The American Staffordshire Terrier has the reputation of historically being bred for aggression and fighting. The American Staffordshire Terrier is often confused with the Pit Bull Terrier.

History

Around the time of the Civil War, dogs were imported from England for the expressed purpose of dogfighting. Some of the imported breeds include the English Bulldog, Bull Terrier, English terrier, Staffordshire terrier and various other terriers. It is from these dogs that the American Staffordshire Terrier, affectionately known as the Amstaff, descends. Unfortunately, original breeding and development of this breed was primarily aimed at creating the ultimate fighting machine. This led to a stocky, powerful and aggressive dog. Thankfully, the sport of dog fighting became illegal and breeders concentrated on reducing the dog's natural aggressive tendencies while retaining their incredible courage, loyalty and stamina. In fact, World War II posters used the American Staffordshire Terrier as a symbol of courage and bravery. The Amstaff of today is a loyal and protective dog that is not routinely aggressive. Originally, this breed was referred to as the pit dog, Pit Bull Terrier, American Bull Terrier or Yankee terrier. This is probably the reason this breed is confused with the Pit Bull Terrier of today. In 1936, the American Kennel Club recognized the breed as the Staffordshire terrier, and as a member of the terrier group. By 1972, the name was changed to the American Staffordshire Terrier and in 1974, the Staffordshire terrier of England was recognized as a separate breed.

Appearance and Size

The dog is of muscular, square build, solid black nose, and gives the impression of great strength, agility, and grace for their size. The chest is deep and broad. The neck is strong, and well arched. The coat is short and glossy.The American Staffordshire Terrier is a medium-sized dog that ranges from a height of about 18 to 19 inches at shoulders for the male and 17 to 18 inches for the female, and weighs from 44- 77 lbs.

Personality

These dogs are generally courageous, tenacious, friendly, extremely attentive, and extraordinarily devoted. They learn quickly from the subtlest of our behaviors. They are thus not only highly responsive during training but also pick up good habits, such as house training. This can become a problem when an owner unknowingly allows the dog to pick up bad behaviors. A typical training regimen should begin at 8 to 10 weeks of age.

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "American Staffordshire Terrier" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.