American Staffordshire Terrier

Description:
This is a very muscular and agile dog. The American Staffordshire terrier can be seen as the version of an American Pit Bull terrier show dog because they look very similar at first sight. The American Staffordshire terrier is a strong and robust looking animal. It's size is anywhere from 46 to 48 centimeters. They display a lot of strength because of their size. They have a medium sized head, the skull is wide and the muscles on their cheeks are well pronounced. Their ears are set pretty high up on their heads whether the owner decides to clip them or not. Their backs are fairly short, and slightly descends at the beginning of it's back to the trunk with the lumbar section slightly upwards. The ribs of this dog are deep on the back and well rounded on the top part of its body. Its front legs are relatively separate that gives the dog's chest space. The coat on this dog is short, dense and rough. The American Staffordshire terrier comes in a variety of colors but not they do not come in just white alone. The colors of their coats are mixed with white, black, brown, and reddish.

Ideal owner:
American Staffordshire terriers have a common origin with the American Pit bull terrier, however, the American Staffordshire terrier is considered more of a sophisticated dog and more appropriate to use as a show dog. This is a very dominating dog and very bold, however it is also very family oriented and can be a complete "gentleman" with the people it knows. If this dog is bred by a reputable dog breeder it will turn out to be an excellent dog for children. This is a very active breed that loves doing a lot of exercise outside. They don't seem to get along very well with other dominating dogs and they are not very friendly to cats so keep this in mind if you are thinking about getting one.

Growth:
A newborn American Staffordshire terrier should weigh anywhere from 310 to 370 grams. These dogs grow very quickly within their first year of life and they normally grow to their full height at the age of twelve to fourteen months. Both males and females continue to get bigger and develop during the second year, in the case of males they could continue growing until the age of three years. A full grown adult male can easily weigh up to thirty three kilograms. Since this is a very active dog and it grows so quickly, the owner will need to make sure to give it a healthy and good diet, especially so in the first year of life. These dogs can eat a lot so be careful with not overfeeding them though. This last point is important because they have a tendency to becoming obese and having articulation problems if they eat too much. If you notice your American Staffordshire terrier's mouth does not close well, talk to your veterinarian about it, this problem sometimes goes away in some breeds but not in this one.

General health:
The American Staffordshire terrier has a history of hip dysphasia; therefore it will be absolutely necessary to get them checked (it's actually mandatory by law). Besides this, the owner will need to keep in check that it does not have elbow dysphasia, loose articulations, and an excessive formation of muscular mass over the shoulders. Since this is a very powerful dog the owner will need to keep in check its stoicism to pain that can unfortunately lead to broken bones, broken ligaments etc. it is not uncommon for these dogs to rupture their front cruciform (which is the ligament that holds the hind leg), when this happens it is important to treat it right; check to make sure the dog isn't limping also. It's not uncommon for the females to have psychological pregnancies. Cataracts can also affect this breed, as well as allergies. Take good care of the coat and brush it every day, while doing this, check to make sure the dog doesn't have any red spots or irritations on its skin. This dog must be trained starting at a very young age. Do not train it in an aggressive or manipulative way and do not encourage it to be dominating.