The American Staffordshire Terrier is descended from the Staffordshire Terrier of England. When the Staffordshire Terrier came to the United States in the late 1800s it was then separated into two categories, the fighting breed now known as the Pit Bull Terrier, and the show breed recognized as the American Staffordshire Terrier. Though these breeds are considered cousins they are very different. American Staffordshire Terriers were first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. They are a member of the Terrier and Molosser groups.

Appearance: The American Staffordshire Terrier is a medium sized dog that ranges from 40 to 50 cm (16 to 19 inches) at the withers, and weighs from 26 to 30 kg (57 to 67 pounds).

The dog is long muscular and strong, and gives the impression of great strength, agility, and grace for his size. He should be stocky, not long-legged or racy in outline. The chest is deep and broad and can be very, very wide, and the neck is heavy. The dog has a broad skull, pronounced cheek muscles, and strong jaws. The ears may be half prick, rose, or cropped.

The coat is short and glossy and any color, solid, parti, or patched is permissible, but all white, more than 80 percent white, black and tan, and liver not to be encouraged.

Temperment: These dogs should be courageous, tenacious, friendly, extremely attentive, and extraordinarily devoted. Originally an all-around farm dog, hunter, and family companion, American Staffordshire Terriers are highly stable around both children and other domesticated animals. The historical practice of dog fighting lends few to a propensity toward dog/animal aggression, thus their having a bad reputation in the US; however, if properly socialized as puppies they can adapt and have inherent friendliness, handler devotion, and fearlessness making this an easy issue to control, even in dogs that have previously been trained to fight.

American Staffordshire Terriers are some times mistaken for the group of dogs named 'pitbulls'.

Exceptionally friendly, American Staffordshire Terriers are natural guard dogs. A lack of overly protective and/or aggressive behavior, accompanied by fearlessness, is generally a good sign. Such a dog is stable with children, friendly with new animals, and easily cared for by pet sitters. As an added bonus, a thorough familiarity with "normal" situations - the advent of the mailman or pet sitter - will make "abnormal" or dangerous situations impeccably clear to a devoted pet.

These dogs learn quickly from the subtlest of our behaviors. They are thus not only highly responsive during training but also pick up good habits for example, being house-trained.