American Staffordshire Terrier

Group 3: Terriers
Section 3: Bull Terriers

Patronage: USA
Height at the withers:

• male 46-48 cm
• bitch 43-46 cm

This breed has been internationally recognized since January 1, 1972 under the name American Staffordshire Terrier. There was no uniform naming before. They were known by the names "Pit Bull Terrier", "American Bull Terrier", "Yankee Terrier" or "Stafford Terrier". This led to a lot of confusion, which should be ruled out with the current name. The forefather of the "Am Staffs", as they are colloquially called, is the "Bull and Terrier" who came to the USA with British immigrants around 1860. Since 1835 animal fights were completely forbidden in England, thus leaving the area of ​​the legal prohibition of dog fights. From around 1880, dog fighting was practiced professionally, especially in the north-east of the USA. The United Kennel Club was founded in Michigan in 1898.

The "Pit Bull Terrier" was cared for and promoted by this association, as it was known at the time. This also included the enactment of binding competition rules, to which the members of the UKC were bound. Even then he published magazines that reported almost exclusively on dog fights. These were then called "The Dog Facier" or "Blood Lines". Breeders subsequently began to move away from the breed's dogfighting orientation and to make the American Staffordshire Terrier interesting for shows. The American Staffordshire Terrier breed standard was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1936. In the years that followed, there was a dispute about the correct breed name, since the name Yankee Terrier was also widespread for dog breeds at the time. According to Todd Fenstermacher, the word pit was dropped, possibly for political correctness (dog fighting was officially banned), but the Staffordshire part of the name was retained as a throwback to the bygone days of animal fighting in England. The breeds were split into American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers because the AKC does not tolerate dog fighting and the American Pit Bull Terriers therefore remained with the UKC.

The following features are generally desired, other forms can therefore occur. The head of this breed is large, wedge-shaped and very powerful. Its nose is black, the eyes are dark and round, set deep in the skull and set wide apart, with the eyelids pigmented.

The Staffordshire Terrier's ears are set high and carried either rose-eared or semi-erect (tipped) ears. Its weight generally varies between 20 and 30 kg. Males have a shoulder height of approx. 46 to 48 cm and females 43 to 46 cm as the preferred height. This breed has a short and shiny coat. Each coat color is permitted in multiple colors, with the following coat colors being undesirable.

Black and tan: This color variant is considered a characteristic of the breeds Dobermann, Rottweiler and Manchester Terrier
Liver: A lack of pigmentation on the nose (more a trait of American Pit Bull Terriers), eyes and lips can trigger autoimmune deficiencies. The risk of genetically predisposed deafness is high with more than 80% white coat markings.

The English Staffordshire Terrier differs from the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier in that it is about eight centimeters taller at the shoulder and weighs about five kilograms more.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is generally considered to be intelligent, persistent, a good watchdog, affectionate and very playful. In the 19th century in England it was even kept as a family dog ​​in cramped living quarters.Due to his origin, he is considered to be very athletic and therefore needs a lot of exercise and exercise.

In almost every country in Germany, the American Staffordshire Terrier is one of the list dogs, which are colloquially referred to as "fighting dogs". The attitude is subject to strict conditions in almost all German federal states. The import of this breed to Germany is strictly prohibited. With the American Staffordshire Terrier, as with all breeds that are generally counted among the fighting dogs, there is a controversy about the species-related danger to humans. Many critics assume an exaggerated attacking and fighting behavior. Other scientific sources dispute this.

Since January 1, 2006, new dogs of this breed have been banned in the Swiss canton in response to incidents in the canton of Zurich. The Council of State envisages transitional solutions for dogs of this breed that were kept in Valais before January 1st, 2006. If the risk of accidents caused by the dog in question is classified as low, the ban on the dog can be waived.