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The American Staffordshire Terrier
The American Staffordshire Terrier
did spring directly from the roots of the Old Pit Dog
brought to American by Irish and English migrants in the
1870's, as did the modern American Pit Bull Terrier.
However, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the
American Pit Bull Terrier are definately NOT one and the
same dog.
The "Am Staff" has been breed along completely different
lines than its predecessor, the Pit Bull. He has been
bred as a pet, family dog, guardian, show dog and for
obedience and agility competition. He has emerged from
his past history as one of the most reliable,
trustworthy and loyal of all dogs.
Probably one of the most famous early Am Staffs was
"Pete" of the Little Rascal movies. His trainer stated
that Pete was one of the brightest, easiest to train
dogs he had every worked with. The famed dog trainer
WIlliam Koehler regards the Am Staff as one of the
finest and most reliable of all breeds of dogs.
The Am Staff is proud and noble of bearing. He combines
power and grace and agility. He is bright and alert and
has boundless courage. He is intelligent, outstandingly
amenable to training and discipline, and adaptable to
almost any conditions. He is intensely loyal and
affectionate, has the striking good looks of a natural
athlete, and his short sleek coat requires a minimum of
care. In no other breed is there present such a
remarcable combination of gentleness, camaraderie and
reliability.
(extract from "The American Staffordshie Terrier
Annual")
A proper Am Staff personality and temperament is one of
a loving and loyal family pet. They make an excellent
guardian of property and family, and possess the ability
to discriminate between strangers who mean them harm and
those who do not. Their courage is proverbial. They have
the terrier personality of tenacity, and a wonderful
sense of humour. As with many breeds, they need an owner
who is knowledgeable about animal behaviour, has a basic
background in obedience training, and an understanding
of terrier traits and personality. They make a wonderful
companion and friend.
The Am Staff has been used for generations as a general
purpose farm dog, a catch dog for semi-wild pigs in
South America, a guard and protection dog, and as a
companion dog. The Am Staff's reliability around
children is one of his most endearing and consistent
qualities.
Most Am Staffs are not especially aggresive, but
nonetheless will not back down if challenged to fight.
The damage an average Am Staff can do to another dog in
even a few minutes is considerable. If the owner is
willing to put in a little effort to socialise and train
their Am Staff puppy they will be amply rewarded with
one of the finest of all dogs and a wonderful companion.
Recommended reading:
"The American Staffordshire Terrier - Gamester and
Guardian"
by Sarah Foster
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