American Staffordshire Terrier. Joseph Janish
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pain threshold, a superior blood-clotting ability to aid when wounded, a willingness to fight to the end and an unmatched affection for people. These attributes were exploited by man, and these dogs were encouraged to fight each other in pits. The outcome of these matches depended upon the challenge issued. Sometimes the fight lasted until one dog was either pinned or chased from the pit, and at other times the fight was not to be stopped until one of the dogs was dead. In any case, this is an example of man’s abusing the gift of the dog as a loyal companion by allowing these animals to suffer injury in order to gain the praise of their masters.
G. F. Riedel’s book Icones Animalium, dated 1780, described this dog as Canis molossus. This dog is believed to be the ancestor of the English Mastiff, descending from Greek lineage.
An interesting fact to mention here is that the original breeders of these fighting dogs held one attribute to be absolutely necessary—devotion to people. If a pit dog ever turned on, bit or showed aggression to a human, it was put down immediately. This led to the breed’s overwhelming people-friendly personality and kept the breed from being an outright danger to man.
These dogs found their way into America around 1870 as all-around farm dogs and frontier guardians. They excelled in their service to mankind on the frontier and soon earned a reputation as one of the finest dogs a man could own. To increase the dog’s usefulness in relation to his new frontier lifestyle, breeders of the Bull and Terrier began to selectively breed for a larger dog. The Bull and Terrier dog became adept at just about anything and took on many roles, including herding dog, protector of livestock, remover of vermin, weight-pulling dog, watchdog and family companion. It was also loved and respected as a true family companion. Eventually the dogs began to assume other names such as the Pit Dog, the Pit Bull Terrier, the American Bull Terrier and even the Yankee Terrier. These imports eventually developed into distinct breeds, namely the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. The United Kennel Club (UKC) recognized the aforementioned Bull and Terrier Dog as the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1898.
This 1800 Reinagle illustration depicts an English Mastiff with a lean muscular body, not unlike that of the AmStaff.
In the early 20th century the famed Eng. Ch. Beaufort was described as the most perfect Mastiff of the past 20 years.
The breed became one of high visibility. Buster Brown Shoes put the image of its mascot Tige, an American Pit Bull Terrier, in every shoe to enhance its image as a sturdy, dependable shoe. RCA used Nipper, a pit bull of unknown ancestry, to illustrate the clarity of sound emulating from its phonograph by showing the dog being fooled into thinking he was actually hearing his master’s voice and not a recording. The breed was used to illustrate American neutrality without fear in 1914 as well as the toughness of Levi’s jeans, and was also portrayed as a “defender of Old Glory.” In 1917, Sgt. Stubby, a pit bull of unknown descent, became a war hero for saving several soldiers’ lives and capturing a German spy while serving in the trenches of France with the 26th Yankee Division. About two decades later came a sturdy white pooch with a patch marking over one eye named Petey, who played alongside a lovable bunch of kids called The Little Rascals. The American Pit Bull Terrier was now an international icon, representing America to the world. The dog’s popularity was at its highest and people recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier as the sturdy, strong, stable and lovable animal that it is.
Bulldogs Boomerang and Katerfelto, owned by Mrs. L. Crabtree, were born in 1893 and were depicted as some of the best breed representatives ever produced. The original painting was by F. T. Daws for Hutchinson’s Encyclopaedia.
A head-on view of the modern Bulldog shows how the two breeds, Bulldog and AmStaff, have diverged, with the Bulldog having very short legs, exaggerated features and a markedly undershot jaw.
The American Kennel Club shunned breeds called “pit bulls” until 1936, when it recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier under the alias Staffordshire Terrier, named after the miners of Staffordshire, England who had a hand in the development of the original English fighting breed. Originally 50 Staffordshire Terriers were accepted into the American Kennel Club (AKC). One of the original dogs was none other than the famous Petey from The Little Rascals. The breed name was changed in 1972 to the American Staffordshire Terrier to distinguish the breed from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier of England, the ancestor of the American dogs, which was recognized by the AKC in 1974. The British version of the dog is 14 to 16 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs 24 to 38 pounds; females are at the smaller end of the range. The American version is 17 to 19 inches at the shoulder, and weight is not specified other than that it should be in proportion to height. The UKC’s American Pit Bull Terrier is preferred to range from 30 to 60 pounds, with the females generally, but not necessarily, smaller than the males.
The early Bullmastiff became popular in country homes for protection purposes. Here are Sir James and Lady Dunn at their Dale End estate, Slindon, Sussex, England in the late 1920s.
The famous Petey from the entertaining series The Little Rascals was one of the first 50 pit bulls accepted by the American Kennel Club as “Staffordshire Terriers.”
Since acceptance into the AKC, the American Staffordshire Terrier breed of dog has been bred separately from the UKC’s American Pit Bull Terrier. This has resulted in two separate breeds. This can get confusing, so pay attention! The AKC does not recognize the American Pit Bull terrier as a pure-bred dog; however, it does recognize the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. On the other hand, the UKC does recognize the AKC’s American Staffordshire Terrier as an American Pit Bull Terrier and allows them to be registered with the UKC.
By whatever breed name he is called, the AmStaff is a powerful, trustworthy and talented working dog.
The AmStaff’s smile is unmistakable and continues to open doors around the world to welcome new admirers.
Confused? You should be. Why all the fuss over a friendly little dog? Essentially, this controversy is the result of two factions of dog breeders: those who breed for purpose and those who breed for appearance. Most people involved in the UKC believe that dogs should be bred so that they retain their original purpose, be it in sport (dog fighting, hunting) or in work (farming, herding). The AKC followers prefer to breed their “beasts” for beauty, shaping their dogs to conform to the specific physical characteristics set forth in the breed standard.
PURE-BRED PURPOSE
Given the vast range of the world’s 400 or so pure breeds of dog, it’s fair to say that domestic dogs are the most versatile animal in the kingdom. From the tiny 1-pound lap dog to the 200-pound guard dog, dogs have adapted to every need and whim of their human masters. Humans have selectively bred dogs to alter physical attributes like size, color, leg length, mass and skull diameter in order to suit our own needs and fancies. Dogs serve humans not only as companions and guardians but also as hunters, exterminators, shepherds, rescuers, messengers, warriors, babysitters and much more!