Confusion Reigns

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Confusion reigns when it comes to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I have been involved with the breed for three years now and if I had a penny for every time someone asked me if they were a "Pit Bull" I would be rich. To the average dog lover Staffies (Staffordshire Bull Terriers) can be seen as Amstaffs (American Staffordshire Terriers) or Pit Bulls (American Pit Bull Terriers). Although they do have similar roots they are different breeds and there are several distinctions to tell them apart. Also, it must be noted that the Staffy is the older of the three and is native to England. In fact it derived its name from the area in which it was originally founded in Staffordshire, England. In contrast to the Staffy both the Amstaff and Pit Bull are American bred dogs thus the American reference in their respective names.

American Staffordshire Terrier

To the enthusiast or the dog fancier there are several outstanding differences among these three breeds. I thought I would mention a few to help with the K9 confusion surrounding the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier. Size is the biggest determining factor. Staffies are much shorter and the standard calls for them to be between 14-16 inches tall. They are also to be smaller in weight as the standard calls for them to be 24-38 pounds. In contrast, the Amstaff or Pit Bull can range from 17-19 inches tall and weigh between 30-60 pounds. Staffy ears are never to be cropped but are to be rose or half pricked. Both Amstaffs and Pit Bulls can have their ears cropped and often do. Another distinction is that Pit Bulls can have any color nose were as a Staffy will always have a black nose. More can and will be said but we'll save that for the next blog.

American Pit Bull Terrier

So Long for Now,

Paul Dean

www.ecostaffords.com

The Wonderful Would of Co-Ownership

You can cut a pie many ways but it all eats the same. When it comes to co-owning a dog there are several ways to do it but it usually amounts to a win win situation. Co-ownership was a concept that was thrown out early on in my quest to find the right Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Breeders from Florida to Colorado mentioned a co-ownership deal, however, I wanted a dog of my own. I didn't want to share and I really didn't see the value in co-ownership. As time has passed I have come to both understand and appreciate co-ownership. I currently co-own a couple of dog with others.

The benefits range from sharing the day to day care of the dog to combining efforts in campaigning a dog. With one of the dogs I co-own she spends all of her time with the other owner and he provides all the day to day care. My role in the partnership is to do all of the showing and promotion of the dog. It has worked out quite well for us. She has a great home, excellent care and she is now an AKC Champion. It's been a great partnership and has worked out really well for us!

With the other dog I co-own it's pretty much a fifty fifty deal. We both share the responsibility of daily care and of campaigning. At time he lives with me and at other times with the other owner. We try to attend shows that the other owner isn't attending as to double his exposure. This has been great and we are well on our way to getting this guy championed. A final word about co-ownership is make a clear plan and communicated well. You can do far more together than you can do alone. Co-ownership can be a great way to go farther faster in the exciting world of showing and breeding dogs.

So Long for Now,

Paul Dean

www.ecostaffords.com

GCH Eco's Romeo of Red Rocks

Continued... So what's the story on this Romeo Character? Well I've previously shared about Romeo a bit but I'd like to take some time to share more on his show career. Just days over six months old he entered the show ring for the first time. He was young and full of energy. I guess he never got the memo that when the judge comes you allow her to look you over and you relax and be still. Haha... To this day he is such a wiggle worm when the judge approaches. I guess it's because he loves people and will do anything for a little attention. With that being said he soon began to do well in the show ring and would prove to have a very successful show career. His first points came at a dog show in Utah and from then on he truly turned up his competitive edge.

Soon after picking up his first points he followed up with a win and points over a much more mature female. I was beside myself that he did so well but I knew it was just the tip of the iceberg. He continued towards his champion title as he went to a cluster in Arizona. That weekend he swept the competition and became CH Eco's Romeo of Red Rocks. He would follow up over the following year picking several wins including several BOB wins, Selects and a group 4. This all led to his Grand Champion Title which he picked up in Palm Spring, CA in January of 2012. He took a BOB that weekend to give him the final points he needed and to become GCH Eco's Romeo of Red Rocks. We are grateful for the journey and the success we have had with Romeo. I look forward to his offspring carrying the torch and keeping the Eco line of champions alive. To be continued...

So Long for Now,

Paul Dean

www.ecostaffords.com

CH Eco's Lovely Cadence

Continued... Let's take a moment to bring the story back to how things progressed with Eco's Lovely Cadence. As mentioned before she was our first Staffy and she is to blame for our love of the great Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I'll never forget the first show we took Cadence to. She is a petite girl overall and back then she hadn't quite matured yet. The competition was stout and it made for an intimidating start to the show business. However, we kept at it and continued to show her. Although she was a smaller Staffy she was a natural in the show ring. There were many surprises from this girl and I'll never forget the first United Kennel Club show we attended. It was in Las Vegas, NV and we were excited but didn't know what to expect. We planned on doing well with Romeo but we weren't sure Cadence would do much.

