The
American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a descendent of the
original English bull-baiting Bulldog and has historically
been bred with working/performance goals in mind. The
challenge of describing the American Pit Bull Terrier
inevitably invites a long sequence of superlatives. The
APBT is a supremely athletic, highly versatile, adaptive,
gushingly affectionate, eager-to-please, all-around family
dog. In courage, resolve, indefatigableness, indifference
to pain, and stubborn perseverance in overcoming any challenge,
the APBT has no equal in the canine world. Although the
APBT was once used as a national symbol of courage and
pride, the breed is largely misunderstood today.
Even though the APBT has historically been bred to excel
in combat with other dogs, a well-bred APBT has a rock-steady
temperament and, contrary to popular belief, is NOT inherently
aggressive towards humans. However, as adults, some APBTs
may show aggression towards other dogs. This fact, along
with the APBT's strength and determination, should be
taken into account when considering if the APBT is the
right breed for you. As with any companion dog, socialization
and consistent fair-minded training is a must from a very
early age.
Although
some APBTs may be suspicious of strangers, as most dogs
are, and will protect loved ones if necessary, in general
they do not excel in protection/guard work. If your
main reason for getting a dog is for protection/guard
work, perhaps a Rottweiler, German Shephard, or a Doberman
Pinscher would suit you better. Or, if you really like
the bulldog phenotype, look into an American Bulldog.
There are
several types of dogs that are commonly called "Pit
Bulls." Primarly, these are the American Pit Bull
Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier (AST), and
the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT). All three of these
dogs share common ancestry but have been subsequently
bred emphasizing different breeding criteria. Due to
this divergence, some people feel that they are now
different breeds. Others choose to view them as different
"strains" of the same breed. Neither view
is wrong, as it comes down to how one defines what a
"breed" is. This FAQ is primarily about the
American Pit Bull Terrier, specifically those dogs of
relatively recent game-bred ancestry. Some of the material
may ring true for the AST and the SBT, but the authors
are biased toward the APBT from performance-bred lines,
and this bias will be clear throughout theFAQ. Among
enthusiasts, the history of the APBT is as controversial
as the breed itself is among the misled public. The
breed's history is a recurrent subject of lively debate
in the magazines devoted to the breed. In fact, this
FAQ was hotly debated among the contributors before
it reached its final form, and still everyone isn't
100% happy!
Although
the precise origin of the APBT is not known, we can
reliably trace its roots back at least one hundred and
fifty years or so [1] to England. During the late 18th
and early 19th centuries the sport of bull-baiting was
very much alive and dogs were bred to excel in this
endeavor. The same type of dog was also used by hunters
to catch game and by butchers and farmers to bring down
unruly cattle. These dogs were called "bulldogs."
Historically, the word "Bulldog" did not mean
a specific breed of dog per se, but rather it was applied
to descendants of the ancient Mastiff- type dogs that
excelled in the task of bull-baiting. The "bulldogs"
of yore were much different from, and should not be
confused with, the loveable clowns of the show ring
today. The old, performance-bred, working bulldog was
closer in phenotype and spirit to the APBT and/or the
modern American Bulldog. The use of the word "bulldog"
applied to APBT's persists even today among APBT fanciers.
When bull-baiting was outlawed in England in 1835 the
sport of matching two dogs against one another in combat
rose in popularity to fill the void. One point of contention
about the history of the APBT is whether these pit fighting
dogs were essentially a new breed of dog specially created
for this popular pastime. Some authors, notably Richard
Stratton, have theorized that the APBT is essentially
the same breed as the Renaissiance bull-baiting dogs,
largely unmixed with any other kind of dog, specifically
terriers. These authors consider the present name, American
Pit Bull Terrier, a double misnomer, since, in their
view, the breed is not of American origin and is not
a terrier. They explain the popular attribution of the
breed's origin to a cross between bull-baiters and terriers
as a retrospective confusion with the breeding history
of the English Bull Terrier, which is a totally distinct
breed that was never successful at pit fighting but
whose origin is well-documented. Other authors who have
researched the topic, such as Dr. Carl Semencic, argue
that the APBT is indeed the product of a cross between
bull-baiting dogs and terriers and that the breed simply
did not exist in its current form during the Renaissance.
They would argue that when we think of the terriers
in the APBT's ancestry, we should not envision modern-day
show dogs like Yorkshire Terriers, but instead working
terriers (probably now extinct) that were bred for great
tenacity in hunting. The problem of proof, which hangs
over the discussion of any early breed history, is compounded
in this case by the extreme secrecy of the breeders
of pit dogs. In the 19th century pedigrees, if committed
to paper at all, were not divulged, since every breeder
feared letting his rivals in on the secrets of his success
and replicating it. In any case, by no later than the
mid-19th century, the breed had acquired all of the
essential characteristics for which it is still prized
today: its awesome athletic abilities, its peerless
gameness, and its easy-going temperament.
