treatment or aggressive aspects of any breed!! An irish dog is no password for a pit bull & it really would not matter if it did the onus ,like ANY canine is in its owner!!!!!

what does '&amp' mean

Please those with a negative attitude take a look at the very early staffords,a very much more athletic dog that was bred for working[not fighting] . Show dogs resembling x/pugs are not true to form,look what the KC DONE TO ENGLISH BULLDOGS!!!

The KC has done nothing to the Bulldog but people have!
Becky

Nor are the Irish Staffords,they look nothing like the early ones,they have a seperate breed standard which is very similar to the standard we already have in place.