American Staffordshire Terrier - Temperament

Temperament

According to the American Kennel Club:

The Am Staff is a people-oriented dog that thrives when he is made part of the family and given a job to do. Although friendly, this breed is loyal to his family and will protect them from any threat.

The American Temperament Test Society conducts tests every year on thousands of dogs to determine the soundness of their temperament. These tests measure various aspects of temperament such as aggressiveness, friendliness, stability, as well as the dog’s protectiveness toward its owner. ATTS breed statistics show that American Staffordshire Terriers consistently score above average for all breeds tested. However, Schaffner notes in this book that "This, of course, must be taken with a grain of salt, as the numbers tested of each breed varied widely. But it helps belie the view that all pit bulls are vicious."

Duffy et al. (2008) investigated dog breed temperament via an online survey. They found that the breed group represented by American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull terriers had an above average level of aggression directed toward other dogs and a below average level of aggression toward humans. Also, as this was a voluntary study the authors admit that their results may be influenced by self-selection bias. The heightened level of dog-directed aggression is consistent with the history of the breed and quality of "gameness" (or game) described by the America Kennel Club.