I was asked to write a post on this recently by a few different people who thought itâd be a good idea, so thatâs what Iâm going to do. Hopefully, this will help some of you out there understand what your dog is.
So, it seems that everyone thinks they own a pit bull or every dog is a pit bull. They say âif it looks like a pit bull, itâs a pit bullâ which is simply not true, because the question here is what does a pit bull look like? A lot of people will tell you that you canât base a dog off its looks which is true and false.
The term pit bull is a very thrown around term that is used very loosely. The question I get asked the most is is my dog a pit bull? Now, without a pedigree, youâll never really know. Then again, in many cases, people can and will tell you that your dog is not a pit bull, because in some cases, yes, it can be based off a dogâs looks.
The shelter/rescue labeled him as a pit bull, so he must be a pit bull, right?
No. Shelter/rescues do not bring in American Pit Bull Terriers, and if they ever do, they are usually immediately euthanized (from what I have seen). I have personally never seen a pit bull in any of my local shelters or rescues before, but have heard of very few people bringing them in, and they were immediately euthanized (because of dog aggression). Your average shelter/rescue, no matter how many dogs they have dealt with in their lifetime, are not equipped to handle a breed of dog such as a pit bull, most people arenât, thatâs why the majority should not own one.
Shelters bring in dogs they like to label as pit bulls because they have not done the proper research on pit bulls, and have no idea what they are or what they look like. So, it would be a safe bet to call your dog a mixed breed. If you want a true pit bull terrier, you should of not gone to a shelter, because any dog labeled as a pit bull at a shelter is a mixed breed dog.
Do your research on pit bull terriers, and I mean taking YEARS doing research on them. You canât research a pit bull terrier for a few days, weeks or months and say âthis dog is right for meâ. If you do, youâll be in deep shit. Spend time around real pit bull terriers. If you just want a bully breed mutt, shelters are filled with those.
If you are seriously interested in American Pit Bull Terriers, you will take the time to greatly research them. Here are some recommended books on the breed:
⢠This is the American Pit Bull Terrier - Richard F. Stratton
⢠The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier - Richard F. Stratton
⢠The Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier - Richard F. Stratton
⢠The Truth About the American Pit Bull Terrier - Richard F. Stratton
⢠The Complete Game Dog - Ed Faron
He looks like a pit bull, so does that mean that heâs a pit bull?
I want to make something loud and clear: not all pit bulls look the âsameâ. And, without a pedigree (proof of lineage/bloodlines), you have a mutt. Iâm not sure how to say it, but Iâm just going to say it like this: pit bulls come in different shapes and sizes. Does this mean that if your dog weighs 100 pounds that it is a pit bull? No. Because pit bulls do not weigh 100 pounds. Iâd like to say the average American Pit Bull Terrier weighs between 25-60 pounds, on average. Itâs pretty rare to even see an APBT that weighs more than 60 pounds, The ones I see are usually 25-55 pounders. So, they are medium sized breeds of dogs - not large sized breeds of dogs. They are not large breeds. If your dog weighs more than 75 pounds, itâs either fat or not a pit bull.
Now, I want us to take a look at some examples of different looking pit bull terriers. And, just because your dog supposedly looks like one of the dogâs below does not mean that it is a pit bull. Here are some examples of different pit bull terriers:
What exactly IS a pit bull? What should a pit bull look like?
This seems to be a very hard question for me to explain to some people, simply because thereâs so much history and detail that goes into telling one what a pit bull actually is. Itâs not about the simplicity of telling someone what is and isnât a pit bull, itâs about how much theyâre willing to listen and learn, and the mass majority of people arenât willing to listen or learn. That being said, you have to quickly come up with a short, but informative answer.
The general public has no idea what a pit bull is and that is the honest truth. The general public believes that a pit bull is anything labeled as a pit bull or anything that supposedly looks like a pit bull, whatever the hell that may mean. Basically, they think âit has a blocky head, itâs a pit bullâ or âit looks mean, itâs a pit bullâ, âit has a spiked collar, itâs a pit bullâ, âit attacks someone or something, it must be a pit bullâ.
As explained above, in a previous answer, I stated that the average pit bull terrier weighs between 25-60 pounds. If youâd like to take a look at the conformation standard of the pit bull terrier under the ADBA, as seen here.
Arenât there multiple types of pit bulls?
No. There is only one pit bull, which would be the American Pit Bull Terrier.
A dog who is of unknown lineage is one who is a mixed breed. He can not be called a pit bull or pit bull mix.
Iâve unfortunately had my fair share and have come across many people who claim to be educated on this subject, yet go around and educate everyone that thereâs multiple pit bulls. Lots of rescues spread this bullshit. Rescues, shelters, animal rights - they are why this breed is so fucked up.
My dogâs papers say heâs a pit bull, so that must mean heâs a pit bull, correct?
No, this does not mean your dog is a pit bull. I could easily register an American Bully as an American Pit Bull Terrier. This proves that papers cannot tell you your dogâs breed. When it comes to register papers, you can basically put any breed on their as long as they get their money. So, just because your papers say that your dog is a âpit bullâ doesnât mean that he is. You must have a pedigree to prove that.
Whatâs so bad about calling my dog a pit bull?
The harm is that you are spewing misinformation. If we labeled our dogs correctly, I honestly believe there wouldnât be BSL against pit bulls. If you got your dog from a shelter, call it a mixed breed. If you got your dog from a rescue, call it a mixed breed. If you got your supposed pit bull off Craigslist, call it a mixed breed. If someone were to ask âis that a pit bull?â, all you have to say is âno, my dog is not a pit bull or pit bull mix.â Believe me, youâd be doing more GOOD for your dog and the entire âpit bullâ population.
Isnât the American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and American Bully all the same breeds as the American Pit Bull Terrier?
NO! NO! NO! All four of these dogs are completely separate breeds of dogs. Now, for a quick history lesson, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier originally started out as the same breed of dog, but quickly became separate breeds after being used/bred for different purposes and having different characteristics, traits and appearance.
Letâs take a look at some more, and even a few better examples (see the above examples at the top) of American Pit Bull Terriers:
Now, we can take a look at the American Staffordshire Terrier:
Now some examples of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier:
And, finally we shall take a look at the American Bully (below) â the most commonly mistaken breed of dog to be a labeled as a pit bull. American Bullies are not pit bulls. Â Please, do us all a favor and if you have an American Bully, call it an American Bully, and please do not call it an American Pit Bull Terrier.
Now, letâs take a look at mixed breeds (these dogs are not pit bulls):
I was told my dog was a red nose, blue nose or gator pit bull. What exactly do these terms mean?
Well, red nose, blue nose and gator (gator head, gator mouth, gator, etc) are not types of pit bulls, and are definitely not bloodlines. All of these terms were and are made up by back yard breeders, therefore, they are not legitimate.
There is such thing as an OFRN (Old Family Red Nose) bloodline, but the chance of you owning a red dog and it being OFRN is about zero to none. OFRN is quite hard to come by, and is being kept and selectively bred.
Is it true that the pit bull terrier isnât really a breed of dog?
I have no idea where one gets that the pit bull terrier isnât a breed of dog, of course itâs a breed of dog! Pit Bull means American Pit Bull Terrier.
American (Pit Bull) Terrier is the only breed of dog with pit bull in its name!
⢠Written by www.TheRealAPBT.blogspot.ca Â