The American Staffofshire terrier breed has its origin in England. The ancestors of this dog were used for guarding farmhouses, dog fighting and as companion. It is often said that the Fox Terrier, Black and Tan Terrier and White English Terrier were crossed with the bulldogs to develop this breed. This is because in this breed you would find various traits of these dogs but there are some differences also such as in spirit, color and aggressiveness. In the beginning, it had various names such as Half and Half, Pit Bull terrier, Pit Dog and Bull-and-Terrier Dog. Later on it got the name Staffordshire Bull Terrier in England.

The breed came to America in early 1870 and then it got the name American Staffordshire terrier along with the names American Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier and Yankee Terrier. The breed gained more weight and got a larger head after coming to USA. After dog fighting was banned two separate strains were developed: one is fighting dog strain and the other is show strain.

General Description

The American Staffordshire Terrier is extremely strong and very agile. The breed is also muscular and stocky with a distinguishing feature that is the broad, powerful head. The muzzle is rounded on upper side and is of medium length. The eyes are round, set far apart and are low down in the skull. They are normally dark and if you find pink eyelids then there is some problem with the breed. The cropped or uncropped ears are set high on the head. Though all solid colors and patches are permitted but according to the standard of American Kennel Club the dog should not more than 80% white. The coat is made of glossy, thick and stiff hair. The tail is short and is tapered and it has large bones.

General Health

American Staffordshire Terrier puppies should be bought as pet after they are 8-10 weeks old. If given good care then they can live to 12 to 16 years. They might suffer from health problems like thyroid problems, tumors, cataracts, skin allergies, congenital heart disease, heart murmurs and hip dysplasia.

Size and Weight

The general height of the male of this breed is 17-19 inches or 43-48cm and the height of the female is 16-18 inches or 41-46cm. Both weigh about 25-30 kg

Character

This breed is known as happy, outgoing, confident, intelligent and stable. If you have this breed as your pet then you would have a gentle and loving one in your house. It is also extremely affectionate and loyal as well as amusing and good natured. As a guard dog it is simply superb and it is also good with both children and adults. You will have no problem keeping your children with this dog.

This dog as a pet will want nothing more than to please you and is always obedient to the master's orders. It is extremely protective of the owner and the owner's property and can fight an enemy till death if the owner or the owner's family or property is threatened. It is however, extremely important to make this dog socialize from its young age so that it does not have any aggressive tendency. It is highly esteemed as a companion dog if it is trained properly. However, it is important that the owner is confident and understands its nature.

Maintenance

It is important that your Staffordshire Terrier gets sufficient exercise if it is staying in an apartment. It needs to be very active indoors. Exercise is all the more important because without this it becomes tough to handle the American Staffordshire Terrier. You need to take it out for jogging, running or long walks by holding the lead so that the dog understands that you are the leader. It is easy to groom the smooth short-haired coat of this dog. You need to brush it daily with a firm brush and also need to bathe or dry shampoo depending on the necessity. Also you can give a rub with a piece of towel or chamois so that the coat shines.

American Staffordshire Terrier Photos