MyDogBreeds
Both American Staghound and American Pit Bull Terrier are originated from United States. American Staghound may grow 21 cm / 9 inches higher than American Pit Bull Terrier. American Staghound may weigh 11 kg / 25 pounds more than American Pit Bull Terrier. Both American Staghound and American Pit Bull Terrier has almost same life span. American Staghound may have less litter size than American Pit Bull Terrier. Both American Staghound and American Pit Bull Terrier requires Low maintenance.
The American Staghound is hunting dog and type of sighthound that is not recognized as a separate breed. They have historically been bred to hunt coyotes and then other game. Even though they are not considered a separate breed some of their breeding lines have existed much longer than some officially recognized breeds. The American Staghound is a cross between the Greyhound and the Scottish Deerhound. There was probably some Borzoi mixed in as well. The Staghound is believed to have traveled with General Custer across the American West.
The breed is a long-legged running dog with the speed of a Greyhound, the sighting ability of sight hounds and more endurance than any running breed. They are incredible athletes with amazing agility and have been bred to course game – coyotes mostly – and therefore are bred with a very intense prey drive. In the past they chased stags and deer and today they chase coyotes and hare. Coyotes are much faster than wolves and fight just as hard. The American Staghound is the only breed fast enough to track down the coyote. However, the breed is not recognized by the AKC.
Hunting with an American Staghound today is not very different from hunting with them in medieval times. Strict breeding practices and the non-commercialization of the breed has led to the almost perfect preservation of this hunting breed. They have not changed very much over the centuries. They have been breeding Staghound to Staghound since the early 1800’s. At times very, good hunting dogs from Greyhound and Deerhound stock are added to the mix. For hundreds of years now the closed breeding has led to what might be the finest coyote chasing sighthound possible.
The history of the American Pit Bull Terrier might be a confusing one to some dog lovers and certainly to the general public that tends to lump all the “bully” breeds into a category called “pit bull”. This is because of the negative reputation this group of breeds has acquired over the past 30-50 years due to misuse and mis-breeding by the dog fighting industry. This categorization includes the American Pit Bull Terrier, The American Staffordshire Terrier, the Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
There is major confusion and disagreement on the difference between the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. The AKC does not recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier as a separate breed, but its founder and the UKC, ADBA do so. In the 1930’s the American Pit Bull Terrier was a recognized breed and in response to the negativity of pit-fighting, they renamed it as the American Staffordshire Terrier.
The American Pit Bull Terrier was developed to be a little larger in size than the Staffordshire in both height and weight. This breed comes from crossing various Bull and Terrier breed to get a working dog. The Amstaff for the most part is bred to be a show dog and is not usually a “street dog” used in dog fighting rings. The direct ancestors of the APBT are the Old English Bulldogs and the Old English Terriers. These dogs are great family dogs, gentle beyond comparison unless raised to fight. They make great therapy dogs as well as police dogs. They are not by nature cruel, aggressive or attack dogs.
Both professional confirmation breeders and street fight breeds have developed new strains of the American Pit Bull Terrier. A few are worth mentioning here.
One of the oldest strains of the American Pit Bull Terrier they are red in color and that red is a very unique tone. They have a copper colored coat and nose with red nails, red lips and amber or red eyes. These dogs were originally from Ireland and when they came to America they had the red nose. Originally bred for gameness, it is the red color that is sought after now.
These are another old breed, but they have black noses and were initially bred by John P. Colby in the late 1800s. These dogs were known to be indominable fighting dogs and were bred into almost every line of American Pit Bull Terriers that exist today. The line is still maintained by the Colby family.
When you look at the American Staghound you can clearly see the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound lines. They have strong running muscles in their long legs and deep chest. He is of course a sight hound, so his vision is acute.
His running endurance is second to none. It is this endurance in running all day that makes the American Staghound difference from the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound. Yes, both the Deerhound are greyhound are great runners, but the American Staghound runs just as fast with an endurance level ten times that of the other hounds. His heavy bones structure and thick skin are also different from the other racing fast sight hounds.
True to their reputation as fighters, the American Pit Bull Terrier looks like one – powerful, strong and well built. This belies their gentle disposition but too often they are judged by their looks. With a broad, brick shaped head, thick neck and deep chest, they are stocky, muscular and agile. They usually have cropped ears, but the tails are not docked. Their legs are strong and hindquarters especially muscular. These dogs are much stronger than they look. Round soulful eyes are one of the traits that people who keep these dogs as companion animals love about them. They have a scissor bite and one of the strongest jaws of all domesticated canines.
