Staff dog (American Staffordshire Terrier)

History of origin

The history of the emergence of Staffordshire Terrier dogs begins in England in the middle of the XNUMXth century, although at that time they were not yet called that. These smart and courageous dogs appeared for the cruel entertainment of people who took pleasure in baiting bulls, bears and other animals with dogs. Powerful, but not agile bulldogs often died under the hooves of bulls. And then the “breeders” decided that the speed and agility of the terriers would give them the agility necessary to survive in such fights. After crossing bulldogs and terriers, the new breed of dog was called “bull terrier”. And later, when a new breed of dogs began to be used specifically for dog fights, they began to be called “pit bull” or “Staffordshire pit bull”. After the dogs came to the North American states at the end of the XNUMXth century, the current name “Staffordshire Terrier” stuck behind them.

In America, Staffordshire Terrier dogs found a new life and became not only fighting dogs, but also excellent guards – many farm owners started these brave dogs to protect the territory from wild animals and uninvited guests. In the United States, a society of Staffordshire Terrier dog lovers appeared, who cultivated not aggression and fighting qualities when breeding the breed, but paid more attention to excellent intelligence, the ability to get along well with a person, devotion to the owner and his family. In 1936, the American Kennel Club registered the Staffordshire Terrier breed, and in 1972 the International Kennel Association officially registered the Staffordshire Terrier breed, adding the definition of “American” to it. In everyday life, dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier breed are called abbreviated as Amstaff.

Breed description

Dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier immediately give the impression of being strong and hardy. And there is. Not very large – up to 48 cm at the withers (females slightly lower) – the dogs have a pronounced musculature, which is especially clearly visible on the widely spaced front legs growing from a powerful chest and on the hind legs – quite elegant, but at the same time strong and lumpy. The powerful square head is “decorated” with sharp erect ears – they can be docked and not docked. The eyes are intelligent, brown shades, round, widely spaced. The nose is large, black with pronounced nostrils. The jaws are powerful with a scissor bite, covered with lips. The muscular neck passes into the withers, the back is rectangular, ending in a tail of medium length, tapering to the tip. The abdomen is tucked up, the skin tightly fits the muscular body without any folds. The coat is short, hard, shiny, dense. The color of the dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier can be any, it is considered a disadvantage if the white color covers more than 80% of its powerful body.

Photos

Character

“The ideal dog of the American Staffordshire Terrier is a pronounced sanguine, seasoned dog with a good nervous system, able to easily adapt to stressful situations,” says Ilona Zakharova, owner of the American Staffordshire Terrier kennel “Tsenniy priz”. – He does not succumb to provocation, but reacts to aggression, showing that he is ready to complete any task.

The opinion that American Staffordshire Terrier dogs are exclusively fighting individuals, aggressive and dangerous is, unfortunately, a common myth. Yes, they were once used specifically for fighting, but this is not due to the peculiarity of the breed, but only a consequence of the fact that people cultivated only these qualities in amstaffs. For many decades, American Staffordshire Terrier breeders have been developing them as a breed oriented towards living together with a person.

“The American Staffordshire Terrier is a dog that can do anything, it is multifaceted and its potential can be revealed in any direction,” Ilona Zakharova is convinced. – Amstaffs are winning dogs, if she has good psychological contact with the owner, then she will hear his commands and work in any condition, even tired, even injured. This is the whole staff – he does not pay attention to obstacles. This is a real companion: you need to run in the winter next to the owner on skis – he will run, despite the short coat. You need to master stunt training – he will master it, you need to become a search dog – he will become, a personal bodyguard – for him this is on the shoulder. And what qualities the owner wants to develop in him: endurance, strength, perseverance – it’s up to the person to decide. After all, these are very trusting, human-oriented dogs that always look into the eyes of the owner, trying to understand him as accurately as possible. Very friendly to strangers, always ready to make friends, laugh and fool around.

Care and maintenance

– If you can’t let your American Staffordshire Terrier dog run around without a leash and a muzzle at least 2 times a week, then this friend is not for you. The animal should not only receive sufficient physical activity, but also live a full emotional life, – says Ilona Zakharova. – Amstaffs are not suitable for those who prefer to lie on the couch, and not spend two hours walking the dog.