The immediate ancestors of the APBT were Irish and English
pit fighting dogs imported to the States in the mid-19th
century. Once in the United States, the breed diverged
slightly from what was being produced back in England
and Ireland. In America, where these dogs were used
not only as pit fighters, but also as catch dogs (i.e.,
for forcibly retrieving stray hogs and cattle) and as
guardians of family, the breeders started producing
a slightly larger, leggier dog. However, this gain in
size and weight was small until very recently. The Old
Family Dogs in 19th century Ireland were rarely above
25 lbs., and 15-lb. dogs were not uncommon. In American
books on the breed from the early part of this century,
it is rare to find a specimen over 50 lbs. (with a few
notable exceptions). From 1900 to 1975 or so, there
was probably a very small and gradual increment in the
average weight of APBTs over the years, without any
corresponding loss in performance abilities. But now
that the vast majority of APBTs are no longer performance-bred
to the traditional pit standard (understandably, since
the traditional performance test, the pit contest itself,
is now a felony), the American axiom of "Bigger
is Better" has taken over in the breeding practices
of the many neophyte breeders who joined the bandwagon
of the dog's popularity in the 1980s. This has resulted
in a ballooning of the average size of APBTs in the
last 15 years--a harmful phenomenon for the breed, in
our opinion. Another, less visible modification of the
breed since the 19th century was the selective intensification
of genetically programmed fighting styles (such as front-end
specialists, stifle specialists, etc.), as performance
breeding became more sophisticated under competitive
pressures. In spite of these changes, there has been
a remarkable continuity in the breed for more than a
century. Photos from a century ago show dogs indistinguishable
from the dogs being bred today. Although, as in any
performance breed, you will find a certain lateral (synchronic)
variability in phenotype across different lines, you
will nevertheless find uncanny chronological continuity
in these types across decades. There are photos of pit
dogs from the 1860s that are phenotypically (and, to
judge by contemporary descriptions of pit matches, constitutionally)
identical to the APBTs of today.
Throughout
the 19th century, these dogs were known by a variety
of names. "Pit Terriers", "Pit Bull Terriers",
"Half and Half's", "Staffordshire Fighting
Dogs", "Old Family Dogs"(the Irish name),
"Yankee Terriers"(the Northern name), and
"Rebel Terriers"(the Southern name) to name
a few. In 1898, a man by the name of Chauncy Bennet
formed the United Kennel Club (UKC) for the sole purpose
of registering "Pit Bull Terriers" as the
American Kennel Club wanted nothing to do with them.
Originally, he added the word "American" to
the name and dropped "Pit". This didn't please
all of the people so later the word "Pit"
was added back to the name in parentheses as a compromise.
The parentheses were then removed from the name about
15 years ago. All other breeds that are registered with
UKC were accepted into the UKC after the APBT. Another
registry of APBTs is the American Dog Breeders Association
(ADBA) which was started in September, 1909 by Guy McCord,
a close friend of John P. Colby. Now under the stewardship
of the Greenwood family, the ADBA continues to register
only APBTs and is more in tune with the APBT as a breed
than the UKC. The ADBA does sponsor conformations shows,
but more importantly, it sponsors weight pulling competitions
which test a dogs strength, stamina, and heart. It also
publishes a quarterly magazine dedicated to the APBT
called the American Pit Bull Terrier Gazette (see the
"References" section). The authors feel that
the ADBA is now the flagship registry of APBT as it
is doing more to preserve the original characteristics
of the breed.
In 1936,
thanks to "Pete the Pup" in the "Lil
Rascals" and "Our Gang" who familiarized
a wider audience with the APBT, the AKC jumped on the
bandwagon and registered the breed as the "Staffordshire
Terrier". This name was changed to "American
Staffordshire Terrier" (AST) in 1972 to distinguish
it from its smaller, "froggier", English cousin
the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. In 1936, for all intents
and purposes, the AKC, UKC, and ADBA version of the
"Pit Bull" were identical since the original
AKC stock came from pit fighting dogs, which were UKC
and ADBA registered. During this time period, and the
years that preceded it, the APBT was a well-liked dog
in America. At this time the APBT was considered an
ideal family pet. Because of his fun-loving, forgiving
temperament, the breed was rightly considered an excellent
dog for families with small children. Even if most of
them couldn't identify the breed by name, kids of the
Lil Rascals generation wanted a companion just like
"Pete the Pup". During the First World War,
there was an American propaganda poster that represented
the rival European nations with their national dogs
dressed in military uniforms; and in the center representing
the United States was an APBT declaring in a caption
below: "I'm neutral, but not afraid of any of them."
