Breed Group: Terrier Group
Size Group: Medium Dog Breeds
Origin: United States
Height: 18”-19” (male) 17”-18” (female)
Weight: 55-70lbs (male) 40-55lbs (female)
Color: Any single or combination of Black, Blue, Brindle, Brown, Fawn, Liver, Red, Sable, or White with or without markings including patched, spotted, white, tan points, black mask, blue mask, brindle points, or white mask
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Protective, devoted, brave
The American Staffordshire Terrier is the cousin to the pit bull. Though their ancestors were bred to fight in pits, today when responsibly bred and socialized, they make wonderful and loving family pets and protectors.
Am Staffs are muscular and stocky with square heads and high set ears. Their coat is short and rough to the touch. They are highly trainable and can excel in many areas including carting, packing, therapy work, search and rescue work, and active protection work. Am Staffs are only suited to owners who can establish a clear pack order in the home.
This breed needs early and extensive socialization with many dogs of known calm temperament. They can be a wonderful addition to family life but keep in mind a dog of any breed should not be left unattended with children.
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American Staffordshire Terriers are typically quite healthy. Some health concerns to be aware of include heart conditions, patellar luxation, elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, bladder stones, cataracts, and skin problems.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
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Brush your Am Staff once a week with a soft bristle brush to remove any debris and redistribute skin oils. Only bathe your pup if he gets dirty or starts to smell. Trim your pup’s nails weekly. Keep your pup’s ears and eyes clean and clear of debris. Brush your pup’s teeth several times per week.
$1,500 – $5,000
Am Staffs need between 1-2 hours of activity per day. Leaving your pup out in a yard all day does not count towards this time. Playing games, brisk walks, running, and hiking will all work towards tiring your pup out. There is a stigma around pit bull type breeds, do your best to be a good steward for the Am Staff breed by keeping your pup leashed or in a securely fenced in area when out of your house. These pups also need mental stimulation. Providing puzzle toys and other games will help your pup feel mentally satisfied.
Your full-sized Am Staff will eat around 2.5 cups of food per day over 2 meals. The exact amount of food your dog will need will vary depending on age and activity level.
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
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As with any dog, early socialization with humans and other dogs is essential. With the Am Staff this socialization should border on excessive, but always in a controlled environment with dogs who are known to be calm. Start your training as early as possible beginning with setting a firm pack order in your home. Your dog must ALWAYS see you as the alpha. These pups thrive in task-oriented training. Keeping sessions fun and diverse will help your pup thrive. Never use harsh corrections always use positive reinforcement with the Am Straff.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
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A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
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