Hi everyone,
I have long wondered how to approach to this topic because it is somewhat irritable. It can be said that in the case of this breed, people divide into two camps: supporters and opponents. Unfortunately, this is not so easy because there is a third group - ignorants. I can not call them in a different way. Who thay are? These are people who have never been in contact with the breed and spread rumors about murder dogs somewhere. You say "ok Colin, after all, not everyone has to know dogs if they are not interested." Yes it's true. However, there is a difference between ignorance and the spread of rumors. If I do not know something, I'm not saying that that I do. First I read, check and look for answers. You know, it's the same if I would go up the street and see the priest and say so that everyone would hear: "Pedofile! Attention, pedophile walking! How can such a dangerous beast go unattended among people?!" To hard? No! For me, that's how it looks when I hear ignorant people. However, there is the other side of the coin because these "rumors" did not come out of nowhere. And at the moment I do not really know what to say. The media caused the whole campaign. Why this breed? I have no idea. Seriously. I just do not know. It probably stems from innate human idleness combined with laziness. In the brains of such pseudo writers, a formula is created immediately: if the dog was created as a warrior + there are quite a lot of them + somebody was bitten somewhere by one = ALL THEY ARE MONSTERS!!! I apologize to you very much, but HOLLLLLLLLY F***!!! Why is nobody bothered to check the facts!?
Ok, inhale and exhale !!
Inhale and exhale.
Inhale...
I'm calm now. So what do I mean? It is known that not once and not two ast bitten someone. Yes it's true. However, you have to pay attention to the following aspects:
- not all ast are ast. The fact that a dog looks like ast (American Staffordshire Terrier) does not mean that he is an ast. If it's a mixture of several breeds, it's a mongler, so why do you give it to TV or the press that it was an ast?! If someone was bitten by a mongler in the village, nobody specifies which breed he has more in his blood. There will be one mention in the news that the situation took place and that's it. If, however, someone finds out that it was ast, an avalanche flies. Press, radio, television ... For a good week they fuck what saliva into their tongue will often bring - photos of five different dogs depending on the channel or newspaper publisher (preferably with grinning teeth and foam on the face even though the dog never stood by that dog thay actually talking about). How the hell do you know that thi is ast? Because what? Because it's similar? Did you made DNA tests or did he told you? Well, good job! Why are you so short-sighted??
STATISTICS! Ooooooohhhhh yes. Facts. This is what nobody likes because it does not give publicity or range. So let's talk about facts for a moment. That is, DOCUMENTED issues of bites. Unfortunately, I will not give you specific sources because I'm afraid that if in a few days ACTA 2.0 will be accepted in the EU, my post will be removed and I want to avoid it. In addition, not all countries keep such statistics. I will cite only a few examples. For most bites in Great Britain responsible is Jack Russel Terrier. Dobermans, rottweilers are running in many countries ... In the USA, on the firs place are pittbulls (and mixtures of these breeds). In part of Europe dominate golden retrivers.
And here it is worth mentioning one - pitbull is not an amstaff!!
Find 5 differences in pictures:
Are you done? So let's move on.
What does all this mean? The fact that in many countries all BULL-type terriers have been banned. And those countries that can not be bought or reproduced are of little importance. There are countries where mass euthanasia of all bull breeds was carried out. In some countries you can not even cross their territory with such a dog (even enclosed in a cage in the car) on the way to the exhibition to another country...
Therefore, at this point I would like to thank all the mass media that have stuck this spiral. I am very grateful to you, f***ing ignorant! Of course, the owners of these dogs also have their share in all this. I mean all the brainless people who buy a dog just for a showoff and look (look threatening) in the neighborhood. They make those dogs „killers”. I know from the autopsy that someone took a dog, kept him in a small cage in a dark basement, teased him and tossed smaller dogs to make him aggressive. It was the 90's, quite a long time ago. Fortunately, this story ended as it should - the breeder found out about the whole situation, came to the "client" smuck him in the stupid face and took the dog. However, unfortunately, such people still often get dogs into their own hands. Do not get me wrong - one thing is if someone is buying a dog because he wants to feel safe and the other thing is if someone wants to extend his cock. Through such irresponsible people more and more dogs of this breed go to shelters, to the street or simply are killed (usually bestial).
I do not want to bore you with your thoughts, so maybe let's move on.
What do we know?
As a standard, in a nutshell, I will try to bring you closer to the breed.
