What Is the Difference in an American Bull Dog & a Pitt Bull Dog?

Pitbulls and American Bulldogs may appear similar.

At a first glance, the American Bulldog and the Pit Bull Terrier may appear to share a variety of similarities. Both belonging to the Molosser family, they share powerful, sturdy, bodies, broad heads, strong sets of jaws and smooth, short haired coats. Yet, at a closer view these two breeds may exhibit many differences, both from an historic point of view and from a physical one as well.

Considerations

Both dog breeds are often blacklisted as dangerous breeds. Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Lexus IS200

While the American Bulldog and the Pit Bull Terrier are different breeds of dogs, when it comes to breed restrictions laws, some jurisdictions may tend to classify the American Bulldog as a ''Pitbull type of dog''.

Misconceptions

In 1970, the American Bulldog breed was registered with NKC and called ''American Pit BullDog''. However, in order to avoid confusing the breed with the Pit bull, it was renamed simply as the ''American Bulldog''

Appearance

Both breeds have differently shaped heads. Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Beverly

The Pitbull has a mostly wedge shaped head typically coming to a more rounded point at the muzzle, whereas the American Bulldog features a generally bulkier box-shaped head. Another distinctive feature is that the American Bulldog generally is left with uncropped ears, while the ears of the Pitbull are most likely cropped.

Size

Size makes a difference among these two breeds. Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Audrey

According to Youramericanpitbull.com, another distinctive feature is size. The American Bulldog is generally much larger in size and heavier than a purebred American Pitbull Terrier.

Ancestry

Both breeds share origins from the Bulldog. Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jesse CourteManche

The American Bulldog descends from the Old English bulldog, whereas the Pitbull on the other hand, was obtained by crossing a variety of Bulldogs and Terriers. Both breeds are curently not recognized by the AKC.

References

• Confusion with Other Breeds
• Renaming the American Bulldog
• Origins of Pitbull

Resources

• Non AKC Recognized Breeds