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A Little Bit About |
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These dogs are the clowns of the bully breed world. Loyal, loveable class A couch potatoes that are up for any game at any time. Commonly misidentified by people as a pit bull they have an excellent steady temperament and a willingness to please that fortunately overcomes a tendency towards out right pig headedness. Not for the faint of heart they mature slowly. Once I made the mistake of asking my trainer at what age her Am Staff had finally grown up and she replied she wasn't sure because her dog was only seven and she was still waiting. Very funny. Dog aggression can be common in this breed but easily avoided by most by simply exposing your puppy constantly to other dogs. This breed needs socialization like you need air and left alone all day either in a yard or house they will make you regret it. We heartily recommend crate training for your own sanity. Gollys best friends are her little brother Artie, a Jack Russell, and Miss Scarlett a Welsh Corgi that is the darling of my heart.. Both dogs are dominant over her and she could care less as long as she gets to be one of the crowd! The only danger to company is death by drool and or being knocked over by her enthusiasm ( we are still working diligently on this at two years of age but she is getting better). In spite of her clownish nature and great bonhamie she is afraid of absolutely nothing and her strength is phenominal. My trainer, Lori, tells a very funny story about tying her dog to her truck bumper once only to turn around and see her dog pulling it down the street-now that's funny. Seriously Am Staffs have been know to pull 30 times their weight and teaching one to walk on a loose lead is a challenge but can be done. Golly has passed her puppy training, intermediate and advanced classes with flying colors and will be taking her CGC soon. Golly lives in a household with seven cats and a cat chasing Jack Russell but her goal is to sleep in a pile with as many of them (the cats)as she can. We raise horses, beef, and pigs and also have goats, chickens and turkeys. Some of the turkeys and extra roosters run loose and she gives them a wide berth. The big tom turkey, named Otto, is undisputed king of the barnyard. There are also a bunch of wild barn cats including numerous kittens that occasionally kick my Jack Russells butt. She leaves them alone also. The exception to the game rule is varmits. Gophers. Squirrels. Rabbits. Especially rabbits. She actually caught one the other day and bowled it over but unfortunately she was going so fast that when the dust cleared and the chase resumed the rabbit was bringing up the rear lucky for him. All in all Golly is a great breed ambassador. She loves children and is gentle and kind with the small ones and loves a game of chase and tug with the older ones. She can be taken anywhere and into any store with confidence in her ability to behave at all times like a lady. Mostly she is a loving and loyal companion and we hope her pups will be a credit to the breed. The male we have picked out for her, Bandit is also a big loveable dufus and we can't wait for the pups! The Official Standard of the Am Staff Terrier General Impression: The American Staffordshire Terrier should give the impression of great strength for his size, a well put-together dog, muscular, but agile and graceful, keenly alive to his surroundings. He should be stocky, not long-legged or racy in outline. His courage is proverbial. Head: Medium length, deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop: and ears are set high. Ears-Cropped or uncropped, the latter preferred. Uncropped ears should be short and held half prick or rose. Full drop to be penalized. Eyes-Dark and round, low down in skull and set far apart. No pink eyelids. Muzzle-Medium length, rounded on upper side to fall away abruptly below eyes. Jaws well defined. Underjaw to be strong and have biting power. Lips close and even, no looseness. Upper teeth to meet tightly outside lower teeth in front. Nose definitely black. Neck: Heavy, slightly arched, tapering from shoulders to back of skull. No looseness of skin. Medium length. Shoulders: Strong and muscular with blades wide and sloping. Back: Fairly short. Slight sloping from withers to rump with gentle short slope at rump to base of tail. Loins slightly tucked. Body: Well-sprung ribs, deep in rear. All ribs close together. Forelegs set rather wide apart to permit chest development. Chest deep and broad. Tail: Short in comparison to size, low set, tapering to a fine point; not curled or held over back. Not docked. Legs: The front legs should be straight, large or round bones, pastern upright. No resemblance of bend in front. Hindquarters well muscled, let down at hocks turning neither in nor out. Feet of moderate size, well arched and compact. Gait must be springy but without roll or pace. Coat: Short, close, stiff to the touch and glossy. Color: Any color, solid, parti, or patched is permissible, but all white, more than 80 per cent white, black and tan and liver not to be encouraged. Size: Height and weight should be in proportion. A height of about 18 to 19 inches at the shoulders for the male and 17 to 18 inches for the female is to be considered preferable. Faults: Faults to be penalized are Dudley nose, light or pink eyes, tail too long or badly carried, undershot or overshot mouths. Some Am Staff Breed History The Am Staff Terrier is not a new breed. Although it gained American Kennel Club registration and recognition in 1936, it has been developed since the early 1800's as a result of crosses between the bulldogs of that time and game terriers. One of the early and very famous AKC registered Staffs was Pete the Pup, ( real name Lucenay's Peter), dog star of the original Our Gang comedies of the 1930's. Although the early ancestors of this breed came from England, the development of the Am Staff Terrier is the story of a truly American breed. This type of dog was instrumental in the success of farmers and settlers who developed this country. They were used for general farm work, hunting wild pigs, bears, and other large game, guarding the homestead, and general companionship. A number of the early ancestors were also developed for the "sport" of dog fighting. The extraordinary vitality of this breed is a direct result of breeding for successful fighting dogs. This now illegal activity is, unfortunately, more often cited as the early purpose of the dogs rather than the general farm work. While the ancestors of the Am Staff were fighting dogs, the selective breeding since the 1930's has been away from the fighting heritage. The Am Staff Terrier of today is a companion and show dog, rather than a gladiator. Although rarely used on the farm now, the talents that made him a good all purpose dog are still to be found in the breed. ** On this farm the breed has come full circle. Farm animals and grand children alike are perfectly safe but coyotes, stray packs of feral dogs, mountain lions and drug runners and illegal aliens had best beware because this farm has a loyal and true guardian in the Am Staff Terrier.
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