The AmStaff, a robust dog with a noble character
The American Staffordshire is not classed as a group 3 (terrier) section 3 (bull) dog for nothing. Through the crosses made to obtain the AmStaff breed, breeders sought the perfect combination of certain qualities specific to these two breeds. Several types of terriers and bulls whose names still remain a mystery to this day are part of its makeup. To understand the character of your AmStaff, you therefore need to understand the qualities of the breeds which make it up.
The bulldog
Appreciated for its physical qualities in fights against bulls, it was the physical basis which man wished to perfect. Detractors of the American Staffordshire interested only in the warrior and aggressive products which man wished to achieve forget, however, the other skills of the Bulldogs from which it originates. Affectionate, playful, it is the perfect companion for children and the elderly.
Protective and a good guard dog with a placid and calm demeanour, it is capable of sacrificing its own life to save its master. Very resistant to pain. It will defend to the death.
The terrier
The Am Staff obtained its technical hunting instinct and curiosity from its terrier roots. It is also highly resistant to effort and takes playful pleasure in physical exercise without measure. Deeply sociable and intelligent, it is, however, stubborn and sometimes obstinate. Its single-minded obstinacy is more than offset by its loyalty to its master who it watches almost constantly. Agility and speed were the qualities sought in the terrier to create the Am Staff.
The bull and terrier
It cannot be denied that the Am Staff is the product of a mixture to obtain a dog with exceptional fighting and endurance capacities. The Am Staff therefore still displays the same physical traits as the bull and terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier, along with others. From these ancestors intended for fighting bulls and other dogs, it inherited intractable bravery, higher than average tenacity, boundless resistance to pain and its submission to its master.
Character instability in an American Stafford is practically always due to a training or socialisation problem by the owner. Its terrier origins give it the stubborn side which the owner needs to learn to overcome and manage. Encouraging its pacifism rather than its aggressiveness is recommended to all owners of these dogs.
