General Appearance:
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a smooth coated dog. It should be of great strength for its size, and although muscular, should be active and agile.
Temperament:
From the past history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the modern dog draws its character of indomitable courage, high intelligence, and tenacity. This coupled with its affection for its friends, and children in particular; his off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes them the foremost all purpose dog.
Size:
Weight - dogs, 28-38lbs (13-17kg); bitches, 24-33.5 lbs (11-15kg). Height - (at shoulders), 14-16 inches (36-41cm), these heights being related to the weights.
Coat/Colour:
Coat is smooth, short and close to the skin. Colour may be red, fawn, white, black and blue or brindle or any of these with white. Any shade of brindle, or any shade of brindle with white. Black and tan or liver colour not to be encouraged.
Head:
Short deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short foreface, black nose. The mouth should be level, the incisors of the bottom jaw should fit closely inside the incisors of the top jaw, and the lips should be tight and clean. Eyes: dark preferable but may bear some relation to coat. Round of medium size, and set to look straight ahead. Ears: rose or half- prick and not large.
Neck:
Muscular, rather short, clean in outline and gradually widening towards the shoulders.
Forequarters:
Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart, without looseness at the shoulders, and showing no weakness in the pasterns, from which point the feet turn out a little.
Body:
The body should be close-coupled, with a level topline, wide front, deep brisket, well-sprung ribs and rather light in the loins.
Hindquarters:
Should be well muscled, hocks let down with stifles well bent. Legs should be parallel when viewed from behind. The feet should be well padded, strong and of medium size.
Tail:
Should be of medium length, low set, tapering to a point and carried rather low. It should not curl much and may be likened to an old-fashioned pump handle.
Faults:
To be penalized in accordance with the severity of the fault: Light eyes or pink eye rims. Tail too long or badly curled. Non-conformation to the limits of weight or height. Full drop and prick ears. Undershot or overshot mouths.
The following faults should debar a dog from winning any prize: Pink (Dudley)
nose. Badly undershot or overshot mouth. Badly undershot where the lower jaw
protrudes to such an extent that the incisors of the lower jaw do not touch
those of the upper jaw. Badly overshot where the upper jaw protrudes to such an
extend that the incisors of the upper jaw do not touch those of the lower jaw.