The American Staffordshire Terrier dog breed

The American Staffordshire Terrier dog breed, is better known as the Amstaff. It is considered by many to be a PitBull, but unlike these, the Amstaff has been officially recognized by the FCI. Its origins date back to 1885, between the United States and Canada and was born as a fighting dog.

Its family tree is quite particular, among its ancestors there are two breeds now extinct, the Bull and Terrier and the Blue Paul Terrier. It was selected together with its cousin the American Pit Bull Terrier with the intent to make it fight in the arenas with dogs, but when this became illegal, around the 30’s some breeders began to follow two different canons for the selection of the two breeds. In the Amstaff, more attention was paid to the aesthetic canon and character, with the intent of making it a guard dog, but also a companion dog.

It is a very popular breed in America and in Europe where we find it especially in France and Italy.

Character of the dog breed American Staffordshire Terrier

It must be said immediately that this breed is not suitable for those who are at the first experience with dogs, indeed it is appropriate to be already experts in this breed. The ideal owner should be confident, firm and experienced and willing to adopt the right training and exercise regimen.Β  Education and training should begin very early and be very firm. By nature it is a dog that tends to dominate so it is good that it understands immediately who is the master.


Its character is similar to that of the Pitbull, but more temperate; and after targeted interventions in breeding farms we can safely say that the Amstaff is an excellent companion dog. It is very affectionate and attached to its owner, it also attaches itself to the family and especially to children, but it will prefer one person in particular whom it will always try to please.

He loves company and cannot stand solitude. Gifted with a strong sensitivity, this dog is able to understand if the person in front of him has good intentions or not, for this reason it is an excellent watchdog and defense dog.

It adapts poorly to living in an apartment, the ideal for this breed would be a house in the country with plenty of space to run freely or at least a rather large garden where it can let off steam.Β  He likes to play a lot, he easily learns games such as fetch and being quick in his movements and agile will love Frisbee.

He tends to be quarrelsome towards other dogs, but if taken from a young age, he can be taught to socialize with his peers, although one must always be very careful.

Appearance of the American Staffordshire Terrier dog breed

The Amstaff is a medium-sized dog, the ideal weight is between 28 and 30 kilograms. It is a well-built dog, muscular but agile and with beautiful lines. Its appearance gives the impression of great strength. The neck is powerful, as well as the thorax, wide and deep, the limbs are muscular and proportioned, the tail is not very long and tapers off at the end.

The head is rather large in size, with a snout of medium length rounded at the top. The jaws are well clenched as well as the muscles of the cheeks. The ears are attached high, carried straight, eyes are round, dark and distant.

The coat is short, hard, dense, has no undercoat and is normally always shiny.Β All colors are allowed, even in the spotted or tiger form.

Health and Care of the American Staffordshire Terrier Dog Breed

This breed generally enjoys good health, and has a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years. It is more difficult for it to develop diseases such as dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and some heart conditions. It must eat a complete and well-balanced diet to prevent it from becoming overweight, but it also needs a lot of movement.

Being a dog characterized by a very short coat, despite a rather evident musculature, the Amstaff suffers a lot from the cold. It is very easy to keep clean, a brush once a week is more than enough. It does not lose much hair even during the moulting period, which occurs twice a year, as it has practically no undercoat. A bath every now and then, only when it is particularly dirty, but it is a dog that cares a lot about its hygiene and tries to keep itself always clean.


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