But for athletes – runners, skiers, cyclists – dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier are perfect. Now there are few dogs in the breed that play sports, for example, agility – overcoming an obstacle course, or weight pulling – pulling loads, but this is great entertainment for Amstaffs and a way to keep their muscles in good shape, which has a positive effect on their health.

Caring for the American Staffordshire Terrier does not require serious time costs from the owner. After the walk, the dog’s coat needs to be combed, the paws examined and washed. Bathe several times a year or when soiled.

“I start cutting the claws of Amstaff puppies from the age of 10 days, in order to teach even babies to manual examination,” says Ilona Zakharova. – It is very important that an adult dog be accustomed and loyal to the fact that they can spread their toes on their paws, get into their ears, examine their teeth. And such an examination should be done regularly, but consult a doctor or consult a breeder only if you find deviations from the norm. And so leave the dog alone and only once a week cut her claws.

The amstaff should have its own place in the house. Staffordshire Terrier dogs are very fond of lying and sleeping on a raised platform, for example, on an armchair, because, having short hair, they are very sensitive to drafts or cold air creeping along the floor.

Dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier should receive food with sufficient content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and the choice of natural food or industrial food is on the conscience of the owner. But at first, the Amstaff puppy needs to be fed in the same way as the breeder did, gradually transferring from natural food to industrial food and vice versa, so that the dog’s body can adapt well.

Education and training

“In any family, American Staffordshire Terrier dogs will listen to the one who pays the most attention to them,” explains Ilona Zakharova. – Not the one who feeds them, but the one who communicates with them. Amstaffs are greedy for information, for emotions. This is not the kind of breed that needs to be communicated only with commands, although they are excellent at learning all commands. You need to talk with them from childhood – they perfectly respond to the tone, emotionality of the conversation, remember the words. The owner must be thoughtful, able to submit information. It will be difficult for phlegmatic, indifferent people to properly raise such a dog and it is better to choose a different breed.

The main principle of raising dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier: what is impossible is always impossible, what is possible is always possible. If you start to allow what was previously forbidden, then it is almost impossible to return the dog to the original rules of behavior. The owner must be understandable to the dog, then it will easily accept the rules of behavior and be well educated. After all, amstaffs grasp perfectly, are easily trained. In order for the dog to behave correctly in the family and society, household training is enough.

“But the owners of the American Staffordshire Terrier should remember that these dogs do not always have XNUMX% command execution,” Ilona Zakharova explains. – There is a famous photograph in which an amstaff sits in front of a barrier over which he must jump over, head tilted to one side. The caption for this photo is: “I know I can, but do I need it?”. Therefore, if the amstaff training method is ineffective, it must be changed. Then it will be much easier to succeed.

Health and disease

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a healthy breed, these dogs adapt well to any conditions. But over the past 10 years, doctors have discovered a genetic disease in some representatives of the breed – cerebellar ataxia. Due to damage to the cerebellum, the dog ceases to navigate in space, loses coordination and the ability to move normally.

– Now in Our Country it is possible to make a genetic test that detects this disease. And, before buying an American Staffordshire Terrier puppy, the future owner must receive the test results of the dog’s parents from the breeder, – explains Ilona Zakharova. – Otherwise, Amstaffs are healthy dogs, but owners should understand that any organ of their pet can get sick if the dog is handled without observing its safety rules. For example, Staffordshire terriers often suffer an ACL tear in the knee because owners squeeze records out of their pet, forgetting to take precautions.

Poorly selected food can also be the cause of digestive diseases or allergies.

“Of course, each owner chooses the type of food for his dog, based on his own capabilities, but still it’s worth thinking not about how convenient it is for us, but about the health of the pet,” says Ilona Zakharova. – A piece of meat is a typical type of prey for dogs of the American Staffordshire Terrier, and dry pellets are a forced way to feed themselves. Many people think that by eating industrial feed, the dog gets a more balanced diet, but it is not a fact that proteins, fats and carbohydrates will be absorbed by the dog’s body in the same proportions as indicated on the package. The choice of natural products also needs to be approached carefully – the meat must be of good quality from a place where antibiotics and other harmful additives are not added to the feed. And, if you treat the dog carefully and with love, it will repay the owner with great trust, tenderness and understanding, and the relationship will not be overshadowed by trips to the veterinarians and the suffering of dogs and their owners.

Popular questions and answers

She told us about the Staffordshire Terrier breed veterinarian, zoo engineer Anastasia Kalinina.