Are amstaffs illegal? Questions

i would tell her that if anyone hears her refer to it as amstaff or pitbull it will be destryoed... it may hit it home to her!

the thing thats worrying me is she bought this dog knowing that he is an amstaff cross(or so she was told)
im worried if people do start talking she will be in alot of trouble:-(

just tell her to drop any talk of "am staff" and if anybody asks it's a bull mastiff x! nobody has to know she saw the papers for the am staff! just trainit well and love it loads and she'll be alright!

http://bulldogbreeds.com/breeders/pics/bigslick_breeders.jpg

this is wot my mate said the dad looked like,she said he was a spiting image of the dog on the left as the dad was 'blue ish' too.
she sent me this link:?

why is it wen i have a prob its always huge,why cant i for once not be the one with probs:-(

Aww clair, they look like pit crosses with neo to me, just hit it home hard, or tell me her name and ill go round and do it lol

How was the breeder able to import an Amstaff into England to begin with. Surely the father hasn't been here since the DDA began, he'd be too old to sire pups if that was the case? But I'm assuming, AKC papers and cropped ears, that this dog came from the states?

Poor puppy is going to be the one to pay ultimately. Just help your friend raise it and socialize it properly to reduce risk of incident.

i aint got a clue how an amstaff got in2 this country!?
i didnt see this dog,they could of shown her fake papers!?
they must of known that she knew nothing about amstaffs being illegal,or they thought she was buying him for fighting!?
i just dont know,she is comming round tonite,she managed to take a pic of the parents on her fone so shes going to show me 2nite

hi hayley,my mates bringing him round 2nite.
ill try and get a photo then send it to u,c wot u think,she also has a pic of the parents:-(

Please do send clair.

To be fair not ever pit and amstaff or byb sells them for fighting, but they really dont give a damn do they.

i hsve just read you notes and this is a very misunderstood law as pit bulls and pitbull type are leagle in the uk as long as thee kept leashed, muzzled and microchiped at all imes when out of house and the owner is licenced to have the breed,

The government has taken several steps to try to crack down on those who breed and trade dangerous dogs, as well as those who own them.


Dangerous dogs: The four breeds that are restricted in UK


In pictures


The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is the most prominent of the various laws that cover dog ownership in the UK.

The act bans the breeding and sale or exchange of four kinds of dog - pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosas, the Dogo Argentinos, and the Fila Brasileiros. Cross-breeds of those dogs are covered by the law.

Any other dogs "appearing... to be bred for fighting or to have the characteristics of a type bred for that purpose" are also banned.


Under the act, a dog classed as being "dangerously out of control in a public place" can be destroyed. The owner can be fined and imprisoned for up to six months.

If a dog injures someone, the owner can be jailed for up to two years.


this is a bit i got off the dda it tells how its aillegal to fight or breed but not to own

Christine I think you have been mislead,


In the mainland Great Britain, four breeds are currently subject to BSL under the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA):

The Japanese Tosa
The Pit Bull Terrier
The Dogo Argentino
Fila Braziliero
We must, however, also be aware that 'types' of these dogs are also affected. This means that your dog doesn't have to be a Pit Bull or Tosa to be subject to the DDA: it simply has display physical and behavioural characteristics similar to those displayed in breeds covered by the act.

As under British law it is an offence to own, keep, gift, breed from or sell any of the dogs mentioned above.

Specific regulations apply to fighting dogs. These are deemed as Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosa or any dog considered by the Secretary of State to have been breed for fighting. The act looks likely to prohibit these dogs entirely in the future, but currently in such cases it is an offence if you:

breed, sell or exchange such a dog
have the dog in a public place without a muzzle and kept on a lead.
allow the dog to stray.

the dda applies to all dogs however only specific dogs have regulations applied to them it clearly states breedin and selling is prohibited but at the moment there is no law to ownig a pit bull or pit bull type this is where many people get confused in this law. i have researched this in depth and spoke to goverment departments.

Sorry Christine M but that is not what the act says,

The wording is:

Types of dogs prohibited in Great Britain and
the circumstances
The DDA bans ownership, breeding, sale and exchange and advertising for sale of
specified types of fighting dogs.
The dogs covered by the ban (under section 1 of the DDA) are of the type known as:
• Pit Bull Terrier
• Japanese Tosa
• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Braziliero


Other dogs that may be affected
It is important to note the word “type”, as none of the prohibited dogs are recognised
breeds in Great Britain. The terms of section 1 of the DDA make it clear that it applies
not only to “pure” Pit Bull Terriers but also to any dog of the type known as the Pit
Bull Terrier.
Whether section 1 of the DDA applies to any particular cross will depend on whether
the resulting dog is of the prohibited type – that is to say, whether it has the
physical and behavioural characteristics of the prohibited type. Remember that the
characteristics are essential in deciding whether or not the dog is prohibited. Not
all Pit Bull Terriers will be described as a Pit Bull Terrier by their owner. Some owners
may deliberately misrepresent the breed of their dog using terms such as American
Staffordshire Terriers (Am Staffs or ASTs), American Bulldogs and the Presa Canaria.
Other names used to describe the Pit Bull Terrier types may be Irish Staffordshire Bull
Terriers (not to be confused with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier bred in Ireland), Old
Fashioned Staffords or Traditional Staffords. There are likely to be other names being
used by people breeding fighting dogs.

the dda i pasted wasnt changed. i copied and pasted it and thats wot it says iv also enquired about it as i used to own a pitbull my self the courts can decide if you to put in in index for an exemption to have one

the law is for them to die out but there is exemptions ruled by the court to keep them under strict regulation if they agree you have to be on a data base. therfore it is illigael to buy sell and breed but not to have already own one this is were the index comes in with the data base

Surely the register only applies to dogs at the time the Act came into place? If not, how can pit bull type dogs be impounded and pts.

Any dog alive at the time of the act coming in will now be dead so the register is no longer viable. People no longer have the option of neutering, muzzling and keeping on a lead, to day there should not be a dog of type in the UK.

Any dog of the type may be picked up and incarcerated the owner subject to a fine or a prison sentence, the decision as to if the dog is of type or no depends on the court - these are prohibited dogs not to be confused with the DDA which also has control over dogs (not prohibited) but in question of being dangerous, these may not be destroyed but may be subject to an order to muzzle, to neuter and to keep under control, this does not apply to dogs deemed to be prohibited or of prohibited type this includes the AM Staff and Am Staff crosses.

if your dog isnt registered and you are not adhereing to the conditions thats why they are impounded and pts people idnt unserstand the law and let them go but this didnt happen to everyone