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SERVICES Pet Insurance Pet Care Services   Puppy Care   Dog Walking   Dog Day Care   Home Boarding   Pet Sitting   Other Services Pet Care Areas Dog Training Dog Grooming Book Our Services SHOPPING Online Store Our Pet Shops NAVIGATION Site Search Site Index YOUR K9 CAPERS Members Forum Classified Ads Your Crazy Gang Training Tips Features Money Off Links Page Other Stuff Join As An Affiliate Dog Breeds Index UK Animal Rescue Find Any UK Vet Jobs Contact Us	Dog Breed Index The American Pitbull Terrier Appearance The APBT is the midsized breed of the three generally referred to as pit bulls (see also American Staffordshire Terrier (AST) and Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT)). Males should weigh 35 to 65 pounds (16 to 29 kg), females 30 to 60 pounds (16 to 27 kg), an APBT should be roughly around eight to twenty two inches tall. The coat is short, single layered, and stiff but glossy. Any color, save merle, is accepted and dogs may either have patches or be solid. All eye colors are accepted except blue. Ears are rose or semipricked, and may be cropped, although uncropped is preferred. The tail is short and tapering. The body is solidly built and muscular, with a wide chest. The head is wedge shaped with some slight forehead wrinkles; the muzzle is medium sized with the teeth forming a scissors bite. There is no specific preferrence for nose color in the APBT standard. The life expectancy of this breed is approximately twelve to fourteen years. For more information on the breed please refer to the UKC and or ADBA standards In 2005, Dr. Brady Barr of the National Geographic measured the bite forces of many different animals, including domestic dogs for the documentary Dangerous Encounters: Bite Force. A Pit Bull named Aidan was measured at having a bite of 130-235 pounds[2] (compared to a Rottweiler, was measured at 328 pounds). Temperament When treated well, APBTs typically have sunny personalities. They are very sweet, curious, intelligent, and clownish. They are noted for their outgoing, affectionate, eager-to-please disposition and their fondness for people. They adore attention, often relishing the company of humans and are notorious for their loyalty to their masters, even giving their lives for them. When raised with a firm but fair hand an APBT can make a wonderful family pet, however, APBTs can also be stubborn and prone to display aggression towards other dogs. Thus, they should not be the first choice of dog for a novice dog owner. Also, as of August 29, 2005: the "owning, breeding, transferring, importing or abandoning" of APBTs is illegal in Ontario, Canada, given that it was found that the APBT breed "poses a danger to the public"[3] . Many APBT have stable and dependable temperaments. However, a firm, even hand and early obedience training are musts for this breed. Inexperienced owners tend to find them to be too much to handle - APBTs can be quite "bouncy". They generally have a lot of energy and high predator drive; they need exercise and stimulation in order to channel that energy properly and not become frustrated, bored, and destructive. Despite the stereotype, the average, sound-minded pit bull is not a threat where children are concerned. Though the AKC and UKC recommend that no child be left alone with any adult dog, the APBT, like many of its relatives, is a breed far more likely not to know its own strength and knock a toddler down in its exuberance by accident rather than by force. Generally, this is a breed that loves to play. It is also a breed that is very strong for its size and weight, so adults and older children are better recommended to take the dog on its leash. APBTs often display some level of dog aggression, especially towards strange dogs of the same sex or level of assertiveness. Early socialization and good training can mean that many individuals of the breed never display this trait. However, it must be remembered that this breed was traditionally developed for dog fighting purposes, and even APBTs that were previously sociable may develop dog aggression as they mature; as a breed they mature later than usual, between the ages of two and three years. A responsible APBT owner does not let their dog interact with strange dogs unsupervised, knows how to avoid a dog fight, and has trained their dog to heel. APBTs were never bred for human aggression or guarding behavior; generally they only will attack if they perceive an immediate threat to their masters or families rather than seeing every person as an intruder upon their territory. They were originally bred against human aggression because in the pit fighting days the handlers had to be able to handle their dogs as well as treat their wounds, and if necessary, quickly pull the dog out of a fight for various reasons. Any dog that did show the slightest sign of human aggression in that day was 'culled', and