The American Staffordshire Terrier

General Impression

The American Staffordshire Terrier should give the impression of great strength in relation to its size. A dog that is sturdy, muscular, but also flexible, graceful and attentive to its environment. It must be stocky, not have long legs and not be 'racy' in outline. His courage is proverbial.

Head

Medium sized, oval deep, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, clear stop and high set ears. The muzzle is medium in size, rounded at the top and dropping abruptly below the eyes. Strong, clearly defined jaws. The lower jaw should have biting force. The lips close and are even, not loose. The upper teeth must fit closely to the front teeth on the outside (a so-called scissor bite). The nose should be clearly black. The uncropped ear must be short and is worn as a so-called 'half rose' or 'prick' ear. A completely hanging or standing ear is wrong.

Neck

Heavy and slightly arched, tapering from the shoulders to the back of the skull. Medium length. No loose skin.


Shoulders

Strong and muscular with space and sloping shoulder blades.

Back

Fairly short. Slightly sloping from the withers to the rump with a small short slope to the base of the tail. The loins falling slightly inwards.

Body

Well sprung ribs, close together, placed far back. Front legs set fairly wide apart to allow the chest to develop. Broad and deep chest.

Tail

Short in proportion to its size, set on low and tapering to a fine point. The tail should not be curled or carried over the back. Not docked.

Legs

Straight forelegs with large, round bones, straight on the feet. The front legs placed straight next to the chest. Hindquarters well muscled, well angulated, not turned in or out. Compact, not too large feet. The gait should be springy without rolling or ambling.

Coat

Short, tight, hard to the touch and shiny.

Colour

Any color, plain, partially mottled or mottled is allowed. However, all white, more than 80 percent white, black and tan and liver color should not be encouraged.

Height

For males, a height at the withers of 45.7 cm to 48.3 cm is preferred and for females a height at the withers of 43.2 cm to 45.7 cm is preferred. However, the height and weight must be in good proportion to each other.

Faults

Liver-colored or brown-spotted nose, light eyes, light or pink eye rims, too long tail, poorly carried tail and over or undershot bite.