American Staffordshire Terrier dog. Description, features, care and price of the breed

Breed characteristics

Nutrition

Just like an adult dog, you need to feed your Amstaff puppy only high-quality products. Owners have two options:

• high quality dry food ;
• products from the human table using vitamin and mineral supplements.

Important! Eating cheap dry food has a negative impact on the health of the animal. Therefore, the finished diet must be purchased of high quality.

The Amstaff is fed at the same time. Puppies should always have access to clean water. Amstaff eats only fresh food. Any remaining food should be removed.

A balanced puppy diet includes the following products:

• lean raw meat (beef), cut into small pieces, partial replacement with fish or cooked offal is possible (in comparison with meat, the volume is 1.5 times greater);
• tripe – raw, cut into pieces;
• dairy products - mainly kefir and cottage cheese, always fresh;
• egg yolk – raw or in the form of an omelette, no more than twice a week;
• the following types of vegetables: root vegetables, zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers - cut into small pieces, seasoned with a small amount of sunflower oil.

It is contraindicated to give Amstaff puppies fatty meat (pork), smoked meats, bones, whole oatmeal and pearl barley, potatoes, and legumes. These foods cause digestive problems and lead to tooth decay.

History of the origin of the species

The American Staffordshire Terrier appeared as a result of crossing a bulldog and a terrier, which were brought to America in the 1970s. In those days, powerful and resilient dogs were used to participate in dog fights. In the 30s of the 20th century, breeders bred the Staffordshire Terrier, which was recognized by the American Club.

During breeding, the main goal of dog handlers was to obtain pets rather than aggressive dogs.

In the 70s, a residual name was assigned to the breed. Later, an international standard was assigned, which allows Amstaffs to take part in exhibitions.

Distinctive features

This breed is medium in size, strong, muscular and well built. Amstaffs are quite graceful and agile dogs.

Traits that can help identify an American Staffordshire Terrier:

• Appearance: massive, prominent and agile dog.
• Figure: dense, strong.
• Head: large, noticeable transition from forehead to muzzle. The skull is square in shape, almost flat between the ears. The skin is elastic without wrinkles. The forehead protrudes slightly.
• Muzzle: Corresponds to the length of the skull. The bridge of the nose is round and wide.
• Nose: black, nostrils wide open.
• Jaws and teeth: powerful and large. Scissor bite.
• Eyes: large, round, dark, deep-set.
• Ears: Set high.
• Neck: medium in length, slightly arched.
• Shoulders: muscular. The shoulder blades are wide and placed obliquely.
• Chest: large, deep with pronounced and massive ribs.
• Back: wide, short, straight, powerful.
• Forelegs: widely spaced, straight, strong.
• Hindquarters: Muscular and straight.
• Paws: medium size.
• Tail: medium, straight, set low, becoming narrower towards the end.
• Wool: rough to the touch, tightly embedded in the skin.

Photo of an adult dog

Photos of puppies

Features of character and behavior

Breeders managed to eradicate the aggressiveness of the breed. Modern Amstaffs are not characterized by ferocity.

Dogs of this breed have the following characteristics:

• Attentiveness (notice what mood the owner is in);
• Sociability – they like to be in the company of adults and children;
• Calmness and balance;
• Love of active games and energy;
• Intelligence;

Bravery, endurance, loyalty and interest in life are the main features of this breed.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a flexible breed; the character of its representatives depends on the actions and demands of the owner. This dog is not suitable for people with a weak character. The dog may turn out to be characterful and will not accept the owner without a firm position. The pet will follow the commands of a persistent, strong and patient person.

Staff Terriers love children. Such dogs will happily go for a bike ride or jog. The lack of human attention is destructive for them.

Advantages

The advantages of the breed include:

• Intelligence and intelligence - raising them in an entertaining way;
• Courage;
• Easy to care for;
• Muscular physique;
• No unpleasant odor;
• Friendliness;
• Hard work and endurance;
• Quite docile;
• Detective abilities;
• Barks only when there is a real reason for it.

Amstaffs do not attack people. From birth they do not know how to guard, they need to be taught this. Representatives of the breed are endowed with extraordinary abilities to see threats. They are able to guard the house, property, work as detectives, and can look for old traces of blood.

Flaws

Among the disadvantages of the breed are:

• They have a strong character and are not suitable for people with unstable psyches;
• Unconditional obedience in some cases can be dangerous, since the dog does not distinguish good behavior from bad and follows all commands;
• Demonstrated sense of importance - the animal must know its role from the very beginning.

