Standard of
American Staffordshire Terrier


Origin: The U.S.A..
Go back to publication of the standard of origin in force: 03.09.1996
Classification F.C.I.: Group 3 Burrows. Section 3 Burrows of the type bulldozer. Without test of work. 
 
General aspect
  Must give the impression of a great force compared to its size. Welded well, muscular but nimble and elegant dog, very attentive with its environment. It must be collected and on legs nor removed not high. Its courage is proverbial.

Head : Of average, high length of any share.

Cranial area
  Cranium: Broad.
Stop: Net.

Facial area
  Truffle : Definitely black.
Muzzle : From average length, rounded in its higher part, it falls abruptly under the eyes.
Lips : Jointed and linked, without loose part.
Jaws / Teeth : Drawn well. The jaw lower must be strong and capable of power in its catch. The upper incisors are in close contact with the former face of the lower incisors.
Cheeks : The muscles of the cheeks are very marked.
Eyes : Of sunk color, rounds, inserted well in the orbits and quite separate. Never of miser to the eyelids.
Ears : Inserted high. Crossed or not crossed. One prefers the ears not cut which must be short, pink or semi drawn up. The ears straightforwardly falling will be penalized.
Neck : Heavy, slightly bent, it is decreasing by the shoulders to the fastener with the head.
It is average length. Absence of pennon.

Body
  Above : Rather short back. Light declivity of the garrot to the croup, which offers a soft and short slope until the birth of the tail.
Kidney : Slightly gone up.
Chest : Gone down well and broad. Well curved coasts, descended well towards the back, quite tight all unit.
Tail : Short in comparison of the size of the dog, attached low, it is
reduced in a fine point. It is not rolled up nor not carried above the
back. It is not cut down.

Forelimbs
  They must be right with a strong framework.
Shoulders : Strong and muscular. Broad and oblique scapulas.
Metacarpus : Of balance.

Rear limbs
  Quite muscular.
Bulges : Gone down well; they are deviated neither towards the interior nor towards outside.
Feet : Of average size, cambered well and compact.
Paces : Rubber bands, without rolling and going the pace.
Wrap
  Hair : Short, tight, hard with the touch, shining.
Color : Any color is allowed, dress unicoloured, pluricolore or mixed, but the dresses comprising more than 80% of white, the dresses black and fire and liver (maroon) should not be encouraged.
 
Cut : Cut and weights must be in report.
One must seek a height with the garrot :
18 - 19 inches (46 to 48 cm) in the male.
17 - 18 inches (43 to 46 cm) in the female.

Defects
Any variation compared to what precedes must be regarded as a defect which will be penalized according to its gravity. Truffle invaded by the miser. Higher or lower Prognathism. Clear eyes. Miser with the eyelids. Tail too long or badly carried.

N.B
The males must have two testicles of normal appearance completion descended in the scrotum.
  
Points of not confirmation
 
- The perfect dog does not exist, each dog presents one or more defects, often venial. But when they are too important, or likely to be transmitted to the descent, they constitute a reason for nonconfirmation, preventing the dog from obtaining its final pedigree. Thus no possible reproduction.
For American Staffordshire Terrier, one retains the following criteria :
 
Character :
- exaggeratedly apprehensive or aggressive Character.

Anomaly :
- Monorchidie or cryptorchidie (1 or 2 testicles absent).

Jaw :
- Prognathisme, retrognathism (without contact of the arcades incisors).
- Lack of three pre carnivorous other than PC1.
- Lack of two incisors.
- Lack of carnivorous.

Cut :
- Lower than 45cm for the males.
- Lower than 43cm for the females.
- Higher than 50cm for the males.
- Higher than 46cm for the females, (With a tolerance of approximately 1cm for the very typified subjects).

Tail :
- Bent on the back or range permanently with the top of the line of back.

Ears :
- Falling or completely drawn up (for the subjects with not cut ears).

Information : The ministry for precise agriculture :
All the dogs born in France or abroad after May 01, 2004 and having the cut ears are prohibited in contest and in exposure in France, they can neither be confirmed, nor registered with the LOF on a purely initial basis, the title of the descent, of the importation or registered voters on a book of waiting.

Penalized dogs if :
- Certain defects do not exclude the confirmation but are penalized in canine exposure. In fact, the subjects which present them cannot obtain from title of champion. It acts of truffle invaded by the miser, the higher or lower prognathism, the clear eyes, the miser to the eyelids, the tail too long or badly carried and of the dress black and fire, liver (maroon) or comprising more than 80% of white.