Recently recognized as a distinct breed, he descends from the fighting pits of England and America. A variety of breeds were used to develop the “Amstaff” including the Bull Terrier, the Old English White Terrier, the Black and Tan, the Bulldog, the Mastiff, the Pointer, the Dalmatian and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. His name was changed from the Staffordshire Terrier to the American Staffordshire Terrier in 1972.

Known for their intelligence and loyalty American Pit Bull Terriers make excellent, loving and protective companions despite the unfair press they receive. His ancestors were brought to the United States in the mid – 1800’s by Boston-Irish immigrants. Originally bred from a variety of bulldogs and terriers, American breeders increased his weight and gave him a more powerful head. A forbearer to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, they were originally bred to be a fighting dog. Bull baiting was banned in England in 1835 and these dogs are no longer being bred to fight. There is some complication in registries of this breed. The AKC considers the American Staffordshire Terrier as separate and distinct from the American Pit Bull Terrier, yet the UKC will register both as American Pit Bull Terriers (APBTs).

The Staffordshire is the smallest, while the American Pit Bull Terrier is the largest and heaviest of the three. However, the APBT breed also shows a wider variation in size than the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier. The early lines of APBT were smaller and even today some breeders still prefer the smaller APBT, so size is not a decisive factor.

Contrary to its bad reputation, the Amstaff is good-natured and is very sweet with children. It has to be underlined that even at the “glory” days of dog-fighting, the hostility was oriented towards other dogs, never to people. On the contrary, this breed was specifically bred for its acceptance of being handled by its owner even during the heat of the fight. They were selected for their willingness and ability to achieve goals imposed by their masters. Indeed, still today Amstaffs are known as “pleasers” and not as maulers.

The first dogs to arrive in the States with the English immigrants in the mid-19th century were the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Blue Paul Terrier, a now extinct breed. The latter were legendary dogs of which was said that they were selected and bred by the Scottish pirate Paul Jones. They were almost all of a blue-grey color.

The roots of the American Staffordshire Terrier can be traced through early Mastiff warriors, to the original Bulldogs in England, which were used in the bloody sport of bull baiting. As bear and bull baiting declined in popularity, interest in dog fighting increased. Breeders wanted to create more agile fighting dogs for this sport, so they crossed their Bulldogs with game terriers to create what was then known as the Bull and Terrier Dog, Half and Half, Pit Bull, or Pit Bullterrier. Actual breeding records were closely kept secrets, so much of the Bull and Terrier’s early history is a mystery. The Bull and Terrier later became known as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in England.

Immigrants to the United States brought the breed to the United States after the Civil War, where they were used as fighting dogs and for their ability to hunt. At that time the American Staffordshire Terriers were known as Pit Dogs or Pit Bull Terriers, later acquiring the names American Bull Terrier and Yankee Terrier, and finally becoming known as the American Staffordshire Terrier. The breed was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1936 as the Staffordshire Terrier, later amended in 1972 to American Staffordshire Terriers.

American Staffordshire Terriers are a medium to large breed with weight ranging between 60 to 88 pounds and a height between 17 to 20 inches. This breed gives the appearance of having great strength, with an overall stocky look, broad heads with a strong, defined jaw, heavy necks, muscular shoulders, short backs, and deep, broad chests. The tail of American Staffordshire Terriers is short and low and should not be docked.

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