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American Staffordshire Terrier Dog Breed Introduction
American Staffordshire Terrier ( affectionately nicknamed American Staffy or AmStaff) is a short-coated, medium-sized bull-type terrier from the United States. AmStaff is one of the breed categorized under the pit bull heterogeneous group in the U.S. along with Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bully, and occasionally the American Bulldog. Therefore, it has included in bans that target pit bull-type dogs that may range from outright bans on conditions, possession, and restrictions of ownership. Amstaffs have also been commonly listed on breed restriction lists for apartments in the US. However, according to AKC, responsibly bred and well-socialized AmStaffs are loyal and trustworthy friends to the end.
American Staffordshire Terrier History | Origin
Several dog breeds were created to excel in blood sports such as dog fighting in Great Britain years ago by crossing bulls with terriers. However, blood sports have since been outlawed. The crossing, however, created loved breeds such as Bull Terrier, Bulldog, and American Staffordshire Terrier. In America, some of the bull-and terrier from the British Isles started making their way in the 19th century. The dogs imported were developed as an American dog, such dogs becoming a new breed that was recognized by UKC ( United Kennel Club) as the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1898.
Pit Bull Terrier dogs that were registered with UKC were accepted for registration in the AKC stud book with new breed name and purpose. Therefore, the name Stafford Terrier was chosen with the claim that the progenitors of the breed are originally from Staffordshire, England. However, the name was later revised in January 1969 to American Staffordshire Terrier to differentiate it from the British Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The later is a separate breed from the Bull-type terrier group recognized in 1935.
Breed selection based on conformation through decades has transformed AmStaffs into a different breed separated from the American Pit Bull Terrier. Modern AmStaffs have a more docile personality and are used for police work and family pets. They also compete in agility and weight pulling competitions.
American Staffordshire Terrier Lifespan
An AmStaff is a robust and healthy breed that has a lifespan of 12 to 16 years.
American Staffordshire Terrier Grooming
Amstaffs have a short and glossy coat that is stiff to the touch. The coat sheds at low levels all-year round and moderately when experiencing seasonal change. Therefore, an AmStaff requires a weekly brushing using a soft bristle brush to remove dirt, loose hair, and distribute the natural oils that are present on the coat.
An AmStaff is a moderately clean breed that requires a bath every 6 to 8 weeks unless it rolls into something stinky or develops a doggy smell. Use a hypoallergenic canine shampoo and conditioner. After a bath, thoroughly rinse off the coat using lukewarm water to prevent skin irritation. Wipe the face using a clean damp washcloth or unscented canine wipes to clean the face instead of using soapy water that irritates the eyes.
Nail clipping is recommended every 3 to 5 weeks using nail grinder or clippers if the nails don’t worn out naturally. Overly grown nails are painful for an AmStaff while walking or running. Brush the teeth at least twice a week if not daily using a tasty doggy toothpaste and a finger toothbrush to remove excess tartar buildup. Weekly ear cleaning is required using an ear cleanser solution and cotton balls to remove excess wax, debris, or dirt. While cleaning AmStaffs ears, check out for odor, redness, and dark discharge that are signs of dog’s ear’s infection.
American Staffordshire Terrier Shedding
An AmStaff sheds at minimal levels throughout the year. However, the shed hair is more noticeable during seasonal change in Spring and Fall.
American Staffordshire Terrier Hypoallergenic
Amstaffs are not considered a hypoallergenic breed. However, they shed at low levels all-year round and are less-likely to drool. Shedding allows the spread of dander and hair around the house which triggers allergic reactions in people who suffer from dog allergies. Apart from dog’s dander and hair, saliva, urine, and mucus have a protein allergen that aggravates allergies.
American Staffordshire Terrier Training | How To Train An American Staffordshire Terrier
An AmStaff is an intelligent dog that is willing to please which makes the training process fun and easy. Early socialization and puppy classes is a necessity for this breed keeping in mind their physical strength, exuberance, and physical strength. To set up for a successful training, owners should create a pecking order. This is where Amstaffs known their position in the pack, in this case your family.