Nurseries

You can purchase a purebred individual in one of the country’s nurseries, for example, here:

• Imperial Giant Chance - https://imperial-gigant.ru
• Wulf - https://staffstyle.ru/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1208062704.

You can also purchase a pet from dog handlers.
It is worth buying an Amstaff from nurseries and dog breeders if the owner intends to purchase an animal with a pedigree and a passport. If we are talking about staffs who in the future become faithful pets, they can be found in pet markets or by advertisement. Characteristics of the Staffordshire Terrier breed: height, weight, color, temperament, combined with the dog’s devotion, tolerance and activity, paints a rather attractive portrait. However, this dog is not suitable for everyone: keeping an Amstaff and caring for the animal require time and attention. If the future owner is not ready for the painstaking work of raising a pet, it is not worth purchasing an American fighting dog.

Care and maintenance

1. The Amstaff should be washed no more than once every 2 months with dog shampoo or soap. After washing, dry the coat thoroughly with a soft towel.
2. In the cold season, you don’t have to wash the dog , just occasionally sprinkle it with snow and then comb it with a hard comb. Afterwards the wool is dried well.
3. Ears should be cleaned as they become dirty with a cotton pad soaked in boiled water or antiseptic. The eyes also need to be wiped with a cotton pad.
4. Caring for the anal glands is mandatory . Excess secretion in them can provoke inflammation. The cleaning can be done by a veterinarian or the owner himself. To do it correctly, you need to watch how this procedure is performed by a specialist.

Amstaff needs constant physical activity. They are important for good shape and psychological well-being. When a dog walks in crowded places, he learns to communicate with strangers (people and fellow dogs).

Nutrition

Representatives of the breed are not picky about food, but have their own taste preferences:

• Dogs like offal, but they need to be boiled well, cutting into small pieces in advance.
• You can feed liver, lamb, veal, chicken.
• To maintain its shape, the dog must be given boiled fish, boned and thoroughly stewed to make it soft.
• An adult dog needs to be fed 2 times a day.

There should always be a bowl of clean water at room temperature.

Puppies

• Fermented milk products that contain calcium are good for your puppy.
• Suitable porridges include: buckwheat, corn, oatmeal, and wheat.
• A puppy under the age of 3 months should be fed 4-5 times a day , from 4 to 8 - 3 times after a walk.
• The older the puppy gets, the larger his portions become, and the number of them decreases.

It's worth buying a feeding stand. It is set higher as the dog grows older so that he does not have to bend over. You can give dry food to these dogs, but you need to pay attention to its composition. It must be a high-quality product that contains a properly balanced diet of all nutrients. Dry food can complement the diet, and not be its basis.

Health

• A healthy Amstaff is energetic, has a moist nose, clear eyes and a good appetite.
• The animal does not have a repulsive odor, the intestines and bladder are systematically emptied.

A sick dog does not eat well, does not play, and refuses to go for walks. Unreasonable changes in the dog’s behavior are grounds to contact a veterinarian.

Vaccinations

1. The first vaccination of a puppy is carried out at the age of 2 months against plague, hepatitis, parovirus enteritis, parainfluenza and leptospirosis.
2. The second at 3 months from the same diseases.
3. The third at the age of 6 months from the same diseases and rabies.

Before vaccination, dogs are dewormed. For vaccinations, the use of vaccines against one disease or complex products is allowed.

Vaccination is carried out every year. They protect dogs from canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirosis, and rabies. Complex vaccinations often include vaccines against adenovirus, corona virus and parainfluenza.

Diseases

American Staffordshire Terriers are prone to the following diseases:

• hip dysplasia;
• arthrosis;
• arthritis;
• bloating;
• obesity;
• retinal atrophy;
• entropion of the eyelid;
• cataract;
• hyperplasticity of the vitreous body;
• cutaneous histiocytoma;
• solar dermatitis;
• mast cell tumor;
• skin cancer.

Walk

1. Dogs of this breed need energetic and regular walks .
2. It is important to walk with the dog for 1.5-3 hours every day , play with it, throw a stick or ball.

This dog is ideal for athletes. She will happily run after her owner.

Staffords like to fight. The dog will not rush at everyone, but may not tolerate too annoying brothers. He needs to be trained to resolve conflicts correctly so that there are no fights with other dogs. In crowded places, your pet must be wearing a harness.

Grooming

Dogs have short fur and do not require special care. It is enough to comb your pet from time to time with a stiff brush and wash it when it gets dirty. To keep the fur shiny, you can occasionally wipe it with a suede cloth.

Walk

To provide your pet with sufficient physical activity, it is recommended to increase the walking time. You can play catch with your dog or teach him to serve. In hot weather, it would be a good idea to take a swim. Representatives of this breed are very convenient to walk using a harness.

for a large dog.

