Breed library

American Staffordshire Terrier

Also known as AST, AmStaff.

Breed overview

The American Staffordshire Terrier, also known as the AmStaff, is a medium-sized, short-coated American dog breed recognized by the American Kennel Club, but not the United Kennel Club, which instead allows American Staffordshire Terriers to be registered under the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The American Staffordshire Terrier stands 18 - 19 in tall and weighs between 40 - 70 lb. American Staffordshire Terriers are similar to the American Pit Bull Terrier, sharing ancestry, temperament, and size, although American Staffordshire Terriers are typically stockier than American Pit Bull Terriers. The American Staffordshire should not be confused with the "Staffy" Staffordshire Bull Terrier of the United Kingdom.

Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
Country of origin: United StatesBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

Some varieties of the extinct bull-and-terrier dog from the British Isles began to find their way into America as early as 1850.
In 1936 the American Kennel Club recognized the breed with a different name and registered some individuals in the stud book.
The name of the AKC registered breed was revised on January 1st 1969 to American Staffordshire Terrier to distinguish it from the British Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
The AKC closed and opened the AmStaff Stud Book to UKC registered American Pit Bull Terrier dogs a few more times until the 1970s.
Since then both sire and dam have had to be AKC registered dogs in order to register offspring as American Staffordshire Terriers.

Size and appearance

He should be stocky, not long-legged or racy in outline. His courage is proverbial." The head should be medium in length with a broad skull, a distinct stop, and pronounced muscles in the cheek. The ears should be set high on their head and can be cropped or uncropped, but the latter is preferred. Height and weight should be in proportion. A height of about 18 to 19 in at shoulders for the male and 17 to 18 in for the female is to be considered preferable. The nose should always be black. Many coat colors are accepted; however, dogs with liver or black-and-tan coat and dogs with more than 80% white are discouraged.

Body mass reference: 22.68 - 36.287 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 50 - 80 lb. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
Height reference: 43 cm or moreBreed reference height. female, minimum.
Height reference: Up to 46 cmBreed reference height. female, maximum.
Height reference: 46 cm or moreBreed reference height. male, minimum.
Height reference: Up to 48 cmBreed reference height. male, maximum.
Height reference: 42.926 - 47.752 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 16.9 - 18.8 in. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.

Coat texture: smooth
Height category: medium
Weight category: medium
Weight category: large

Personality and behavior

According to the American Kennel Club, these dogs are "smart, confident, good-natured companions. Their courage is proverbial. The official breed club of America points out that dog aggression can occur even if the dogs have been well-socialized and that therefore they should not be left alone with other dogs.

Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 2.15 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 2.04 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 1.16 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.76 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Energy (C-BARQ mean): 2.10 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 2.12 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.57 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.88 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.09 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.65 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.57 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.60 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 0.82 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.
Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.61 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population American Staffordshire Terrier.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

Coat texture: smooth

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12.5 years compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Lifespan reference: Up to 14 yearsBreed reference lifespan years.
Lifespan reference: 10 years or moreBreed reference lifespan years.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

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Breed history

Some varieties of the extinct bull-and-terrier dog from the British Isles began to find their way into America as early as 1850. These varieties became a breed recognized by the United Kennel Club as American Pit Bull Terrier in 1898. In 1936 the American Kennel Club recognized the breed with a different name and registered some individuals in the stud book. The name Staffordshire Terrier was approved because the ancestors of the breed were claimed to originally come from Staffordshire, England, a theory inspired by the recognition in 1935 of the related Staffordshire Bull Terrier by the British Kennel Club. The name of the AKC registered breed was revised on January 1st 1969 to American Staffordshire Terrier to distinguish it from the British Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

American Staffordshire Terrier - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, American Staffordshire Terrier, revision 1368872399. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Staffordshire_Terrier&action=history
Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
File:AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER, Zican’s Bz Ez Dragon (24208348891).2.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER, Zican’s Bz Ez Dragon (24208348891).2.jpg - Svenska Mässan from Sweden. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AMERICAN_STAFFORDSHIRE_TERRIER,_Zican%E2%80%99s_Bz_Ez_Dragon_(24208348891).2.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.