STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER

STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER

FCI-Standard N° 76/ 20. 01. 1998 / GB

ORIGIN : Great Britain.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987.

UTILIZATION : Terrier.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 3 Terriers.
Section 3 Bull type Terriers.
Without working trial.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Smooth-coated, well balanced, of great strength for his size. Muscular, active and agile.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT : Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity. Highly intelligent and affectionate especially with children. Bold, fearless and totally reliable.

HEAD : Short.

CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Deep through with broad skull.
Stop : Distinct.

FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Black.
Muzzle : Short foreface.
Jaws/Teeth : Jaws strong, teeth large, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i. e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaw.
Lips : Tight and clean.
Cheeks : Very pronounced cheek muscles.
Eyes : Dark preferred but may bear some relation to coat colour. Round, of medium size, and set to look straight ahead. Eye rims dark.
Ears : Rose or half pricked, not large or heavy. Full, drop or pricked ears highly undesirable.

NECK : Muscular, rather short, clean in outline gradually widening towards shoulders.

BODY : Close-coupled.
Topline : Level.
Chest : Wide front, deep brisket, well sprung ribs ; muscular and well defined.

TAIL : Medium length, low set, tapering to a point and carried rather low. Should not curl much and may be likened to an old-fashioned pump handle.

LIMBS FOREQUARTERS :
Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart, showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point feet turn out a little.
Shoulders : Well laid back.
Elbows : No looseness.

HINDQUARTERS : Well muscled. Legs parallel when viewed from behind.
Stifles : Well bent.
Hocks : Well let down.

FEET : Well padded, strong and of medium size. Nails black in solid coloured dogs.

GAIT/ MOVEMENT : Free, powerfull and agile with economy of effort. Legs moving parallel when viewed from front or rear. Discernible drive from hindlegs.

COAT HAIR : Smooth, short and close.

COLOUR : red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any one of these colours with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Black and tan or liver colour highly undesirable.

SIZE AND WEIGHT : Desirable height at withers : 14-16 ins. (35,5 to 40,5 cm), these heights being related to the weights.
Weight : Dogs : 28-38 lbs (12,7-17 kg).
Bitches : 24-34 lbs (11-15,4 kg)

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.