American Staffordshire Terrier
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What is an American Staffordshire Terrier?
The American Staffordshire Terrier, also called AmStaff, Staffie, or Staffy, originated in Great Britain but was developed into a larger breed in the U.S. in the mid-1800s. The AKC recognized the breed in 1936.
AmStaffs are strong, muscular, and stocky, with broad heads and full cheeks. Their coats can be any color, with or without patches, and they often have white markings.
American Staffordshire Terriers are controversial regarding temperament. They are often people-pleasing, affectionate, and playful, but can be aggressive toward other dogs and require supervision around people and pets. They need secure fencing and thrive on human interaction through games, training, and walks. AmStaffs excel in dog sports like agility and weight pulling.
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What does an American Staffordshire Terrier look like?
The American Staffordshire Terrier, often called AmStaff, Staffie, or Staffy, is a muscular, stocky terrier breed with a broad head and short muzzle. They typically stand 17 to 19 inches tall and weigh 40 to 70 pounds.
Their stiff, short coat can come in any color, either solid or with patches, and many have white markings on their head, chest, or throat. The ears of an American Staffordshire Terrier, which naturally fold over at the tips, are sometimes cropped short.
Bred in the United States from the smaller Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the mid-1800s, American Staffordshire Terriers are stronger than their forebears. They were initially bred for hunting, farm work, and their strength. The American Kennel Club (AKC) distinguishes the American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier, but the United Kennel Club considers them the same breed.
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What is the typical personality of an American Staffordshire Terrier?
The American Staffordshire Terrier is often affectionate, playful, and eager to please, balancing a love for boisterous activity with a desire to relax. Quick learners, they are fair watchdogs and protectors who don't typically bark excessively.
However, American Staffordshire Terriers can be highly aggressive towards other dogs and should be supervised around other animals and people, even when well-socialized. Human interaction through training, games, and walks is essential for this strong and determined breed.
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What kind of care and exercise does this breed need?
American Staffordshire Terriers need plenty of human interaction through games, training, and leashed walks. They are competitive and can excel in activities such as agility, obedience, scent work, and weight pulling.
Because they can be aggressive towards other dogs, American Staffordshire Terriers are not suitable for dog parks and need supervision around other animals and people. A securely fenced yard is a must.
Coat care is minimal, needing only occasional bathing and brushing. Because the breed is prone to canine hip dysplasia, puppies should eat large-breed puppy food to reduce the risk.
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How is the American Staffordshire Terrier different from similar breeds, like the American Pit Bull Terrier?
Authorities differ on whether the American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier are the same breed. The American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Continental Kennel Club recognize them as separate breeds, but the United Kennel Club combines them within the American Pit Bull Terrier breed.
The American Staffordshire Terrier was bred as a pet and show dog, unlike its bear-baiting ancestors. Both breeds are controversial regarding temperament, known to be people-pleasers, affectionate, and playful. However, they can be aggressive toward other dogs and should be supervised around other animals and people. The term "pit bull" is often used to refer to dogs with broad heads and muscular bodies.
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American Staffordshire Terrier, breed of dog, originally called Staffordshire Terrier when registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1936, that was developed in the United States and based on the smaller British Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
- Also called: AmStaff, Staffie, Staffy
- Area of origin: Great Britain, though developed into a larger separate breed in the U.S. during the mid-1800s
- Breed group: Terrier
- Height at withers: 17–19 inches (43–48 cm)
- Weight: 40–70 pounds (18–32 kg)
- Life span: 12-16 years
- Did you know?: A mixed-breed fox-bull terrier named Nipper was featured in the famous 1898 painting His Master’s Voice by English painter Francis Barraud, and this image (a sitting dog with tilted head looking intently into the megaphone-type horn speaker) was adopted as the trademarked logo for the Gramophone Company Ltd. An AmStaff also played one of the ring-eyed Petey dogs made famous in the Our Gang (later called the Little Rascals) comedies of the 1920s and ’30s.
The ancestry of the American Staffordshire Terrier includes bulldogs and mastiffs used for bearbaiting or bullbaiting (which is the setting of dogs on a bear or a bull chained to a stake) and dogfighting.
In the United States, the American Staffordshire Terrier has been bred for a stable temperament and adapted for hunting rodents and other vermin, for pursuing game, and for farm work, taking advantage of the breed’s strength and courage. Over time, larger dogs became the norm. American Staffordshire Terriers reached a peak of popularity in the first half of the 20th century; “Pete the Pup” appeared in the Our Gang comedies, and the breed personified the all-American pet.
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The American Staffordshire Terrier is strong, muscular, and stocky, with a broad head and full cheeks. Its “rose” ears (in which the top folds over and back) are sometimes cropped short. Its stiff glossy coat may occur in any color, with or without patches of contrasting color, and many dogs have some white on the head, throat, and chest.
Authorities differ on whether the American Staffordshire Terrier and the pit bull are the same breed. The AKC and the Continental Kennel Club separate them, whereas the United Kennel Club combines both within the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The American Staffordshire Terrier has been bred to serve as a pet and show dog, in contrast to its bearbaiting ancestors. That said, the dog falls under the umbrella of pit bulls, and it has been associated with human and canine deaths and serious injuries.
Care and upkeep
The American Staffordshire Terrier is potentially aggressive toward other dogs, and thus it is not a dog for dog parks. Members of this strong and determined breed require a yard that is fenced securely, and the fence should be especially sturdy and dig-proof. This breed also needs a a great deal of human interaction in the form of games, training, and leashed walks. The American Staffordshire Terrier is competitive in activities and sports such as agility, obedience, scent work, coursing, flyball, and weight pulling.
The American Staffordshire Terrier likes neither extreme heat nor extreme cold. Coat care is minimal, consisting of occasional bathing and brushing. As the breed is susceptible to canine hip dysplasia, puppies should be raised on a large-breed puppy food, which slows the rate of growth and lessens the risk of dysplasia.
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Temperament
The American Staffordshire Terrier, like the American Pit Bull Terrier, is a controversial breed with respect to temperament. It is often a people pleaser, affectionate and playful, and it enjoys rough-and-tumble activities, but it is also content to relax when it is time to settle down. The breed learns quickly. It is not a prolific barker, and it is a fair watchdog and protector. However, it can be highly aggressive toward other dogs, and even those Staffies considered safe should be supervised around people and pets.
These are well established and widely accepted generalizations about the breed. Individual dogs may differ in behavior and temperament.