American Staffordshire Terrier

Calm and docile, the American Staffordshire Terrier will be an excellent dog no matter where he lives. All he needs is a gentle, firm hand, good exercise and the affection of the entire family to become the best companion.

Height 43 to 48 cm
Weight 20 to 35 kg
Life expectancy 10 to 15 years
Hair Loss Low
Excercise Need Medium
Home country United States (US)

Quick Overview of the American Staffordshire Terrier

Temperament

  • Tenacious, stubborn and independent
  • Receptive to training
  • Intelligent
  • Remarkable non aggressive guardian

Appearance

  • Extraordinary power
  • Very muscular look
  • Hard, tight and very short coat
  • Dark round eyes

Health

  • No particular pathology
  • Cruciate ligaments can sometimes be slightly fragile

Temperament of the American Staffordshire Terrier

Combining the agility of the Terrier with the strength of the Bulldog, the American Staffordshire Terrier is a tenacious, stubborn and very independent dog. He has a great deal of energy that he must be able to spend in order to make him more receptive to training.

He's smart and a great athlete. This excellent companion dog is also a remarkable non agressive guardian.

His natural aggressiveness has been largely eliminated by the selection of cross-breeding, giving the American Staffordshire Terrier a gentler character. However, aggression is still part of his genes and can reappear if the dog is unnecessarily provoked or if he is mistreated.

As in all cases, cruel methods and violence are to be totally banned, but especially in the American Staffordshire Terrier to prevent his buried aggression genes from resurfacing.

His education must be started at a very young age in order to teach him to socialize with his fellow dogs. His fighter's past being part of his nature, he can sometimes fight with other dogs if his education is not adequate.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a perfectly balanced, obedient and very loyal dog as long as he is treated firmly but gently. He is very affectionate and loves children.

american staffordshire terrier personnalité

Breed Appearance

american staffordshire terrier

This big dog with extraordinary power has a very muscular gait that is both graceful and flexible. This beautifully built, muscular dog leaves an impression of great agility and elegance.

He is part of the bull terriers family. In France, the American Staffordshire Terrier is a category 2 breed.

Height

Between 45 and 48 cm (17.72 to 18.90 inches) for the male
Between 43 and 45 cm (16.93 to 17.72 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 25 and 35 kg (55.12 to 77.16 pounds) for the male
Between 20 and 30 kg (44.09 to 66.14 pounds) for the female

Color

The coat of the American Staffordshire Terrier can be very varied. All colors are allowed, but white should not make up more than 80% of his coat.

Hair

The hair of his coat is very hard, tight and very short.

Morphology

His head is very broad with strong jaws. His round eyes are dark in colour. His straight ears are set high, they can be clipped or unclipped. His nose is usually black. His tail is short but uncut.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 3, section 3 and is #286

Characteristics of the American Staffordshire Terrier

Does this dog suit your lifestyle?

Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.

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Life in an apartment
Good first dog
Tolerates solitude
Tolerates cold weather
Tolerates hot weather
Affectionate
Friendly with children
Friendly with strangers
Friendly with other animals
Hair loss
Drooling level
Easy to care for
Robust health
Easy to train
Intelligent
Tendency to bark
Tendency to nibble
Protective
Instinct to hunt
Adventurous spirit
Energy level
Level of intensity
Need for exercise
Playful

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a American Staffordshire Terrier puppy: between and
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder
Average monthly budget for a American Staffordshire Terrier:
The monthly budget includes the average expenses for food and hygiene products (grooming, anti-parasite...)

American Staffordshire Terrier puppies near me

Tips About this breed

The American Staffordshire Terrier needs a gentle and firm handler, good daily exercise and a loving family around him. This sturdy, well balanced dog is normally very docile and non-aggressive.

Very intelligent, he will be the best companion if his education is totally devoid of cruelty and aggression. This dog must remain essentially a family companion dog and not be trained for attack or combat.


He has the potential to behave this way, and the danger associated with inadequate aggressive training will confuse him and these hidden abilities can then make him a potential danger.

The human must always remain the master of the situation and make him primarily a companion dog. The puppies are in no way aggressive and the master must continue in this lineage.

This rather fierce-looking dog, closely resembling the Pitbull, is unfortunately often preceded by a bad reputation. Gossip about "killer dogs", such as the Pitbull or the American Staffordshire Terrier, is not true.

Yes, these dogs can be very dangerous, but the main cause of this potential danger does not come from their genetic inheritance. Unfortunately, owners are the main cause of this potential danger. Poor training with cruel methods to increase the aggressiveness of the dog is often the cause of this bad reputation.

This dog has great emotional capacities and is capable of becoming an excellent family dog. Just treat and train him in a firm and very gentle way to make him a wonderful life companion. The problem usually does not lie with the dog but with the person on the other end of the leash.

Health of the American Staffordshire Terrier

This very robust dog without any particular pathology is generally in excellent health. Sometimes his cruciate ligaments may be slightly fragile, but regular daily exercise is enough to ensure good muscular, physical and mental health.

GROOMING

The American Staffordshire Terrier does not require any particular maintenance. He is a very clean dog that only needs to be brushed from time to time.

History of this breed

Unlike other Terriers, the American Staffordshire Terrier does not originate from Great Britain.

He would more likely be from Canada having been born in North America's English colonies. Having as ancestors the Blue Paul Terrier (breed bred in Glascow, Scotland, but extinct today) and the Bull-and-Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier had two different types in the early 1930s.

One type formed the American PitBull Terrier as we know him today, a fighting dog with developed aggressiveness and very strong jawbone. The American PitBull Terrier is not recognized by the F.C.I. but he is recognized by the American Kennel Club.

The other type of breed was the American Staffordshire Terrier with a precise standard aiming at a strong but totally balanced temperament.

Physically similar to the Pitbull, the American Staffordshire Terrier is a dog that is, however, totally devoid of aggression, his ancestors being slightly different from those of the well-known and often disliked Pitbull.

It was only in 1936 that the American Staffordshire Terrier breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club and he did not appear in France until 1984.

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