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American Pit Bull Terrier |
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He is not recognized by the F.C.I. |
Origin |
U.S.A. | |
This breed is also known as |
Yankee Terrier
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Brief historical summary |
| Developed from the old-fashioned Bull and Terrier types, the American Pit Bull Terrier was bred as a farm dog all around, working farms as a cattle dog. Some have chosen to turn their talents to the sport of pit fighting. The breed's tenacity and accompanying strength are unmatched in the canine world. As rich and captivating as the breed's history is, the future of the Pit Bull is more worthy of comment. Some breed advocates maintain that the breed is the original bulldog of the past. Old engravings and wood carvings show reason to believe this. They show dogs that look exactly like the breed today, doing things that the dog is still capable of doing. For more information on this theory, you can read books by Richard F. Stratton. The APBT, as registered by the UKC, is an individual dog breed and doesn't refer to just any stupid, ill-bred warrior-type mongrel. At one time, the Pit Bull had the reputation of being a much-loved and trusted companion. Unfortunately, the breed became a status symbol for many criminal types who chose to train these dogs to fight. It is these types of people who are primarily responsible for the ban and witch-hunt that has swept the USA. The media, however, should not be overlooked, as they are also responsible for escalating isolated incidents relentlessly. Most pit bulls are bred as family dogs or sports such as weightlifting, but the media rarely report on them. They get more views claiming that all Pit Bulls are bred by fighters. In many cases, when the media talk about a Pit Bull attack, it's not even a Pit Bull at all, but rather a mixed breed, or another breed of bulls all together. For example, there was a report on KYW news in Philadelphia about two Pit Bulls attacking a person. The dogs didn't look like Pit Bulls, but rather Boxer mixes. The news station was called and asked if they knew the dogs were actually American purebred Pit Bull Terriers, or another bull breed of some sort, or muttants, for that matter. They said they didn't know and would call the police station to verify this information. They were asked how they could report something they weren't sure about. They had no answer and weren't sure about the breeds of the dogs. Even after admitting on the phone that they didn't know the breeds of the dogs in question, they continued to call Pit Bulls dogs in their reports. Why did they do this? Because the name Pit Bull will attract the most public attention. The future of the Pit Bull may have been irretrievably undone, and everyone is to blame except the dog itself. This very loyal dog is too inclined to please its owner, and ironically this is the root of its own downfall. Accompanying this need to please are remarkable abilities of all kinds. Jack Dempsy, Teddy Roosevelt and Jack Johnson are just a few of the people who have owned Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls excel at virtually every canine task, including breeding, guarding, hunting, policing, cart pulling and rolling. A Pit Bull named Banddog Dread holds more canine working titles than any other breed. The owner's name is Diane Jessup and you can reference her book "The Working Pit Bull". It tells all about Dread's achievements. These dogs are truly capable of many tasks. The difference between Pits and American Staffordshire Terriers is difficult. Even breeders can't agree. The main difference is lineage. Amstaffs are show dogs, and hunting dogs generally don't use dogs with Amstaff blood. Over time, there will be more difference. Many are dual-registered, like Amstaffs with AKC and Pits with UKC. |
General appearance |
| The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, solidly built, short-haired dog with soft, well-defined muscles. This breed is powerful and athletic. The body is slightly longer than it is tall, but females may be slightly longer than males. The length of the front leg (measured from the point of the elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to half the dog's height at the withers. The head is of medium length, with a broad, flat skull and a broad, deep muzzle. The ears are small to medium in size, well pricked, and may be normal or docked. The relatively short tail is set low, thick at the base and tapering to the tip. American Pit Bull Terriers come in all colors and shades. This breed combines strength and athleticism with grace and agility, and should never appear massive or overly muscular, or have thin, protruding bones. |
Behaviour / temperament |
| The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming with enthusiasm. American Pit Bull Terriers make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because some American Pit Bull Terriers sometimes exhibit a certain level of aggression and because of their powerful physique, American Pit Bull Terriers require an owner who will have a normal social life and know how to make this dog obey. The breed's normal agility makes it one of the most capable climbers, so a good fence is a must for this breed. The American Pit Bull Terrier is not the best choice as a guard dog, as it is extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior towards humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed is very good at working shows due to its high level of intelligence and willingness to work. The American Pit Bull Terrier has always been capable of doing a wide variety of jobs, so certain exaggerations or faults should be penalized proportionately according to the dog's interference and versatility. |
Head |
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Cranial region |
