Amstaff Vs English, Different Breeds?

[phantomreptiles]

Ok can someone enlighten me. Are Amstaffs and English staffies, different breeds? Or just different lines?

[Guest crazydoglady99]

Phantom! How are you? Any positive updates on your girl??

[phantomreptiles]

Hi, she is ok...we have done a lot of work. Some of you may disagree with my methods, but we are getting results.

We now walk a minimum of six kms a day, she has extreme negatives and positives. This is working for us.

[Guest crazydoglady99]

Thanks for the update, any progress is good :)

(Sorry to hijack your thread, I think you are doing an excellent job with amazing commitment. No criticism from me :) )

[Pjrt]

Staffordshire Bull Terriers ( often referred to as English) & the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier are most certainly two separate recognised breeds.

The former is the smaller of the 2.

Stand an good example of each side by side it's like comparing a Cocker Spaniel to an Itish Setter! Very different but sort of similar.

The problems people have identifying them I think are because of poorly bred and mixed bred examples, but more so because a lot of people call both of them staffies without clarification. Also a reason why people mistakenly add 'English' to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in an attempt to clarify which they are talking about

The use of 'staffy' and 'bully' confuses the crap out of people!

[RuralPug]

Yes, quite different breeds in much the same way that the Bulldog and the French Bulldog are quite different breeds. They may have shared a common ancestor in the past, but they are quite different today, like humans and gorillas for another example.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Some people call what I know as a "bull terrier" - with the lovely roman nose and fondness for bananas (hey Pele)...

"English Bull Terriers"

Just to make further confusion.

And there is one Amstaff (American Staffordshire (no bull) terrier) - on youtube that is registered with the AKC as an Amstaff and on another registry as a Pitbull (or American Pit Bull Terrier). Don't tell the victorian govt.

Which looks a bit like a Staffordshire bull terrier but sort of taller.

Desperately confused yet?

They probably do have a common ancestry. I suspect most pet dogs in America originated first in the UK and then also Europe (as the dogs went with the humans). Not sure if the Native Americans had pet (or camp) dogs before the Europeans arrived or not.

[melzawelza]

Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers are different breeds, but cousins. Amstaffs and American Pit Bull Terriers are also different breeds, but more like siblings. And yes, some are dual registered with a specific registry called the United Kennel Club as both breeds, like Mrs Rusty Bucket said.

In the US and most other countries they (and their crosses) are all included under the catch all term 'Pit Bull'... which is used as an umbrella term, like saying 'retriever' or 'hound'.

Edited October 4, 2016 by melzawelza

[LisaCC]

Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers are different breeds, but cousins. Amstaffs and American Pit Bull Terriers are also different breeds, but more like siblings. And yes, some are dual registered with a specific registry called the United Kennel Club as both breeds, like Mrs Rusty Bucket said.

In the US and most other countries they (and their crosses) are all included under the catch all term 'Pit Bull'... which is used as an umbrella term, like saying 'retriever' or 'hound'.

Are Bull Terriers included in this 'Pit Bull' umbrella term and do they then also get caught up in some of this terrible BSL?

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

in England I've heard them collectively referred to as "bully breeds" which doesn't help either.

And somehow the word "Bull" got left out of the Amstaff name.

[Mim]

Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers are different breeds, but cousins. Amstaffs and American Pit Bull Terriers are also different breeds, but more like siblings. And yes, some are dual registered with a specific registry called the United Kennel Club as both breeds, like Mrs Rusty Bucket said.

In the US and most other countries they (and their crosses) are all included under the catch all term 'Pit Bull'... which is used as an umbrella term, like saying 'retriever' or 'hound'.

Are Bull Terriers included in this 'Pit Bull' umbrella term and do they then also get caught up in some of this terrible BSL?

Yes, definitely. My friend has a mini bull terrier who has been called a pit bull and it seems to be a common experience from what I read online from other bully owners.