Naturally, dogs have an instinctive desire to belong to a group. Therefore, a pet owner should establish him or herself as the pack leader by always eating and getting through the door first. Eating before the dog does helps it to understand that the AmStaff parent is the owner of all the valuable resources including treats, food, and toys. If the parent failures to establish the pecking order, Amstaffs will assume the role of a park leader which may lead to undesirable behaviors.
Use positive reinforcement methods such as petting, treats, toys, and verbal praise to mark good behaviors. Parents should avoid use of harsh correction methods such as yelling, using prong or choke collars, or even beating an Amstaff. Keep the training sessions fun, short, and challenging to avoid boredom. The training span of puppies will increase as they mature from a span of 5 to 10 minutes to a training session of at least 15 minutes distributed throughout the day.
To raise a friendly, well mannered, and well-adjusted AmStaffs, socialization is recommended. To socialize an Amstaff expose it to different people, animals, surfaces, places, situations, smell, experiences, sights, and sounds such as baby crying sounds, lawn mowers, sirens, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and whistles. Enrolling an AmStaff in a puppy class will also serve as a form of socialization. These classes allows dogs to interact in a controlled environment. Puppy classes also empower Amstaff parents to not only identify and correct bad habits but also have access to training information and assistance.
AKC notes that dog aggression may develop even in well socialized AmStaffs. Therefore, under no circumstances should this breed be left alone with other dogs. Basic command word training is also recommended immediately the puppy comes home from the age of 8 weeks or so. Some of the basic command words that AmStaff can learn include come, sit, down, stay, wait, heel, leave it, etc. one at a time. Once the dog understands the previous taught command word, proceed to the next command word. Never issue a command while to excited or frustrated since it won’t sound the same for your pet.
To effectively house break an AmStaff, potty training, crate training, and creating a feeding schedule is recommended. A crate is an invaluable tool that allows the owner to monitor the dog for signs that it wants to eliminate such as sniffing, restlessness, squatting, circling, and trying to lift a leg against the crate door. For positive outcomes when potty training, take an AmStaff puppy to the designated toilet area immediately it wakes up, every 2 to 3 hours, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, after naptime, following an exciting activity like car ride & playtime, and before bedtime. The potty breaks will be after every 6 to 8 hours from the age of 8 months. This is because the bladder and bowel muscles of AmStaffs puppies strengthens as the pup matures.
American Stafforshire Terrier Temperament | Traits
- Good-natured.
- Confident.
- Smart.
- Courageous.
- Loyal.
- Trustworthy.
- Alert.
- Playful.
- Tolerant.
- Gentle.
- Energetic.
- Willing to please.
- Trainable.
- Affectionate.
- Athletic.
- Devoted.
American Staffordshire Terrier Exercise
An AmStaff is an energetic and athletic breed that requires vigorous exercise daily. Long play sessions with the owner will help to meet the physical and mental needs of the breed. Leaving AmStaffs out in the yard is not the right approach since they thrive when they are included in the family activities. This breed also enjoys participating in canine sports such as dock diving, agility, and obedience.
American Staffordshire Terrier Barking
An AmStaff has a low tendency to bark. However, it may develop a tendency of barking due to boredom and pent-up energy.
American Staffordshire Terrier Height
A female AmStaff has a height of 17 to 18 inches ( approx. 43 to 46 cm ) while its male counterpart has a height of 18 to 19 inches ( approx. 46 to 48 cm ).
American Staffordshire Terrier Weight
A Male AmStaff has a weight of 55 to 70 pounds ( approx. 25 to 32 kg) while its female counterpart has a weight of 40 to 55 pounds ( approx. 18 to 25 kg ).
American Staffordshire Terrier Size
This is a medium-sized short-coated breed. However, Male AmStaffs are slightly larger in size as compared to their female counterparts in terms of height and weight. A Male American Staffordshire Terrier has a height of 18 to 19 inches ( approx. 46 to 48 cm ) and a weight of 55 to 70 pounds ( approx. 25 to 32 kg) while its female counterpart has a height of 17 to 18 inches ( approx. 43 to 46 cm ) and weight of 40 to 55 pounds ( approx. 18 to 25 kg ).
