What's the difference between an AmStaff and a Pit Bull?

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Could someone explain EXACTLY what the difference is between a Pit Bull and an American Staff, if there even is one... I'm fed up with hearing so much rubbish about it...

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    • Célineo
    Célineo Icon representing the flag French
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    From this one:

    "Posted by Selena1234 4 minutes ago

    The Pit Bull is a cross between a Staffy and an American Bulldog"

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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Which statement are you talking about?

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    Célineo
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    What a strange thing to say...
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    The Pit Bull is a cross between a Staffy and an American Bulldog

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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for asking this question!! Before reading through the rest of the thread, I’ve always seen Pit Bulls and Bull Terriers as being the same thing... in my head, at least. I didn't think American Staffordshire Terriers or American Bullies were considered Pit Bulls—or at least I didn't think that label applied to them.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Look doggybad, come round to my place, I live in Fort-de-France and I’ve got all the documentation here!!

    Don't go mixing up the law and the breed... the people who wrote the laws don’t know the first thing about the breed or its history...

    The American Pit Bull Terrier is a recognised breed, and not just in the US...!!!

    I just hope some people will respect that!!!

    But anyway... to avoid any hassle, I’ll quote Louis B. Colby, son of John P. Colby: ...there is no difference! The name Staffordshire Terrier was adopted in 1936 when the American Kennel Club (AKC) began registering American Pit Bull Terriers as Staffordshire Terriers.

    A few years later, they changed the name to American Staffordshire to distinguish them from Staffordshire Bull Terriers...

    ...and Colby's Primo was chosen to establish the breed standard.

    A real Pit Bull isn't just some random dog with no pedigree that gets labelled a 'Pit Bull' by default.

    It’s a true descendant of the Old Family... from the Colby, Tudor, Heinzl, Wallace Burke, and Ferguson bloodlines... etc.!!

    I’m telling you again, come round to mine.

    0696358851

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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for all your replies..

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    In France, a "pitbull" is legally defined as a non-pedigree dog (meaning it isn't registered with the French Kennel Club or a foreign equivalent) that physically resembles an American Staffordshire Terrier and meets specific criteria during a formal assessment. You can see those criteria here: http://www.zoopsy.com/legislation/docs/diagnose-des-categories.pdf For instance, a non-pedigree AmStaff or even any crossbreed that fits the physical description can fall into this category. In France, pitbulls are classified as "Category 1", which means it's strictly illegal to buy, sell, own, or import them into the country. The American Staffordshire Terrier, however, is a dog with official pedigree papers (registered with the French Kennel Club or a foreign equivalent). These are "Category 2" dogs, which means you must have a special ownership permit, they must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public, and you have to be over 18 to own one. In the US, pitbulls are actually considered a specific breed: http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/Breeds/AmericanPitBullTerrier12012012. While they aren't recognised by the AKC (the US equivalent of our Kennel Club), they are recognised by another organisation, the UKC, which allows them to have official pedigree papers.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    A Pit Bull is basically just a crossbreed, except the term is used for dogs on the restricted breeds list.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Pit bull: basically any dog that looks like an American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff) but doesn't have pedigree papers. The AmStaff is a purebred dog and must be Kennel Club registered, otherwise it isn't officially one.

    Pit Bulls all look a bit different from each other because a dog without papers might have some crossbreeding in its ancestry, which slightly changes its appearance... whereas the AmStaff is the result of very specific selective breeding, meaning the dog always matches the breed standard.

    Just a heads up, Pit Bulls are a banned breed in France.

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