Book cover titled 'Looking at The American Staffordshire Terrier' with an illustration of a terrier dog in black and white.

The first step to truly understanding the breed is to study the official breed standard published by The Staffordshire Terrier Club of America, Inc.

A page of text titled 'Origins of the American Staffordshire Terrier' discussing the history and evolution of the breed.
Black and white photograph of printed text on a page discussing the history of American Staffordshire Terriers and related breeds.
Text document detailing the standards for the American Staffordshire Terrier breed, including physical qualities and grooming guidelines.
Drawings of two different American Staffordshire Terriers, showing front and side views, with a description indicating they are idealized drawings based on photographs of real dogs.
Page of a document discussing the qualities and standards of the American Staffordshire Terrier dog breed, including sections on general impression, temperament, courage, confidence, and physical appearance.
Text document providing guidelines for evaluating a dog's physical condition, appearance, and characteristics for breeding or judging.
Close-up black and white photograph of a Staffordshire Terrier's face, showing muscular structure, dark eyes, and ears standing upright. The dog is wearing a chain collar.
Diagram showing three profiles of a dog’s head with labeled parts and lines indicating the head shape and structure, accompanied by detailed text on dog head anatomy.
A page with three black and white photos of dog ears and descriptions. The first photo shows a dog with half-prick ears. The second photo shows a dog with natural, rose-shaped ears. The third photo shows a dog with cut ears, and the text states that
Page of a text document describing physical and facial features of dogs, including eyes, muzzle, dentition, nose, and differences in breeds.
Diagram comparing different dog head shapes, labeled from good to bad, with descriptions of ideal and undesirable features for each type.
Line drawings of a dog and a female dog, each with explained characteristics, labeled 'The Bitch' and 'The Dog' with descriptive text.
Page 14 of a guide on dog conformation, describing the neck, shoulders, back, body, and forelegs with detailed characteristics and measurements.
Diagram showing correct and incorrect tail carriage positions in dogs, with descriptions for each.
Line drawing of two dogs showing proper front leg stance and structure, with accompanying text about the ideal front leg positioning and conformation for dogs.
Guide with illustrations and descriptions on how to identify proper and improper front leg positioning in dogs, including details on elbow placement, shoulder position, chest depth, leg width, and foot shape.
Diagrams showing correct and incorrect ways to position a dog's legs and tail for proper hindquarter structure in dogs, with accompanying text explaining optimal angulation, tail set, and leg proportions.
Diagram showing correct and incorrect rear views of a dog, illustrating proper gait and stance for dog training.
A page of text explaining standard conformations for dogs, including coat, color, size, and breed standards, accompanied by a line drawing of two dogs facing each other with labels 'DOG' and 'BITCH'.
Line drawing illustrating three types of American Staffordshire Terriers: Bully, Moderate, and Terrier, with descriptive text for each type.
Page from a document discussing faults in dog breeding, including characteristics of Dudley noses, light or pink eyes, tail carriage, and mouth structure.