American Staffordshire Terrier

The American Staffordshire Terrier, also known as the AmStaff, is a medium-sized, short-coated American dog breed  recognized by the American Kennel Club, but not the United Kennel Club, which instead allows American Staffordshire Terriers to be registered under the American Pit Bull Terrier breed.

The height of an American Staffordshire Terrier is 18 – tall and weighs between 40 –. The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes the breed as "confident, smart and good-natured". American Staffordshire Terriers are not to be confused with American Pit Bull Terriers, though the American Pit Bull Terrier has similar ancestry they are two distinct breeds. It also should not be confused with the "Staffy" Staffordshire Bull Terrier of the United Kingdom.

History


Some varieties of bull-and-terrier from the British Isles began to find their way into America as early as 1850. The name Staffordshire Terrier was approved because the ancestors of the breed originally came from Staffordshire, England. The name of the breed was revised on January 1, 1969, to American Staffordshire Terrier to distinguish it from the British Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is a completely different type of purebred show dog that was recognized in England in 1935.

The AKC opened the AmStaff Stud Book to UKC dogs a few more times until the 1970s. Since then, both parents had to be AKC registered in order to register the offspring. Breed selection was based entirely on conformation and established breed standards that, for decades, has transformed the American Staffordshire Terrier into a much different breed from the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Temperament
According to the American Kennel Club, these dogs are "smart, confident, good-natured companions. Their courage is proverbial. A responsibly bred, well-socialized AmStaff is a loyal, trustworthy friend to the end."

Description
According to AKC's published breed standard which was approved June 10, 1936, the "American Staffordshire Terrier should give the impression of great strength for his size, a well put-together dog, muscular, but agile and graceful, keenly alive to his surroundings. He should be stocky, not long-legged or racy in outline. His courage is proverbial." His head should be medium in length with a broad skull, a distinct stop, and pronounced muscles in the cheek. The ears should be set high on their head and can be cropped or uncropped, but the latter is preferred. Height and weight should be in proportion. A height of about 18 to 19 in at shoulders for the male and 17 to 18 in for the female is to be considered preferable. The nose should always be black. Many coat colors are accepted. However, dogs with liver or black-and-tan coat, and dogs with more than 80% white are discouraged.

Health
A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12.5 years compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

The breed is predisposed to allergic skin disease and demodicosis. An American study found 20% of juvenile (under the age of two) American Staffordshire Terriers to suffer from demodicosis compared to 0.58% overall.

A North American study of 1,000,000 and 250,000 hip and elbow scans found 24.4% American Staffordshire Terriers to have hip dysplasia and 16.1% to have elbow dysplasia. Another North American study found 1.84% of American Staffordshire Terriers to have the condition, half of the overall rate of 3.52%.

Breed-specific legislation and restrictions
Worldwide, the American Staffordshire Terrier has often been included in breed bans that target pit bull–type dogs and/or fighting dog breeds. Such breed-specific legislation (BSL) may range from outright bans on possession to restrictions and conditions of ownership. Breed Specific Legislation has been enacted in various countries including the United States, France, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Kanpur, Ireland, Norway, and Turkey.

Popularity
In 2017, the breed was the eighth most popular dog according to the Australian National Kennel Council. According to Société Centrale Canine, it is the sixth most popular dog in France. According to the American Kennel Club, it was the 85th most popular dog in 2020.