American Staffordshire Terrier Aggressive
Although well socialized, an AmStaff can exhibit dog aggression towards other dogs. Therefore, owners should not leave Amstaffs with other dogs.
American Staffordshire Terrier Bite Force
Reportedly, an AmStaff has a bite force of 235 PSI.
American Staffordshire Terrier Health Problems | Health Issues
An AmStaff is a healthy breed that has a lifespan of 12 to 16 years. However, these dogs suffer from certain health issues including osteoarthritis, Spondylosis, autoimmune diseases, urinary tract infections, skin allergies, luxating patella, elbow dysplasia, cerebellar ataxia, hip dysplasia, congenital heart disease, and hypothyroidism.
American Staffordshire Terrier Names
AmStaffs owners may decide to find a name for their pets before they leave the shelter or a few days after the pets join the new home to understand better the personality of a particular dog. Owners may get name inspirations from the American heritage, coat color, personality, celebrity AmStaffs, music, movies, book, historical figures, and nature.
Regardless of the name chosen, pet parents should ensure the name freely rolls off their tongue and won’t make them embarrassed when uttered out loud in the public places such as parks and malls. Amstaffs and other dog breeds better understand a name that has vowels. If a pet parent settles with a long name, he or she should find a cute nickname for the pooch.
Avoid giving an Amstaff a name that rhymes with the command words to avoid confusion. If Amstaffs share a name with other family members or guests that frequent your household, it may result in confusion. Some of the names that Amstaffs owners give to their pets include:
- Murphy.
- Sadie.
- Nikki.
- Damien.
- Cyrus.
- Dinah.
- Maddy.
- Wolf.
- Cassie.
- Angel.
- Hannah.
- Charlie.
- Darius.
- Ashes.
- Zia.
- Blade.
American Staffordshire Terrier Dog Food | Feeding Guide
The amount of food that Amstaffs feed on depends on their activity level, metabolism, age, size, and body build. An AmStaff Puppy tends to have a high metabolism rate as compared to adults and senior dogs. Therefore, a pup need to feed on 3 or 4 times a day from when it starts weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, AmStaffs should feed on two meals a day for the rest of their lives with snacks and treats in between. However, parents should watch out for calorie consumption and weight level to avoid overfeeding their dogs.
An AmStaff may feed on dry food, wet food, home made, or a raw diet depending on the budget and time of the pet parent. Regardless of the food type, owners should ensure that the dog feeds on a balanced diet to maintain a good health eventually allowing it to develop cognitively and physically. If an AmStaff dog parent decide to feed the dog with the commercial dry or wet food, he or she should ensure the first three ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The commercial pet food should neither contain preservatives, chemicals, additives, meat by-products, generic meat products, nor fillers. The same goes to the snacks. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for medium-sized puppies, adults, and senior depending on the age of the AmStaff. Check the physique of your pup to tell whether it is overweight or underweight.
If you can see the ribs, chances are the dog is underweight. Although, if the ribs are not visible but can you can feel them without pressing hard, the pet has an ideal weight. If you cannot feel the ribs, the pooch is overweight and should be exercised. After getting a puppy from a breeder, the owner is likely to switch to another quality food. They should gradually do this over a period of four weeks by mixing both new food and old food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the AmStaff is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Apart from American Staffordshire Terriers, other breeds of dogs include:
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
American Staffordshire Terrier Neck Size
An AmStaff has a neck size of 14 to 22 inches ( approx. 35 to 55 cm).
American Staffordshire Terrier Colors
AmStaffs can have any coat color either solid, parti, or patched are permitted. However, solid white, more than 80% white, liver, and liver are discouraged. Some of the colors that AmStaffs can have include brindle, blue mask, and black.
American Staffordshire Terrier Types
There is only one type of pure breed AmStaff that may either have a black, brindle, or blue mask coat colors.
