American Staffordshire Terrier

The US Trends | American Staffordshire Terrier | american staffordshire terrier adoption staffordshire bull terrier info, american staffordshire terrier standard -The American Staffordshire terrier is a medium-sized, short-coated dog breed whose early ancestors came from England. In the early part of the twentieth century the breed gained social stature and was accepted by the American Kennel Club as the American Staffordshire Terrier in 1936. The name was changed to reflect difference from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier of England.

The early ancestors of this breed come from England, where applications included farm use, guarding, dog fighting, and companionship. Until the first part of the 19th century, the Bulldog was bred in England for the purpose of baiting bulls. Bulldogs pictured as late as 1870 resemble contemporary American Staffordshire Terriers to a greater degree than present-day Bulldogs. Some writers contend it was the White English Terrier, Fox Terrier, or the Black and Tan Terrier that was crossed with the Bulldog to develop the Staffordshire Terrier; all three breeds shared many traits, the greatest differences being in color, aggressiveness, and spirit. The cross of Bulldog and Terrier was called by several names, including Bull-and-Terrier Dog, Half and Half, and Pit Dog or Pit Bull terrier. Later, it assumed the name of Staffordshire Bull Terrier in England. These dogs began to find their way into America as early as 1870, where they became known as the Pit Dog and Pit Bull Terrier, then the American Bull Terrier, and still later as the Yankee Terrier.

American Staffordshire terriers gained in popularity in the 1920s with “Pete the Pup's” appearances in the Our Gang (The Little Rascals) comedies, contributing to the spread of the breed.

In 1936, they were accepted for registration in the AKC Stud Book as Staffordshire Terriers, belonging to the terrier and molosser groups. The name of the breed was revised January 1, 1972 to American Staffordshire Terrier; breeders in the United States had developed a variety which was heavier in weight than the Staffordshire Bull Terrier of England - the name change was to distinguish them as separate breeds.

The breed's popularity began to decline in the United States following World War II.

Images of the breed were used to represent the US during the 1900s as a depiction of strength and dignity.

The American Temperament Test Society conducts tests every year on thousands of dogs to determine the soundness of their temperament. Data is cumulative since the start of ATTS in 1977 and the pass-fail rate is not a measure of a breed’s aggression, but rather of each dog’s ability to interact with humans, human situations, and the environment. At an 84.2 pass ratio the American Staffordshire Terrier ranks above many more popular breeds such as the Beagle at 80.9%, Collie at 79.9% and the Dalmatian at 82.4%. Intelligence, human attenuation, energy, and affection are characteristic of the breed. The Am Staff is a people-oriented dog that thrives when he is made part of the family and given a job to do. Although friendly, this breed is loyal to his family and will protect them from any threat.

American Staffordshire Terrier pups should not be bought weaned before they are 8–10 weeks old. Their life expectancy is generally 12 to 16 years with good care.

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10 Most Popular American Pets Infographic

10 Most Popular American Pets Infographic | The US Trends | Here is a organized statistical look at the 10 most popular pets in the United States, and the estimated price range of each. Rank is based on an estimated percent of households owning each animal, not on animal population. (Cats outnumber dogs, but since cat owners often have two cats or more, cat households remain in second place.

I wish this pet infographic had some color, but that may be just because I’m used to seeing so much (too much?) color in most of the infographics I critique. But it does relate a lot of information very efficiently and makes it quick to grasp and, at least to me, was something of interest. I own a fish and dog and have owned cats, ferrets and turtles. So pets are of interest to me. So, while this won’t win any design awards, it does its job without any fanfare and imparts a little trivia into our lives without assaulting your visual senses. - The US Trends

tags: dog, cat, bird, fish, horse, rabbit, hamster, guinea pig, turtle, gerbil

American Pit Bull Terrier

The US Trends | American Pit Bull Terrier | The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, solidly built, short haired dog whose early ancestors came from England and Ireland. It is a member of the molosser breed group.During the 19th century, England, Ireland, and Scotland began to experiment with crosses between bulldogs and terriers, looking for a dog that combined the gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog.

In the late 19th century to early 20th century, two clubs were formed for the specific purpose of registering American Pit Bull Terrier: the United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeders Association.The United Kennel Club was founded in 1898, and was the first registry to recognize the breed, with the owner assigning the first number to his own American Pit Bull Terrier.

The American Pit Bull Terrier  was bred first to bait bulls and bears.When baiting bulls was deemed inhumane, ratting (a sport where a number of rats were placed in a pit for a specified time with the dog) and dog fighting became more popular.The American Pit Bull Terrier was used in both sports, and its prevalence in being put in pits with rats led to "pit" being added to its name.With time, the dogs became more commonly used as house pets due to their friendliness towards people.In America, farmers and ranchers used their American Pit Bull Terrier for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, and to drive livestock.The dog was used during World War I and World War II as a way of delivering messages on the battlefield.

Once a popular family dog in the United States, the American Pit Bull Terrier's popularity began to decline following World War II in favor of other breeds.

The American Pit Bull Terrier diverges in appearance from the Staffordshire breeds, having less bulldog traits in the face and body.The American Pit Bull is medium sized, having a short coat and smooth well-defined muscle structure, but should never appear bulky or muscle-bound like Staffordshires.Its eyes are round to almond shaped, and its ears are small to medium in length and can be natural or cropped.The tail is thick and tapers to a point.The coat is glossy, smooth, short, and slightly stiff and can be any color except merle. The breed ranges from a height of about 14 to 24 in (36 to 61 cm) at shoulders, and weighs between 30 and 60 lb (14 and 27 kg).

The American Pit Bull Terrier is a breed that is loyal to friends and family, and is generally friendly towards strangers.Many have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures, including deer and livestock (prey drive).As with any dog breed, proper training and socialization at an early age is a must.According to the UKC, "aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable."

The American Temperament Testing Society shows a pass percentage of 86% for American Pit Bull Terriers as opposed to the Golden Retriever with a temperament of 84.9%.American Pit Bull Terriers generally have a lot of energy and benefit from exercise and stimulation to channel their energy properly and avoid becoming frustrated, bored, or destructive.

The average life expectancy of an American Pit Bull Terrier is about twelve to fourteen years making them one of the longer living large breeds.The breed tends to have a higher than average incidence of hip dysplasia.They may also suffer from patella problems, thyroid dysfunction and congenital heart defects. American Pit Bull Terriers with dilute coat colors have a higher occurrence of skin allergies.

Being intelligent, athletic dogs, American Pit Bull Terriers excel in many dog sports, including weight pulling, dog agility, flyball, lure coursing, and advanced obedience competition.Some American Pit Bull Terrier have been known to do well in schutzhund as well. Out of the 25 dogs who have earned UKC "superdog" status (by gaining championship titles in conformation, obedience, agility, and weightpull), fourteen have been American Pit Bull Terriers.

The American Pit Bull Terrier is a working dog, and is suitable for a wide range of working disciplines due to their intelligence, high energy, and endurance.In the United States they have been used as search and rescue dogs, police dogs performing narcotics and explosives detection, Border Patrol dogs, hearing dogs to provide services to the deaf, as well as general service dogs. - THE US TRENDS

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