Topic: pit bull/american stafford shire

[dave500]

is an american pit bull terrier the same as an american staffordshire terrier???im asking this because the pit bull has been banned in queensland now for a few years as a dangerous dog after a few attacks resulting in horrific facial injuries to children and in fact fatalities,,not to be taken lightly!!!a family here on the gold coast has fought for six years to prove to local council that their dog is in fact an american staffordshire..long story short the council said if it could be proved it is an "amstaff"it would be ok(pit bulls must leave the state or be put down!!!),so DNA etc has been provided but in the supreme court it was over ruled!!!,the decision was that american pit bulls and american staffords are one and the same!!the dog all this six years has been kept just over the border in tweed New south wales at bording kennels,this has cost the family $500,000 dollars so far in all sorts of fees,,they are now going to appeal,,its a case of you cant fight city hall,,they reneged on their original promise!!the dog has not been the subject of any wrong doings except it had gotten out of its fenced area and picked up by the dog catcher.,,this also opens up a can of worms for the about 250 owners of registered,legal,american staffordshires on the gold coast alone,,we have a pure bred english staffy ourselves.you can find the whole story if you google channel 9 gold coast news or 9 a current affair.

[Retro Rocket]

No Dave, they are 2 entirely different dogs. I have owned a pitbull and my mate owned an American staffy, the American staffy is a ball of muscle and shorter than the pitbull. I saw the news item you were referring to Dave and that dog is not a pit bull....

Mick

[dave500]

yeah its a very hot topic here,,im wondering what our american counterparts think,,theres a lot more pit bulls there,,and as far as i know,no regulations on them,,you might be able to clear up if the banning is state wide or only certain council areas in queensland?the gold coast is well and truly out!!

[Retro Rocket]

To be honest Dave i still have mine and he is the best dog i have ever owned, loyal, smart and he is boisterous but has never even looked like biting anyone, he's a great hunting dog as well, its the way you bring them up that determines how they will interact with other dogs and people. He is nearly 12 years old now and getting arthritis in his left shoulder but he is my mate and i wouldn't trade him in for the world..

Mick

[dave500]

neither would the people who own "TANGO",its also a matter of sticking up for your rights that have been wronged.

[bucky katt]

here in the states alot of if not most insurance companies will drop you if you get either breed.

[Retro Rocket]

Its got to the stage here in Australia that anytime someone gets bitten by a dog its a bloody pitbull, even if its Chihuahua ..!!  The media give me the bloody #$%*s blowing everything out of proportion and never even trying to get to the truth........Why does that not surprise me....   I have also had an awesome Blue cattle dog, one of the most intelligent and loyal breeds on the planet but there is a stigma attached to them as well. The problem is, idiots buy animals as well and neglect them or fight them or whatever they do, creates an animal thats unpredictable, i treat mine like family and they respond accordingly..

Mick

[Don R]

We have a no kill animal shelter and it's full of these dogs, all the young people want one and then find out they are work or have issues due the way they were handled and turn them in. For whatever reason more responsible people don't seem to want to adopt them.

[BobbyR]

The American Staffordshire Terrier is the American Kennel Club name for the Pit Bull. My last few dogs have been adopted from a no kill shelter, I did not know what a Pit Bull was when I adopted Barney, he lived to 17 and was a hit with the neighborhood kids. They are great dogs if treated well and trained. I never docked the ears of my Dogs so they look less aggressive. They are strong willed so you need to be strong owner. I was advised never to hit the dogs since you don;t want them to learn that aggression is acceptable.

Pit Bulls bite less than other breeds, it is just the damage they inflict can be more serious than a Cocker Spaniel which bites more people than any other breed in the U.S.

In places where they have prohibited Pit Bulls, they have lumped the Staffordshire in that group, along with mixes. 

[fishhead]

The American Staffordshire Terrier is the American Kennel Club name for the Pit Bull.
 
They are great dogs if treated well and trained.

  They are strong willed so you need to be strong owner.

