The Am Staf Type

Each breed has only one "right type", the typical Am Staf is the one that most closely matches the binding characteristics of the breed. The "type" is precisely what divides one dog breed from another. In all breeds there are small differences in size, expression, essence and elegance. These inequalities can be traced back to family peculiarities that determine differences in line, but not in type. For this reason, each breeder can try to select an Am Staf that corresponds to his ideal interpretation of size, essence, expression and, provided that this dog corresponds to the canons of the Standard, it will be "in type", even if it will be slightly different from the ideal Am Staf of another breeder. The surest way to lose "in type"; is through ignorance of the Breed Standard, while another is to overrate a field to the detriment of the rest. The American Staffordshire Terrier is a combination of Bulldog and Terrier intentionally built for a specific task, and even today the traces of the two types from which it derives must be clear. The Am Staf must not appear to be a collection of many types, and it is up to the Judge to indicate the dog that best represents the breed, without encouraging excesses of type. Well-balanced, typical individuals can have three different sets of characteristics. One is what the Americans call the "Bully Type", with heavy bones and greater muscle mass than the other types. It is closest to the Bulldog ancestors and both males and females can show this type. The "Bully Type" should not be preferred over the other two, as these individuals may pass on exaggerated molossoid-type characteristics to their offspring, which could cause them to lose the elegance and agility of the Terrier influence. Another type is called the "Moderate Type", and is the perfectly balanced set of Bulldog and Terrier characteristics. From the Bulldog have been inherited the strength and powerful musculature, while from the Terrier come the elegance and agility. Among the three types, if ever one is to be preferred, it will certainly be this one. The third type is called "Terrier Type". It has inherited more characteristics from its Terrier ancestors, therefore it appears quick, agile, nervous; sometimes also light, with less strong bones and less muscular mass. Often this type is very agile and elegant, but should not be preferred to the others, as its descendants could easily fall into a type exaggeratedly light and far from the ideal of the standard. The Judge must therefore prefer among the individuals presented those that show a "Moderate Type", which combines both the Bulldog and Terrier characteristics without prevailing over either.
It will therefore be "powerful but agile and elegant": as the standard imposes. The fact remains clearly that all three types are correct and in Standard.