The Great American Pit Bull Terrier

 American Staffordshire Terrier

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a breed of dog. The breed is a relative of the American Pit Bull Terrier. Early Bulldog-Terrier crosses were brought to the US with the British and Irish settlers, especially after the Civil War, where they were mainly used as fighting dogs, but also as hunting dogs and farm and guard dogs.

In the early 1830's animal fights, especially the formerly extremely popular bull-baiting and bearbaiting (the roots of which go back to the old roman arenas) became illegal in old Britain and Ireland, because of the Human Ethics Act. From then on the people began to organize ratfights and dogfights, because they were much easier to hide from the officials than fights with big game like bulls. First the ratfights and dogfights started off with little terrier strains like the old white English terrier and its black and tan cousin, today known as the Manchester Terrier, which were known for their extreme prey drive and gameness. Some of these dogs were crossed with bulldogs, to create more powerful dogs, with the fighting abilities of the old bulldogs, for example the unwillingness to let go of the prey, their power, and the abilities of the terriers.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is of large bone structure, head size, weight, and is short and stocky. The owners and breeders provide American Staffordshire Terriers with humane, responsible ownership, often training these dogs for community service tasks such as pet therapy and search and rescue.

There are also 'Amstaff' charitable organizations that rescue and rehabilitate abused, abandoned, or stray dogs, placing them into foster or adoptive homes.

American Staffordshire Terriers were first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. They are a member of the Terrier and Molosser groups.

The Argintine Dogo

In the 1920s in Argentina, Antonio Nores Martinez started breeding set out to breed the ultimate big game hunting dog, a dog not only capable of taking on dangerous game such as wild boar and cougars, but a dog also capable of being a loyal pet and family guardian.

Martinez picked the Cordoba Fighting Dog to be the base for the breed. This breed is extinct today but was described as a large and ferocious dog that was both a great hunter and fighter. He crossed it with Great Dane, Boxer, Spanish Mastiff, Old English Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Great Pyrenees, Pointer, Irish Wolfhound and Dogue de Bordeaux. Martinez kept improving the resulting breed via selective breeding to introduce the desired traits. The first standard for the Dogo Argentino was written in 1928. The Dogo Argentino was introduced to the United States by Dr. Raúl Zeballos and family in the early 1970s.

Presa Canario

The breed is originally from the Canary Islands in the 1700s, notably Gran Canaria. Its exact ancestry is unknown, but enthusiasts believe that the Perro de Bardino Majorero, an established farm dog from the Canary Islands, was crossed with the Mastiff and other English dogs brought to the Islands by visitors and colonists, creating the foundation for the modern Presa Canario.

Presa type guard and catch dogs are mentioned in historical documents of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is believed that the Perro de Presa Canario was created during the 18th century for the purpose of property and flock guarding as well as the holding and driving of livestock. The breed was also used for dog fighting, a tradition the English settlers transplanted along with their Mastiff and Bulldog breeds. Canary Islanders consider these fights "honor fights" and not the sole purpose of the animal. Presa type dogs were referred to as the "perro de la tierra" or "dog of the land."

The breed became nearly extinct after dog fighting was outlawed in the 1940s, but the breed was revived in the 1970s with the help of several crosses by various breeders. This period is generally known as the reconstruction of the breed, with atypical specimens becoming less common.

The Presa should be powerful, balanced, and imposing in appearance. It is heavily built, but able to move with great athleticism.

The head is broad, massive, square, and powerful. Proper head and good expression are part of the breed standard, and are manifest in the best breed specimens. The ears are normally cropped both to create a more formidable expression, and to prevent damage while working with cattle. In countries where ear cropping is banned the ears should be pendant or "rose" shaped. The lips are thick and hang in an inverted V; the flews may be slightly loose.

 Boxer

The Boxer is part of the Molosser group, developed in Germany in the late 1800s from the now extinct Bullenbeisser, a dog of Mastiff descent, and Bulldogs brought in from England. The Bullenbeisser had been working as a hunting dog for centuries, employed in the pursuit of bear, wild boar, and deer. Its task was to seize the prey and hold it until the hunters arrived. In later years, faster dogs were favored and a smaller Bullenbeisser was bred in Brabant, in northern Belgium. It is generally accepted that the Brabanter Bullenbeisser was a direct ancestor of today's Boxer.^[2]

In 1894, three Germans by the name of Roberth, Konig, and Hopner decided to stabilize the breed and put it on exhibition at a dog show. This was done in Munich in 1895, and the next year they founded the first Boxer Club, the Deutscher Boxer Club. The Club went on to publish the first Boxer breed standard in 1902, a detailed document that has not been changed much to this day.^[3]

The breed was introduced to other parts of Europe in the late 19th century and to the United States around the turn of the century. The American Kennel Club (AKC) registered the first Boxer in 1904, and recognized the first Boxer champion, Dampf vom Dom, in 1915. During World War I, the Boxer was co-opted for military work, acting as a valuable messenger dog, pack-carrier, attack dog, and guard dog. It was not until after World War II that the Boxer became popular around the world. Boxer mascots, taken home by returning soldiers, introduced the dog to a much wider audience and it soon became a favorite as a companion, a show dog, and a guard dog.

 Bull Terrier

 The Bull Terrier was developed in England during the 1860s and 1870s. During the 1860s and 1870s the Old English Bulldog had already been extinct for decades, and James Hinks of Birmingham employed the services of his own modern English bulldog named "Madman", the English White Terrier (which was not a working or sporting terrier, the White English Terrier began its creation in the 1860s, and was first presented to the public in 1864), along with some original Bull and Terrier dogs to develop and create the breed of dog we now know as the Bull Terrier.^[2]

Colored Bull Terriers are due to Bull Terrier breeders crossing their dogs with Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the 1900's..^[3]

With the Original Bull and Terrier blood, combined with an injection of an original strain of Bull and Terrier blood from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the early 1900s, the Bull Terrier still remains a formidable sporting Terrier.