Staffy or pitbull? Discussions

could anyone help me,i was watching animal 24/7 on tv this morning and dog welfare officer stated that because the dog she was enquiring at an address about which the owner claimed was a staffy was over 16 inches tall it was more than likely a pittbull type. My staffy Barney measures 18 inches high at the shoulder does this make him a pitbull type which would have to be lisceced if he is. anyone have any ideas?

so i take it your guy is another unpapered(non kc reg) sbt?

There are plenty of tall staffies around. Doesn't make them pit bull types. The fact that the DWO was saying 'more than likely' on the basis on one measurement undermines her credibility, imo, but probably makes good TV.

If you have concerns or if allegations are made then these are the guys to contact.

http://www.ddawatch.co.uk/

Thanks for that. Agree with you about the good tv bit,this will probably turn more people against these dogs.

Your point is?

My boy is 17in,well bred, and KC Reg,you will always get some sbt's that are over the breed standard height,desired height is 14-16 inches,anything over that does not make a dog pitbull type,agree with John makes good TV nothing more.

thanks, I have no concerns that he is too tall for showing as i am not going to do that anyway. I love him as he is especially as i saved him from going to a shelter as his female owner could not handle him as he was being agressive to male dogs. I have since been training him and socialising him which she obviously failed to do and he is coming along great and is a much happier dog for it. Another case of bad owner i think.

meaning if he had papers you wouldnt be worrying thats all.

oh ok, i thought you were implying dogs that were not kc reg were inferior as some snobs do. No one likes anything negative being said about their best pal. Thyanks for making a fair point

no way!! not all my sibes have papers either ;-)

I thought Paris looked like a red lab.
The dog warden was a hard ..

If they believe your dog is type papers will not save it.

I have had an 18" SBT KC registered and placed at Champ shows. I worry about him.

Several SBT champs measure up at 171/2 "
BSL is ignorant and random.

I must admit I was getting a bit frustrated with the programme this morning regarding those two dogs.

Did they have any proof these dogs had been dangerous to other dogs or humans ? I missed the beginning bit.

I am not sure if they were pit bulls or not I would hazard they weren't but I could well be wrong. If they were and not registered could they not of given him the chance to spey neuter them and keep them muzzled and on lead while out. I know if they don't comprehend with the laws then thats another problem and rightly so.

I do know she was saying the bitch was in season and there may well of been the potential for pups wich I agree is not a good thing necessarily.

Banging on about them being aggressive the white one in the end trotted out fine on a collar and lead no muzzle needed the red one was nervous it did growl yes it was in a crate and every time she put her foot on the crate door yes it did growl again but it was laying down, you could see by looking at it it was frightened and who wouldn't be with people in uniform and big clod hopper boots on and moving about in a quite a menacing manner ?

The other owner they visited who did own a pitbull (s) they went in to look and they were tattoed and yet had a complaint about them being off lead and not muzzled and causing problems and they did nothing ? So whats the point I wonder ?

Some Staffies are tall, some are short, other's like mine are Irish Staffies, these tend to be a lot taller, and very Pitbull like. Some people will tell you they are Pit Bulls, but the reality is the Staffie was bred by Irish breeders for things such as weight pulling when dog fighting and bull baiting went out of fashion, they wanted a Staffie with a Pit Bull type size.

For me, I care very little about the Pit Bul/Irish Staff debate, my dog is loyal and well known by the local Police, who love him, so life is good.

the stafford wasn`t bred or founded by the irish , hence the name staffordshire bull terrier , the stafford we`re founded in the heart of the black country then used for ratting purposes after dog fighting we`re abolished , so i am lead to believe.

Sorry, I meant "but the reality is the Staffie was bred with Pit Bulls by Irish breeders for things such as weight pulling when dog fighting and bull baiting went out of fashion, they wanted a Staffie with a Pit Bull type size."

Thats lovely for you and your dogs but a lot of leggy dogs don't have that luxury so I am glad that there are people that do debate it and I hope that eventually good sense will prevail and BSL will be a mad bit of history.

Staffies are one of the founding breeds of the pitbull terrier. They are always going to have some similarities which makes BSL even more laughable. Papers also wont save a dog. It might give you more of a fight, but papers can be faked and the police know that. My boy could fit type because he's big. I know the Irish isnt a recognised breed by the UK kennel club, my personal opinion is that it is a "type". To be fair to these dogs, alot of them look like the staffies of old like gentleman Jim, tall, athletic, lean dogs, several inches taller than the current standard which was amended after the Staffy was recognised. Dogs taken over to ireland were bred to be more athletic and gamey, rather than the UK standard which is what people think of as your "short" staffy - although they are perfect in the KCs eyes. Personally, I like my staffies bigger. I think lots of breeders are going the opposite direction and they seem to be getting smaller and pug like (this isnt all breeders but I definitely notice it) and thats detrimental to the health of the dog and the breed overall. Maybe the KC will even shave another inch of the standard size if they keep getting smaller! But thats all in jest and just my opinion to make that clear.

I absolutely loathe BSL and the DDA. Its disgusting that innocent family pets that may have done nothing wrong are accused of being "pitbulls"....so that means they are dangerous! its totally wrong. I have met more aggressive chihuahas and jack russells than any pitbull here and abroad - although given, you do get the odd idiot.

I wonder what will be their next breed of choice?

Sorry, I should make myself more clear, I do care about the ban, I don't care for the people that go "that's a Pitbull". It sounded right in my head last night.

I agree, the ban is a travesty, as is the gun ban, etc etc. Historically, the governments of our country use these various "bans" to deflect from things they do. The reality is, Pit Bulls can be dangerous, but then so can Jack Russells. Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

Apologies for being vague.

Ours arent KC registered - in days gone by Whites (Boxers) were KC registered under the breeders discretion!

If you dont tell folk you got no papers they wont know

Have you any photos of your boy?