What Is the Difference Between a Blue Nosed Pit & a Staffordshire Terrier?

The difference between a Blue Nosed Pit Bull Terrier and an American Staffordshire Terrier is a contentious issue. The United Kennel Club considers them to be the same breed and allows cross registration of one dog in both breeds. The American Kennel Club does not agree and argues that the bloodlines of these two breeds have been separate for too long for them to considered the same breed. Essentially they are the same breed of dog with a different family tree.

  1. British Staffordshire Bull Terrier

    • The Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed originated in Staffordshire, England in the 19th century. Bred by crossing bulldogs with other local terriers, the Staffy was used for bull-baiting, a popular sport at that time. They were medium-sized dogs with very strong jaws and boundless energy. Their popularity waned with the sport, until the 1930s when they were brought to the U.S. show ring, and today they are still a recognized breed in the U.K. show ring.

    American Staffordshire Terrier

    • The American Staffordshire Terrier was bred by mixing the original British Staffordshire Bull Terriers with the Old English White Terrier, the Black and Tan, the Bulldog, the Mastiff, the Pointer and the Dalmatian. At 17 to 19 inches at the shoulder and weighing 40 to 50 pounds, they are larger than their British ancestors. Breeders who wished to show their American Pit Bull Terriers had to register them as Staffordshire Bull Terriers because the American Kennel Club (AKC) refused to recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed for show purposes due to the stigma attached to the fighting aspect of the breed. In 1973 the AKC added the "American" to the name in an effort to distinguish it from the Staffordshire Terrier.

    American Pit Bull Terrier

    • The American Pit Bull Terrier's ancestors, also Staffordshire Bull Terriers, were brought to the United States by Irish Immigrants in the 1800s. In the U.S., they were bred with other breeds to create a larger head and sturdier body for pit fighting. The American Pit flourished and became widely recognized, and in 1898 the United Kennel Club (UKC) was formed to provide registration and fighting guidelines expressly for the American Pit Bull Terrier. The AKC refused to recognize them as a breed and a new group, the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) was formed in 1909 to preserve the Pit Bull breed and allow them to compete in the show ring.

    Blue Nosed Pit Bull

    • A Blue Nosed Pit Bull is simply an American Pit Bull Terrier or an American Staffordshire Terrier depending on how it is registered, whose coat is "blue" -- ranging from gray through almost black -- and has a gray nose. The coat appears to be blue because these dogs carry two recessive genes that "dilute" the black hair. They are popular for their coloring, but because of the recessive genes, are more prone to disease.

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