американский стаффордширский терьер: фото, описание породы

Dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier breed, popularly referred to as Amstaffs, Staffords and just Staffords, are strong, very muscular dogs of medium height (about 42-50 cm), their weight is 20-30 kg.

Американский стаффордширский терьер

Photo of Staffordshire Terrier | dreamtime.com

Brief description of the breed American Staffordshire Terrier

Origin of this breed - United States of America, but the breed is popular not only there, in our country there are many breeders and fans of the breed. In fairness, the Amstaffs also have a huge number of opponents. Indeed, in the media you can find information about the Stafford attack on other dogs and even people. Who is to blame for this - the dogs themselves or negligent owners? Probably, the point is the lack of proper education from puppyhood. Connoisseurs of the breed categorically do not advise getting a puppy of the American Staffordshire Terrier to those who cannot properly train the dog and accustom it to life in society. Fighting Staffords, who have a tendency to fearlessness in their blood (and in the absence of proper upbringing and aggression), can bring a lot of grief to others. Whereas a well-bred staff is quite good-natured, calm and devoted to the owners. There are many cases when Staffords became the best friends of their owner's children.

So American Staffordshire Terriers - muscular dogs athletic warehouse. Their head is wide and square. Chewing and parietal muscles are well developed, convex. The transition from the average convexity of the forehead to the muzzle is well expressed. Ears erect, set high (may be docked). The nose is medium in size, mostly black. The eyes are wide apart, rounded, dark in color. Teeth white, large, scissor bite. Amstaff neck without dewlap, muscular, wide at the base, smoothly turning into a strong, short and wide back. In the area of the croup, the back is somewhat sloping towards the bottom. The belly of the Amstaffs is picked up. The tail is set low, not long, tapering towards the tip. The limbs are powerful, straight and very muscular, especially the hind limbs. The coat of the American Staffy is hard, smooth, short, tight. color monophonic - piebald, light and dark brown, black (white color is considered a vice). Brindle and spotted colors are allowed, white color in them should not exceed 20 %.

basic information

Breed name:	American Staffordshire Terrier
Country of origin:	USA
The time of the birth of the breed:	1971
Type of:	terriers
The weight:	20 – 30 kg
Height (height at the withers):	42 - 50 cm
Life Expectancy:	9 – 12 years old
ICF classification:	Group 3, Section 3, Number 286
Puppies price:	100 – 600 $
Most popular nicknames:	list of nicknames for staffordshire terrier

Evaluation of the characteristics of the American Staffordshire Terrier breed

Adaptability (a definition meaning how easily a dog can adapt to changes in life)	🐶🐶🐶
Shedding level (Level and frequency of hair loss in the animal)	🐶🐶
Tenderness level (The level and amount of tenderness and affection that the dog gives in return for attention to itself)	🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶
Exercise needs (Dog's daytime activity level)	🐶🐶🐶
Social need (The required number of contacts of the dog with other animals, as well as people)	🐶🐶🐶🐶
Apartment content (A factor that determines the level of noise and other inconveniences that a dog can deliver to owners in relation to the size of the apartment to the size of the dog)	🐶🐶
Grooming (The number of bathing, brushing, and the number of professional grooming sessions required for the dog)	🐶
Friendliness in an unfamiliar environment (Features of the behavior of a dog in a society with strangers or in an unfamiliar environment)	🐶🐶🐶🐶
Tendency to bark (Tendency to bark and its frequency and volume)	🐶🐶🐶
Health issues (Potential health status of the dog)	🐶🐶🐶
Territoriality (The dog's tendency to protect his home, yard, or even his owner's car)	🐶🐶🐶
Friendliness to cats (The tendency towards tolerance for cats and decreased manifestation of hunting instincts)	🐶
Intelligence (The ability of the dog to think and solve emerging difficulties (not to be confused with learning!)	🐶🐶🐶🐶
Education and training (The level of difficulty in training the dog to perform certain actions)	🐶🐶🐶🐶
Friendliness to children (A factor that determines how friendly a dog is to children, whether he likes to play with them and tolerate some childish pranks)	🐶🐶🐶🐶
Game activity (The concept is determined by its very name, and, as a rule, is found in almost all dogs)	🐶🐶🐶🐶
Observation (The ability of a dog to detect the presence of a stranger on its territory)	🐶🐶🐶
Friendliness to other dogs (The tendency of the dog to find common language with his other relatives)	🐶

American Staffordshire Terrier photo:

американский стаффорширдский терьер фото

Origins of the American Staffordshire Terrier

The ancestors of the Amstaffs are English Terriers and bulldogs, which interbred in their homeland - in England at the end of the 18th century. The descendants of such a mixture of bloodlines were first called bull and terriers, and the main idea for breeding was to create such a dog that could be used as a fearless, fast, very powerful, but at the same time compact fighter, combining the best qualities of both breeds. At first (until the beginning of the 19th century), bull and terriers participated not only in battles with fellow dogs, but also with angry bulls. In the United States, these dogs appeared around the 1860s with English settlers. Suddenly, bull and terriers became popular in the New World, not only as fighting, but also workers dogs. They were interested in ordinary workers, and gambling lovers of dog fights, and American reputable dog handlers. Often they helped farmers in grazing livestock, protecting their homes, fearlessly fought predators. - coyotes and wolves. The breed was given a new name in 1936 by the American Kennel Club. - Staffordshire Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier began to be called such dogs a few decades later - in 1972, by amending the first Breed Standard, established in 1971 by the International Cynological Federation.

