Judging the American Staffordshire Terrier

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, July 2014 issue.

Judging the American Staffordshire Terrier

To properly judge a dog breed, the judge first needs to understand its history and then become familiar with the Breed Standard—why it was written as it was—and read it in the context of the dog it was written to describe.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a breed that many judges have encountered along with “the rest of the terrier group.” When I started showing Am Staffs in 1970, we still often exhibited under judges who were long experienced with the breed. At that time, many active Am Staff breeders were among the earliest members of our parent club, including some founding members. However, both those experienced judges and breeders were elderly and disappearing—while at the same time, there was a large influx of new breeders entering the breed throughout the 1980s.

Somehow, there was a disconnect during this transition, and the dogs changed greatly. Although the standard has remained unchanged since its acceptance by the AKC in 1936, the dogs winning in the ring today are quite different from the dogs of the 1930s.

Unfortunately, our parent club, the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America, did not have judge’s education material to offer until 1998. By then, a widespread drift in breed type had occurred. Today, there are many misconceptions about correct breed type. The Staffordshire Terrier Club of America now has an excellent visual standard booklet for judge’s education, which we are happy to share with interested judges for more detailed information.

A Very Brief History

Early in the 19th century, English and Irish immigrants to America brought their bulldog and terrier cross dogs. These dogs were developed from various crosses of the earlier English Bulldog and the English black-and-tan and white terriers. The bulldogs of that time were taller, leggy, sturdy, undershot farm dogs who were used to catch and hold cattle for farmers to butcher.

Bull baiting became a sport in England using these dogs, but as it became more popular to bait (fight) dogs instead, bulldogs were bred to terriers to create a more agile and faster dog. Similar crosses developed into the breeds we know today as Bull Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

In America, these bull-and-terrier dogs became both working farm dogs and fighting dogs, as the immigrants brought their sporting events with them. Eventually, a registry for these dogs was established in 1898 (the United Kennel Club), where they were called American Pit Bull Terriers.

By the early 1920s, some owners petitioned the AKC for registration, wanting to separate themselves from the dog-fighting element. After years of negotiation, a standard was approved, and the AKC accepted the breed in 1936 as Staffordshire Terriers, named after the similarly developed English bull-and-terrier breed—the Staffordshire Bull Terrier—which was recognized by the English Kennel Club the same year.

To prevent confusion, our breed’s name was changed to the American Staffordshire Terrier in 1972 when the AKC accepted registration of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Notes on Judging

When judging the breed, it is important to assess the entire dog, considering both physical form and demeanor. The American Staffordshire Terrier (Am Staff) is a medium-sized, well-built dog that should exhibit great strength for its size, with well-defined muscles, while remaining agile and graceful. The breed standard describes the dog as “keenly alive to its surroundings,” embodying courage and confidence. The ideal Am Staff is lively, attentive, and ready for anything. A fearful dog should never be rewarded, as courage is a critical characteristic. Agility and lightness on their feet are also essential, with nothing clumsy about the dog’s movement or appearance.

The Am Staff outline should appear “stocky,” as described in the standard, though this does not imply short legs. The chest should be broad, and the ribs well-sprung compared to a hound-like body type. The dog’s body length should slightly exceed its height, with leg length roughly equal to the body depth at the shoulder. The ideal dog avoids exaggeration in these traits, maintaining a balance of strength and graceful, agile movement.

The dog should be presented in hard, muscular condition, with a visible tuck-up at the end of the ribs. It should never appear overweight or thick. The skin should be tight, akin to a terrier, as opposed to loose or wobbling during movement, which is unfortunately seen more often in the ring today.

The ideal outline demonstrates moderate angulation in both the front and rear, with angles ideally balanced to enable efficient movement. However, there is a growing tendency toward over-angulated rears, straight shoulders, longer backs, and shorter legs—features that detract from the breed standard. The head should sit atop a medium-length, slightly arched, and strong neck that transitions smoothly into sloping shoulders. The topline should feature a gentle slope from shoulder to croup, followed by another gentle slope to a low-set tail.

His tail should be carried below the level of his back, curving like an old-fashioned pump handle and falling to the hock. The overall picture is of a well-balanced, capable dog, ready for various tasks. This breed exudes strength without sacrificing grace and agility. The Am Staff is moderate, with no exaggerations in its build.

The Am Staff has a distinctive head of medium length, characterized by a broad skull, strong muzzle, expressive eyes, and tight skin. One of its most defining features is the pronounced cheek muscles. Designed for a biting function, the jaw must be well-defined, with a strong lower jaw and a scissors bite. The lips should be tight, with no looseness. Ears are set high, and the muzzle, about half the length of the head, is rounded and broad at the top, tapering toward a blunt nose. The planes of the forehead and muzzle should be parallel, with a distinct but not overly deep stop.

Unfortunately, the head is one of the most misunderstood features today. Many modern Am Staffs have massive, wide heads with overly padded structures, shorter muzzles, weak lower jaws, and excessive skin around the muzzle and throat. This exaggerated head type does not align with the breed standard and detracts from the dog’s functional history.

The standard allows for cropped or uncropped ears, with uncropped preferred. In judging, ear style should not influence decisions, as long as the shape conforms to the standard. Uncropped ears should be carried half-prick or rose and should ideally be short. The standard penalizes full-drop ears, though these are rarely seen in the breed. Dogs with natural ears should not be penalized.

Am Staffs come in all colors, including solid, parti, and brindle. While some colors are less desirable, all are permissible, with no disqualifications based on color. Dark pigment, especially in the eyes and nose, is essential for the correct expression and is highly desirable. Coat color is cosmetic and far less significant than the breed’s mental and physical attributes.

The preferred height for males is 18–19 inches, and for females, 17–18 inches. While the standard does not specify weight, the ideal ratio suggests 48–60 pounds for males and 42–55 pounds for females at these heights. Over time, the breed’s size has increased, with many dogs now exceeding 19–22 inches and 70 pounds. This trend in size and bone structure departs from the original proportions of the breed.

This increase in size is unfortunately encouraged by judges who reward larger, heavier dogs, believing them to be more impressive. However, the moderate-sized dog or bitch should always be preferred to preserve the breed’s balance of power and agility. Larger size and weight diminish the dog’s agility and functionality. The Am Staff must reflect a balance between its bulldog and terrier ancestry.

The trend toward oversized dogs has made it increasingly difficult for correctly sized individuals to earn championships. Such dogs are often overlooked or dismissed as lacking sufficient bone. Exaggerations in size and structure are not desirable in this breed, and bigger is not better.

A properly constructed dog should demonstrate its quality in movement. The Am Staff is moderately angled and should move with a springy, effortless gait. Movement must show power, grace, and vitality, with a springy, light-on-the-feet quality. As the dog’s speed increases, its legs should tend to converge toward the center line beneath the body.

When viewed from the front or rear, the feet should track cleanly in two straight lines. From the side, the front legs should display moderate reach, while the rear legs drive with power, matching the stride of the front. The rear feet should land precisely where the front feet lifted, without overreach or interference. Movement that is heavy, listless, or unbalanced is incorrect.

The primary issues facing the breed today stem from the drift away from the original size and weight proportions. This has altered the breed’s appearance and compromised its working ability. Larger, heavier dogs with exaggerated features may impress some judges and owners, but they do not align with the breed standard.

Judges must remember that the Am Staff is a working terrier and avoid favoring exaggerated “bully” types. Please keep in mind the dog is always balanced between strength and agility. A more moderate dog is always the most desirable, with no exaggerations.