# APBT vs Staffordshire...



## ashley_danielle20 (Jun 18, 2009)

Ok being a first time pit owner and new 2 this site Im sure this is a typical NEWBIE question... but what is the actual difference between the 2 if any and how do I know for sure which mine is if there is a diff??? (again sorry 4 the newbie question)

~Ash


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## velcro (Feb 25, 2009)

somone can add more to this but as far as i know apbt is a stockier heavier version of a staffie....staffies are closer to the terrier fam in size and activities then the apbt for muscular activities...i could be wrong but i beleve thats wast one of the differences r


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## That guy (Jun 17, 2009)

I've wondered this also.


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## ashley_danielle20 (Jun 18, 2009)

velcro said:


> somone can add more to this but as far as i know apbt is a stockier heavier version of a staffie....staffies are closer to the terrier fam in size and activities then the apbt for muscular activities...i could be wrong but i beleve thats wast one of the differences r


Ok because from pics its seem like the staff is smaller and only get about 30-40 lbs..... and 4 sure my dog is only 4 months old and already 35 lbs... and none of that is fat... so im gona say i think the apbt is what i have since he is bigger.. but really they look almost identical... and i guess theres actually 3 classifications....

Amer Pit Terrier- UKC Recognized
Staffordshire Bull Terrier - AKC (smaller version or my dog)
American Staffordshire Terrier - AKC (which is def not my dog)

who knew it could be so confusing!! lol!!


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## Nizmo (Jan 15, 2009)

i've always hears staffy's tend to be bigger. a true apbt is only 30-60lbs at the most.


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

Amstaffs actually have a heavier bone structure than an American Pit Bull Terrier. The American Pitbull Terrier is a bit larger than the Staffordshire Terrier, however the AMERICAN Stafforshire is bigger than the original Staffordshire. The difference between the two (AST AND APBT) originated when the UKC acknowledged the APBT and the AKC only acknowledged the Staffordshire Terrier. After a while, they added American to the name to become American Stafforshire Terrier.


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## velcro (Feb 25, 2009)

really??i always thought staffies were a little sleaker. not an expert though. so more reading haha


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## ashley_danielle20 (Jun 18, 2009)

StaffyDaddy said:


> Amstaffs actually have a heavier bone structure than an American Pit Bull Terrier. The American Pitbull Terrier is a bit larger than the Staffordshire Terrier, however the AMERICAN Stafforshire is bigger than the original Staffordshire. The difference between the two (AST AND APBT) originated when the UKC acknowledged the APBT and the AKC only acknowledged the Staffordshire Terrier. After a while, they added American to the name to become American Stafforshire Terrier.


whoa u just made my head spin!! lol!! so just by looks could u tell which my dog is??? cuz im still not vertain whic he is.... he is registered but not akc registered..... so idk.. agh!


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## American_Pit13 (Apr 23, 2007)

The APBT is a leaner working style dog- Exepted by the UKC/ADBA 









The Staffy Bull or Staffordshire bull terrier is a smaller dog, but still full of heart a go and a good little worker- Excepted by the AKC/UKC








The Amstaff is a show version of the APBT but still capable of work. Excepted by the AKC. Heavier boned and meant to be thicker than the APBT.


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## ashley_danielle20 (Jun 18, 2009)

american_pit13 said:


> The APBT is a leaner working style dog- Exepted by the UKC/ADBA
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Guess once hes full grown itll be easier 2 judge.. His face and head look more like the Staff Bull... But all those dogs look short compared to mine.... and hes only 4 mths.... maybe its just the cam angle....


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## American_Pit13 (Apr 23, 2007)

ashley_danielle20 said:


> Guess once hes full grown itll be easier 2 judge.. His face and head look more like the Staff Bull... But all those dogs look short compared to mine.... and hes only 4 mths.... maybe its just the cam angle....


They are all rather short... Non e of those breeds are sub posted to be big dogs.

What registry is your pup with?


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## velcro (Feb 25, 2009)

all gorgeouse dogs tho...haha


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## ashley_danielle20 (Jun 18, 2009)

american_pit13 said:


> They are all rather short... Non e of those breeds are sub posted to be big dogs.
> 
> What registry is your pup with?


wow i literally just looked at his paper like 2 days ago and couldnt tell u... when i get off work 2day ill go check... his parents were both about 50-60 lb dogs but his dad was tall..... ive never measured him and not really sure how 2 even judge.. hes 4 mths and 30 lbs..... but hes very very lean... not an ounce of fat on him...


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## ashley_danielle20 (Jun 18, 2009)

Looking closer at all 3 of those pics... Mine kinda looks like the 2nd one as far as face and head goes but more like th body of the 1st one..... hes tall and lean not short and stocky


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

american_pit13 said:


> The Amstaff is a show version of the APBT but still capable of work. Excepted by the AKC. Heavier boned and meant to be thicker than the APBT.


AWWWWW hahaha I am a Staffy FREAK!! lol


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

One thing that I do want to add.... If your puppy is not registered with either the UKC, AKC or ADBA, there will never be a way to tell where your dog really came from. Since bloodlines will carry different traits, giving even the same breed different characteristics, having proof of those bloodlines is the only way to tell you why and how your dog looks the way it does.

Sure, a lot of dogs today have the same overall look. But then again, it is that same misconception that has people terrified about "pitbull" attacks. All three of those breeds are commonly referred to as "pitbulls", but that term is loosely used to describe the pit type working/fighting dog. 

If you post some pics up, not only will you make us happy (hehe) but we might get a better idea of what youre asking!


