American Staffordshire Terrier

Not to be confused with their close cousin the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terriers are tough-looking yet sweet dogs specifically bred from Pits as doting family pets. American Staffordshire Terriers are trustworthy with children and easily cared for by strangers (including pet sitters), and are also often raised as community-service dogs for tasks such as pet therapy, farming, police work, and search and rescue operations. Unfortunately, most areas or residential associations that have banned Pit Bulls have also banned Am Staffs, and these are definitely dogs that get a bad rap based on looks alone. These dogs are docile and obedient dogs, but they must be carefully watched and handled around other dogs off-leash due to their instinctive dog-fighting nature: they can get aggressive, especially when they feel challenged. According to the AKC, an American Staffordshire Terrier named Stubby earned the rank of Sergeant and was the most decorated dog of World War I.