[Taliecat]

Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers are different breeds, but cousins. Amstaffs and American Pit Bull Terriers are also different breeds, but more like siblings. And yes, some are dual registered with a specific registry called the United Kennel Club as both breeds, like Mrs Rusty Bucket said.

In the US and most other countries they (and their crosses) are all included under the catch all term 'Pit Bull'... which is used as an umbrella term, like saying 'retriever' or 'hound'.

Are Bull Terriers included in this 'Pit Bull' umbrella term and do they then also get caught up in some of this terrible BSL?

Yes, definitely. My friend has a mini bull terrier who has been called a pit bull and it seems to be a common experience from what I read online from other bully owners.

I hear a lot of stories about people being more afraid of bull terriers than they are of staffy type dogs.

That said, I love them all! Staffordshire Bull Terriers, a well bred amstaff and mini and standard bull terriers, they're all great!

[asal]

Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers are different breeds, but cousins. Amstaffs and American Pit Bull Terriers are also different breeds, but more like siblings. And yes, some are dual registered with a specific registry called the United Kennel Club as both breeds, like Mrs Rusty Bucket said.

In the US and most other countries they (and their crosses) are all included under the catch all term 'Pit Bull'... which is used as an umbrella term, like saying 'retriever' or 'hound'.

Are Bull Terriers included in this 'Pit Bull' umbrella term and do they then also get caught up in some of this terrible BSL?

Yes, definitely. My friend has a mini bull terrier who has been called a pit bull and it seems to be a common experience from what I read online from other bully owners.

I hear a lot of stories about people being more afraid of bull terriers than they are of staffy type dogs.

That said, I love them all! Staffordshire Bull Terriers, a well bred amstaff and mini and standard bull terriers, they're all great!

stupid isnt it, my aunt bred Bull terriers, they would help a burgler carry out the loot for a pat n a scratch.

although my other uncles fox terriers would tear pieces out of anyone but him and my aunt, even 5 yr old neices n nephews, we lived in terror of visiting them

[melzawelza]

Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers are different breeds, but cousins. Amstaffs and American Pit Bull Terriers are also different breeds, but more like siblings. And yes, some are dual registered with a specific registry called the United Kennel Club as both breeds, like Mrs Rusty Bucket said.

In the US and most other countries they (and their crosses) are all included under the catch all term 'Pit Bull'... which is used as an umbrella term, like saying 'retriever' or 'hound'.

Are Bull Terriers included in this 'Pit Bull' umbrella term and do they then also get caught up in some of this terrible BSL?

I haven't seen them included in the BSL definitions in various states etc over there (usually says SBT, AmStaff, Pit Bull and a dog that appears to be part or all of those breeds) but that wouldn't necessarily stop an overzealous ACO I wouldn't think for targeting it. Don't think it happens with huge regularity though.

[sandgrubber]

Are Bull Terriers included in this 'Pit Bull' umbrella term and do they then also get caught up in some of this terrible BSL?

It depends on where you are. Where I live, in rural Florida, pit bulls, and bull breeds in general, are not only allowed, but extremely popular.

I find it silly that Australians are so fond of Staffies (#1 or #2 in number of pups registered with AKC in recent years) and so worried about pit bulls. Yes, there are some bad pit bulls, most of them have bad owners. But in the 15 years I lived in WA, I met a few just plain ugly-tempered, mean Staffies, and quite a few f DA Staffies and staffie crosses. By in large,if you overlay the temperament spectrum of both breed/types you get more overlap than separation. As for AmStaff and pit bull, in my experience the difference is more historical and a matter of pedigrees than real.

"The following 17 states prohibit their municipalities from passing breed-specific laws: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts, Nevada, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Utah and South Dakota." Quite a few cities have BSL, but most don't.

The bigger problem with bull breeds in the USA is that they have large litters, and quite a few people don't spey or otherwise prevent pregnancy of their bitches. Hence shelters are overflowing.