American Pit Bull Terrier

The American Pit Bull Terrier's are a solid terrier breed, known for their strength, loyalty, and "gameness" (tenacity).

Appearance
The American Pit Bull Terrier's (APBT) is the mid sized of three dogs generally referred to as pit bulls. (see also American Staffordshire Terrier (AST) and Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT)). Males should weigh 35 to 65 pounds (16 to 29 kg), females 30 to 60 pounds (16 to 27 kg), with height being proportional. The coat is short, single layered, and stiff but glossy. Any colour is acceptable and dogs may either have patches or be solid. All eye colours are accepted except blue. Ears are rose or semi pricked, and may be cropped, although un cropped is preferred. The tail is short and tapering. The body is solidly built and muscular, with a wide chest. The head is wedge shaped with some slight forehead wrinkles.

Confusion among Pit Bull breeds
The three “pit bull” breeds all have nearly identical standards, with only the acceptable sizes and colours varying. Also, the AST and the APBT have the same heritage. Many people still consider them to be simply different types of the same breed. Dogs registered with the UKC as an APBT are often dual registered with the AKC as an AST. Adding to the muddle is the fact that many people refer to any dog of these breeds, as well as American Bulldogs and sometimes Bull Terriers, as “pit bulls.” There are actually 20+ breeds that can easily be mistaken for a pitbull.

Temperament
APBTs can be very sweet, curious, intelligent, and clownish. They are noted for their outgoing, affectionate, eager to please disposition and their fondness for people, and when raised with a firm but fair hand can make a wonderful family pet. APBTs can also be stubborn, pushy and prone to display aggression towards other dogs, whilst at the same time being almost overly affectionate to people. They are not a good choice of dog for a novice dog owner.

The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. breed statistics as of December 2005 show an 83.5% passing rate for the APBT as compared to an 81.2% overall pass rate for all the different breeds they test, showing that many of these dogs have stable and dependable temperaments. They will tolerate a child's rough play in most cases, and they have a high tolerance to pain. The problem with APBT's is their sheer strength and power.. In all breeds, there will be some animals with particular aggressive tendencies, and when it happens in this breed, as opposed to a less muscled/smaller jaw powered breed, the results are generally more sever. If a Chihuahua is especially aggressive, beware your toes.... if a APBT is especially aggressive... beware.

APBTs often display some level of dog aggression, especially towards strange dogs of the same sex or level of assertiveness. Don't expect to be able to keep a male APBT and Argentine Dogo as pets. Do remember that this breed was traditionally developed for dog fighting purposes, and even APBTs that were previously sociable may develop dog aggression as they mature. A responsible APBT owner does not let their dog interact with strange dogs unsupervised, and knows how to break up a dog fight (or avoid one in the first place.) It is important that APBTs who display any sign of human aggression are not bred, in order to preserve the stable and friendly nature of the breed.

When selecting an APBT puppy, find a breeder who selects puppies for their good temperament and not for aggressive tendencies. A good breeder should know the UKC standard, and should both health test and aggression test their breeding stock. A breeder who boasts about their dogs' "guard dog" skills or "protective" behaviour... well what kind of dog do you think you are going to get?. Research the breeder, ask for references, ask to see their facilities and check out other adult dogs they have raised. get your dog micro chipped, as these dogs are often stolen.

Adult pit bulls are frequently also available from animal shelters. Reputable shelters will temperament test their dogs before adoption, so that only dogs with stable temperaments are available for re homing. The advantage of obtaining an adult dog from a shelter is that its temperament is already known, and a dog with low dog aggression or low prey drive can be selected if desired.

History
First bred from bull-and-terrier crosses brought to America from England in the 1800s, they were popular in the new cities for the sport of dog fighting. As the country grew, many dogs traveled with settlers to new homesteads where they were used as working dogs on farms. When bred for fighting, breeders would look for strength, gameness, and lack of human aggression. Any fighting dog that showed aggression towards its owner or handler would be culled immediately. This created a line of strong dogs that, while being dog aggressive, would not attack their owners. In the late 1800s to early 1900s, two clubs were formed for the specific purpose of registering APBTs: the United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeder's Association. After dog fighting was made illegal in the United States, many dog owners wanted to legitimise the breed and distance it from its fighting roots. The name "Staffordshire Terrier" was adopted by some owners and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. Later, the word "American" was added to reduce confusion with its smaller cousin, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Not all breeders, however, agreed with the standard adopted by the AKC, and continued to use the name APBT for their lines. Much confusion still remains in regards to the APBT, the AST, and the SBT.

Once an extremely popular family dog in the United States, the American Pit Bull Terrier's popularity began to decline in the United States following World War II. Though still kept by families in its homeland, it has come under fire in the past thirty years for its association with inner city crime and drugs. Many people breed this dog for human aggression. They exploit its incredible willingness to please its master by teaching it to aggressively guard property against humans or leave it to roam the streets, regardless that this breed of dog does not have natural watch dog tendencies. If not trained to be wary or bark at intruders, they would sooner lick a burglar to death than bite or attack. They are kept for purposes of illegal gambling and dog fighting. Unfortunately, this breed is also often the most neglected, abused or abandoned of breeds.

In jurisdictions where breed-specific legislation prevents ownership of APBT's, owners may refer to their Pit Bulls, Pit Bull crosses, or even "pit bull looking" dogs as 'Staffys' or 'Amstaffs', which are currently exempt from such regulations. Many American Staffordshire and Staffordshire Bull Terrier owners find this unethical, and resent it, perhaps fearing that the ultimate result of the subterfuge will be restrictions on their breed as well.

In the United Kingdom, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 prohibits the sale or breeding of "any dog of the type known as pit bull terrier". Some jurisdictions in the Australian states of Queensland, New South Wales, and the United States have similar breed-specific legislation.