Before putting your Amstaff into water, you need to make sure that there are no open wounds or irritated areas on the skin. The latter may indicate a bacterial infection.

Amstaff needs to move a lot

Mating

1. The female is ready for the first mating at 16 months, the male at 18 months. In females, sexual activity is cyclical and depends on estrus. The interval between estrus in females is different: some estrus 2 times a year, others 1 time in 10 months or once a year . Their cyclicity may change with age.
2. Before mating, a female should be dewormed two weeks before estrus, bathe her (before estrus or in the first few days), and get rid of skin parasites. The male needs to be walked before this and washed.
3. In most cases, the process takes place on the territory of the male dog , as he feels more confident in his home. The female must also be treated delicately so that she does not worry.
4. During the period of heat, she should not freeze , she should be in drafts, so as not to catch a cold and not provoke inflammation of the uterus.
5. As a rule, the first mating takes place on the 11-13th day of estrus . But the days may differ for different females: some mate successfully on days 15-17, others on days 5-8 .

A day after the first, it is recommended to do a control mating. Before this, deworming should be done. The normal duration of pregnancy is 63 days. One litter of a young dog can have 10-14 puppies.

Relationships with other animals

The Stafford dog breed is quite tolerant of other pets. This is a significant advantage, considering how many years dogs live. The characteristics of animal relationships depend on the approach of the owners.

If the pets are identical in age, it will be more difficult for them to establish contact. When a younger individual, be it a hamster or a parrot, moves into a house with an Amstaff, the dog shows noticeable friendliness and is playful, provided there is no aggression on the part of the “new friend.” Amstaff and a cat are a controversial friendly alliance, since staffs have a threatening appearance, which is regarded accordingly by the cat.

Key points in training

1. A dog must be trained by a strong person, with a firm position in life and great patience.
2. First you need to find a common language with the dog . Puppies understand perfectly well what is wanted from them, but they can resist and not obey every time.
3. You can't indulge them . It is recommended to start the education process at 2 months.
4. Amstaff needs to be rewarded and be moderately strict with him. Coercion is used carefully and physical punishment is unacceptable.
5. If the dog refuses to follow the command, then you should not raise your voice . It’s better to just look into her eyes until obedience appears in her eyes.
6. Read about how to properly train a dog in the article: “Training a puppy: effective methods from dog handlers, learning commands at home.”

Socialization is of great importance for this breed. While walking you should look for friendly dogs.

Breeding

Mating is a very delicate process for this representative. Many male dogs have a calm temperament and need time to get used to the female. For these purposes, animals should be introduced even before the female starts estrus. Other types of males (usually belonging to the first type of physique) are capable of mating even at the time of the first meeting.

Pregnancy, even in the case of successful contact, may not occur immediately due to the female’s tension. Is it possible to bring individuals together again in this case? Experts give a positive answer to this question.

How to choose a puppy

If a person needs a pet for exhibition events, then the standard characteristics of the puppy must be taken into account. Pedigree is important for further breeding. In this situation, it is not advisable to buy a puppy from a female who has given birth for the first time.

Amstaffs are excellent guards. If the dog is needed for protection, then it is important that the puppy’s parents have a stable psyche.

It is recommended to buy a baby at the age of 1.5-2.5 months. You need to approach raising a puppy correctly so that the pet is not dangerous to people.

General rules when choosing:

• Choose a puppy with a stable psyche;
• With good genetics;
• Purebred and healthy;
• From a reliable, trusted breeder.

Staffordshire Terrier and Pitbull differences

These breeds have many similarities. Both were bred for fighting, so they have a similar temperament. But there are points in which they are different.

Two dog breeds - Staffordshire Terrier and Pitbull - have the following differences:

1. External data . Amstaffs are larger. Pit bulls can have any color, unlike the first ones. The Stafford has a wider and larger chest.
2. Character . Both breeds are trainable, but Staffords are considered to be more intelligent. Pit bulls can be uncontrollable; it is better to walk with them on a leash. Amstaffs are more obedient.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a brave dog that is ready to obey any command from its owner. She will always strive to please her loved ones and will become a loyal companion and affectionate member of the family.

4.5 / 5 ( 2 voices)

Health

To keep the dog healthy, the owner needs to walk it in the fresh air for at least two hours.

If you are interested in Frisbee, agility, or swimming, then rest assured that your dog will share your passion.

It is worth remembering that the breed has its own list of diseases: dermatological, colitis, allergies, problems with the genitourinary system, joints, benign tumors, eye sores.