What is the difference between an American and English Staffie?

Answer 1

Originally there wasn't a difference when they were brought to the United States from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier or SBT. However different groups of people have gotten a hold on these dogs and used them for different purposes. The American Pit Bull Terrier or APBT was bred for function. They were bred for gameness (willingness to fight) dog aggression, prey drive, as well as a host of other features that enhance the dogs ability to win fights. The American Staffordshire Terrier or AST started from the same origins, however the traits they were bred for were different. They were bred for appearance and standards for show purposes. It was acknowledged as a different breed in 1936 by the AKC as the Staffordshire Terrier. It was later renamed American Staffordshire Terrier in 1972. The AST is considered to be less dog aggressive than the APBT, however neither should be trusted off leash with other dogs. In BOTH breeds human aggression was bred out of them. Dog fighters would put to death any dogs that showed human aggression (humans were in the pits during dog fights).

Answer 2

The two are very closely related so there is not that much difference between them. The English staffie is an ancestor of the American staffy. The main differences can be found in their looks. A difference in their head is that the cheeks of English staffies are more pronounced than American staffies. The English staffy is also stockier than the American staffy and generally sits lower to the ground as it has shorter legs. In size the American staffy can be much larger than the English staffie, sometimes up to twice its size.