American Pit Bull Terrier

American Pit Bull Terrier: Excerpt from the full article.
Copyright © Marji Beach.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

History
The modern American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) can trace its roots back to England and the early 19th century. Crosses between “bully” type dogs and terriers eventually produced the modern APBT. Although not recognized as a “breed” and much smaller than the modern APBT, the early “bulldogs” were used as working dogs, controlling unruly bulls for butchers as well as farmers.

These “bulldogs” resembled, phenotypically, the modern APBT but were considerably smaller, weighing in at 15-30lbs. The courage and tenacity that made these dogs good at corraling dangerous bulls made them great at the blood sport of bull baiting.
The year 1835 saw the end of deadly bull baiting (countless thousands of dogs lost their lives to this “sport”) and the emergence of an even more sinister blood sport - dog fighting.

About the American Pit Bull Terrier:
General Appearance
The APBT is a medium sized breed with a solid build, sleek, short coat and with appropriate muscling.
Color
Any color and pattern is acceptable.
Weight
Bitches: 30-50lbs
Dogs: 35-60lbs. Larger and smaller dogs are accepted as long as they are not disproportionately large or small (so those 100lb brutes would definitely be disproportionate and inadmissible to a UKC show ring).
Height
17-23 inches (for dogs and bitches).
Ears
Both cropped and uncropped are accepted by the UKC and ADBA.

American Pit Bull Terriers are no more or less difficult than any other dog to train or socialize. Owners most certainly need to understand the dog fighting history and take necessary precautions by ensuring early socialization with other dogs and monitoring of their interactions with other dogs. Even with extensive socialization, some American Pit Bull Terriers may never become comfortable around other dogs, so each dog should be treated as an individual with careful consideration.

By their very nature, American Pit Bull Terriers strive to be around humans - centuries of breeding have seen to that. They need a kind heart AND a kind hand - physical reprimands are useless and ineffective for any dog and should rarely, if ever, be employed.

American Pit Bull Terriers have been used by the FDA and USDA for sniffing out bombs and drugs and have been used by the military as well as police forces. APBT’s have also been used as therapy and service dogs; in fact, the first certified hearing dog in Alaska was an American Pit Bull Terrier.

American Pit Bull Terriers are great at weight pulling as well as Agility, Schutzhund, Obedience and Carting. As far as temperament is concerned, APBT’s have consistently scored an 82% and higher on the American Temperament Test Society’s evaluation, higher than Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and most other breeds.

With socialization, training and a kind hand - American Pit Bull Terriers are wonderful companions for all walks of life: from families to single individuals, from joggers to apartment dwellers, and onward.

Read The Full Article

Favourite American Pit Bull Terrier Links
Positive Pit Bull Press
For Pits Sake
Villalobos Rescue Center
Pit Bull Rescue Central (PBRC)
Pit Bull Handbook

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z