What is the difference between staffordshire terriers and pitbulls

Staffordshire bull terriers and American pit bull terriers -- commonly known as pit bulls -- may look similar at first glance, but they're two distinct breeds. Although both types of dogs sometimes get a bad rap, they can make loyal and loving pets if properly trained and socialized. One of the most noticeable differences between these two breeds is that pit bulls are taller and heavier than Staffordshire bull terriers.

American Kennel Club breed standards state that Staffies should stand between 14 and 16 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh between 24 and 38 pounds.

United Kennel Club breed standards for American pit bull terriers say the breed should be roughly between 17 and 21 inches tall -- although taller is OK, as long as they remain in proportion -- and weigh between 35 and 60 pounds. Although both Staffordshire bull terriers and American pit bull terriers should have short, smooth coats, the latter can come in many more colors. However, be aware that the Am Staff has a strong prey drive and a history of dog fighting, so it should be supervised and carefully introduced when meeting other animals and small children.

However, with proper training and socialization, the breed can get along very well with children and even other pets. The American Staffordshire terrier is known to forge a strong bond with its family; it can become a loyal family pet and friend for life. Just like personality and appearance traits can be associated with a dog breed, certain health problems are inherited as well.

Responsible breeders take care to maintain the highest breed standards as established by kennel clubs like the AKC. Dogs bred by these standards are less likely to inherit health conditions.

However, some hereditary health problems can occur in the American Staffordshire terrier. The following are some conditions to be aware of:. In general, American Staffordshire terriers need a high protein, low grain diet, which helps prevent diarrhea and bloat.

Always make sure that they have clean, fresh water for drinking. However, expect their diet needs—including the amount and frequency with which you feed them—to change as they age. Work with your veterinarian to figure out an individualized diet plan for your dog. People often ask what the difference is between the American Staffordshire terrier and a pit bull. First of all, there is no breed called a pit bull.

There is, however, a breed called the American pit bull terrier. Generally speaking, the American Staffordshire terrier is nearly the same breed as the American pit bull terrier.

Today, the main difference is in appearance. The American Staffordshire terrier is bred in part for AKC conformation and conforms to a stricter standard, particularly in size range. Conversely, the American pit bull terrier is more often bred as a companion dog and has greater variances in size a range of 30 to 90 pounds and other physical traits.

Check your local animal shelter and rescue groups for American Staffordshire terriers in need of homes. A number of nationwide rescue groups for Am Staffs provide online resources to find a dog, including:. Before you decide if the American Staffordshire terrier is the right dog for you, be sure to do plenty of research. Even today, pit bulls vary wildly in size and shape, from slight, Whippet-type dogs to burly Bulldog wannabes.

American Staffordshire Terriers, by contrast, did not have the demands of the fighting pit to steer their evolution. Instead, their breeders focused on uniform appearance and soundness of body and mind. And if there is one relic of its fighting days that the AmStaff has steadfastly refused to abandon, it is its unabashed love for humans — the species that introduced it to the fighting pit and then later plucked it from the same.

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Additional Resources AKC. Clubs Offering: Training Classes. Other than that she is a very loving pup. Thanks for sharing your experience, David!

Sounds like you have had some great dogs. All pups have different experiences, so I'm glad you are taking your time with your Am Staff. Appreciate the comment! Tommy Sassano. I got my Am Staff back in December from a shelter and at first, I really didn't want to get her because of the reputation but got her anyways and she has become one of the best things I've ever done, I absolutely love my Maggie! Sounds like you made the right choice and got a great dog, Tommy!

Congratulations and thanks for sharing! I have one of each and to be honest, they truly are the best, most loyal, and loving dogs. Very protective of their family, but when I open the door and welcome someone in, I tell them to "make friends".

Which in turn, they do. And the visitor's sole purpose for being here is them! I am hoping to squash other people's misconceptions about the breeds. Thanks for the comment, Diane! Sounds like you have some amazing pups! We appreciate you sharing your experience with the breeds!

I have an Amstaff. She is two years old and loves children, people, and motorcycles. She came to me from an animal care organization. She is so friendly and gets so many compliments when I walk her. I allow people to pet her when they ask because I want to educate people. They need to know how loveable Amstaffs are. Mine is carmel and white. She thinks she is a big cat, quick to give a kiss, shake a paw and greet everyone.

She is extremely intelligent and not a barker. However and it saddens me she has such disdain for other four-legged animals. I adopted her when she was a year old. She constantly reminds me that she is a member of my family as she follows me closer than my shadow and gets herself involved in everything I do on a daily basis.

Thank you for the comment June! Sounds like you have a wonderful pup! I would definitely recommend investing in a trainer locally because it's never too late to work on socialization with other four-legged companions! Best of luck with your pup! Excellently written article! My husband works out of town sometimes.

