American Staffordshire Terrier
11 American Staffordshire Terriers in the atlas. Every number on this page has a source.
11 American Staffordshire Terriers in the Sniff Atlas. Population-genetic snapshot, Mendelian carrier frequencies from Donner 2023, and the data substrate's release version, sample sizes, and evidence tier on every claim.
Also known as AmStaff and Staffordshire, American Terrier.
The American Staffordshire Terrier has a moderately diverse gene pool, meaning there’s a good mix of genetic backgrounds within the breed, though our information is based on a small number of dogs so it’s still early to be sure. They share some traits with breeds like Bulldogs and Irish Terriers, and they’re known for their strong, muscular build. Some dogs in this breed may carry genes linked to certain eye and spine conditions, which reflects the breed’s overall gene pool and isn’t a prediction for any one dog. If you have concerns, talking with your vet or considering a genetic test can be helpful.
In the atlas, the American Staffordshire Terrier clusters consistently as American Staffordshire Terrier (100% of the 11 dogs here).
Only 11 dogs of this breed in the atlas, modestly sampled.
What the genome says about American Staffordshire Terrier
Computed from the 18,477 research dogs in the Atlas.
Not enough dogs in the atlas yet (n=11) for a reliable diversity figure. It fills in as more are added.
What does genetic diversity mean?
How varied a breed's gene pool is — the share of gene spots where a typical dog of the breed carries two different versions rather than two identical ones.
How to read it: Higher = more diverse. Among well-sampled breeds it ranges roughly 0.22 (least diverse) to 0.33 (most diverse).
Diversity is a strength, not a verdict on any individual dog. Lower diversity means it's worth paying attention to recessive-risk testing — not that a dog is doomed.
Not enough dogs in the atlas yet (n=11) to resolve cluster structure. It fills in as more are added.
What does within-breed variation mean?
How much individual dogs within the breed differ from each other genetically.
How to read it: Higher = more internal variety among individuals of the breed.
Sensitive to how many dogs of the breed we've sampled.
What does typical lifespan mean?
The median age dogs of the breed tend to reach.
How to read it: Higher = longer-lived. Compare to longevity-for-size to see whether it's just a size effect.
Drawn from population lifespan records; individual dogs vary widely with care, genetics, and luck.
Frequency of the alternate allele in this breed at each locus's representative SNP.
Not enough American Staffordshire Terriers in the atlas yet (n=11) for reliable allele frequencies at these loci. It fills in as more are added.
Other names
The American Staffordshire Terrier is also recorded as AmStaff and Staffordshire, American Terrier.
Identified as American Staffordshire Terrier (VBO:0200055) in the Vertebrate Breed Ontology (Mullen et al. 2025, CC-BY 4.0) · registry IDs FCI 286 · iDog 11 · VeNom 15079.
What does the genome say about how a American Staffordshire Terrier looks?
American Staffordshire Terriers look the way they do because of a small set of fixed and near-fixed morphology genes that, taken together, define the visible breed. Each translation below pairs the gene with the trait an owner actually sees, the breed's allele frequency at that locus, and a one-clause causal phrase.
Where the breed-defining genes act, mapped on a generic dog-body key — and how fixed each marker is in the American Staffordshire Terrier. The figure is the most-settled marker we read in that region; the full per-locus panel is below. (The silhouette is a shared anatomical guide, not this breed's outline.)
Size and build
IGF1 sits at 55% for the small-body allele. IGF1 is the gene that sets dog body size from Chihuahua to Great Dane. Intermediate frequencies typically keep a breed in the mid-sized range rather than tipping toward the larger working forms.
IGF1what this gene does
IGF1 is a gene that plays a key role in determining a dog's body size. It influences how much a dog grows, affecting overall stature.
For your dog: Knowing about IGF1 gives you insight into your dog's size traits, but it’s just one part of the bigger picture when it comes to their health and care.
Full IGF1 gene page →HMGA2 sits at 68%. HMGA2 is a chromosome-10 size locus that acts together with IGF1, and intermediate frequencies reflect partial commitment to the dominant size variant.
HMGA2what this gene does
HMGA2 is a gene that influences body size in dogs, helping determine how big or small a dog grows.
For your dog: Knowing about HMGA2 helps you appreciate the genetic factors behind your dog's size, but it doesn't signal any health issues.
Full HMGA2 gene page →SMAD2 is near-fixed at 86%, a chromosome-7 height locus differentiating small from giant breeds.
SMAD2what this gene does
SMAD2 is a gene involved in regulating body size by influencing how cells grow and develop.
For your dog: Knowing about SMAD2 helps understand your dog's size traits but isn't linked to health issues; no immediate action needed.
