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The
Official AKC Breed Standard
General
Impression: The American
Staffordshire Terrier should give the impres
sion of great strength for his size, a well put-together
dog, muscular, but agile and graceful, keenly
alive to his surroundings. He should be stocky,
not l ong-legged or racy in outline. His courage is
proverbial.
Head: Medium length,
deep through, broad skull, very pronounced
cheek muscles distinct stop; and ears are set high. Ears
- Cropped or uncropped, the latter prefer red.
Uncropped ears should be short and held
half prick or rose. Full drop to be
penalized. Eyes -
Dark and round, low down in skull
and set far apart. No pink
eyelids. Muzzle -
Medium length, rounded on upper side to fall away
abruptly below eyes. Jaws well defined. Underjaw to be
strong and have biting power. Lips
close and even, no looseness. Upper teeth to meet
tightly outside lower teeth in front
Nose definitely black.
Neck: Heavy,slightly
arched, tapering from shoulders to back of skull. No
looseness of skin. Medium length.
Shoulders:
Strong and muscular with blades wide and sloping.
Back:Fairly
short.Slight sloping from withers torump with gentle
short slope at rump to base of tail. Loins slightly
tucked.
Body: Well-sprung
ribs, deep in rear. All ribs close t ogether.
Forelegs set rather wide apart to permit of chest
development. Chest deep and broad.
Tail:
Short in comparison to size, low set tapering to
a fine point;not curled or held over back. Not docked.
Legs:
The front legs should be straight, large or
round bones, pastern upright. No resemblance of bend in
front. Hindquarters well muscled, let down at hocks
turning neither in nor out. Feet of moderate size,
well-arched and compact. Gait must be springy but
without roll or pace.
Coat:
Short, close, stiff to the touch and glossy.
Color:
Any color, solid, parti, or patched is
permissible, but all white, more than 80 percent white,
black and tan and liver not to be encouraged.
Size:
Height and weight should be in proportion. A
height of about 18 to 19 inches at the shoulders
for the male and 17 to 18 inches for the female is to be
considered preferable.
Faults: Faults
to be penalized are Dudley nose, light or
pink eyes, tail too long or badly carried, undershot or
overshot mouths.
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