In the early 19th century dog breeding for fighting became very popular in Staffordshire, England. These dog fights were then abolished in 1835. The Staffie, Stafford, then became a useful house pet as a rat deterrent and by the 60s the Staffordshire bull terrier became very popular, however the dog was quickly forgotten Nowadays his popularity has increased with his friendly temperament around the family and with children. My experience has led me to believe that these dogs love to play, are very loyal and are quite sensitive, they also love a lot of attention. I have had Boris now for 11 years and he has never been aggressive or hurt anyone but some people say that these dogs are dangerous and cannot be trusted but that depends on how these dogs are raised and who is their keeper, I would trust Boris with my life.