Origin Of The American Staffordshire Terrier
This breed originated in the United States, it is a descendant of the dog known as Bull and Terrier, which were widely used as a fighting dogs.
At the beginning of the 20th century, when these first English dogs arrived in the USA, a progressive process of selection began to overcome this initial conditioning, which was the result of selected crosses for fighting.
New specimens were selected aiming at a more balanced behavior.
These dogs were still known as American Pitbull Terriers, but in 1936 the breed was accepted by the AKC but with another name and new rules of conformation and behavior.
This was the birth of the American Staffordshire Terrier, which from a certain angle can be seen as a brother of the American Pit Bull, but educated at Harvard.
The Americans were better selected. Before, the criterion was to be great in the fights. But now the criterion was different. The years went by and today we have a more refined breed.
The American Staffordshire Terrier And Its Appearance
The Amstaff is a powerful, strong, muscular dog, a balanced appearance, its height is measured at the withers, it should be between 43 to 46 for females and 46 to 48 cm for males and the weight must be proportional!
There is no weight standard, several colors are accepted, and remember, the muzzle of this breed is always black!
Amstaff Energy
This is a very energetic, playful, determined, more balanced dog, a great dog for a family that maintains a high-energy rhythm.
It’s a breed that needs to walk and exercise, it needs toys and bones to chew on, it’s not a sedentary dog, it’s a beautiful sportsman!
If you keep your Amstaff idle it will destroy your home, and become rebellious and hyperactive.
The American Staffordshire Terrier With The Family
It is an affectionate dog that always seeks attention and play, drools a little, and is very fond of children.
But supervise the socializing always and educate your child to play correctly with your Amstaff, despite putting up with rough play, they are rough dogs, accelerated and strong, and they can easily hurt while playing.
By the way, be prepared to be run over, trampled, pushed and sloshed by your Amstaff, as these dogs have no sense of strength and no sense of space
Socializing with them is always an adventure with many stumbles and imbalances, which makes everything very funny and fun!
In addition, it is a dog that is always willing, always “smiling” and happy!
Can Amstaffs Be Trained?
In training they are very smart, using food and toys you can teach these dogs a lot, just expect them to ignore you or not even listen to you if he is focused on something!
Terriers are stubborn and determined by nature! Start training them when they are 2-3 months old, teaching them commands and preventing behavior problems, hire a trainer to help you!
It is very important to socialize this puppy as a puppy, with dogs, and take him to parks to play as much as possible
Always get him used to being friendly with other dogs and animals to reduce the risk of future problems, because despite being more sociable than the Pits, the root of the fight still exists!
Can This Breed Be A Guard Dog?
A great dog for sports, family, and why not guarding?
Despite not being created for this purpose, in addition to many being extremely docile with people, some Amstaffs are great guardians.
But this must be taught by a great training professional because pulling the aggressiveness of a dog without knowledge will ruin your dog, make him fearful or he will lose control and become a danger to society!
If your main intention is a guard dog, research other breeds that are better than the Amstaff, because taking into account the majority of the breed, they lose points in this regard.
Essential Care For The American Staffordshire Terrier
Caring for Amstaffs is more about exercise and daily activities:
- Tours at least 2 times per day of 1 hour of constant walking
- Lots of games like Running after a ball, hanging teethers, environmental enrichment, bones so you can gnaw, etc.
- Be careful with his food, check the right amount, and choose a quality feed so that he has an iron health
Amstaff’s Iron Health
It is a very healthy dog in general, although depending on the breeding lines, they have a slight tendency to:
Develop cataracts, heart problems, or hip or knee dysplasia. Always take your dog to the vet at least once a year for vaccinations and health monitoring.
