I'm thinking of getting one, but I'm just wondering because they aren't very big dogs if they can handle an intruder. They look like they can being all muscle, but I just wanted to hear from people who own them. What habits do they have, good and bad?

pic

hmm,,,  gonna turn into the pit bashing thread soon

they really aint that samll. dunno bout you but anything close to knee high and pissed off would suck  if it was attached to you by its teeth!

Quoted: I'm thinking of getting one, but I'm just wondering because they aren't very big dogs if they can handle an intruder. They look like they can being all muscle, but I just wanted to hear from people who own them. What habits do they have, good and bad?

Not very big????

I have one. He's 10mo old and is getting close to 70lbs. His dad is well over 100lbs and solid muscle.

I'll post pics later. (when I get to work)

My bitch, Charlie is 78lbs. She is a sweetheart. Doesnt take to strangers well though. Loves the family. Just a great all around dog. She lives inside, sleeps on her own coach, is extremely stubborn, but all bully breed are, and is great with other dogs. That is important. Get the pup together with other dogs at an early age so it can socialize properly and not aquire that " I'm dominant" attitude.
Mind you at times when she was young I wanted to kill her. See with this type of dog the "potential" to go to the extremes is higher than other dogs. My dog didnt chew on my couch cushions. The Bitch ate 1 entire 20" x 24" couch cushion. Foam and shit all over the house from the other 2 cushions. I dont know how that dog is still alive. She was shittin foam for 2 weeks.  
By the way there are 2 types of staff terriers
The American Staffordshire Terrier and the English Staffordshire Terrier. The English breed having shorter legs than the American

Think slightly larger APBT. AmStaff=UKC recognized APBT...

Quoted: Think slightly larger APBT. AmStaff=UKC recognized APBT...

The American Staffordshire Terrier is recognized by the AKC. The American Pit Bull Terrier is not.
The APBT is recognized by the UKC.

If your AmStaff is AKC you can Duel-register him/her with UKC.
If he/she is first registered with UKC as an APBT you can NOT duel-register.

Traditionaly the Amstaff is a little larger than the APBT. Most, however concider them the same dog.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU FIND ONE FROM A REPUTABLE BREEDER!

As far as the intruder thing goes i'm not sure yet. I've never had one. I can tell you though that when the door bell rings my "little" fella lets out a bark that would make anyone think twice about comming in alone. When friends come over that he is not familiar with, he is not mean or agressive in any way. He just wants to play and lick their faces and ears. Something about ears with these guys.

As always, though it is ignored often, a word of caution - check with your insurance company.  Many will drop your coverage or not pay out any claim if you own certain breeds, and the Staf Terrier is almost always on the list.

we love our little stafford pup!

here she is playing with a American Pitbull

( 2 months younger then she is and almost twice her size)









Great little dog, smart  , not to hyper and just the right size so far

Quoted: As always, though it is ignored often, a word of caution - check with your insurance company.  Many will drop your coverage or not pay out any claim if you own certain breeds, and the Staf Terrier is almost always on the list.

or don't tell them. they really don't have any business extorting you with higher premiums, or even dropping your coverage, based on your dog.

P.S.: excellent animal. rugged breed, not prone to many of the doggie problems (bad hips, cancer, blindness, etc.), low maintenence, adaptable, etc. i had one for a few years. sadly he is no more.

Quoted: Quoted: I'm thinking of getting one, but I'm just wondering because they aren't very big dogs if they can handle an intruder. They look like they can being all muscle, but I just wanted to hear from people who own them. What habits do they have, good and bad? Not very big???? I have one. He's 10mo old and is getting close to 70lbs. His dad is well over 100lbs and solid muscle. I'll post pics later. (when I get to work)

I guess they're all different, but all the web pages I found on them said they go from 50-70lbs. There were a few breeders listed. Most of there dogs were within that size. There was a few that were as big as yours though.

www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanstaffordshire.htm

Yea they can get big.  I have what's either a Am. Staff. or a huge Pit.  Several vet's this it's a Staff but I don't know.  He's a total sweetie, but at 96 lbs. he IS intmidating.  Unlike our Am. Bulldogs, he was great in the house.  We lost a couple shoes that all.  Now on the otherhand, he single handedly dismantled my fence one afternoon after chewing his way out of a 13x7ft chainlink pen.  When I cought him, he was playing tug-of-war with a 6'x6"x5/8" fence slat that was hanging on by the last nail.  Oh, yea, holes...hinking.gif

Randall

A Jack Russell Terrier is the carbine version!

Quoted: we love our little stafford pup! here she is playing with a American Pitbull ( 2 months younger then she is and almost twice her size) img83.imageshack.us/img83/4291/dscf10686oq.jpg img83.imageshack.us/img83/9551/dscf10193nj.jpg img83.imageshack.us/img83/2627/dscf10748sa.jpg Great little dog, smart  , not to hyper and just the right size so far

It's Petey from the Little Rascals!  

Cool dogs.  

Quoted: Quoted: As always, though it is ignored often, a word of caution - check with your insurance company.  Many will drop your coverage or not pay out any claim if you own certain breeds, and the Staf Terrier is almost always on the list. or don't tell them. they really don't have any business extorting you with higher premiums, or even dropping your coverage, based on your dog. P.S.: excellent animal. rugged breed, not prone to many of the doggie problems (bad hips, cancer, blindness, etc.), low maintenence, adaptable, etc. i had one for a few years. sadly he is no more.

Very stupid to do.  If your dog bites someone, they won't pay the claim and you could be out hundreds of thousands of dollars.  You also don't want to try and find other insurance if you've been dropped (very hard to do).  And yes, they have every right to "extort" you - they are offering up hundreds of thousands of dollars in coverage to you, and therefore they have every right to dictate what you can and can't do with or in your house.  Don't like it?  Insure yourself, though I think your mortgage company may have other thoughts on that matter.