amstaff vs apbt

are there many if any differences in temperment in general?

As far as the breeds, no. The lines within will be different, though.

depends on who you ask. depends on the lines. of course, there are dogs who are registered as both, so i don't know what you do with that.

personally i think there's not a lot of difference between a ukc show-bred pit bull and an akc amstaff, but there tends to be quite a bit more difference between a working or adba-bred pit bull and both a ukc pit bull and an amstaff. it's the whole working-bred vs show-bred difference that you see within many breeds.

right. i just wasn't sure, because so many owners are adamant that they are different breeds, so i was curious what the differences are [other than lines and looks].

I personally don't see much difference but I know some Amstaff people who will vehemently disagree.

I think you will find that Amstaffs have more lines that are more laid back. The AKC also has a tighter range of size variation although the "ideal" is the same in the AKC and UKC.

there isnt much of a difference but like Amstaffer said the amstaff people will totally disagree with me on this.

The size is a difference but as far as personality. The amstaff has been bred down and has a more watered down personality from what i have seen but other then that they are the same dog.

Bred Down....Watered Down? Not sure you intend the negative connotations but I would contend that calmer or more civil doesn't mean "bred down or watered down". Because many Amstaffs are less DA than APBTs doesn't mean they are lessor dogs; Many would argue the opposite.

I dont mean it in a negative way at all! i love amstaffs but their temperment is less intense from what i have seen then the APBT.

i meant it to mean that the Staffy is less intence and not a drivey/ working type dog like working pit bulls. They were more bred to be pets and family dogs they were not bred to work. LAst i checked that is what Staffy breeders prided them selves on

I own an Amstaff and I will agree that there is not much difference. The Amstaff I have is quite a bit bigger than the show line Amstaffs of today. He's more the size of the older working lines. I also own a APBT puppy and I can tell you there is so little of a difference between the look, temperment, personality and everything else that it is crazy. You would think they were closely related. They both have to lay with their legs sprawled out behind them and they both love to steal things in our household (ie: cordless drill, couch cushion, 2 X 4, etc)

It all has to do with the breeder. They used to be the exact same dogs and they still are to a point. Staff's tend to have a more uniform look to them while APBT's come in all shapes and sizes but still fit within the standards required.

If temperament is part of a breeders program, as it should be, you will find little difference between them as far as how they are with people.

If a Staff breeder is breeding to show only (conformation), and an APBT breeder is breeding for working dogs (weight pull), but both are breeding for good temperament (important) the only difference you MAY find is in their drive to work.

The separation comes in to play a little more intensely if the Staff breeder is working on removing DA from their stock and the APBT breeder is not, or the other way around. Then you may find the ones breeding out the DA are more mellow around other dogs. But both will still be quite similar in all aspects if they are raised properly.

I don't know as much about the Staffy circuit but DA is not considered a fault in the APBT. Is it a fault in Staffs?

Its not a fault but is considered a bad thing.

the akc standard does not mention dog aggression at all, either way, in their standard. i'm not sure who exactly considers it "a bad thing" when the staffordshire terrier club of america doesn't find it important enough to mention in the standard.

the ukc standard makes mention of it but does not consider it a fault or a desirable thing. it just is what it is. they do list viciousness and extreme shyness as disqualifications, which i very much appreciate.

That is why I said it isn't a fault, but if you talk to most breeders they would like to see DA become a thing of the past. Both for PR reasons and functionality.

I think they would prefer to see the DA gone because its easier to handle dogs without it. Also, the drive of most AmStaff people has been to move away from the past, so I don't think they want any glaring reminders of the breed's history as a fighting dog.

i think their drive is to move away from drive, period. but i guess that's not nice of me to think. it's just a shame that of all the things that this breed is, dog-aggression is the one that gets the most focus.

You can have drive without DA

I wouldn't have a dog without drive. That is what makes these breeds. And yes you can have drive without DA. Magnus is a perfect example of that.