Amstaff History and Breed Standard

 

History

While after mid 19th century, in Great Britain the dog fighting "sport" underwent a hard decline, it was not so in America.

There ­ although with different names, among which Bull and Terrier, Half and Half, Pit Dog and Yankee Terrier ­ Pit Bulls found a fertile ground, mainly by boxers, innkeepers and members of the sport brotherhood.

One of the first ones to exploit this trend was C. Z. Bennet, who in 1898 set up a register for Bulldogs called United Kennel Club (UKC). UKC was the first to acknowledge Pit Bulls under the name of American Pit Bull Terriers (The use of the adjective American was a habit and an indiscriminating attitude of Bennet). Not only UKC immediately welcomed arenas and fights surrounding this dog. Through its Bloodlines Journal, for instance, UKC published dates and results of matches, resuming a tradition started off by the Police Gazette (1846<>1932). Things carried on well until Bennet died in 1936. With the inclusion of other "working" breeds in the register, the fighting world became increasingly inconvenient. The Bloodlines Journal no longer published news and advertisements regarding the arenas (pit) activities.

Hence, the need for a new register only for American Pit Bull Terriers protecting that cultural heritage coming from the fighting world. So, in 1909 the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) was established.

In the meanwhile, on the boost by many breeders trying to escape the easy mental association Pit Bull = fighting dog, in 1936 the American Kennel Club decided to acknowledge the APBT with the name of Staffordshire Terrier.

Since then, two different bloodline breeds began: one to create a show dog (the present American Staffordshire Terrier) promoted by the AKC; instead the other, devoted to preserving the old fighting dog (American Pit Bull Terrier) promoted by the ADBA.

After a series of opening and closing of registers for Pit Bull dogs (the last subscriptions date back to 1972), at last the AKC decided to close down completely.

In 1974 the adjective American was added to dogs for exhibition, which became the current American Staffordshire Terrier (that change was necessary to tell between it and the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier).

At last, in 1985 the FCI acknowledged the American Staffordshire Terrier.

 

The Breed Standard

• General impression:   The American Staffordshire Terrier should give the impression of great strength for a dog his size; a well put together dog, muscular, but agile and gracefull, keenly alive to his surroundings. He should be stocky, not long legged or racy in, outline. His courage is proverbial.

• Head:    Medium length, deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop. Ears set high.

• Ears:    Cropped or uncropped, the latter preferred. Uncropped ears should be short and held rose or half prick. Full drop to be penalized.

• Eyes:    Dark, round, low down in skull, set far apart. No pink eyelids.

• Muzzle:    Medium length, rounded on upper side to fall away abruptly below the eyes. Jaws well defined. Under jaw strong and to have biting power. Lips close and even; no looseness. Upper teeth to meet tightly outside lower teeth in front. Nose definitely black!

• Neck:    Heavy, slightly arched, tapering from shoulders to back of skull. No looseness of skin. Medium length.

• Shoulders:    Strong and muscular, with blades wide and sloping.

• Back:    Fairly short. Slight sloping from withers to romp with gentle short slope at rump to base of tail. Loins slightly tucked.

• Body:    Well sprung ribs; close together, deep in rear. Forelegs set wide. Chest deep and broad

• Tail:    Short in comparison to size, low set, tap ring to fine point; Not curled or carried over back. Not docked.

• Legs:    Front legs straight, with large bones and upright pasterns. Hindquarters well muscled, let down at hocks, turning either in or out. Feet of moderate size, well arched and compact. Gait springy but without roll of space.

• Coat:    Short, close, stiff to the touch, glossy.

• Color:    Any color, solid, party, or patched, is permissible; but more than 80% white, black and than, and liver not to be encouraged.

• Size:    Height and weight should be in proportion. A height of about eighteen to nineteen inches at the shoulders for a male and seventeen to eighteen inches for a female to be considering preferable.

• Fault:    Faults to be penalized are Dudley nose, light or pink eyes, tail too long or badly carried, undershot or overshort mounths.