Personality of the Staffordshire Terrier

If you do not take into account the tragic cases of attacks on a person, when the owner is more likely to blame, amstaffs - calm, very strong physically, hardy and brave dogs. No enemy is fearless with them, the main thing is that the owner can understand the importance of proper education. The American Stafford gets along well in families with babies, but it is not recommended to enrage the dog. Therefore, even a well-bred Amstaff should not be treated like a lap dog. They are smart, they remember insults well, they are quite vulnerable, it is categorically not recommended to punish these animals with beatings. Staffords are dogs with their own character, quite strong and dominant. Therefore, you should not start it for those families where pets already live. - cats or dogs. Often they are in danger of being bitten by a fast, wayward Stafford. Amstaffs are quite kind and attached to the family members of the owner, but without obtrusiveness. For the owner, they are ready to fight to the end, selflessly and fearlessly. barking stafford - a rare phenomenon, they often prefer to act to create noise. By the way, these dogs are distinguished by incredible speed of reaction.

Maintenance and care

Amstaffs are great live like in an apartment, and in an aviary on the territory of suburban and private plots. But it is not recommended to keep them on a chain, it is better when the dog has the opportunity to move freely around the owner's yard. Amstaffs living in apartments are especially in dire need of not only long, but also quite exhausting walks. It's good if the owner can put enough stress on their dog, whether it's catching a ball or going through an obstacle course. When going out into the countryside, Amstaffs happily swim, rush about without a leash and a muzzle (which is impossible in the city).

Amstaff coat care is simple. These animals are brushed several times a week (or at least weekly) with a brush or furminator for short hair. Amstaff shedding occurs in spring and autumn, but can be prolonged if the dog lives in an apartment with excessively dry air. Bathing should be done 2-3 times a year with a special shampoo for dogs.

The owner must always pay attention to the condition of the eyes, ears and teeth of the dog, carrying out hygiene procedures. The ears are cleaned about once a week or two with a cotton pad soaked in water or an earwax breaker. The dog's eyes can be wiped daily or several times a week with a cotton swab dipped in water or any herbal anti-inflammatory decoction that the doctor recommends. It is better to brush your teeth daily by purchasing a dog toothbrush for this (sometimes they use an ordinary “human” brush with medium-hard bristles). In addition, for such thawed dogs as amstaffs, which can provoke a fight with four-legged brethren, you should purchase all the components for a first-aid kit (thermometer, cotton wool, bandage, enema, brilliant green or iodine, adsorbent, laxative, antibiotics and other drugs). The composition of the first aid kit should be consulted with a veterinarian. You should not buy medicines designed for humans.

Training and education of the Staffordshire Terrier

Initially, it can be noted that you should never set an amstaff on people or animals! They train the baby staff from 2-3 months. The puppy should not only be accustomed to life in the house (prohibition to spoil, gnaw things, climb into bed, beg, chase pets, if there are any in the house). It is important to correctly indicate the leadership to the dog, which should always belong only to the owner. Even at an early age, you should not be careless about staff bites or growling at any of the family members (including animals).

Experienced owners note the excellent ability of amstaffs to train. As fast as they are in motion, they quickly grasp the commands presented by the owner or instructor. It is best to conduct training on the training ground, where the staff will observe the training of other dogs. At the same time, the owner himself under the control of an experienced trainer will direct the actions of the dog. Of course, training can take place without the supervision of a specialist, but will the owner have enough experience and knowledge to train the animal on his own? Most often, they choose the General Training Course (OKD) or the UGS course (Managed City Dog). In rare cases, after OKD or UGS, a ZKS course (Protection Guard Service) can be completed.

Health and disease of the Staffordshire Terrier

Amstaffs can live up to the age of 15, but most often they spend about 9-12 years next to the owner. Hardy, physically strong, with a high level of immunity, American Staffordshire Terriers are considered strong dogs (in terms of health), but they also have weaknesses. Among the diseases of the breed, there are: problems with the joints (hip dysplasia - often hereditary, arthritis), mechanical injuries (torn ligaments, lacerations after a fight, bruises, etc.), heart failure (more often in old age), eye problems (atrophy retinas, cataracts), bloating (which is dangerous with stomach twisting), obesity (more often at an older age), tumors (mastocytoma, histiocytoma (including histiocytosis) - skin tumors), allergies of various etiologies.

Some interesting facts

No breed on the way to official recognition had so many names. In the interval from the end of the 18th century to the middle of the 20th century, American Staffordshire Terriers, in addition to bull and terriers, were called differently: half and half, pit dog, Yankee terrier, Brindle bulldog, American bull terrier, American pit bull terrier. The confusion with the names of the breed ended only in 1936, when the Amstaff became the Staffordshire Terrier.
The cost of an amstaff puppy starts from 20-25 thousand rubles. Buying a dog from hand can cost the acquirer much less, but it's akin to Russian roulette, when you don't know if you win or not. Often such a purchase is fraught with any hereditary diseases or cowardice, aggression. - severe defects according to the Breed Standard.