American Staffordshire Terrier Allergies
An AmStaff may suffer from various forms of allergies as discussed below:
Skin allergies – AmStaffs may suffer from skin allergies due to food, contact, or environmental allergies. Food allergies manifest on the skin as sores, hives, dermatitis, crusting lesions, and pruritus. On the other hand, environmental allergens cause atopic dermatitis, a skin inflammation condition that results in redness, rashes, sores, and dry skin. One of the environmental allergens, flea cause flea allergy dermatitis that causes excessive scratching and biting until the skin around the bite area is raw. If left untreated, the open wound will cause fungal and bacterial reaction.
Food allergies – Although rare, an AmStaff may also suffer from food allergies which result to an immune response. Apart from food allergies, this breed may also be suffer from food intolerance or sensitivity.
Contact allergies – AmStaffs have a short coat making them more susceptible to contact and environmental allergies. This inflammation occurs once the skin comes in contact with the allergen. Some of the contact allergens that affect the skin include plastic feeding bowls, carpet cleaning detergents, bed linens, grooming products like shampoos and conditioner, lawn chemicals, latex, and medication. Commonly affected body parts include paws, around the muzzle, and feet.
Environmental allergies – Some of the environmental allergies that affect AmStaffs include pollen, grass, mites, trees, ragweed, house molds, dust and dust mites, and fleas. The saliva of the flea cause flea allergy dermatitis that normally affects the back legs and underneath the tail. Signs of environmental allergies include sneezing, congestion, nasal discharge, and itchiness on various body parts including paws, feet, groin, muzzle, underarms, face, ears, around the eyes, belly sides, and between the toes.
American Staffordshire Terrier Food Allergies
An AmStaff may suffer from a true food allergy but in rare cases. A True food allergy results in an immune response that is normally accompanied with a wide range of symptoms ranging from a skin condition symptoms to gastrointestinal stress. Some of the skin issues that AmStaffs manifest due to food allergies include sores, crusting lesions, hives, pruritus, facial swelling, itchiness, and dermatitis. On the other hand, gastrointestinal stress includes acute vomiting and diarrhea, bloating, and weight loss.
Owners may confuse food intolerance for food allergies since they both cause vomiting and diarrhea. However, the former does not cause an immune response. Food sensitivity occur as a gradual response to an offending ingredient in the diet and snacks of an AmStaff. Some of the ingredients that cause intolerance include fillers, chemicals, flavors, preservatives, corn, wheat, soy, lamb, chicken, beef, turkey, milk, eggs, pork, fish, etc.
Signs of food sensitivity include poor skin and coat, vomiting, diarrhea, foot infections, itchiness, and ear infections. AmStaff parents should work along with the vet to manage the symptoms exhibited and find the offending ingredient in the diet of the dog.
American Staffordshire Terrier Ears
AmStaffs can either have cropped or uncropped ears, however, the former is preferred. Natural ears are short and held in rose or half prick.
American Staffordshire Terrier Tail
An AmStaff has a natural, tapered, and low-set tail.
American Staffordshire Terrier Teeth
During birth, AmStaffs puppies are born with no teeth. However, the deciduous teeth start growing in from the age of 2 to 3 weeks until the pup has a total of 28 milk teeth between the age of 6 to 8 weeks. From the age of 12 weeks, the milk teeth start falling out as the permanent teeth erupt beneath them. Between the age of 6 to 8 months, an AmStaff should have a total of 42 adult teeth.
Are American Staffordshire Terriers Dangerous
No. Properly socialized AmStaffs are friendly, loyal, trustworthy, courageous, confident, gentle, and good-natured.
Are American Staffordshire Terriers Smart
Yes. AmStaffs is a smart breed that is willing to please which makes it easily trainable.
Are American Staffordshire Terriers Aggressive
Although AmStaffs are properly socialized, they may exhibit dog aggression towards other dogs. Therefore, parents should not leave an Amstaff with other dogs.
American Staffordshire Terriers Quick Facts
- AmStaff puppies should not be weaned until the age of 8 to 10 weeks.
- This breed is categorized under pit bull type dogs hence it is affected by breed-specific registration.
- In 2020, Amstaffs were ranked the 85th most popular dog by AKC.
