Темперамент

"Temperament Comes First"

This idea, which I fully endorse, forms the basis and the backbone of Am Staf selection. We have already seen that a breeder has it in his power to establish priorities in terms of morphology and thus to assign various degrees of tolerance with regard to certain phenotypical characteristics. All specialist breeders, as well as the S.T.C.A. in its training sessions, advocate and insist on a policy of "zero tollerance" when judging Am Stafs that demonstrate bad character and therefore are of the wrong temperament. Therefore, what is the determining characteristic that may be said to typify the right temperament?

My categoric answer to this question is: gameness. In the jargon of dog-lovers the term "gameness", of course, covers quite a wide range of interpretations. Given the origins of our dogs, there are those who seek to limit its meaning to the capacity and ability of one dog to beat another in a fight. My own priority when selecting future sires to be included in my breeding program is to place great emphasis on the "gameness" factor, knowing full well that it has nothing to do with conformation, little to do with an aptitude for battle and everything to do with the temperament I am looking for.

Indeed, as some of us know and as Bill Peterson on the basis of his 50 years of breeding experience teaches us: "The backbone of gameness includes extreme confidence. It also includes a desire to please the human master. I define it as willingness to complete a task no matter how tired, discouraged or hurt it is." In my writing I have often used the expression "True Am Staf" I would like it to be absolutely clear from this point on that this expression refers to the American Staffordshire Terrier that possesses the abovementioned characteristics. Having said this, I write without fear of contradiction that the Am Staf possesses a temperament that very few other recognized dog breeds have and that it is, moreover, remarkable for its extreme versatility: it can be used as a family pet, a guard dog, in situations of emergency and natural disaster, for protection, for Pet Therapy, and even for competitions like Obedience, Agility or Schutzhund trials. If at that point the "True Am Staf" also becomes conformation's champion, so much the better!

Personally, I will consider it, therefore, a fine dog and a great champion only if it shows a potential for work. Every serious breeder's aim must be to preserve the temperament that characterizes the breed and thus to work on the aspects of dependability, stability, sociability and, above all, the true Am Staf's reluctance to bite or attack people "without a damn good reason".

De Paco X-Z Kennels