Very true!
JMO.
 There is no such thing as bad dogs, only bad owners. When a dog attacks someone, it should reflect the owner more than the dog.
   Pit Bulls are very good dogs to own, its just that when a dog owned my a bad owner bites someone, it gets in the news and makes the breed as a whole look bad.
 They are strong willed and need an experienced owner.

I have a Doby/Shepard mix and I always get compliments on how well behaved she is. She doesn't need to be on a leash when we go for a walk and is very obedient (I took the time to train her and it shows).
   What most people don't know and I don't tell them about her is that she has also been Schutzhund trained.

 What's Schutzhund ?

 She has been trained to protect me on command. A friendly "attack" dog.

 My "concealed" weapon will let you rub her belly.


 A link to Schutzhund training

http://www.schutzhund-training.com/

[BobbyR]

The American Staffordshire Terrier is the American Kennel Club name for the Pit Bull.
 
They are great dogs if treated well and trained.

  They are strong willed so you need to be strong owner.

Very true!
JMO.
 There is no such thing as bad dogs, only bad owners. When a dog attacks someone, it should reflect the owner more than the dog.
   Pit Bulls are very good dogs to own, its just that when a dog owned my a bad owner bites someone, it gets in the news and makes the breed as a whole look bad.
 They are strong willed and need an experienced owner.

I have a Doby/Shepard mix and I always get compliments on how well behaved she is. She doesn't need to be on a leash when we go for a walk and is very obedient (I took the time to train her and it shows).
   What most people don't know and I don't tell them about her is that she has also been Schutzhund trained.

 What's Schutzhund ?

 She has been trained to protect me on command. A friendly "attack" dog.

 My "concealed" weapon will let you rub her belly.


 A link to Schutzhund training

http://www.schutzhund-training.com/

Actually my current Pit Bull is very timid. In his day he was intimidating looking with huge muscles, now he is 16 and going lame. When he sensed danger, he would look at me like what are you gonna do about this. Truly a disgrace to his race.

If you train them right, they are just a dog. In the 1930's they were used as companion animals for children. When trashy people exploit their strong will and break down their good nature you have a problem. The most dangerous and savage animal walks on two legs.   

[Don R]

A few people froze in fear of my English Mastiff just because of his appearance and size but a sweeter dog was never born. He didn't even like to play tug, he would just let you have any toy you pulled on.

[Industrial Cafe]

my pit scares people all the time because of the news, but she's the sweetest pig-monkey I've ever known.

[333]

Pit Bulls bite less than other breeds, it is just the damage they inflict can be more serious than a Cocker Spaniel which bites more people than any other breed in the U.S. 

Not based on any actual facts, but I would have said Poodles.  Every one of those I've known has been nasty.  I've known several Cockers, and only one was a biter.  And that was because he was attacked by a Doberman and a German Shepard one time and was never the same after that.

[simon#42]

Pit Bulls bite less than other breeds, it is just the damage they inflict can be more serious than a Cocker Spaniel which bites more people than any other breed in the U.S. 

Not based on any actual facts, but I would have said Poodles.  Every one of those I've known has been nasty.  I've known several Cockers, and only one was a biter.  And that was because he was attacked by a Doberman and a German Shepard one time and was never the same after that.

i agree !   have had 3 Dobermans and now have a rottweiler , all without exception have been good tempered mild mannered dogs , while walking my doberman one day i stopped to stroke a poodle and the bastard thing bit               a big lump out of my hand , the owner announced , oh he does that . i said when he lands teach him not to .

[bikerbart]

the predjudice against the breed really pisses me off.My best dogs were pit bulls.sweetest,smartest,strongest and gentle.my dog changed peoples minds about dogs in general.She was so well behaved that if two bunnies were doing it right in front of her,if I told her to stay,she would.Its media hype and a$$hole gansta wannabes who train them to be mean.Lil known fact that the AKC was founded on the breed.back in the turn of the last century they were used as workers,police dogs,farm dogs,fireman dogs,They did everything well,that is why they were used so much.Its really a shame that in our politically correct society that they want to kill off the breed entirely.Sad.

[333]

The real crime here is what people do( the Michael Vicks of the world), or in some cases, don't do( lazy people who can't be bothered to teach there dogs some manners).