 That week she shocked us all. She showed like a champ and over the weekend completed her UKC Championship title. We had expected Romeo to do well but she took the cake. Each time they showed she was able to take the win and left Romeo with a handful of reserve ribbons. That weekend she became CH Eco's Lovely Cadence but her show career didn't end there. After being a support to others achieving their champion title she begin to shock us once again. At an AKC show in Utah she picked up her first major and then it was a matter of months before she finished her AKC Championship title. She wrapped it up by picking up several more majors in Grand Junction, CO and three final points Rapid City, SD. She has been a true joy to own and she made showing a breeze. She has also produced quality offspring over the years. To be continued...

So Long for Now,
Paul Dean
www.ecostaffords.com

Our First Home Bred Champion

Continued... The little girl we kept was jet black with several white patches on her chest and her toes. She had a great personality and was full of energy. Although we kept her she didn't live with us. She went to live with some friends and we would raise her to be a great family dog and our first home bred champion. Her first weekend out showing she did amazing and gave a glimpse into what we could expect from her. That entire weekend she ended up taking Reserve Winners Bitch while competing against much older competition. After that initial weekend we took some time to allow her to mature and that she did. As the days and months passed she really came in to her own. Therefore we figured it was time to get into a few bigger shows with much stiffer competition.

Off to California she would go for a weekend of showing in the southern part of the state, Palm Springs to be exact. She picked up a WB win and several reserves but didn't quite take the cake. From there she had a few more months to develop and then she was off to Arizona. In Arizona she set the bar high by picking three WB placements and two majors. It was only a matter of time before she would finish up her champion title. It would end up taking two more pit stops in Utah and in Colorado. She picked up a major in Utah and then finished up by going back to back BOS in Longmont, Colorado. We can't say how proud of her we are and we are thankful for all of those who helped us along the way. From those who helped us with showing her to those who held down the fort when we were away. Our success with Nye-Nye was a team effort and grateful to all the players. To be continued...

So Long for Now,

Paul Dean

www.ecostaffords.com

Early Breeding Days

Continued... Breeding dogs was also new to me and I did my homework on our breed of choice and on what it really takes to breed. If you are looking for information on breeding dogs there is a ton of information out there. From your simple "how to" article to questions of ethics etc. As I started to talk with breeders I soon realized the seriousness and responsibility of breeding. It wasn't to be entered into lightly and it certainly wasn't to be done without strong ethics in place. I found that Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breeders in particular were very particular. They were committed to the breed and bettering the future of the breed. I also begin to see that many of the people involved in Staffies were very educated concerning the breed and they weren't breeding without proper plans.

As our first Staffy matured we anticipated breeding here. We purchased a male in hopes to one day breed them. However, because he was younger and wasn't ready to breed when she was ready we used a stud from another Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breeder. He boasted an excellent pedigree and he was an outstanding model of the breed. Although he was on the larger end of the spectrum our little girl was quite petite. They were the perfect match. I soon realize the joy of breeding as our first litter arrived. I also realize that you must plan for the worst and hope for the best. All in all it was a great experience and we ended up with three great looking little puppies. Two went to pet homes and proved to be faithful companions and excellent nanny dogs. The third we co-owned and she started her own career in the show ring. To be continued...

So Long for Now,

Paul Dean

www.ecostaffords.com

The ideal Staffy?

Continued... What happen from there was a learning curve in showing dogs, breeding dogs and increasing our knowledge of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I dove in once again to a learning process in our dog journey. It was one of learning about our breed of choice, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, from looks to temperament and everything in between. In my learning I read as much as I could about the "ideal" Staffy and what they were to exemplify. Articles, books and even videos became a part of my daily diet. I studied the standard according to the American Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, The Stafford Knot and several illustrated pictures of the breed. I learned about ideal size, about bites, ears, feet, head proportions, tail sets, pigment etc. So much to learn and I wanted to take it all in with the hopes of producing high quality Staffords to share with the world.

I inhaled information and I also befriended quality people in the Staffy community. They helped me go further faster. Many of them became mentors, some knowingly and others didn't have a clue. One of the most powerful questions I was asked during this process was to describe my ideal Staffy. Although this seems like an easy question to answer I would struggle to answer with clarity and precision. There were several dogs that I preferred. I like black ones, red ones and pied red and white ones. An ideal began to develop but to find that dog was elusive at best. One dog would have most of what you would look for in the ideal Staffy and yet would be weak in a certain trait. I realize that producing the perfect Stafford would require work, patients and selective breeding.

So Long for Now,
Paul Dean
www.ecostaffords.com