Full SMAD2 gene page →LCORL is near-fixed at 96%, the NCAPG/LCORL height locus that is one of the strongest single contributors to canine body size.
LCORLwhat this gene does
LCORL is a gene that influences body size in dogs. It helps determine how big or small a dog might grow.
For your dog: Knowing about LCORL helps you appreciate the genetic factors behind your dog's size, but it’s just one piece of the bigger picture when it comes to health and care.
Full LCORL gene page →STC2 sits at 50%.
ADAMTS17 sits at 50%. ADAMTS17 is a body-size locus also linked to lens disorders.
ADAMTS17what this gene does
ADAMTS17 is a gene that influences body size and also plays a role in certain eye conditions. It affects the structure of tissues in the eye and elsewhere in the body.
For your dog: If your dog belongs to a breed known to carry ADAMTS17 variants, it’s worth discussing genetic testing and eye exams with your vet to stay ahead of potential issues.
Full ADAMTS17 gene page →Leg length
The FGF4 retrogene on chromosome 18 sits at 73%. This is the leg-length variant. The intermediate frequency means some dogs in this breed carry the short-legged allele and some do not.
The FGF4 retrogene on chromosome 12 is near-fixed at 86%, the chondrodystrophic variant associated with intervertebral disc disease risk in breeds that carry it.
Coat type, length, and color
RSPO2 sits at 56% for the furnishings variant. Furnishings (the eyebrow-and-mustache pattern seen in Schnauzers and Wheaten Terriers) vary across the population at this intermediate frequency, and visible expression depends on the specific allele combination each dog carries.
RSPO2what this gene does
RSPO2 influences the texture and appearance of a dog's coat, particularly the presence of 'furnishings' like mustaches and eyebrows. It helps determine whether a dog has that distinctive wiry or textured look.
For your dog: If your dog has those wiry eyebrows or a mustache, RSPO2 is part of the reason—no health worries, just a coat feature worth knowing about.
Full RSPO2 gene page →FGF5 sits at 59% for the long-coat variant. Coat length is influenced by other loci as well, so intermediate FGF5 frequencies do not always correspond to intermediate visible coat lengths.
FGF5what this gene does
FGF5 is a gene that influences the length of a dog's coat. It acts like a natural switch, telling hair follicles when to stop growing longer fur.
For your dog: If your dog has a notably long or short coat, FGF5 is likely part of the reason—no action needed, but it’s a neat genetic detail to know.
Full FGF5 gene page →KRT71 is near-fixed at 100% for the wavy/curly variant. Coat curl phenotype varies across breeds at this fixation depending on modifier loci, and visible expression is not always curled even when the locus is fixed.
KRT71what this gene does
KRT71 is a gene that influences the curliness of a dog's coat. It helps determine whether a dog's fur is straight or has a distinctive curl.
For your dog: If your dog has a curly coat, KRT71 is likely part of the reason; it’s a natural variation, not a health concern.
Full KRT71 gene page →MC1R sits at 77% at the representative SNP. MC1R controls the switch between red-to-gold pigment and black-to-brown pigment, with the e/e homozygous genotype producing the gold-to-red spectrum. Substrate frequencies at this SNP depend on the array's polarity, so visible coat color in the breed is a more reliable indicator than this single number.
MC1Rwhat this gene does
MC1R is a gene that influences coat color in dogs, affecting how pigments are produced in the fur.
For your dog: Knowing about MC1R gives insight into your dog's coat color but doesn't relate to health issues.
Full MC1R gene page →Ears
MSRB3 sits at 56% for the drop-ear allele, which is why ear set varies across the breed.
MSRB3what this gene does
MSRB3 is a gene involved in the development of ear shape and structure in dogs.
For your dog: Understanding MSRB3 helps explain why your dog's ears look the way they do, but it isn't linked to any health issues.
Full MSRB3 gene page →Skull shape
BMP3 sits at 55%, contributing to the breed's moderate, mesaticephalic head shape rather than the extreme brachycephalic form.
BMP3what this gene does
BMP3 is a gene that influences the shape of a dog's skull, particularly contributing to a shorter, broader head shape known as brachycephaly.
For your dog: If your dog has a broad, short skull, it's worth discussing with your vet how this might impact their health, even though BMP3 isn't directly tied to illness.
Full BMP3 gene page →SMOC2 sits at 68%, contributing to the breed's moderate head shape.
SMOC2what this gene does
SMOC2 influences the shape of a dog's skull, particularly affecting how flat or short the face appears.
For your dog: If your dog has a short nose, it's worth discussing with your vet how this trait might impact their health over time.
Full SMOC2 gene page →What genetic diseases do American Staffordshire Terriers carry?
