Dog Breeds > American Staffordshire Terrier
The American Staffordshire Terrier
You may see the American Staffordshire terrier doing watchdog, guarding, police work, weight pulling work. This powerful and courageous pet is very lovable and loyal to its master. Having the Am Staff in your household would surely brighten up your day.
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Fascinating Facts
Am Staff, Stafford, Staffy – these are just some of the famous nicknames of the American Staffordshire. During the 19th century in the English region of Staffordshire, crossing the Bulldog and various terriers in order to develop muscular, active and courageous Staffordshire Bullterrier is very common. When it was brought to the United States, some American breeders increased its weight and gave it a more powerful head.
Physical Appearance
The height and weight of the Am Staff is 17 – 19 inches and 57 – 67 pounds respectively. This dog is strong not to mention muscular. The head is broad and powerful while the muzzle is medium-length and rounded. The eyes and pointy ears are both black. It has also a strong jaw. There is no dewlap or looseness of the skin and the lips are closed.
The tail of the Am Staff is either cropped or un-cropped. The coat colors of this dog can be almost anything – solid color down to parti-color. According to the AKC standards, an Am Staff with over 80% of white in its coat is considered a fault.
Grooming
The smooth, short-haired coat the Am Staff is very easy to groom. Owners/trainers/handlers should brush its coat on a regularly with firm bristle brush. Bathe or dry shampoo if necessary. Rub with a piece of towel or wet chamois to make the coat sleek. This dog is an average shedder.
Mood
The Am Staff is an intelligent, lively, and confident dog. This dog is gentle and loving towards people. This dog is also amusing, loyal and affectionate pet. Good for both children and adults. The Am Staff is obedient and always eager to please its masters. It is also courageous and intelligent type of guard dog that is always full of energy. Highly protective of territory, it will fight an enemy or strangers to the death if feels threat. The Am Staff is pain tolerant.
This dog needs a confident and consistent owner/trainer/handler who displays firm leadership. It needs to be trained to achieve a pack leader status. It is natural instinct for dogs to have an order in their pack. Do not over pamper the Am Staff for it becomes aggressive when its whims are not fulfilled. Also, over pampered dogs develop character-related issues such as Separation Anxiety, excessive barking, attacking strangers, biting furniture and chasing other pets.
With Children
The Am Staff is generally good with children. Because of its size and strength, small children might get trampled while playing so it is always necessary for parents or guardians to supervise them.
Training & Exercise
The Am Staff has un-depleting amount of stamina. It needs to be engaged in long hours of exercise to satisfy it. Let it walk or run in an open space. Do not remove its leash for it might terrify other people it meets.
When it comes to training, the Am Staff can exceed your expectations. This breed is very intelligent although it becomes bored if it was engaged in a repetitive set of routines. In order to improve its focus, food-reward challenges are highly recommended.
Health & Life Expectancy
The average lifespan of an Am Staff is about 9 – 15 years. Although this breed lives generally healthy, there are some health issues that need to be tackled. Some Am Staffs are susceptible to hip dysplasia, heart murmurs, skin allergies, thyroid problems, tumors, hereditary cataracts and congenital heart defects.
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