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Head |
The head of the American Pit Bull Terrier is unique and is the main feature of this breed type. It is large and broad, giving the impression of great power, but it is not disproportionate to the size of the body. Viewed from the front, the head is broad, blunt at the corners. Seen from the side, the skull and muzzle are parallel, joined by a defined, moderately deep stop. The supraorbital arches above the eyes are well defined but not pronounced. The head is well chiseled, strong, elegant and full of character. | |
Skull |
The skull is large, flat or slightly rounded, deep, and broad between the ears. Viewed from above, the skull tapers just slightly toward the stop. There is a deep median furrow that diminishes the detail from the stop to the occiput. The cheek muscles are forward but wrinkle-free. When the dog concentrates, wrinkles form on the forehead, giving the American Pit Bull Terrier its unique expression. | |
Facial region |
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Nose |
The nose is large with open nostrils. The nose can be any color. | |
Muzzle |
The muzzle is broad and deep, with a very slight cone from the stop to the nose, falling away below the eyes. The length of the muzzle is shorter than the length of the skull, with a ratio of approximately 2:3. The topline of the muzzle is straight. The lower jaw is well developed and deep. The lips are clean and strong. | |
Jaws and teeth |
The American Pit Bull Terrier has a full set of evenly spaced, white teeth that meet in a scissor bite. | |
Eyes |
The eyes are medium-sized, round and almond-shaped, set wide apart on the skull. All colors are equally acceptable, except blue, which is a serious fault. | |
Ears |
Ears are erect and can be normal or cropped. If normal, semi-erect and pink are preferred. Pricked or drooping, large ears are not desired. | |
Neck |
| The neck is of moderate length and muscular. There is a slight arch at the crest. The neck gradually widens from where it joins the skull to where it blends into the well extended shoulders behind. The skin on the neck is tight and free from feathering. |
Body |
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Body |
The chest is deep, well filled, and moderately broad for sufficient space for the heart and lungs, but the chest should never be wider than it is deep. The beginning of the chest does not extend much beyond the shoulder point. The ribs extend well into the back and are well sprung from the spine, then flattening to form a deep body extending to the elbows. The back is strong and firm. The topline slopes very slightly down to the withers, muscular and level with the back. The chine is short, muscular and slightly arched to the top of the croup, but narrower than the ribcage. The croup slopes slightly downward. | |
Tail |
| The tail is well set on top as a normal extension of the topline. When the dog is relaxed, the tail is carried low and extends approximately to the hock. When the dog is moving, the tail is carried level with the lower line. When the dog is excited, the tail may be carried erect and straight, but never curved over the back. |
Limbs |
Forequarters |
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Generality |
The shoulders are long, broad, muscular and set well back. The upper arm is roughly equal in length to the top of the shoulder and joins it at an apparent right angle. The front legs are strong and muscular. The elbows are close to the body. Viewed from the front, the forelegs are distant, moderately wide and perpendicular. The carpals are short, powerful, straight and flexible. Viewed in profile, the legs are almost straight. | |
Hindquarters |
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Generality |
The hind legs are strong, muscular and moderately broad. The hindquarters are well completed on either side of the tail and deep from the pelvis. The bone, angular shape and musculature of the hind legs are in balance with the front legs. The thighs are well developed and deep, the muscles easily discernible. Seen from the side, the hock is well angled and the rear legs are well perpendicular. Seen from the rear, the hind legs are straight and parallel. | |
Gait and movement |
| The American Pit Bull Terrier moves with a casual, confident attitude, giving the impression that it expects to see something new and exciting. When trotting, the gait is effortless, smooth, powerful and well coordinated, showing good forward extension of the hind legs. When moving, the bottom line remains level with only a slight flex to indicate suppleness. Viewed from any position, the legs neither turn in nor out, nor do the feet cross or interfere with each other. As speed increases, the feet tend to converge towards the center line. |
Coat |
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Characteristics |
The coat is glossy and smooth, short and moderately stiff on contact. | |
Colour |
Any color, color type, or combination of colors is acceptable. | |
Size and weight |
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Weight |
The American Pit Bull Terrier must be powerful and agile, so actual weight and height are less important than the correct proportion of weight to height. The desirable weight for an adult male is between 16 and 27 kilos. The desirable weight for an adult female is between 13 and 23 kilos. Dogs above these weights should not be penalized unless they are disproportionately massive or thin. |
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Faults |
| • Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work. • Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness. |
NB : |
| • Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. • The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying. • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding. |
English (United Kingdom)