I was given pick of the litter! These were rescue puppies on their way to a No Kill Shelter. Our vet says his color is Champagne I've spent the past yr training him. He catches on quickly. I do have one question, though. He's gotten better but, we still aren't there yet. Any feedback is welcome. Thanks for your comments Sarah! Sounds like you have an amazing pup, and tell your husband that I love the name! To answer your question about jumping, it's definitely a hard habit to break once it's established.

The best thing to do is to not reward the behavior with attention in any fashion. In an excitable situation, you can also practice sitting and staying, and reward with a high-value treat. Our current dog was a notorious jumper and we trained her through repeated correction, and rewarding the behavior we wanted. We also would immediately ignore her if we saw her getting excited and about to jump.

She rarely jumps now. As always, we recommend getting a trainer locally if the problem persists. Good luck with your pup, and thanks for the comment! We own both and they both think they are lapdogs. Both of them are rescues.

Two of the best dogs I have ever lived with! Very well written. I do think Amstaffs weigh more than 70 pounds. Maybe up to I have a purebred Amstaff and he is on the smaller side according to my vet at 63 pounds. In addition, he may just be an exception but he is not high energy. He is low-medium energy but most others I met are medium energy! For those of you wondering, he is also very good with other dogs, children, strangers, and animals. He currently lives with a cat and 4 dogs ranging from small to medium size.

I recommend an Amstaff to anyone looking for an intimidating-looking dog to scare off potential intruders but at the same time wants a dog who is actually a big softie and who loves to cuddle and sleep!

Thanks for the comment, Anna! The content in this comparison is just a guide. All dogs are different, and we know that dogs from these genetic lines can vary in both size and weight, but usually, they fall into these ranges.

I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with the breed! Erica Cordova. I have an 8 week old Amer. Staffy and a 9month old America mixed Pitt bull terrier. How should I properly introduce them? It has only been one day. Any advice on what I should do next? Our 8-week old staffy was a foster dog and needed a home and our Pitt has come to our family 3 months ago. Hi, Erica! Slow introductions are always best. We just welcomed a new rescue dog home about 6 months ago.

We kept them in separate rooms for two days and would bring the dogs near the closed door to sniff each other at first. We also would take blankets from their crates where they slept and exchanged them each night. This way the dog's scent started to become familiar.

Our last step was a slow introduction outdoors. I had our rescue, and my Husband introduced our other two dogs to the rescue, one at a time.

We had them on leash, and we walked them around our backyard leashed walks are great for bonding. All of our dogs are easy-going, though. Every dog is different and if either one of your pups have any fear-based tendencies, it will need to be done with more caution.

I would highly recommend you consult a local trainer in your area if you don't have any experience introducing two new dogs to each other. Good luck! We adopted an Am Staff from Haven Humane, and he is very large lbs. I don't understand why he is. So big. Is that normal for some breeds. Hi Julia, yeah, that seems big for a Staffy. Have you had a DNA test done? We've used Embark twice, and both times it was spot on with analyzing our breed. I'd recommend looking into that if you haven't yet.

Scott Kessinger. Am Staffs are excellent dogs. We got ours when she was 8 weeks old, and she has grown into an affectionate, loving and loyal dog. She really loves children, and gets along very well with cats. I have always had Black Labs before we got our Staffy, but this is the sweetest dog that I have ever had. Hi Scott! We love the Staffies! Thanks for stopping by to share your experience with our readers!

Alois Weidemann. I am 76 years old and I am worried that I won't be able to give either one of those breeds enough exercise. Live in Ottawa, and often in Winter Time the sidewalks a slippery and the streets have lots of salt. Thanks for the description of both breeds. Starting from a Golden Retriever, to a Yorkshire Terrier, to a 1-year old Doberman which I hit it really off perfectly, even though someone else trained it.

Then came a Bouvier de Flandre, which I never could train to walk on a leash nice beside me. Otherwise, he was perfect. Got a harness and he pulled me around in the snow. Goes without saying that he liked it. Then came a German Shepherd also about 1-year old, he was too inventive and investigative for us, Training didn't go to well. We found an excellent home for him with a big area to run wild. He was very protective, which I didn't mind. After a daily outing for about 45 minutes, came home rested for 1 hour or so, and was ready to go out again.

This was too much for me. Liked to jump and roll in any puddle or wet mud couldn't change this habit. Was also already 1 year approximately old. So that's why I asked how much exercise those 2 breeds need. Hi Alois, Yes - both of these breeds will require a good amount of exercise. Both of these breeds will need a little more exercise than your Golden you have experience with. Sounds like you may want to consider another breed that has a lower exercise requirement.

Good luck in your search! Alison Anderson. Thanks for this all-encompassing article. It's so sad the bully breeds are unfairly targeted because some evil dogfighters train some of them to be vicious. I hope as people learn more and see them in the community, they'll become accepted and valued for the wonderful dogs they are. I've lived with dogs all my 59 years.

Patch is one of the smartest dogs I've ever had.