Originally there wasn't a difference when they were brought to the United States from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier or SBT. However different groups of people have gotten a hold on these dogs and used them for different purposes. The American Pit Bull Terrier or APBT was bred for function. They were bred for gameness (willingness to fight) dog aggression, prey drive, as well as a host of other features that enhance the dogs ability to win fights. The American Staffordshire Terrier or AST started from the same origins, however the traits they were bred for were different. They were bred for appearance and standards for show purposes. It was acknowledged as a different breed in 1936 by the AKC as the Staffordshire Terrier. It was later renamed American Staffordshire Terrier in 1972. The AST is considered to be less dog aggressive than the APBT, however neither should be trusted off leash with other dogs. In BOTH breeds human aggression was bred out of them. Dog fighters would put to death any dogs that showed human aggression (humans were in the pits during dog fights).
Copyright © 2026 eLLeNow.com All Rights Reserved.