The American Staffordshire Terrier in this photo looks to be a sweet dog: Sincere eyes, an engaging smile, and that cute head tilt.

But on these pages, we try to approach things with an eye toward edification.

One of the questions we often ask ourselves is why language in a breed standard is written the way it is. Why are hare feet important to some sighthounds?  Why do most Nordic breed standards call for bushy tails?

We have also found that when the goal is education, a steady diet of photos of lovely dogs who exemplify their breed standards may be a feast for the eye, but they’re not helpful in learning to spot faults. Mind you, it’s not easy finding photos of such faults, and we greatly admire the fanciers who share such pictures in the spirit of education. Most of the time, however, when we do find such a picture, it was taken by someone who didn’t know any better because responsible breeding and/or the dog fancy is not their world.

We get it.

That said, we circle back to this AmStaff and why, in that spirit of education, we share why this little lady wouldn’t fare well in a show ring, and why she probably shouldn’t be bred.

It comes down to two sentences in the breed standard, but especially this one: Color: Any color, solid, parti, or patched is permissible, but all white, more than 80 per cent white, black and tan and liver not to be encouraged. 

Note that “all white, more than 80 per cent white, and black and tan and liver” are not disqualifications, but neither are they to be encouraged. She can enter a dog show, but an well-informed judge won’t put her up.

There is also the matter of her eyes. The standard calls for eyes that are dark and round, and no pink eyelids. Our little lady falls short on both counts.

We conclude with the “why” of whiteness in this breed. According to the Louisiana State University Veterinary Medicine BAER clinic’s incidence tables, approximately 20% of all-white “bully-type” dogs (which includes American Staffordshire Terriers), are born deaf in one or both ears.  This heightened risk is attributed to mutations in genes such as MITF, which are linked to white pigmentation and documented through BAER hearing testing and prevalence studies. The percentage of affected dogs drops sharply when the proportion of white in the coat is reduced, so when white comprises less than 80% of the coat, the incidence of deafness falls to less than 10%, demonstrating a direct correlation between extensive white coloring and congenital deafness risk.

This dog is likely a beloved companion deserving of her best life, and to the uninformed, breed standards may seem to be arbitrarily written documents geared toward dog shows.

Dog people know better.  These standards serve as essential blueprints that preserve the unique traits and original working purposes of each breed, guiding responsible breeders in making sound breeding decisions and ensuring the health and welfare of future generations.