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 recognised by the FCI. Its origins date back to 1885, between the United States and Canada, and it was born as a fighting dog.

Its family tree is quite peculiar, its ancestors include two now extinct breeds, the Bull and Terrier and the Blue Paul Terrier. It was selected together with its cousin the American Pit Bull Terrier with the intention of making it fight in dog arenas, but when this became illegal, around the 1930s some breeders began to follow two different canons for selecting the two breeds. In the Amstaff, more attention was paid to the aesthetic canon and character, with the intention 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 mainly in France and Italy.

Character of the American Staffordshire Terrier dog breed

It has to be said straight away that this breed is not suitable for those who are new to dogs; on the contrary, one should already be an expert in this breed. The ideal owner should be confident, decisive and experienced and willing to adopt the right training and exercise regime. Education and training should start very early and be very firm. By nature it is a dog that tends to dominate, so it is good that it understands who the owner is from the very beginning.

Its temperament is similar to that of the Pitbull, but more temperate; and after careful breeding 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 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 whether the person in front of it has good intentions or not, which is why it is an excellent watchdog and defence dog.

It adapts poorly to living in a flat, the ideal for this breed would be a house in the country with plenty of space to run around freely or at least a rather large garden where it can let off steam. He likes to play a lot, 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 an early age he can be taught to socialise with his peers too, 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 being between 28 and 30 kilograms. It is a well-built, muscular but agile dog with beautiful lines. Its appearance gives the impression of great strength. The neck is powerful, as is the chest, broad and deep, the limbs muscular and well-proportioned, the tail is not very long and tapers at the end.

The head is rather large, with a muzzle of medium length rounded at the top. The jaws are well clenched as are the cheek muscles. The ears are set high, carried straight, the eyes are round, dark and distant.

The coat is short, hard, dense, has no undercoat and is normally always glossy. All colours are permitted, also in spotted or brindled 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 less likely to develop diseases such as dysplasia, hypothyroidism and certain heart conditions. It must eat a complete and well-balanced diet to prevent it from becoming overweight, but it also needs plenty of exercise.

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