GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 43-48cm (17”-19”).
Colour: Whole colour, parti-coloured or patched. White not to cover more than 80% of the body.
Coat: Short, close and glossy.
Gait: Springy, smoothly co-ordinated with powerful hind propulsion.
This muscular dog is graceful and agile. The broad deep round skull and moderately long but very strong jaws are separated by a distinct stop. The nose must be black. The ears are rose shaped or carried semi erect, (or cropped in countries where this is permitted). The dark round eyes are set well apart. The heavy neck runs to a fairly short, slightly sloping back and a low set moderately short tail. The strong forelegs are straight and the powerful hindquarters are well angulated. The chest must be broad and deep.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
These vivacious terriers have a big dog character in a medium sized frame.
They love to please their owners and therefore are easily trained. As guard dogs, their courage is proverbial. It should be noted that due to this trait, unscrupulous people have utilized this gameness and trained them as fighting dogs. However, when correctly trained they make docile pets and can be tractable with other dogs. They thrive on praise from their family, however lack of attention from their owners can break their hearts and make them feel frustrated. They need a well fenced yard and when out walking, should always be on a lead. Their short coat needs only a minimal amount of care with a quick brush to keep the skin healthy.
HISTORY
The origins of this breed are similar to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier blendings of Bulldog, Black and Tan Terrier and an old white English Terrier. In 1870, they made their way to America and soon became invaluable to frontier families as guard dogs. As the breeders preferred a slightly larger specimen than the early English Staffordshire Bull Terriers, in 1972 the American Kennel Club permitted the word American to be added to their title to differentiate them from the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier.