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The American Staffordshire Terrier, nicknamed
'Amstaff', is a stocky, muscular, and courageous
dog. Its powerful stance and appearance can be
intimidating, however, a properly trained dog
is loving, devoted and affectionate. They're often
trained for use in community service tasks such
as pet therapy and search and rescue.
The breed is of a square build; its chest is deep
and broad and its neck should be strong and well-arched.
The coat which is thick, short -haired, and glossy,
can be easily maintained.
The American Staffordshire origins date back to
the 19th Century when early Bulldog and Terrier
breeds were crossed in the Staffordshire region
in England. The result was a larger, more muscular
version of the Bulldog Terrier. Originally referred
to as a Bull-and-Terrier Dog, Half and Half, Pit
Dog or Pit Builterrier, England later renamed
the breed Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
British and Irish settlers brought the breed to
the United States after the Civil War and used
them primarily as fighting dogs. However, they
was also utilized as hunting, farm and guard dogs.
Once in the US, the breed was recognized as Pit
Dog, Pit Bull Terrier, American Bull Terrier,
and then later as Yankee Terrier.
After dog fighting was banned in the US in 1900,
two strains were developed thus creating two separate
breeds: a show strain and a fighting strain. The
show strain was referred to as the Staffordshire
Terrier and the fighting strain, the American
Pit Bull Terrier.
The Staffordshire Terrier was accepted for registration
in the AKC Stud Book in 1936. It was not until
1972 the name was changed to American Staffordshire
Terrier. Why? Because the US type was bred to
weigh more than the Staffordshire Bull Terrier
of England and the name change was necessary to
distinguish them as separate breeds.
The American Staffordshire Terrier's
height and weight should be in proportion. Preferable
height ranges: 18 to 19 inches (45.7 - 48.3cm)
at shoulders for dogs and 17 to 18 inches (43.2
- 45.7cm) for bitches.
The weight for the American Staffordshire Terrier
is 45–70 pounds (25–30 kg)
The American Staffordshire Terrier's coat is short-haired,
smooth, stiff to the touch, and shiny. Grooming
The color of the American Staffordshire Terrier's
coat is of any color, solid, partial, or patched,
but all white, more than 80 per cent white, black
and tan, and liver are not to be encouraged.
The American Staffordshire Terrier is courageous,
protective, confident, very loyal and affectionate.
It is very intelligent and wants nothing more
than to please its master. Good with children
and adults. The American Staffordshire Terrier
is bred to be extremely friendly towards people,
but overly protective and/or aggressive behavior,
accompanied by fearlessness, generally raises
a red flag. Proper training and socialization
beginning at a young age is very important. This
breed can be aggressive if not socialized and
trained properly. In addition, an owner must take
part in training and must be consistently firm
to show that he is the one in charge. The breed
can easily pick up on a bad or weak example and
will not respond if the owner is not firm and
consistent. A typical training regimen should
begin at 8 to 10 weeks of age. Improper training
can result in excessive barking, an overly dominant
dog and issues with house training. This breed
is a persistent fighter if provoked and a natural
The American Staffordshire Terrier is generally
a healthy breed. Some health concerns include
hip dysplasia (common disorder in canines), cataracts
- caused by genetic factors and congenital heart
disease. This breed is prone to hives caused by
stress or insect bites.
• American Staffordshire Terriers were first
recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936.
• During WWI, an American Staffordshire
Terrier by the name of 'Stubby' became the most
decorated war dog an earned the rank as Sergeant.
ANKC: Terriers Group 2
CKC: Terriers Group 4
FCI: Group 3 Section 3 Bull type Terriers