[bucky katt]

every dog bite i've ever recieved were from small dogs. i used to run a big polo/hunter jumper barn and a jack russell seemd to be a required accesory for alot of those boobs. several boarders were "asked" to please move their horses and trailers off the property because they wouldnt do anything about their rat terriers running wild and biting kids and scaring horses (ever been leading 2 16hh+ thoroughbreds one in each hand, and having a little dog run up behind and nip at ones heels?) i got a broken arm, broken nose and crushed toes out of that one, both horse owners got vet bills too. and the barn owners let ME hand them the notice to vacate the property within 24 hours 

[BobbyR]

the predjudice against the breed really pisses me off.My best dogs were pit bulls.sweetest,smartest,strongest and gentle.my dog changed peoples minds about dogs in general.She was so well behaved that if two bunnies were doing it right in front of her,if I told her to stay,she would.Its media hype and a$$hole gansta wannabes who train them to be mean.Lil known fact that the AKC was founded on the breed.back in the turn of the last century they were used as workers,police dogs,farm dogs,fireman dogs,They did everything well,that is why they were used so much.Its really a shame that in our politically correct society that they want to kill off the breed entirely.Sad.

+1 as i said the most dangerous animal walks on two legs.

[750]

The American Staffordshire Terrier is the American Kennel Club name for the Pit Bull. My last few dogs have been adopted from a no kill shelter, I did not know what a Pit Bull was when I adopted Barney, he lived to 17 and was a hit with the neighborhood kids. They are great dogs if treated well and trained. I never docked the ears of my Dogs so they look less aggressive. They are strong willed so you need to be strong owner. I was advised never to hit the dogs since you don;t want them to learn that aggression is acceptable.

Pit Bulls bite less than other breeds, it is just the damage they inflict can be more serious than a Cocker Spaniel which bites more people than any other breed in the U.S.

In places where they have prohibited Pit Bulls, they have lumped the Staffordshire in that group, along with mixes. 

Not trying to instigate an arguement, but pitbulls are not the same as an AMSTAF.  If you do re-search on the history of these two dogs, you will find the ansestory, bloodlines and mixes to be totally different.  The reason I know this is my wife and I have wanted an AMSTAF for 3 years now and have done tons of re-search but to our dispare we can't find a registered repudable breeder in MN.  If anyone knows of one, please let us know.

[Industrial Cafe]

registered reputable breeder? my dog came out of the back end of a bigger dog...

[BobbyR]

The American Staffordshire Terrier is the American Kennel Club name for the Pit Bull. My last few dogs have been adopted from a no kill shelter, I did not know what a Pit Bull was when I adopted Barney, he lived to 17 and was a hit with the neighborhood kids. They are great dogs if treated well and trained. I never docked the ears of my Dogs so they look less aggressive. They are strong willed so you need to be strong owner. I was advised never to hit the dogs since you don;t want them to learn that aggression is acceptable.

Pit Bulls bite less than other breeds, it is just the damage they inflict can be more serious than a Cocker Spaniel which bites more people than any other breed in the U.S.

In places where they have prohibited Pit Bulls, they have lumped the Staffordshire in that group, along with mixes. 

There is a fine line between your AKC Staff and street Pit Bull. Random breeding has blurred the lines, but the Pit Bull Terrier was renamed the Staff Terrrier, and the American Staff Terrier. I rescued my Dogs from shelters since I wanted a good Dog and save a life.

I just go to the Shelter and look to see who apprears friendly toward the people, and I look in the eyes. I also schedule a Vet appointment within an hour of pickup so If the Dog has some serious condition, I do not want to get attached and have them die on me. I know many people who have been burned by Breeders, so it is smart of you to do your homework.   

Not trying to instigate an arguement, but pitbulls are not the same as an AMSTAF.  If you do re-search on the history of these two dogs, you will find the ansestory, bloodlines and mixes to be totally different.  The reason I know this is my wife and I have wanted an AMSTAF for 3 years now and have done tons of re-search but to our dispare we can't find a registered repudable breeder in MN.  If anyone knows of one, please let us know.