This dog was bred to run fast and long after something it sees. They are not considered hyperactive but won’t live well in a confined space such as an apartment or condo. You will need a single-family house with a large yard. Though they are affectionate, family dogs, they are not cut out to be guard dogs. They are not especially protective or territorial, though they may bark at what they can see in the distance.
They are calm in their homes if exercised enough and great with children. They are often gentle and loving. They are pack oriented and accept other dogs, but they are not welcoming toward cats or other prey sized animals. Be careful with the AS around small children as he might knock them down or see them as prey as well. They consider anything smaller that runs to be prey.
When chasing prey, they are not only fast and enduring, they are tenacious and courageous. Remember that this is a breed that has been bred true in order to hunt and only in order to hunt. Their hunting instincts will override almost any other. Over the centuries only the best hunters were allowed to be bred so that only the best hunters would be born.
For those who live with the American Pit Bull Terrier there is no better dog. The APBT loves people and loves children. They think they are lap dogs, and they certainly are watch dogs. They love their people but their barks at strangers at home are not because they are protecting their people but rather they are greeting the strangers into their home. Unfortunately, they will not greet another dog in the same way. However, when their people are seriously threatened they will give their lives to defend them.
These are strong, confident dogs who want to please their people. They love children and make great family dogs but require a strong owner and a strong pack leader. The need to be under control around other dogs and because of their strength, need a strong owner. It is their aggression towards other animals that must be controlled.
The American Staghound has been bred so consistently within the breed and true that they exhibit very few health problems. All running dogs are susceptible to joint issues, but the Staghound has less than most. Two issues they do face more often are a problem with anesthesia if they ever need it and the propensity to be vulnerable to bloat. Since they are a centuries old hybrid there are no real health issues born of genetics.
Though the American Pit Bull Terrier is healthier than most large dogs, they do have an issue with hip dysplasia. Breeders have been working to breed this out of the APBT and their work in this area has helped with the other issues with the patella, heart and thyroid. The APBT can have skin allergies and Demodex Mange. This condition can be either deadly or just a localized skin issue. Immunizations and testing is essential for this breed. When not immunized, American Pit Bull Terrier puppies have a greater incidence of parvovirus than other breeds. They also might have cataracts and congenital heart disease.
It is important that you don’t ever over feed you American Staghound as they are thin and bred to run. Even though they are heavier boned than their closest relatives, they are still very susceptible to obesity if overfed. The adult AS should be fed about 4-6 cups of dry food every day in at least 2 meals but 3 of more would be better. This will prevent bloat.
As previously mentioned there are no genetic issues with the health of the American Staghound. Bred for one reason and one reason alone for many centuries has led to this healthy state. Also, as stated previously they can have issues with bloat and anesthesia. The issue with anesthesia comes from the fact that the American Staghound has very little body fat to muscle ration. The issue with bloat or torsion can be avoided with many smaller meals and not running your Staghound right after they eat a large meal.
Of course, the American Staghound loves to run and if you are not going to hunt with her, you will have to find another source of vigorous physical activity. Every day from puppyhood on the AS must be stimulated mentally and physically in order to grow and mature correctly. He must have a home where the freedom to run is an everyday experience, not a dog park once a week. If you ride bikes, race walk or run on a daily basis this might be the dog for you. They obviously excel at games like lure coursing and can be good at agility.
How you feed your American Pit Bull Terrier puppy is important to her health as an adult and long life. The adult dog should be fed one and a half to two and a half cups of high quality food twice a day. Puppies should be fed more often as they grow. DO not feed your APBT soft or canned dog food. Their food should be dry. Be careful not to feed too much as you do not want an obese American Pit Bull Terrier.
As previously mentioned this is a healthy breed with problems with:
These are usually inherited, and the pup may show signs early, or they could be developed later in life. They can be removed.
Hip dysplasia as in many larger, stronger breeds this can be a major problem. Breeds should test for it and APBT breeders are attempting to breed it out of the APBT.
This is a congenital issue that breeders are also breeding against and if they have it your American Bit Bull Terrier was likely born with it.
Many APBT are allergic to grasses or out outside allergens. Shots or medication can deal with these.
This is an athletic, joyful breed that loves to play, love sports and loves any activity that bonds it with its family. Some of the many sports the American Pit Bull Terrier likes to participate in include: agility, obedience competition, weight pulling, lure coursing and fly ball. He also needs backyard exercise and daily walks.
When walking your American Pit Bull Terrier, make sure she is on a leash as the breed has a tendency to be aggressive with other dogs coming into their space. The APBT loves to work. They are good therapy dogs, search and rescue dogs, even service dogs.