Since 1936,
due to different breeding goals, the American Staffordshire
Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier have diverged
in both phenotype and spirit/temperament, although both,
ideally, continue to have in common an easy-going, friendly
disposition. [2] Some folks in the fancy feel that after
60 years of breeding for different goals, these two
dogs are now entirely different breeds. Other people
choose to view them as two different strains of the
same breed (working and show). Either way, the gap continues
to widen as breeders from both sides of the fence consider
it undesirable to interbreed the two. To the untrained
eye, ASTs may look more impressive and fearsome, with
a larger and more blocky head, with bulging jaw muscles,
a wider chest and thicker neck. In general, however,
they aren't nearly as "game" or athletic as
game-bred APBTs. Because of the standardization of their
conformation for show purposes, ASTs tend to look alike,
to a much greater degree than APBTs do. APBTs have a
much wider phenotypical range, since the primary breeding
goal, until fairly recently, has been not to produce
a dog with a certain "look" but to produce
one capable of winning pit contests, in which the looks
of a dog counted for nothing. There are some game-bred
APBTs that are practically indistinguishable from typical
ASTs, but in general they are leaner, leggier, and lighter
on their toes and have more stamina, agility, speed,
and explosive power.
Following
the second World War, until the early 1980s, the APBT
lapsed into relative obscurity. But those devoted few
who knew the breed knew it in intimate detail. These
devotees typically knew much more about their dogs'
ancestry than about their own--they were often able
to recite pedigrees back six or eight generations. When
APBTs became popular with the public around 1980, nefarious
individuals with little or no knowledge of the breed
started to own and breed them and predictably, problems
started to crop up. Many of these newcomers did not
adhere to the traditional breeding goals of the old-time
APBT breeders. In typical backyard fashion they began
randomly breeding dogs in order to mass produce puppies
as profitable commodities. Worse, some unscrupulous
neophytes started selecting dogs for exactly the opposite
criteria that had prevailed up to then: they began selectively
breeding dogs for the trait of human aggressiveness.
Before long, individuals who shouldn't have been allowed
near a gold fish were owning and producing poorly bred,
human-aggressive "Pit Bulls" for a mass market.
This, coupled with the media's propensity for over-simplification
and sensationalization, gave rise to the anti-"Pit
Bull" hysteria that continues to this day. It should
go without saying that, especially with this breed,
you should avoid backyard breeders. Find a breeder with
a national reputation; investigate, for example, the
breeders who advertise in the breed's flagship magazine,
The American Pit Bull Terrier Gazette. In spite of the
introduction of some bad breeding practices in the last
15 years or so, the vast majority of APBTs remain very
human-friendly. The American Canine Temperament Testing
Association, which sponsors tests for temperament titles
for dogs, reported that 95% of all APBTs that take the
test pass, compared with a 77% passing rate for all
breeds on average. The APBT's passing rate was the fourth
highest of all the breeds tested.
Today, the
APBT is still used (underground and illegally) as a
fighting dog in the United States; pit matches also
take place in other countries where there are no laws
or where the existing laws are not enforced. However,
the vast majority of APBT's--even within the kennels
of breeders who breed for fighting ability--never see
any action in the pit. Instead they are loyal, loving,
companion dogs and family pets. One activity that has
really grown in popularity among APBT fanciers is weight
pulling contests. Weight-pulls retain something of the
spirit of competition of the pit fighting world, but
without the blood or sorrow. The APBT is ideally suited
for these contests, in which the refusal to quit counts
for as much as brute strength. Currently, APBTs hold
world records in several weight classes. I have seen
one 70-lb. APBT pull a mini-van! Another activity that
the APBT is ideally suited for is agility competition,
where its athleticism and determination can be widely
appreciated. Some APBTs have been trained and done well
in Schutzhund sport; these dogs, however, are more the
exception than the rule (see the section on APBT's and
protection/guard work).
[1]- Actually
one can trace the "Bulldog" history back further
than that, but for this document that's far enough.
Readers who are interested in more information on the
history of the breed are encouraged to refer to Dr.
Carl Semencic's book "The World of Fighting Dogs".
[2]- Through
out this document, unless otherwise noted, when we refer
to the American Pit Bull Terrier(APBT), we are referring
to the ADBA version which is more likely to be bred
to the traditional APBT breeding standards. In general,
the UKC version of the APBT is now being bred mostly
for looks alone, and thus has much in common with the
AKC AST.
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