Posted by Meli
on 11/5/2009, 11:10 am, in reply to "High toes - does anyone have any good links??"
24.56.49.242
Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Short Toes
The Short-toes defect is called Brachydactylia and occurs relatively frequently in Staffordshire Bull Terriers! It is genetic - however not all offspring are always affected. It is more likely if both parents have the defective gene - but even then is a bit like a lottery in that the number of affected pups is unpredictable.
The defect affected our first ever, pedigreed Stafford (who we love to bits) and before we became more familiar with the breed and breeding and what to look for. We are always alert to the problem now and have been able to advise many others.
We did breed from our original b###h and from 2 litters of 7 pups; only 1 was affected, but was stillborn. Once you know what to look for; the short toed pup can be spotted as early as birth, and becomes more noticeable the older the dog becomes.
Our b###h was sold to us by a registered breeder, who had been recommended by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club —so quite obviously buyers need to beware?
We recently heard a story of a breeder who knowingly sold a dog to an inexperienced person and months later when they spotted the defect he then offered to buy the dog back - and then promptly re-advertised it without mentioning the problem!
In our 5 years of breeding we have come across at least 5 instances of the short toe defect and this from just one Australian state!
How does Short Toes Affect You or Your Dog?
Short toes is more of an aesthetic problem than anything else. Our b###h has an unusual gait, due to her toes, wide chest and muscular build; but we would not swap her for anything.
It is not described as a fault for the breed in the standard—however the defect IS instantly recognizable by judges—and dogs with short toes do not fare anywhere near as well in the show ring.
We absolutely love Staffordshire’s — so the thought of any dog being passed over because of its toes, causes us concern. If you are looking for a Staffordshire as a pet and companion only it is not likely to be a problem. However, if you are planning to show your dog in the ring you would do well to consider a dog that does not have the fault.
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