How to Identify An American Pit Bull Terrier

The American Pit Bull Terrier, sometimes referred to as an ABPT is a dog which has a very bad reputation in American thanks to its history. This species was bred from Bull and Terrier breeds centuries ago as a pit fighter. Yes. It was bred for the purpose of fighting dogs and predatorial animals in a pit for the amusement of a crowd. Technically this dog fits into the Mastiff category, and is very powerful in spite of its small size. In reality this dog is eager to please its master and makes an excellent working dog and companion provided it’s been well raised and treated appropriately. Many different types of mutt and near feral dogs, which are truly dangerous to people, look similar to the ABPT. For that reason here is a guide on how to identify the relatively benign American Pit Bull Terrier.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dog
• Your Eyes

Identifying An American Pit Bull Terrier

1. Begin by looking at the dog’s general shape and build. The dog should be about two feet high at the shoulder and can weigh between 35 and 55 pounds. Some accounts of Pit Bulls reaching a monstrous 110 pounds exist, but these are erroneous and are in fact references to half breeds or different species of dog altogether. One should get an overall sense of power from the dog. It should be thick chested and heavily muscled with short sturdy legs and powerful shoulders to allow for the dog’s surprising agility. The tail should be thin, nondescript, and held low about halfway to the ground. Most dog’s bodies taper in width nearer down toward the dog’s rear, but this one should not. It should be a thick rectangle.

2. Look at the dog’s coat. The dog’s fur should be short, sleek and glossy. An ABPT can come in any color or pattern, but the fur will always appear to shine in the sun. To the touch the skin beneath the fur is very thick, though held tightly against the body. This is both to make it tougher for an attacker to pierce the dog’s skin and prevent an attacker from getting an easy grip or bite on a loose fold or flap.

3. Examine the dog’s head. It should be held up by a massively thick neck which should dwarf the back of the skull and make it appear small by comparison, though it’s in fact a much larger skull than one would expect. It should be especially broad and wide across the cheeks, not narrowing much down the muzzle, to allow for the large teeth and large powerful jaw muscles. The eyes should be set widely apart and recessed protectively in the skull, they can be any color except blue. The ears should be set far back and to the sides of the head and be somewhat shapeless and flopped over. If the dog matches this description then you’re looking at a purebred American Pit Bull Terrier.

Tips & Warnings

• The naturally aggressive tendencies of the ABPT are directed toward other animals, not people. This is an unfortunate holdover from the time when an ABPTs purpose was to fight for the entertainment of others. But with a little training and the proper socialization this breed can get along well with other animals. Whether or not they are trained they are very protective of other children and can easily handle being treated roughly to a high pain threshold. The terrible reputation this breed gets is thanks to all the mutts and wild dogs that attack people which the media incorrectly labels as the work of American Pit Bull Terriers. In reality this breed is very loyal, loving, and eager to please. If one should happen across a stray dog that appears at first glance you should definitely not approach it as there is a danger that the animal has not been socialized or has been abused. If this were to happen then it’s a pretty good assumption that a dog would attack, but this can be said of any other breed of dog that has been treated in the same manner. It just so happens that the ABPT is much stronger and more able to do harm than most other species should they be mistreated. Even though an ABPT may be gentle, they are still powerful animals to such an extant that a favorite activity is pulling or dragging around heavy objects or weights.
• Do not keep an ABPT with other unfamiliar animals as it does have the capacity for violence and will harm another animal if it feels it or its owner is threatened in any way. Do not leave an ABPT outdoors or unattended for long periods of time. This can result in the dog developing an anti-social personality that is less trusting of people, eroding any inhibitions against violence they might’ve had.

Resources

• List of Reliable American Pit Bull Breeders