How to Identify an American Staffordshire Terrier

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a smaller to medium-sized dog of 18 or 19 inches at the shoulders. The female is smaller at 17 or 18 inches at the shoulders. This breed is a strong breed, showing muscle, but is agile at the same time. His overall impression should be stocky in build, not racy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Look at the head. It should be of medium length with a broad skull and visible cheek muscles. The ears may be cropped or uncropped. If the ears are uncropped, they should be short and held at half height. The American Staffordshire Terrier should never have pink eyelids. The muzzle is rounded on the upper side and falls away quite sharply below the eyes. The nose is always black.

2. Identify the body of the American Staffordshire Terrier starting at the breed’s neck. The neck is a heavy neck and has a slight arch in it. There is no loose skin. The shoulder blades are wide and you should be able to see the strength of the shoulders. The back of this breed is actually quite short. There is some sloping from the withers to the rear. The ribs toward the back of this breed are quite deep, and all of the ribs are rather close together. The chest is deep and broad, so the forelegs will be wide apart to allow for chest development.

3. Look at the tail and legs. The tail is actually short compared with this breed’s size and is not docked. The tail is set low and is not curled or held over its back. The legs are very muscular; the front legs are straight and have large bones, the rear legs are well-muscled. The feet are medium-sized and compact.

4. Pet the coat. It should be short and stiff to the touch with a glossy appearance. The breed can be any color, solid or partial colors, but should not be all white or more than 80 percent white. Black and tan and liver colors are not part of the breed standard.