From a panel of 250 Mendelian-disease variants screened in 1,054,293 dogs (Donner et al. 2023), American Staffordshire Terriers carry 71 of them at observable frequency. Carrier frequency is not clinical risk. Most recessive variants require two copies for disease expression; many dominant variants show incomplete penetrance. Read this as a population fingerprint of what's in the gene pool, not a per-dog prediction.
RPGRIP1what this gene does
RPGRIP1 is a gene involved in the function of photoreceptor cells in the eye, which help dogs see in different light conditions.
For your dog: If your dog belongs to a breed known to carry RPGRIP1 mutations, it’s worth discussing with your vet to understand the risks and monitor eye health.
FGF4what this gene does
FGF4 influences leg length by affecting bone growth, leading to shorter legs in certain breeds.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry this gene, it's worth discussing spinal health with your vet, but being a carrier doesn’t guarantee problems.
SOD1what this gene does
SOD1 is a gene that helps protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.
For your dog: If your dog is a carrier of SOD1 variants, it's worth discussing with your vet, but remember carrier status doesn't mean your dog will get the disease.
SLC2A9what this gene does
SLC2A9 is a gene that helps regulate uric acid levels in a dog's body. It plays a role in how the kidneys handle this substance.
For your dog: If your dog is one of the breeds known to carry this gene variant, it’s worth discussing with your vet to understand any potential urinary health concerns.
SLC3A1what this gene does
SLC3A1 is a gene that helps transport certain amino acids in the kidneys. It plays a key role in preventing the buildup of cystine, which can form stones.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry SLC3A1 variants, it’s worth discussing cystinuria risks with your vet, especially if urinary issues arise.
ARSGwhat this gene does
ARSG is a gene that helps break down certain molecules in the body, keeping cells healthy.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry ARSG mutations, it's worth discussing genetic testing with your vet to understand potential health risks.
SLC7A9what this gene does
SLC7A9 is a gene that helps transport certain amino acids in the kidneys. It plays a role in how the body handles cystine, an amino acid that can form crystals.
For your dog: If your dog is a carrier, it’s worth discussing with your vet to monitor urinary health and catch any issues early.
PDE6Bwhat this gene does
PDE6B is a gene that helps control how the eye processes light signals, crucial for normal vision.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry PDE6B mutations, it's worth discussing vision health with your vet, especially if you notice any changes in sight.
BEST1what this gene does
BEST1 is a gene that helps maintain the health of the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. It plays a role in keeping the cells in the retina functioning properly.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry BEST1 variants, it’s worth discussing retinal health with your vet, especially if you notice any vision changes.
NPHS1what this gene does
NPHS1 is a gene important for kidney function, helping to keep proteins in the blood where they belong.
For your dog: If your dog’s breed is on the list, it’s worth asking your vet about NPHS1 to understand any risks and keep an eye on kidney health.
PRCDwhat this gene does
PRCD is a gene involved in the health of a dog's retina, the part of the eye that detects light and helps with vision.
For your dog: If your dog belongs to a breed known to carry PRCD changes, it's worth discussing eye health and potential genetic testing with your vet.
PDK4what this gene does
PDK4 helps regulate how cells use energy, especially in the heart muscle.
For your dog: If your dog is one of the breeds known to carry this gene, it’s worth discussing heart health with your vet, but being a carrier doesn’t mean your dog will develop disease.
NHEJ1what this gene does
NHEJ1 is a gene involved in repairing breaks in DNA, helping maintain the integrity of genetic information in cells.
For your dog: If your dog belongs to one of the breeds known to carry this gene variant, it's worth discussing testing with your vet to understand any potential eye health risks.
CHRNEwhat this gene does
CHRNE is a gene involved in the communication between nerves and muscles, helping muscles respond properly to signals.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry CHRNE variants, it's worth discussing with your vet, especially if you notice muscle weakness or unusual fatigue.
SLC37A2what this gene does
SLC37A2 is a gene involved in how cells manage certain sugar molecules, which can affect bone development.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry this gene variant, it's worth discussing with your vet, especially if you notice jaw discomfort or eating issues.
ABCB1what this gene does
ABCB1 is a gene that helps control how certain drugs are processed and cleared from a dog's body.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed that carries this gene variant, ask your vet about medication sensitivities before giving any new drugs.
MTBPwhat this gene does
MTBP is a gene involved in regulating inflammation in the body. It helps control how the immune system responds to triggers.
For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry MTBP variants, it's worth discussing with your vet whether genetic testing or monitoring for inflammation-related issues makes sense.
