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

There's the American Pit Bull Terrier (Pitbull), the American Staffordshire Terrier (Amstaff, Staff or AST), the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Staffy, Staffie or SBT), and the English Bull Terrier. All these dogs are Bull-type Terriers (FCI Group 3, Section 3). The differences between an American Pit Bull Terrier (Pitbull) and an American Staffordshire Terrier are minimal, though the Pitbull's breed standard is less strict (I'm just giving a quick overview without going into all the details). For example: An American Pit Bull can be solid white, which isn't possible for an American Staffordshire Terrier (a white Amstaff would never be officially recognised by the LOF/pedigree register). In France, the name "Pitbull" doesn't actually refer to a breed, but to a "type" of dog that looks like certain breeds but isn't registered with the LOF (registration alone is enough to avoid them being classed as "Category 1" dangerous dogs). Namely the: Staffordshire Bull Terrier American Staffordshire Terrier The American Pit Bull Terrier itself is completely banned in France. Anyway, let me know if I've got any of that wrong! Edit: As for the American Bully, I'm not sure. I know the original cross was Amstaff x Pitbull, but other breeds were brought in later.

In France, people see Pit Bulls and pedigree AmStaffs as similar, but when the breed was first being developed, it was the wealthy who had the luxury of buying the biggest, most imposing dogs. They’d register them as AmStaffs with the American Kennel Club—basically a pedigree for the rich who used their Staffies for shows and exhibitions. On the other hand, working-class people registered theirs as working dogs (Pit Bulls) with the goal of breeding a leaner, more athletic dog, which were better suited for fighting back in the day. The runts of the litter were often sold cheaper because they were smaller and leaner than their siblings. By constantly breeding the leanest and smallest ones together, it meant the offspring were genetically predisposed to being smaller and more athletic. In short, the difference was originally all about how they were used, but over time, by breeding the big ones with big ones and the small ones with small ones, we ended up with two different breeds. Historically, their common ancestor was the Blue Paul Terrier, which was later crossed with Boxers or Bulldogs to properly standardise the breed.

I’m not sure if my dog is an American Staffy because his dad is a Staffy and his mum is an American Pitbull, so since the puppy is a mix of both, that makes him an American Staffy... I’m probably talking rubbish. Can anyone enlighten me? If your dog is a crossbreed and doesn’t have KC papers, then he’s considered a Pitbull type and falls under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Just a bit of info on coat colours and genetics in general for most dogs, not just Staffies. When you’ve got a dog that’s more than 80% a solid colour like blue, chocolate, fawn, or very light brown, these are known as dilute colours. A white ***** won't ever give you dilute colours unless it’s in her pedigree and bloodline, meaning the colour of her puppies would be coming from further back. For a dog born blue, if you look at the genetics on both parents' sides, you’ll always find black in there.

I’m not sure if my dog is an AmStaff because his dad is a Staffy and his mum is an American Pitbull, so since the pup is a cross between the two, that makes him an AmStaff... I’m probably talking absolute rubbish, though. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

The Pit Bull is a recognised breed in its own right in the US, but it isn’t recognised as a breed here in the UK. An American Staffy is often classed as a Pit Bull the moment it’s a crossbreed. They are very similar breeds as they share the same ancestry and were developed in the same way with very similar crosses.

To put it simply, no, not at all. They’re still the same dogs; it’s only the official breed recognition that makes any difference. It’s really just breeders trying to distinguish themselves, and even then, the bloodlines aren't a certainty. The origin is definitely Irish; the others are just different lines. Nowadays, there are over 50 different names for the same Bull Terrier breed—basically, the name changes but the lineage doesn't. It’s like the whole German Shepherd vs Alsatian thing... same for American or English Mastiffs, or American or German Boxers. But with the American Bully, the problem is you’ve got two different dogs: the American Bulldog and the more recent American Bully, which is said to be descended from Pits and Amstaffs, though others claim it’s American Bulldog and Amstaff. So, who’s to say? For those who care to look, the proof is in the books and documentaries. The Bull Terrier has so many variations now, with snub or long snouts, all sorts of sizes and colours. Also, the Old English Bulldog doesn’t come from the Pit—well, not the French one anyway. It’s just typical of the French authorities to get it wrong and allow other breeds just as powerful as the ones that are supposedly banned. Doesn’t the law say any Pit descendant is banned? Just something to think about. Signed, a former member of the importer’s circle (the Pit Club) for those in the know, aka Boxer.

To put it simply, they were originally the same dogs [American Staffordshire Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier] and were bred for fighting. One group went over to America [Pit Bulls] where they evolved, which is why there’s so little difference, while the other stayed in Great Britain. In France, they decided Pit Bulls weren't a recognised breed, whereas Amstaffs were accepted but categorised as 'Category 2' – or so-called 'dangerous dogs'. Mind you, there are different 'types' within the breed, if you see what I mean. Anyway, if you have any other questions, just drop me a DM ;)

The American Pit Bull Terrier shouldn't be confused with the generic label "Pitbull" (which usually refers to crossbreeds of various types); it's actually a medium-sized terrier. It’s often wrongly categorised as a mastiff-type dog. In the UK, the American Pit Bull Terrier (or APBT for short) isn’t recognised as an official breed, but is instead considered a "type" of dog. Any crosses that look physically similar are often classed as "Pitbulls" (this includes American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffies without a pedigree, or crossbreeds). The United Kennel Club (UKC) was the first to recognise them. The UKC’s founder, C.Z. Bennett, assigned the very first registration number to his own American Pit Bull Terrier, Bennett’s Ring, back in 1898. From that point onwards, no further crossbreeding was permitted. The American Pit Bull Terrier is a distinct breed and shouldn't be confused with its cousin, the American Staffordshire Terrier. Although they share the same ancestry, the AmStaff and the APBT are two different breeds, despite being physically very similar. They’re so alike, in fact, that some experts describe the American Pit Bull as the working dog and the American Staffordshire Terrier as its show-dog equivalent. 🙂