How to tell if your Stafford is to the standard
The Staffordshire head was developed for the purpose of dog fighting, not that i agree with dogs fighting. However the Stafford was bred with a powerful jaw that had the ability to bite and hold on. It is said that the Staffordshire bull terrier has lockjaw, this is not true. The dog just has a powerful jaw that cannot be opened by human hands.
The jaw is operated by the powerful cheek muscles, with a heavily bones jaw. But its the whole head that make the dog so powerful. The skull is broad and muzzle short.
The appearance of the head and face is determined by the following points.
1. The length of the muzzle to the skull.
2. The depth and breadth of the muzzle and skull
3. The angle of the muzzle and skull set to each other.
4. The placement of the eyes and there shape.
5.The size of the ears and carriage.
The measurement is taken from the end of the nose to the stop. The stop is the break between the muzzle and skull. Look at your dog face, now look at the eyes, draw an imaginary line across between the corners of the eyes, this is the stop.
The skull is from the stop to the occiput, or the back of the skull. Run your fingers along the back of the skull there is a knobby bone in the center of the skull which is level with the base of the ears. Imagine a line from the eyes to the occiput (check photo with MOS).
Now the muzzle should fit twice between the stop and occiput, its called the 2 to 1 ratio. An easy way to measure is cut a piece of ribbon or string the length of your dogs muzzle, then times it by two, cut out the second piece, now lay the second piece from the corners of your dogs eyes over the top of his skull and to the knobby bone. Does it fit? If yes then your dogs muzzle to skull is right.
Measurements of Staffordshire skulls over the years have found to be surprisingly little in variation in length of skull which is close to 5 inches (4 3/4 - 5 1/4 inches).
There is more variation in the length of the muzzles the average length is 3 inches, the skull then should be 6 inches for the 2 to 1 ratio to work.
Measuring the girth of the skull is easy. its is taken from the front of the ears, (check photo) to the jaw. it can vary from 14 inches to 19 inches. A 19 inch skull is 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep. A 14 inch skull girth has about 4 1/2 inches deep and 4 1/2 inches wide.
17 -19 inch is a normal adult dog and 15 - 17 inch for a adult bitch.
The eyes should be dark and fairly large and roundish in effect. They should be set square in the face (see photo). As far as measurements there is only one and it is taken from the corners of the eyes as in photo and be from 1 7/8 to 2 1/4 inches.
EARS
The photo of the 3 ears A.B.C. shows normal ear set in high, medium and low positions.
The second ear photo, show you how to check for a correct ear size.
The Stafford ear in its correct form is called a ROSE EAR. the rose ear [if flattened out] is roughly triangular in form.
The lengths L and W are closely the same. That means if L is 4 inches then W`will be 4 inches.
Length and width can vary, but our Stafford ear should be from 3 inches to 5 inches. For a normal Stafford ear it should be from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches.
THE BODY
A easy way to tell if your Stafford has a good body is to measure (check photo) from A-B from the wither to tail set. Then A to C from the wither to the ground. they should be the same. They say this measurement should be from 14 inches to 16 inches.
the girth of the body is taken just behind the shoulders, it should be between 26/27 inches for dogs and 25 /26 inches for bitches, however it is know to vary from 24 - 30 inches.
THE TAIL
The tail is supposed to look like a old fashioned pump handle.
[see photo] the length of the tail when held over to the point of the hock, should just touch, [the bony part of the tail, not the fur]
BACK LEGS
When viewed from behind they should be straight and strong. cow hocks show weakness.
