American Staffordshire Terrier
Posted by Kimberly on September 14th, 2007
The American Staffordshire Terrier descended from the Staffordshire Terrier in England. It was brought to America in the late 1800s and was further separated into 2 breeds: The American Pit Bull Terrier, which was a fighting dog, and the American Staffordshire Terrier, which was shown in competition.
These 2 breeds are, in fact, cousins and therefore, aren’t one-in-the-same. Some places in the world have now banned owning Pit Bulls and dogs that are closely related. Sometimes these bans include the American Staffordshire Terrier as well.
AmStaffs, as they are nicknamed, were originally bred for farm work, hunting, guarding and companionship. They are a heavy and stocky breed in every sense of the words.
Here’s a great article for some good background information on the American Staffordshire Terrier.
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All About the American Staffordshire Terrier Dog Breed
By Sarah Freeland
The American Staffordshire Terrier is an American breed that is known for their loyalty and their protective nature. They are a mid-sized breed that can grow up to 19 inches tall and weigh up to about 50 pounds when fully grown. They have a short, smooth coat that can range in color from brindle, fawn, black, blue, white, or red. Some of the health issues that you will need to watch out for with this breed are hip dysplasia, hives, and insect bites. If cared for properly and given the right nutrition this breed can live to be about 12 years of age.
Characteristic and behavior of the American Staffordshire Terrier
Even though this breed was developed as a fighting dog they make for loving pets. If you are interested in this breed and have small children then you will want to get your American Staffordshire Terrier as a puppy and raise it with your kids from an early age. This breed does not get along well with small pets like cats, ducks, and rabbits because it has a natural hunting personality.
Care and grooming of the American Staffordshire terrier
To care for and groom this breed you will need to brush only occasionally when needed. Dry shampoo is a good option with this breed as they are prone to skin conditions. They will also need daily exercise that challenges their muscle strength and endurance. Also, because of their natural hunting behavior they need to be trained properly to reduce negative confrontations with children and other small animals.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Freeland
http://EzineArticles.com/?All-About-the-American-Staffordshire-Terrier-Dog-Breed&id=647902
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Good stuff. Great background.
I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Terrier Lover.
Love Your Terrier,
Kimberly Edwards 
P.S. Calendars for this breed have proven to be difficult to find, but I did it…Get yours before all of them are gone for 2008:
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September 14th, 2007 at 7:56 am
American Staffordshire Terrier…
This really is a beautiful breed of terrier! Interesting that where pit bulls are banned, this breed sometimes gets heaped into that category as well……
January 30th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I am a Staffordshire bull+terrier breeder from England (UK). My family has owned and bred Staffs since the mid to late 1800’s before they were recognised as a pedigree dog by the Kennel Club in 1935.
I would like to highlight a few facts that have been ‘overlooked’. Firstly, there is no such breed as the ‘American’ staff. Staffs come from ENGLAND, not the U.S.A.
They are called Staffordshire bull and terriers because they were bred from bulldogs that were also bred in Staffordshire, these bulldogs were some of the most highly prized bully’s in modern history; the towns bells would ring when a bitch gave birth.
These bulldogs were bred with the most ferocious terriers to create the ultimate fighting dog a mix of awesome speed and explosive power and one of the hardest bites in the canine world.
To take a staff to America and call it American is a travesty and blatant plageurism. The U.S already stole one kind of bull terrier when the U.K banned blood sports and all the fighters were taken to America, where it was still legal. These dogs are now called ‘American pit-bulls’ because the U.K kennel club refused to make bull-terriers a pedigree. So the Americans created the united kennel club and the first dog ever registered was, surprisingly, an American pit-bull terrier, blatant theft!
Irish staffs don’t exist, neither do long legged. So, that should clear a few things up for anyone that thought they knew; now you KNOW!
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:08 pm
@James, great comment. Very informative and helpful…and pretty cool. I mean they rang bells, eh? Neat. I’m pretty sure Kimberly loved your comment and you adding great info to the post. Hope to see you around more.
Kenney
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Hello James…
Wow, I’m honored to have you come by and give us a comment such that you did!
Great information and I can appreciate your feelings and sentiment.
I always thought it was funny that they would name a dog of another city in another country and put American or Irish, or any other country for that matter, in front of it. Imagine an English Boston Terrier, or an American Irish Setter…???
I think it’s amazing that the town’s bells would ring in a new litter of pups! That’s unbelievable! What great history on this breed.
Also, thank you for the time-line information.
I know they are really tough dogs, and bred from the finest fighting machines!
Feel free to come by any time James!
Kimberly