The history of the breed dates back to the 18th century. It was then in England that they tried to bring up the perfect dog for fighting with bulls and other dogs. For this purpose, bulldogs with white terriers were crossed. In the nineteenth century British emigrants took the breed to the USA. There he evolved a bit, becoming a more massive and agile dog. Commonly referred to as pit bull. However, in the 20th century, breeders who did not want to be associated with dog fighting decided to create a separate line of these dogs. They were slightly stronger and more standardized. In 1936, the American Kennel Club accepted and registered the breed standard. However, it was not until 1972 that the breed was named American Staffordshire Terrier.
What is their character?
They are very cheerful dogs. They get along well with children. They have a lot of energy in them that they have to somehow unload. Rather, I would not be inclined to say that they choose one household member they listen to. In my case, either they just listen or do not do it at all ;)
In the case of other dogs, it can be different. At home, they get along well with both representatives of their own race and with others (younger and older). Introducing new dogs into the herd is not a big problem. But you have to be careful - just in case. With completely foreign dogs is different - one of the bitches is a killer and hates everything that is alien. In turn, the male on the street rather does not pay attention to other dogs. Rather. Sometimes it happens that a male does not give him a great foothold, and then you can see from a distance that you have to keep him close to your leg. At home, the male and the bitch are sitting together all the time. Sometimes they have some short circuits but more in this is panic and shout than the actual fighting.
They are very stubborn. As they play with themselves in pulling a rope, for a stranger who does not know their way of playing, it may look like a total aggression. There is a lot of growling, jerking and stubbornness. They can do this for hours until they fall to the ground and still they will not let go of the string. They are very tough and fit dogs. They defend home and household (albeit in a different way). Due to the fact that we have three representatives of this breed and everyone is totally different, you have to forgive me because I will describe each of them in a separate post so that it does not become so long that you will not want to read it :P
American Staffordshire Terrier is a very intelligent dog and because of it needs a hard hand from an early age. This is due to the fact that it perfectly reads human intentions and delights our attitude by trying to test the limits to which it can go both in the play and in typical everyday situations at home and outside. Due to its temperament and spontaneity, it would be good if it came to active people or to a house with a garden where he can have fun. The owner who only sits on the couch in front of the TV will lead the dog to frustration and, as a result, to destroying home appliances.
Pattern
American Staffordshire Terrier - belongs to Group III FCI, section 3, template number 286
Size - height at the withers: males: 46-48 cm, females: 43-46 cm;
Hair - short hair, close to the body, hard in touch, shiny, without undercoat;
Color - any uniform, brindle or spotted ointment is allowed. Undesirable color is black and tan, chocolate and white (if white is more than 80% of the body surface);
Sexual maturity - between 2 and 3 years of age;
Life expectancy - about 10-15 years;
Minking - 2 times a year in moderate amounts.
Health
Hmmmm. A rather complex topic. When buying a dog of this breed, it is worth to carefully examine selected kennels. Dysplasia of the hip joints is quite common, therefore it is necessary to pay attention to whether the puppies' parents were examined in this direction. Elbow dysplasia may also happen, so you must also keep this in mind. Food allergies (mainly to poultry) and skin allergies are not uncommon, however, they are not as common and troublesome as in the case of, for example, Bullterriers. There is one genetic disease that is called ATAXIA. I made everyone feel alerted that the parents of the spotted puppy were healthy. It is a serious neurological disease that impairs the dog's movement functions, which is incurable! I know how hard it is to look at how our wound is tiring because I’ve had a dog with this condition (but about that in another post). The disease is not manifested under the 3 years of age or later. Fortunately, from the second half of the 90 'it is possible to detect it in medical tests, therefore ask the breeder to present documents stating that the puppy is ATAXIA CLEAR. As it is a hereditary disease, if the pedestal presents a certificate of "purity" of the puppy's parents when it comes to ATAXIA, then you can be calm.
It is also worth mentioning that due to temperament, injuries sometimes occur. Unfortunately, dogs of this breed have a high threshold of pain and are not self-pitying themselves, which means we may not even notice that something is wrong with our pet. Tearing or total rupture of the ankles and knees is common. Therefore, we should not overload a puppy before the age of 18 months.
How can we summarize this elaborate and answer the question asked in the title? Amstaff is a great dog for responsible and active people who have a strong character to deal with a small madman. Properly run will be a perfect family dog and will not disappoint us in a dangerous situation. He has a lot of patience and high threshold of pain, so even persistent and prolonged pulling of the ears by a small child is noting super annoing for him. It should be remembered, however, that you should not leave small children with him without care. Not because of race. It's just a dog - of course a family member but still only a dog!
Greetings and to the next post in which I will introduce to you representatives of this breed inhabiting our estate :P and I will try to draw out differences in their "approach to life" :D
Colin
P.S. The dogs depicted in the pictures (except the picture comparing the American Staffordshire Terrier with the American Pit Bull Terrier) are dogs belonging to me and my wife.