American Staffordshire Terriers are a natural model for human disease
Because the same genes cause the same conditions across species, the inherited conditions documented in American Staffordshire Terriers help researchers understand, and work toward treating, the human diseases they model. This is the dog advancing human medicine. The breed models the human disease; it does not have it, and this is not a prediction for your dog.
- OMIM:302030, modeled by the breed's Calvarial hyperostotic syndrome, the same underlying biology.
- Griscelli syndrome type 3, modeled by the breed's Coat colour, dilution, MLPH-related, the same underlying biology.
- OMIM:610008, modeled by the breed's Lysosomal storage disease, ARSG related, the same underlying biology.
- OMIM:254090, modeled by the breed's Muscular dystrophy, Ullrich type, COL6A3-related, the same underlying biology.
- OMIM:133701, modeled by the breed's Osteochondromatosis, EXT2-related, the same underlying biology.
- OMIM:601455, modeled by the breed's Polyneuropathy, generic, the same underlying biology.
Every condition recorded in the American Staffordshire Terrier
Beyond the testable carriers above, OMIA's literature catalogue records 10 genetic conditions in the American Staffordshire Terrier, 10 of which have a known human equivalent. This is the documented landscape across all American Staffordshire Terriers ever studied, not a prediction for any one dog.
- Human equivalent: OMIM:302030
- Coat colour, dilution, MLPH-related Autosomal recessiveHuman equivalent: Griscelli syndrome type 3
- Lysosomal storage disease, ARSG related Autosomal recessiveHuman equivalent: OMIM:610008
- Human equivalent: OMIM:254090
- Osteochondromatosis, EXT2-related Autosomal dominantHuman equivalent: OMIM:133701
- Polyneuropathy, generic Autosomal recessiveHuman equivalent: OMIM:601455
- Retinal atrophy - Cone-rod dystrophy 1 Autosomal recessiveHuman equivalent: OMIM:163500
- Screw tail Autosomal recessiveHuman equivalent: OMIM:602151
- Urolithiasis Autosomal recessiveHuman equivalent: OMIM:220150
- XX difference of sexual development, generic MultifactorialHuman equivalent: 46,XX disorder of sex development
Where every number on this page came from.
This page draws on three primary data sources. Carrier frequencies for the Mendelian section come from Donner et al. 2023 (CC-BY-4.0). We grade these data at evidence Limited because the cohort is a direct-to-consumer ascertainment, which biases toward owners who chose to test their dogs. The panel also uses tag-SNP proxies for some variants rather than direct causal-variant assays. Limited is a study-design grade, not a quality grade: the Donner cohort is the largest open canine-genotype dataset in existence and we are grateful for it. We rate the confounding MEDIUM.
Population-genetic dimensions (heterozygosity, intra-breed PCA distance, nearest neighbors, trait-locus frequencies) come from CanVAS (Brundage 2026), harmonized through the Sniff Atlas. The exact release date and verification commit are pinned at the bottom of the page so a researcher can trace a number back to a specific snapshot. The disease-gene-variant graph comes from OMIA (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals; Nicholas, Tammen, and the Sydney Informatics Hub at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney; retrieved April 2026, DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70).
What this page does not yet have. Inheritance modes and per-disease penetrance evidence from Donner 2023 are now in the structured data for every variant the panel covers. Mondo, OMIM, Ensembl, and HGNC cross-references on gene pages remain pending, they arrive in December 2026 alongside the imputed 9.67M-variant CanVAS dataset via the OMIA SQL dump absorption. Until then, gene IDs carry NCBI Gene and OMIA phene URLs only; the wider human-homolog and disease-ontology cross-reference set fills in with that release.
How to cite this page. The computed dimensions on this page are derived from the open Sniff Atlas v1.0.1 (Gehring 2026, doi:10.5281/zenodo.20566358, CC-BY 4.0). Full citation formats including BibTeX, RIS, and CITATION.cff at sniff.world/cite.
We have 11 american staffordshire terriers. We do not have yours.
Every american staffordshire terrier added sharpens the breed's genetic neighborhood. Enrollment is free. The data stays open. The star is permanent.
- Donner J, Freyer J, Davison S, Anderson H, Blades M, Honkanen L, et al. (2023). Genetic prevalence and clinical relevance of canine Mendelian disease variants in over one million dogs. PLOS Genetics 19(2):e1010651. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651
- Brundage J, et al. (2026). CanVAS: a harmonized canine variant atlas. bioRxiv. doi:10.64898/2026.04.13.718238
- Nicholas, F.W., Tammen, I., & Sydney Informatics Hub. (2026). Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA) [dataset]. The University of Sydney. https://omia.org. doi:10.25910/2AMR-PV70 (retrieved April 2026).