American Staffordshire Terrier.

American Staffordshire Terrier. American Staffordshire Terrier, breed of dog, originally developed in England, from a mixture of bulldog and terrier, for the purpose of dogfighting. The breed's name was officially adopted in 1972 to distinguish it from the Staffordshire bullterrier. Before that it was known simply as the Staffordshire terrier, the name under which it was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. The dog has a broad head, strong jaws with pronounced cheek muscles, a thick neck, forelegs set apart, and a short tail. The short, stiff-haired coat may be any color; the ears are preferably left uncropped. The dog stands 43 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) high and weighs 16 to 23 kg (35 to 50 lb). Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.