The American Staffordshire Terrier is a breed of dog. The breed is descended from American dog fighting breeds and was intended to be a show strain of pitbull terrier. American Staffordshire Terriers were first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. They are a member of the Terrier and Mastiff groups.

American Staffordshire Terrier Appearance

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a large dog that ranges from 16 to 19 inches at the withers, and weighs from 57 to 67 pounds.

He is muscular and strong, and gives the impression of great strength and agility for his size. His chest is deep and broad, and his neck is heavy. He has a broad skull, pronounced cheek muscles, and strong jaws. His ears may be half prick, rose, or cropped.

The coat is short and glossy and can be of any colour although all white, mostly white, liver, and black and tan are not encouraged. His nose must be black.

American Staffordshire Terrier Temperament

Descended from dog-fighting lines, these dogs should be courageous and tenacious. They are friendly towards humans but may exhibit dog aggression. They should not be suspicious of strangers, and because of this are not necessarily good guard dogs.

Similarities to Other Bull Terriers

The American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier are closely related breeds, sharing a common ancestry as recently as the early 1900s. It is still common practice for dogs to be dual registered (registered as an American Staffordshire Terrier with one dog breed registry, and as an American PitBull Terrier with another.)

The main physical difference between the breeds is that the American Staffordshire Terrier is not permitted to have red (”Dudley”) nose leather, whereas American Pitbull Terriers may have either red or black nose leather. The American Staffordshire Terrier is also often of larger bone structure, head size and weight than their American Pit Bull Terrier cousins.

Because of the physical similarities, a pedigree is the only reliable way to distinguish between dogs from these two breeds. Even experienced AKC judges can find it hard to distinguish between dogs from these two breeds merely on the basis of the small physical differences.

In terms of temperament, the American Staffordshire Terrier is generally accepted to be less tenacious and less dog aggressive (less “game”) than the American Pitbull Terrier. However this distinction is merely a matter of degree, and both breeds exhibit dogs at either end of the temperament spectrum.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a much larger and heavier dog than the english Staffordshire Bull Terrier, to which it is also closely related.

Breed-specific Legislation

Areas which have passed breed specific legislation banning or restricting the ownership of Pitbulls usually include the American Staffordshire Terrier in this legislation. The exceptions are Australia, New Zealand and Norway, which restrict the ownership of American Pitbull Terriers but not American Staffordshire Terriers.