Difference between pitbulls and staffies Discussions

HI!

I just want to know something, since I read that in UK pitbulls are illegal...

What is the difference between them. I mean I know that staffies are pedigree and pitbulls aren't and that pitbulls are still bred to fight and staffies aren't...But if you see a dog and is not a pedigree dog how would you know it is a staffie and not a pit?
And if it is a mix how would you know it's a staffie mix and not a pit mix? they look so similar to me because there are so many different strains of pitbulls and many look a lot like staffies while others are larger and have longer legs...

Thanks!

you have kinda answered your own question - there is so much debate as to the differrences, generally if we are talking about the american pit bull terrier, then they are overall larger, longer legged and more muscular ( not fatter though)

or at least that would be my definition. However its a definite grey area as you will get many people breeding their staffies to look larger etc.

out of interest are they legal in slovenia and which dogs are not ?

Thanks

In slovenia all breeds are legal...But the dogs over 60 kg are not allowed to do protection work.

But unfortunatly here a lot of people sell fighting dogs (real fighters) through adds on the net and nothing ever happens to them so this is really bad Although dog fights are illegal in slovenia and you never see fights unless you are connected with the underground.

There are also a lot of pit (staffie ?) in shelters and a lot of young people have it. But I must say that I only had a bad experience with a bull (I don't know if it was amstaf or pit) dog once, others were friendly or kept on a lead.
Real figters are not walked in the parks...

Its a definate grey area and i'm sure lots of staffies in the UK have a little pitbull in them. I also think alot of the worst owners choose a staffy because it looks so much like a pitbull to a lot of people. I spent alot of time in the states and love pitbulls, its such a shame that the pond scum who still breed them for fighting and status have done so much to harm this great breed. I get so frustrated looking at rescue centers and seeing the amount of staffie and staffie crosses dumped in them

From my understanding the pitbull of the US was bred from the Bull & terrier breeds of the UK and introduced to the US at the time of the UK immigrants.

I understand a pitbull to be a bigger and heavier dog than a staffy but agree not fatter. Just leggier, in proportion with height and weight and muscular.

To the eye its increasingly difficult to ID a staffie cross and not ID it as a pit cross and vice versa.

The complication in the UK is that one little word "type"

Pitt


Staff


American Staff

The Pit Bull malady has showed you is typical of the "conformation" dog showed throughout the US. A fighting or working PB will be half that weight, lean and athletic.

Yes, and also some are bred with bigger heads for extra jaw grip !

I was under the impression that the AM STAFF, as pictured above is considered to be the show version of the APBT.

however the top pic - if you saw the same dog with no ear cropping you could be forgiven for thinking staffie too - albeit a larger one. This is my whole problem, Bruno is a big staffie - and he often gets majorly funny looks as i walk past and have had a few comments of that breed is banned etc etc - so its a real grey area

Or similar yes, many are interwined with their bloodlines, even some America breeders cant agree on the differences physically and many are duel registered, and of course, this is why we have seen a huge rise in Am Staffs in this Country ;-)

Thats about my thoughts on it, I know in the UK AMstaff is used as a by name for pitbull's in free ads and alike. shows how little the DDA is being enforced as these would also be illegal.

Dani, I totally agree. The pics are good examples of the dogs but subtle differences are all that differentiate them on the street. There are some big staffie's and the features are so similar its very difficult. :?

I remember once Callum phoning an add in the paper for a friend who was looking for a staffie for company for her older staff , the add read as this ,Large boned Staffie
free to good home great with people but not over friendly . then the contact details , so i called them and there reply was oh no dear i dont think its what your after , when i asked what the add meant by stating big boned then i was told it was a pb staffie type ,what ever that means ,So it can be very hard to tell the difference , but this free paper is supposed to be scanned weekly by the uspca and rspca for this sort of advert but it goes to show there that busy with all the media hype surronding the breed that they actually miss the adds advertising them , and it was advertised in the same area of a well know pf where a lot of dogs inc boxers were seized (katesbridge ) xxdk

There are conformation shows for American Pit Bull terriers, without any mention of American Stafforshires. The American Staffordshire terrier is a AKC recognised totally seperate breed, and should NOT appear leggy or racy like the PB, but should be "stocky" however you are correct in saying here in the UK, folk will say Am Staff and mean Pit Bull. Its thought PB may of been used in producing the American Staff, for size, but really they are just big Staffordshire bull Terriers. Just my opinion of course, within my limited knowledge!:smt001
Dawn.

But both were originated from the same bloodline. no?

American Staffordshire Terrier is the name accepted by the AKC a change from the name of "Staffordshire Terrier" so it wouldnt be confused with the Staffordshire bull terrier. Both the pitbull and amstaff are from the SBT's brought to the US and indeed the same bloodline. They chose certain examples of the breed to establish the standard of the current American Staffordshire Terrier.

"It was not until 1870 that these dogs were brought to America. American Breeders preferred this strong, agile breed as a fighting dog and worked to increase the weight of the dog. They also concentrated on enlarging the breed’s head size. When dog fighting became illegal in the USA, American breeders developed two strains of the Staffordshire Terrier.

One strain was developed as a show dog that is today’s American Staffordshire Terrier. The other strain was developed as a fighting dog and is classified as the American Pit Bull Terrier."

source: http://pets.savvy-cafe.com/about-the-american-staffordshire-terrier-2007-05-31/

Although I have read that as the bloodlines have been separated for so long they consider the AMSTAFF as a distinct breed. However they can be dual registered as both an American staffordshire terrier AND an American pitbull terrier.

Yes completely different bloodlines now for many a year, totally different animals to look at, temperament is very different too. A friend of mine went out to the States to judge there and was amazed to see adult males on the end of long leads ignoring eachother and everything else, the American Staffordshire Terrier is now a distinct breed designed for conformation.

I think PB enthusiasts (conformation) breed for very different attributes in their dogs too.