American Pit Bull Terrier
Other names: Pit Bull, APBT
Attributes:
| Size: | M |
|---|---|
| Life: | 10-15 years |
| Living area: | can be kept indoors or outdoors |
| Color: | Solid red, blue, black, fawn, buckskin, brindle, red-brindle, and blue-brindle (may or may not have white patches); solid white. |
| Litter: | 5–10 puppies |
| Male weight: | 35-65 pounds (16-29 kg) |
| Male height: | 16-24 inches |
| Female weight: | 30-60 pounds (16-27 kg) |
| Female height: | 14-24 inches |
Description
The American Pit Bull Terrier is a mid-sized breed of dog in the terrier group. They are known for their intelligence, strength, loyalty and friendliness. They make wonderful family dogs and pets for the children always wanting to take care of them.
They are a strong solidly built muscular dog with a short and stiff single layer of hair that can be almost any color. The ears are occasionally cropped, with a short tapered tail.
The coat is short, single layered, and stiff but glossy. The ears are rose colore and semipricked and eyes can be almost any color except blue. The blocky head is wedge-shaped with wrinkles on top.
There has been negative publicity about them in recent years, not due to the actual behavior of the American Pit Bull Terrier, but do to misbreeding of different types of "pit bull like" terriers with the intent of making tough guard dogs. Because of the similarity in looks of some of these "pit bull" terriers, the pit bulls, in general have unfairly been labeled as mean, untrustworthy and actually restricted and banned in some parts of the world. Many of these instances stemmed from bad owners that mistreated and almost starved the dogs to make them mean rather than from the dog itself.
Owners of the American Pit Bull Terrier dispute these allegations against the dog and claim they are wonderfully, intelligent, loving dogs that with proper discipline and obedience training make wonderful family pets for all ages.
The American Kennel Club does not recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier, although the United Kennel Club and the American Pit Bull Registry recognize them.
Temperament
The APBT is a strong-willed, sturdy companion. It is a breed that is loyal to friends and family, and friendly to strangers. With guidance from its handlers, APBTs are obedient and show a high desire to please. However, when left without direction they can become stubborn and may become aggressive.
According to a study done by CDC, APBTs account for the majority of fatalities in the US among all breeds. During the years 1979 - 1996, 60 people have been killed by APBTs. The breed with the next highest fatalities is the Rottweiler with 29.
A well bred APBT should have a stable and dependable temperament. The American Temperament Testing Society shows a pass percentage of 84.3% for American Pit Bull Terrier, a 0.2% higher passing rate than the commonly considered 'family dogs' such as Golden Retrievers. However, a firm, even hand and early obedience training are strongly recommended for this breed. They generally have a lot of energy and high prey drive; they need exercise and stimulation in order to channel their energy properly and not become frustrated, bored, and destructive.
APBTs often display dog aggression, especially towards unfamiliar dogs of the same sex or level of assertiveness. Early socialization and good training can mean that many individuals of the breed may not display this trait. However, with proper training and socialization, pit bulls are not aggressive and can even make excellent service animals. Pit bulls have been used for everything from cheering up hospital patients, search and rescue, and even sniffing drugs for the DEA.
When selecting an APBT puppy, it is paramount to find a breeder who selective breeds for sound temperament and good health. A quality breeder will know the breed standard as set by a reputable breed registry such as the UKC or the ADBA (the AKC does not recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier) and should both health and temperament test their breeding stock. A breeder who boasts about their dogs' "guard dog" skills or "protective" behavior is an indicator that their dogs may be inappropriately bred for human aggression and very probably are not pure APBTs. It is a good idea for prospective APBT owners to research the breeder, ask for references and ask to see their facilities and the parents of the prospective puppy.
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 adoption. The advantage of obtaining an adult dog from a shelter is that the dog's temperament is already known, and a dog with low dog aggression or low prey drive can be selected if desired.
