About the Club
Founded in 1965, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of Canada represents the purebred Staffordshire Bull Terrier in Canada. The Club is recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club as the national breed association for Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The Club's primary focus is to inform, educate, and encourage understanding of our beloved breed.
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The number of Staffords in Canada grew slowly but steadily, with most owners and dogs in Ontario. Staffords became notable participants at CKC confirmation shows, and National Specialties were held regularly. These events were welcomed as an opportunity to share knowledge and experience with fellow Stafford owners & breeders.
Nowadays, Stafford fanciers are found across Canada. Dedicated
breeders have worked hard to establish a noticeable presence of our breed in various venues. Members of the Club have dogs compete in not only conformation and various dog sports, but also search and rescue and therapy work.
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The Club hosts yearly National and Regional Specialties, and scent detection trials with the hope of adding further events in the future.
Since 1965...
The Birth of the Club
By Squib Mercier
The first record of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier in Canada was one from Cockney Charlie Lloyd’s import. The grandsire was the notorious Tige who sired many a game dog, including the sire called Major who produced Sandy the Scrapper who was born in 1907 and at a young age of three months became a member of the Munroe family in Vancouver Canada. Sandy the Scrapper lived true to his namesake to the bitter end.
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Little is documented about the breed since those early days, but obviously many a Staff must have immigrated with their owners to become fond family members. Then, around 1952, Jack and Myrtle Horn arrived in Canada from London England with their two Staffords. The dog was called Oky Boy the Grandsire was Ch Fearless Red of Bandits, the dam was Molly O’Malley, the grandsire of Oky Boy was Ch. Gentleman Jim who was the first English champion of the breed. The bitch was called Red Ralf of Bandits the sire Ch Constones Cadet and the dam Spikeland Mad Madame. The dog and bitch had impressive pedigrees from notable kennels to become the Horn’s foundation steak of their Patty’s Kennels.
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A young teenager in Montreal by the name of Terrance Cooke was busy searching through some dog annuals to acquire a suitable four-footed friend and when he saw a picture of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and followed up on its characteristics. He informed his parents the was the dog he wanted to own. His parents Dr. Norman and Dr. Pat Cooke made the necessary inquiries with he CKC and were directed to the Patty’ Kennels. Here they purchased a dog called Patty’s Red Baron in 1962. The whole family became so impressed with this dog and soon returned to the Horn’s to add Patty’s Brindle Baron to the family. They were also inspired by Jack and Myrtle to help promote the breed by entering them in Championship Shows.
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I met the Cookes at the CKC shows around 1963/1964 and they were keen to form a SBTC of Canada. They had contacted other Clubs in the UK seeking direction and advice on the by-laws and constitution in general. I offered several constitutions from breed clubs and my support to help form our Stafford breed club. As a founding member, my interest was whole-hearted especially as my father had Staffords from the Looe Kennel owned by the renowned Tom Walls, who was a well-liked film star and racehorse Derby winner breeder and Stafford fancier. He often helped to promote recognition of the breed by having his favourite Staff called Buller of Looe act with him in his films. Tom Walls also became the first President of the Southern Counties Staffordshire Bull Terrier Society. With this early interest in Stafford from my father, I was indeed most keen to help the formation of our club which was finally incorporated in the kitchen of Jack and Myrte’s Patty’s Kennels in December 1965.
The first Newsletter appeared in April 1966 and recognition was published in Dogs in Canada.
Our immediate objective was to arrange to hold Booster Shows and gain interest before we could have our first Specialty Show, the ultimate official aim of every breed club. Our first two Boosters were held in Montreal in April 1966 and in Toronto in September 1966. However, the show year so far as we know started for Staffords at the Canadian Sportsman National show held in Toronto on March 12 with the largest entry of Staffords shown in Canada.