Blue Staffordshire Bull Terriers

The blue colour in Staffords is very much misunderstood. The gene carrying the blue colour is a simple recessive gene that affects the coat colour and nothing more. The actual quality of a litter is dependent on the quality of the parents but both must carry blue to produce blue puppies. In the past, Staffords were generally red, white pied, or brindle in colour, although an occasional blue one turned up. These are believed to have originated with the Blue Paul. The Blue Pauls were of an all-blue colour but they sometimes produced brindle or reds which were known as red smuts in Scotland. No one seemed to have full knowledge as to how the Blue Pauls were bred or from where they originally came. There was a story that Paul Jones, the pirate, brought them from aboard and landed some when he visited his native town of Kirkcudbright about 1770. The gypsies around the Kin Tilloch district kept a lot of Blue Pauls which they fought for their own amusement. They maintained that the breed originally came from the Galloway coast, which lends colour to the Paul Jones legend. From all writings on this now-extinct variety of bull terrier, all seem to agree that they were a highly intelligent breed of dog in spite of the somewhat cruel sport they were used in. They were affectionate and tractable, obedient to a fault when engaged in their work, mute even under the most trying circumstances. They were game to the death and could suffer much punishment. They were expert and tricky in their fighting tactics, which made them great favourites with those who indulged in this sport. The general appearance of the Blue Paul is that of a smooth-coated, powerfully built dog weighing about 20kg and measuring up to 50cm at the shoulder. Head large, forehead flat, muscle short and square, large and broad but not receding like that of the bulldog. Jaws and teeth even with no over-hanging flews, slight dip between the eyes which should be dark hazel and neither sunk nor prominent or showing haw. Ears-small, thin, set on high, invariably cropped. The face not wrinkled. The eyebrows contracted or knit and when the dog lowered one side of his face when at attention, this gave the dog a peculiarly intelligent look. In fact there was an expression in the face of the Blue Paul that has never been seen in any other breed, and one can frequently recognize his blood in crossbreeds from this peculiarity.

Body-round and well-ribbed-up, back short, broad and muscular but not roached; chest very deep and wide; tail set low and devoid of fringe, rather drooping and never rising above the back. The dog stands straight and firmly on its legs, forelegs stout and muscular, showing no curve. Hind legs very thick, strong, and well-furnished with muscle. Colour was the dark blue we see in greyhounds. With his excellent fighting skills, the Blue Paul was introduced as part of Stafford breeding in the early 19th century and the blue colouring has appeared in Staffords ever since. The genetics of the blue Stafford are the same as for the Great Dane and greyhound. The colour appears as solid blue, blue brindle, or blue fawn which is the same as a black masked fawn except the mask is blue instead of black. If you want blue, there are some very important aspects to consider in a breeding programme. The selection of the dogs for mating has to be correct. As well as quality of conformation, the colouring also needs to be considered. As in any breeding, including brindle to brindle, an incorrect selection of parents may result in pups with weak pigment and light eyes. As the eye colour of blues is affected by the dilution gene, the parents eyes should be as dark as possible. Always include a well pigmented black dog in your breeding program to keep dilution to a minimum. This will also assist in the colour of the nose. In a blue Stafford the nose is a diluted black, giving a slate appearance which can vary in colour from grey to black. With the correct breeding programme and careful selection, it is possible to produce quality blue Staffords with black noses, medium to dark brown eyes and black toenails. Some of the current blues have darker pigment than some of the brindle and fawns seen in the show ring. The quality of the blue Stafford has improved in the past few years and by using careful selection of quality parents, it will keep on improving. Blue is a colour of the Staffordshire standard but it is the conformation of the dog that matters the most. No one should ever breed for colour alone. Quality always comes first and it should not matter if the animal is red, black, brindle, white, pied or blue. All colours are equal in the standard.