American Staffordshire Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Bloody origin

In the 1800s the ancestor of the todays Amstaff was mixed with the old bulldog and unknown terrier, possibly an english or fox terrier. The first purpose of this breed was to bait bulls and later for pit dog fights. Luckily they are not serve any of these purposes nowadays.

2) Friendly dogs

Even though they have a bad reputation, these dogs are one of the most trustworthy of all. They make incredible family companions, because they are very gentle, tolerant and playful. And if they are well socialized they are extremely good with kids as well.

3) Banned breed

I know i just said that they are gentle and tolerant, but they still have their bad, mostly undeserved reputation and they are among the breeds that may be targeted by breed-specific legislation. They are banned in some cities and sometimes even in the whole country.

4) Coat

The Amstaff have short and smooth coat which is very easy to maintance. You dont need to bath them very often, only when it is very necessary. And the best thing about their coat is, that they do not have the typical doggy odor, or at least not that much.

5) Training

Since they have a bad reputation, a lot of time people will be scared just by looking at your dog. That is why the training is extremely important with dog like this. Patience and consistency is the key. Luckily, American Staffordshire Terriers have an above average trainability and are extremely versatile and eager to please. Positive motivation and shorter sessions should be the key to keeping their attention.

6) Other dogs

Amstaffs are extremely social and friendly towards people, but that is not that true about other dogs. They should be supervised all the time when playing with a new fourlegged friend. Especially if it is a dog of the same gender. This is why the early socialization is a must. You can make them much friendlier towards other dogs by socialize them from a young puppy.

7) Size

American Staffordshire Terrier is muscular low to ground dog which should be between 17-19 inches tall which is 43-48 cm and their weight should be between 62-88 pounds which is 28-40 kg.

8) Color

There are a lot of color varieties which are accepted for an Amstaff. This includes blue, fawn, white, black, and red. They can also be mixed with any of these colors with white or white and brindle, but according to the akc, it is fault, if more than 80% of the dogs body is white.

9) Exercise

American Staffordshire Terriers are not hyperactive dogs and they dont need to run miles on daily basis. But you should provide them with daily exercise, it does not matter if its a long walk or vigorous playtime. If you are not, they might vent out their energy by chewing your favourite shoes, furtniture, books, sofa… Just everything.

10) Health

This is relatively healthy dog breed, bud they do have predispositions to some health issues. The most common are skin allergies, urinary tract infections, and autoimmune diseases. They can also suffer from elbow and hip dysplasia.