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## velcro (Feb 25, 2009)

ya i agree lets see some pics..haha


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## American_Pit13 (Apr 23, 2007)

StaffyDaddy said:


> AWWWWW hahaha I am a Staffy FREAK!! lol


My First was an Amstaff.... Awesome dog. I loved him to death.


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## Alex004 (Mar 11, 2009)

Terminology seems to change over the years or some people get it confused.

"Staffy" usually refers to Staffordshire Bull Terriers which are popular more in the UK than in America. They are from the roots of the APBT and were basically one and the same breed once upon a time. "Staffies" are very much working dogs in the UK to this day and are used widely to hunt fox, badger, and for ratting. I know a few chaps in England who used them along with Patterdale Terriers for hunting.

"Am Staffs" usually refers to American Staffordshire Terriers. A breed that *was* pretty much everything the APBT is but due to AKC interests evolved into a different breed through selective breeding.

The reason for the three different breeds / breed names basically is due to the advocacy against dog fighting. The UK only agreed to register the dogs under the gusie of The Kennel Club as Stafforshire Bull Terrier well after dog fighting was outlawed in the UK and the "dog fighting genes" were supposedly bred out of the dogs. They also would not register the breed with the word "pit" anywhere in it's name.

In America, _Staffordshire_ Bull Terriers where recognized by the AKC shortly after they were in the UK. The _American_ Staffordshire Terrier was another story. The AKC noted that the "pit bull breeds" in America were different from those in the UK and could not register them as Staff Bulls. They decided to register them as American Staffordshire Terriers noting the difference between the American version and the the UK version. At this time the Am Staff and APBT were the same breed. After AKC registered what they thought was enough dogs they closed their books and made their breed standards. These AKC registered dogs were bred for show and to AKC standard generation after generation and therefore strayed away from what the APBT was and is today. 
The UKC and ADBA were registries opened for the proliferation and maintenance of the APBT around the turn of the century (1900). They basically were founded by APBT fanciers and dogmen who matched dogs.

The KC (in the UK) and the AKC didn't recognize or register any "pit bull type" dog as Staffordshire Bull Terrier nor American Staffordshire Terrier until the 1930s. Even in the UK there is another breed which looks more like the APBT than the KC's Staffordshire Bull Terrier which is called the "Irish Staffy" and is where a lot of the old timers think the blue dogs came from in the APBTs. It is a breed that was from the original dogs of old that when the UK outlawed dog fighting was smuggled to Ireland from England where dog fighting could be kept more underground and could thrive more. Ireland was also the major shipping point of pit dogs fron the UK to America before the turn of the century. "Irish Staffies" are not recognized by UK's The Kennel Club because of their fighting background after dog fighting was outlawed. Ireland has their own registries (IKC, and ISF) that registers the "Irish Staffy".


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## Atheist (Apr 27, 2009)

Yes to sum it up in a nutshell the difference is game breeding. Pitbulls bred for a show confirmation standard are Am Staffs. That is what the AKC recognizes as a pitbull type dog. APBT is recognized by other organizations who originally registered dogs with a game bred pedigree. Now since game breeding is illegal, the APBT is becoming a confirmation breed and that is a source of a lot of issues since no body can really decide what the confirmation standard is. So if you like big headed, short legged dogs you just make a new breed call AM Bully, if you like leaner, taller dogs then you pick title. In truth the Am Staff is what pitbull become when bred for a standard look. They are very pretty.


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## Guitarist302008 (May 20, 2009)

The Staffie was England's APBT version in a way and was brought over here and bred a bit larger... at least this book that I have on their history said that. They are much the same dog with a weight 25-45 lbs at the most. I could be wrong here though... been a while since I read it.


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## cane76 (Aug 16, 2006)

Atheist said:


> APBT is recognized by other organizations who originally registered dogs with a game bred pedigree. Now since game breeding is illegal, the APBT is becoming a confirmation breed and that is a source of a lot of issues since no body can really decide what the confirmation standard is..


That is true if you believe the apbt is not being fought anymore,but if you believe that you truly have the blinders on,dogs are fought now as much as ever,but people are even more under ground due to the prying eyes of the humaniacs and other pychos how are as guilty as dog fighters of crimes against animals,the game bred apbt is still bred and will continue to be.
Some amstaffs work and some apbts are only show dogs but that dosent change the fact that some are still fought and will continue to be in these united states and around the world,in fact when dog fighting is made impossable to do in the u.s the dogs will thrive in other country where they have bigger issues to fry as it is already,take turkey,mexico,russia and many other countrys for examples.


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

cane76 said:


> That is true if you believe the apbt is not being fought anymore,but if you believe that you truly have the blinders on,dogs are fought now as much as ever,but people are even more under ground due to the prying eyes of the humaniacs and other pychos how are as guilty as dog fighters of crimes against animals,the game bred apbt is still bred and will continue to be.
> Some amstaffs work and some apbts are only show dogs but that dosent change the fact that some are still fought and will continue to be in these united states and around the world,in fact when dog fighting is made impossable to do in the u.s the dogs will thrive in other country where they have bigger issues to fry as it is already,take turkey,mexico,russia and many other countrys for examples.


:goodpost:

Dog fighting will always be present. As much as people strive to put an end to it, like cane said the more underground it becomes. My buddy Dave was actually came across some idiot that asked about his dogs... After spending a couple minutes with the guy, who was gawking at his dogs, he realized that the man who had approached him was trying to get him into fighting his dogs. This was just about two years ago in Dallas, Texas if that gives you any idea of how often it still occurs.


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

american_pit13 said:


> My First was an Amstaff.... Awesome dog. I loved him to death.


He's beautiful!


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