American Pit Bull Terrier

The American pit bull terrier has a long history of Pit/Dog Fighting, and developed from the breedings of Bull terriers and other mastiff type dogs from years upon years back. The breed is, to this day, left unmatched towards any other dog breed accepted by any or all current dog registrations.

At one time in history, this breed was noted as being very trustworthy, loyal, and loved member of the dog world and registry. Today, with the media, the breed has gained a bad reputation. As in many cases the media gets wind of a dog attack, and immediately publicizes a "pit bull" attack, and never retracting the story once the truths about the breed. You don't hear lab attacks, retriever bites, or terrier kills... Just "pit bull" maulings. But remember that although 60-70% of attacks are the "pit bull," that statistic includes purbred APBT, AmStaffs, Bull Terriers, mixes of these breeds, and any broad chested mongrel with an undefinable breed.

These dogs are seen as warriors, and not the good kind due to the irresponsibility of those who choose to raise the breed for fighting. These are the people who have caused all the witch hunts.

This breed is a very loyal breed set to please his people. What is not heard is the history behind the American Pit Bull Terrier. The history of family pets, who happened to have a job of dog fighting. These dogs were bred to dog fight, but any sign on human aggression were immediately euthanized.

You don't hear that this breed were once known as 'nanny dogs' for their loyalty to the children in the family. You don't hear about the APBTs in the war, not used as fighting dogs towards the enemy but as therapy dogs or retrieval dogs.

The American pit bull terrier is a dog of power, willingness, and loyalty. They are known for their solid bodies and large, broad heads, held by a thickly muscled neck.

The body of an APBT is very muscular and stocky. They tend to range from 18 to 22 inches in height (measured at the shoulder blade) and 22 to 110 pounds in weight.

In many cases the ears are cropped, and the tails docked. But according to the UKC standard, docked tails are not accepted for the breed.

The eyes are round, and any color is acceptable, usually ranging from brown to blue.

Its coat is made up of thick, short, shiny hair.

APBTs can range from tan to chocolate, fawn to blue, brindle to white, and any mix therein.

With their goofy smiles and determined faces, the American Pit Bull Terrier truly has the want and will to please. The breed is loyal till death. By far the bad reputation that they have following their name, just does not fit. By no means are they baby killers or man haters.

As with ANY breed, with proper socialization, affection, and raising, these dogs can be the perfect family pet. They will never show an ounce of aggression in their bodies.

These dogs are extremely loyal and affectionate. They are very eager to please their human companion. American Pit bull terriers are both courageous and intelligent.

They are highly protective over their pet parents and their property, and will fight an enemy if the time deserves it. They are super friendly dogs, but very protective none-the-less.

This breed is definitely known for it's stubbornness, and a strong, firm hand is needed when dealing with this particular breed. Now, although they are intelligent and eager to please, making training of basic obedience simple a quick process, the one in command needs to be the human. These dogs will try to control the situation as to whether or not he chooses to listen. You must make them cohere to the situation at hand.

Although, this breed can be wonderful around people of all ages, from the youngest to oldest handler, with training and socialization a key, their interaction with other dogs and animals must be watched. You can raise an APBT from a pup to an adult and never have aggression problems with other animals, but this, once again, takes proper training and socialization.

The American Pit Bull breed is a relatively hardy breed without any predisposed health conditions. Unlike many dog breeds, the American Pit Bull Terrier is not prone to hip dysplasia, patella displacement, skin allergies, or any other common health concern related to other dog breeds.

The APBT is probably one of the few dog breeds that it nor predisposed to common health issues, but that is not saying that they do not get cancer or other illnesses, they are just not predisposed to it.

BSL does not just affect American Pit Bulls, it affects shepherds, chow chows, akitas, rottweilers, dobermans, huskies, and other various dog breeds. If we don't fight breed specific legislations, all dogs will eventually be encompassed and entertwined in BSL laws and bills.

In many cases a grandfather clause will be added to the end of the bill, saying that if you have owned your dog for a certain time frame before the bill has been passed you can keep the dog. But, under those circumstances they will give several restrictions such as outdoor dog kennels and muzzles if in public.

I personally, think these laws and clauses furthers the fear in some people. If you see a dog with a muzzle, you automatically assume the dog will bite and is aggressive. If you see an "pit bull" in a muzzle, fear rises higher.

Why should BSL affect only the good owners and their dogs suffer when the problem is not them. When the problem is the bad owners. With BSL, the bad owners will move to another county or state, or they will find another breed to fight. Eventually they will run out of bully breeds. What then? They'll fight labs and retrievers and terriers. Than all dog breeds will be encompassed in breed specific legislations.

Throughout history, the American Pit Bull Terrier has been seen in the homes of many celebrities. The breed has been seen assisting search and rescue missions, and fighting miliary battles.

The APBT is actualyl a fairly famous breed.

Even today, APBTs are seen in movies such as "Our Gang," and their used as advertisement for Old Navy Commercials.

I, personally, hope that the recent use of APBTs in the public's eye will change thier opinion of the breed. Hopefully, bringing back the dignity and love for the APBT versus the fear and hate.