There are times that I totally get lost in YouTube, and one day while this was happening, I ran across this video. I absolutely adore it because it shows the viewer what a rich history this breed has and how for so many years Amstaffs have been considered members of the family. Please do enjoy.

I have never seen anything like this. I had no idea American Staffordshire Terriers could, or rather, would climb a tree. This is amazing!

Aha! I found the videos of the girls playing in the snow for the first time. A trio of video fun!

Read the rest of this entry »

I ran across this video the other day and found it to be a lovely show of the Amstaff personality. They love to romp, play and frolic. Indeed, they are true clowns all around.

Read the rest of this entry »

Although this vaccination schedule is not specific to the Amstaff, I think it’s important to include because one should understand the responsibilities of dog ownership prior to entering into the commitment. Please regard this as mandatory, not optional. Please consult with your primary vet to find out what they and the state require. In further posts, we will discuss what each of these vaccines means. More to come!

Canine Distemper
First vaccination at 6 to 10 weeks of age
Second vaccination at 10 to 12 weeks of age
Third vaccination at 14 to 16 weeks of age
Re-vaccination: annually

Read the rest of this entry »

This one looks fairly labor intensive, but good! For those interested in going with a homemade dog food rather than the dog food in the stores (often comprised mostly of fillers) this is a great solution!

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 3/4 ground beef
• 2 tablespoons bone meal
• 1 tablespoon fenugreek
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, use less if dried
• 1/4 cup marigold petals
• 1 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves
• 2 apples, or 8 ounces fruit, no grapes or raisins, roughly chopped
• 1 squash, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup dandelion greens
• 1/2 pound haddock, chopped into 1-inch squares
• 1/4 pound beef heart, chopped into 1-inch squares
• 1/4 pound liver, chopped into 1-inch squares
• 1/4 pound kidney, chopped into 1-inch squares
• 1/4 pound gizzards, chopped into 1-inch squares
• 1/4 pound beef fat, chopped into 1-inch squares
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves pressed garlic
• 1/2 cup dried organic seaweed, soaked and strained to remove the salt
• 2 cups chicken or beef stock, optional

Read the rest of this entry »

I like to pass these news stories on because I think it’s important to take note that Amstaffs suffer the same injustices as Pitbulls, which absolutely enrages me. Read on…

GRANGEVILLE – Butch, the American Staffordshire terrier who has been on doggie death row in Craigmont since September, is appealing for his life to the Idaho Supreme Court. Read the rest of this entry »

I personally haven’t been brave enough to try this on my own, but I came across this tutorial and would challenge you to give it a whirl. I’d love to hear your experience with it and perhaps I’ll be clever enough to try it sometime soon!

Note: this is for the nylon type dog collar pictured; I’m still on the hunt for what I believe is called a “martingale” collar. I’ll keep you posted.

How to Make a Dog Collar – Dog Collar Hardware and Supplies

You will need to visit a fabric store and a hardware store to get your supplies, unless you’d like to order them online. First, measure your dog’s neck with a ribbon-style tape measure designed for sewing. Add 6-8″ to that measurement to determine the amount of webbing and ribbon to purchase.

• polypropylene or nylon webbing*
• coordinating printed ribbons or grosgrain ribbons in same or smaller width than chosen webbing. Choose something with pizzaz!
• clip-style buckle, sometimes called a “parachute buckle”**
• brass or nickel D-ring – width across the flat side should be the same as your webbing width. (find D-rings on the hardware aisle of your local home improvement store)
• small accent buttons or fancy trims to embellish collar
• coordinating thread

*Webbing – nylon webbing is softer and thicker than polypro, but can stretch when wet. If your dog swims, either remove the nylon collar before allowing them to swim, or consider polypropylene webbing. If your dog has a sensitive neck, though, nylon is less scratchy and will keep them more comfortable. Another option for sensitive skin is a cotton or hemp dog collar. These webbings are also available. Decide on a width of webbing that suits the size of your dog. This is entirely subjective, but most people like widths of 1/2″ to 1″ for tiny dogs, 1″- 2″ for medium dogs and 1″ to 2 1/2″ for Large/giant breeds. Webbing can be purchased at your local fabric store.

**Buckle – Although it is possible to find metal side clip buckles, most of the time, these are plastic. They are the same type of buckle that is found on backpacks and fanny packs, and are easily found in your local sewing notions department. The buckle size needs to match the width of webbing you are going to use. For best results, see what sizes of buckles are available before you select webbing.

Thanks to dog-paw-print.com!

You may have noticed we’ve been missing; apologies to our readers! We’ve been going to dog shows, thinking up new brilliance for the site and catching up on some much needed R&R with our own Amstaff. Anyway, we’re back and at it again. More to come…

Unfortunately, a Zurich court has dismissed an appeal that allows bully breeds to live. We will discuss breed legislation, specifically in the US later on, but thought this was news worthy to pass on, for now.

Fighting dogs have been permanently banned in the canton of Zurich after the Federal Court in Lausanne dismissed an appeal from three canine associations.

They argued that not all dogs of the same breed are dangerous but the court said statistics could not be trusted and sited a similar law in the Canton of Valais which banned 12 dangerous breeds in 2007.

The law, introduced in Zurich at the start of the year after a vote in November 2008, prevents the selling and breeding of four breeds of dog including the American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Bull Terrier.

Foreign owners of these breeds must keep their animals muzzled and on a leash when they are travelling in the canton of Zurich.

Thanks to World Radio Switzerland.