American Staffordshire Terrier Breed Standard

American Staffordshire Terrier Standard

1. General Impression: The American Staffordshire Terrier should give the idea of great power compared to its size, well built, muscly, and at the same time agile and classy, really of its sorrounding. It must be massive, not tall on the legs nor thin in the outlines. It is strongly brave.
2. Head: middle length, deep. Large cranium, strong masseters, evident stop, ears towards high. Ears: better uncutted, but they can also be cutted. Uncutted ears must be short and brough at half-rose or erected. Pendulous ears are to be penalized. Ears: dark and rounded, low on cranium and well distanced. Eyelids never depigmented.
3. Neck: Heavy, slightly arched, tapering from shoulders to back of skull. No looseness of skin. Medium length.
4. Shoulder: strong and muscled with large and well bended blade-bones.
5. Back: Fairly short. Slight sloping from withers to rump with gentle short slope at rump to base of tail. Loins slightly tucked.
6. Body: Well-sprung ribs, deep in rear. All ribs close together. Forelegs set rather wide apart to permit chest development. Chest deep and broad.
7. Legs: The front legs should be straight, large or round bones, pastern upright. No semblance of bend in front. Hindquarters well-muscled, let down at hocks, turning neither in nor out. Feet of moderate size, well-arched and compact. Gait must be springy but without roll or pace.
8. Mantle: short, compact, hard when touched, bright.
9. Colour: may be of any homogenous tint, brindled or with two colours, one of which must be white. Pure white, white more than 80%, seadog black and liver-colour are not to be encouraged.
10. Size: Height and weight should be in proportion. A height of about 18 to 19 inches at shoulders for the male and 17 to 18 inches for the female is to be considered preferable.
11. Defects: depigmented tartufe, light or pink eyes, long or badly kept tail, prognatism and enognatism are to be penalized.