Plate 100 · The Americas
American Staffordshire Terrier
美国斯塔福郡㹴
“A bull-type terrier refined for the show ring.”
- Origin
- United States
- United States (from British bull-and-terrier dogs)
- Country of origin
- Developed in the United States from British bull-and-terrier dogs imported from about 1850; the marker is the country's reference point.
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Imported from about 1850; recognized 1936
- Today
- Companion · Dog sports
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
United States (from British bull-and-terrier dogs)
A muscular, short-coated bull-type terrier, related to the American Pit Bull Terrier but for decades bred to a show-ring conformation standard.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Its British forebears were bred for dog fighting and baiting, sports long since outlawed.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Bull-and-terrier dogs reached America from about 1850. The AKC registered them in 1936 under a different name from the UKC's American Pit Bull Terrier, and since the 1970s has registered only puppies whose parents are both AKC-registered.
04 · Today
Companion · Dog sports
A family companion and a competitor in obedience and agility.
Personality
- Good-natured
- Confident
- Smart
- People-oriented
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Athletic: needs plenty of exercise and play with its family, not just a yard.
- Grooming
- Easy: a weekly brush.
- Training
- Intelligent and eager to please, but strong: early socialization and training are essential.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 12–16 years
- Coat
- Short, stiff, glossy coat in many colours
Field note
Its AKC name was changed in 1969 or 1972 (sources differ) to avoid confusion with Britain's Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Terrier Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 3, standard 286)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Terrier Group, recognized 1936. Registered by the AKC in 1936 as the Staffordshire Terrier; renamed in 1972 to set it apart from the British Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Restricted by breed-specific laws in some places. AKC registrations: ranked 97 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- American Staffordshire Terrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/american-staffordshire-terrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- American Staffordshire Terrier — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Staffordshire_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Imports from about 1850, AKC registration as Staffordshire Terrier (1936), the 1969 renaming, relationship with the American Pit Bull Terrier.
- American Staffordshire Terrier — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/AMERICAN-STAFFORDSHIRE-TERRIER-286.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin United States; Group 3, section "Bull type Terriers".
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: Developed in the United States from British bull-and-terrier dogs imported from about 1850; the marker is the country's reference point.
