I was wondering what is the difference betveen Irish and English staffy, just the appearance?
Are they really two different types of staffies, do the Irish one have its own breed standard? Or can you call any staffy Irish if it just has longer legs and is more athletic?

Irish
http://www.keetchs-irish-staffords.com/assets/images/autogen/a_Motor_at_my_work_place_1st_April_2008_002.jpg

..compared to English one
http://www.lampiluoto.net/omarotu/pictures/staffordshirenbullterrieri_1107266643.jpg

The only Irish Bull Terrier you will find is one bred in Ireland.

Its usually a term used by people who own APBT, or APBT X's breeds. As they are banned here.

The KC, and the Irish Kennel Club do not recognise the breed - only the IKC (intercontinetal Kennel Club) which u can register ANYTHING to.

People often sell them with IKC papers, and get more money for them, but the buyers do not realise this isnt an official Kennel Club. These papers arent worth crap, you can claim that any ch. dog is in your dogs pedigree and it'll be put on for u.

And they joke of the Irish people Even the dogs are clever

Will have to dissagre with you all . Sorry . But the Irish Stafford is a dog in its own right. These dogs are not and never will be apbts or apbt X's they are in fact more akin to the pre kennel club Staffordshire bull terrier where looks and conformation came SECOND to working ability. These dogs were not bred to be show dogs. They are and always have been bred for working. Not so long ago, Badger trials where still legal in Ireland and The main dogs used where Irish Staffords in conjunction with other working terriers. These dogs are absolutley cracking dogs to be around.
It really is ashame to see Dog snobbery apperaring when talking about these dogs epecially when these dogs where used heavily in recent breedings of the now fashionable blue staffords.

Where all Bull Breed owners, lovers and rescues can Unite
The Irish Stafford is another bull breed so some of the comment contradict the statement of what this boards all about.

I cant see breed snobbery myself.

What did I say... USUALLY.... thats because there are not many real Irish Staffys. They are not recognised breed. Even the Irish Kennel Club dont recognise them. Like I said, only the IKC will register them, and you could have anything X'd into them.

I am NOT against Pits in the slightest, or leggier/athletic staffys.

Infact I perfer the leggier fit staffys, rather than the short fat barrels.

Hope this clears things up..


The Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a variation of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier registered by The Kennel Club ("KC") The breeders of this type feel that it is more in line with the original dogs that where first recognized by the Kennel Club in 1935. The Irish variation is more agile and lean than its relatives that are attending the conformation shows arranged by the kennel club in England.

The Irish strains of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier originate mostly from Kennel Club stock sent to Ireland in the 1950s. Please note that this breed is not registered with the Irish Kennel Club. Any Irish KC Staffordshire Bull Terrier has the same breed standard as an English KC dog. These were kept as working and show dogs and took the best of both sides. They were tried out in the Badger-baiting trials that used to be held in Ireland.

Even though the origin is purely from English stock, the name Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier came about when the working strains were brought back to England in the 1980s. The name has been widely used and misused, often when it has been used to label dogs that appear to differ from the Kennel Club standard but have no relation with the Irish dogs.

Other names that has been used to label the working type Staffordshire Bull Terrier, including those that may not have any relationship with Ireland are old type Staffordshire Bull Terriers, true type and working type. Famous bloodlines of the Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier are known by names such as Psycho, Dublin Red Strain, Flynn.

Modern activities that these dogs are used for include hunting foxes and badgers and Weight pulling. They are also shown at specialized conformation shows aiming to preserve the look of the old type Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Irish Staffordshire Bull Terriers, like their English ancestors, are a European breed with an entirely different conformation standard than either the American Staffordshire Terrier or the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Its the name that has been missused and taken on by idiots that have no clue about the irish" staffy.Personally i think a better name would be "working stock" or something simaler.People have jumped on the bandwagon and used the name to sell anything that doesnt adere to the KC standard which so many bow down to and think is the be all and end all.Like has already been said staffys were used in Ireland in badger trials etc,the term irish was used as a way when talking/breeding staffys etc to seperate them from the show stock or KC.But nowadays its used so much in the wrong way which has resulted in so much crap been said and written about it.Some think it was/is a term to cover up Pitbulls and staffy crosses,it well maybe so but the true and geniune staffy lover and anybody that has researched our breed knows that not to be what the word was used for.Its the dodgy money mad people that wouldnt know a working staffy from a collie that have ruined what was just a word old dogmen used.