Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The American Guard Dog: The American Staffordshire Terrier (Staffie)

By Troy Richardson

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a breed of dog that came from the lines of bull fighting dogs in the early 18th century. The Bullterrier was developed in the region of Staffordshire, England by crossing the Bulldog and some terriers. The result was the muscular, active, and aggressive Staffordshire Terrier.

When the bloody past times of bull baiting and bear baiting were popular in England during 18th century, the Staffordshire Terrier was a very noted fighter. But when this violent game was prohibited, many breeders transported their Staffordshire Terriers to United States and there these dogs were improved and tamed. The Staffordshire Terrier particularly was developed and produced two strains of dogs namely the American Staffordshire Terrier (Staffie) and American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT).

This new breeding in the US produced a dog that possessed a more powerful head and heavier weight than the Staffordshire Terrier. Its offspring the American Staffordshire Terrier (Staffie) and American Pit Bull Terrier became the show dog and the fighting dog respectively. Today, these two strains are considered as two separate breeds by the American Kennel Club.

The Staffie and APBT, since both came from the same breeding, shared similar qualities. Today, both are utilized in guarding, police works, and even weight pulling. Comparing to the Staffordshire Terrier of Britain, these American breeds are heavier and larger.

The Staffie is a chirpy, fun loving, stable and confident breed. It is loving and gentle towards the family that owns it. Moreover, it is also very loyal and kind.

The Staffie is a tractable, eager to please and protective companion. It is also very bright and fearless that it does not mind fighting with other animals and humans in order to defend its master and his property. However, socialization with other dog breeds, other animals and strangers is possible for this dog so long as he is trained at an early age.

The Staffie appears to be muscular, stocky and powerful. It has a broad and powerful skull, a short and strong snout, and strong jaws. Its weight can range between 57 to 67 pounds and its height stands between 16 to 19 inches.

The coat of the Staffie is close to the skin, dense, short and shiny. The coat colors can be of any combination of white and any other colors as long as the white dominates the coat by 80%. Additionally, this dog needs daily exercise such as long walks or runs in order to keep its mind and body healthy.

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