Breed · Dog

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

A 19th-century English breed, and a fixture of Australian shelters ever since.

Staffies are enormously affectionate, physically tough, and genuinely excellent with their own family's children — which is where the sentimental nickname comes from and where it should stop, because no dog of any breed should be unsupervised with a small child. The honest difficulty with the breed is other dogs, not people: dog-directed reactivity is common enough that you should plan for it rather than hope.

At a glance

Lifespan: 12–14 years
Adult weight: 11–17 kg
Daily exercise: 60 min
Trainability: Good, stubborn streak
Alone time tolerated: Moderate
Shedding: Moderate
Noise level: Moderate
With children: Excellent with their own
With other pets: Often difficult with dogs

Colours · 6 listed

A wide recognised colour range. Any breeder pricing a colour at a premium is selling you a fashion, not a dog.

Red
Fawn
Black
Blue
Brindle
Pied

Right for you if

You want a robust, affectionate family dog and will do the training.
You can commit to early and ongoing socialisation with other dogs.
You want a medium dog with moderate, manageable exercise needs.
You would consider adopting an adult — shelters are full of good ones.

Wrong for you if

You want a dog for off-lead dog parks without a second thought.
You already have a dog and have not thought carefully about the match.
You rent, or may need to, without checking what is permitted where you are.
You want a low-contact dog. Staffies lean on you, literally.

Health testing — the specific questions to ask

Two DNA tests — hereditary cataract and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria — are cheap, definitive and non-negotiable, and the UK Kennel Club lists both for the breed.¹ Ask for both parents' certificates.
Elbow scores and an eye examination are the other two worth asking for — those, not hips, are what the UK Kennel Club lists for this breed.¹
Ownership, housing and insurance rules affecting this type of dog differ from place to place and change over time. Check what applies where you live before you commit — we describe the dog, not the rules.

Sources

Staffordshire Bull Terrier — breed health and pre-breeding screening. The Royal Kennel Club 2026. Accessed 2026-08-31. United Kingdom The Royal Kennel Club The UK Kennel Club lists DNA tests for hereditary cataract and L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria for the breed, with eye testing and elbow — not hip — scoring.

Every source here was checked, not recalled. Where this page makes a health statement and no source appears against it, that is not an oversight we have hidden — it means the claim is not yet sourced, and the build reports how many are in that state.

Availability, registration and keeping requirements differ from place to place. Check the rules where you live before you commit to any animal — we describe animals, not law.