therefore, not allowed to carry on its bloodline. For that reason stable examples of the breed are generally not suitable as guard dogs. It is important that APBTs who display any sign of human aggression are not bred, in order to preserve the stable and friendly nature of the breed, and equally important that man aggressive dogs are never kept. When selecting an APBT puppy, it is paramount to find a breeder who selects puppies for their good temperament and not for aggressive tendencies towards other dogs or towards humans. A good breeder should know the UKC standard, and should both health test and temperament test their breeding stock. A breeder who boasts about their dogs' "guard dog" skills or "protective" behavior is a giveaway that their dogs are bred for improper human aggression. It is a good idea for prospective APBT owners to research the breeder, ask for references and ask to see their facilities and other dogs they have raised. It is also a good policy for owners to have their dog microchipped where possible as this breed is often stolen in and near urban areas for ill uses; in the U.S. a dog license is recommended as well as most areas require them. 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 its temperament is already known, and a dog with low dog aggression or low prey drive can be selected if desired. As bright, athletic dogs, American Pit Bull Terriers excel in many activities, including weight pulling, search and rescue, dog agility trials, flyball, and can even do well in some advanced obedience training. In the United States they have been used as narcotics detection police dogs, Border Patrol dogs, hearing dogs and Search and Rescue dogs because of their tenacity, high energy drive, and versatility. In a home they make wonderful dogs to go on a morning run with, take out on errands, and play fetch. They do best in a home with a backyard and a tall fence as they do "vertical jumps" much like any terrier breed, especially the Parsons Russell Terrier (formerly Jack Russell Terrier). APBTs will also do fine in an urban setting so long as they are walked and exercised often. History Originally bred from bull-and-terrier crosses brought to America from England and Ireland in the 1800s, they were popular in emerging cities for the sport of dog fighting. They were originally created for the sport of bull-baiting. And as that became illegal, their purpose was changed. As the country grew, many dogs traveled with settlers to new homesteads where they were sometimes used as working dogs on farms. When bred for fighting, the breeder would look for strength, and gameness: from its bulldog and terrier ancestors it inherited the instincts to never give up and to bite down and never let go. A breeder also knew that a dog like this could be very dangerous to people and difficult to control if it were a man-biter, so he would look for the crucial trait of non-aggression towards humans. Any fighting dog that showed aggression towards its owner or handler would be culled immediately. This created a line of strong dogs that, while being dog aggressive, would not turn on their owners. In the late 1800s to early 1900s, two clubs were formed for the specific purpose of registering APBTs: the United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeder's Association. The first dog registered by the UKC was the founder's pit bull, Ringer. After dog fighting became unpopular in the United States, many dog owners wanted to legitimize the breed and distance it from its fighting roots. The name "Staffordshire Terrier" was adopted by some owners and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. Later, the word "American" was added to reduce confusion with its smaller British cousin, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Not all breeders, however, agreed with the standard adopted by the AKC, and continued to use the name APBT for their lines. Much confusion still remains in regards to the APBT, the AST, and the SBT. Once an extremely popular family dog in the United States (in fact, the dog in the Our Gang movies was an APBT), the American Pit Bull Terrier's popularity began to decline in the United States following World War II in favor of other breeds. Pit bulls have been used for a variety of things from police to farm work as catch dogs. They have an excellent sense of smell and make good cattle dogs because they are a "tough" breed (can take being kicked by cattle and bounce right back up.)	PET FOOD SHOP Arden Grange Arthurs Bakers Beta Burgess Burns Butchers Cesar Chappie Chudleys Chunkie Davies Denes Eukanuba Felix Forthglade Friskies Fold Hill Frolic Gilpa Go-Cat HiLife Hills Iams Wellbeloved Kennel Pak Kit-e-Kat Laughing Dog Naturediet Nutro Choice Omega Pal Pascoes Pedigree Pero Purina Royal Canin Sheba Skinners Vitalin Wafcol Whiskas Wilsons Winalot MORE PET STUFF Dog Treats & Toys Cat Treats & Toys Or just browse our Dog Food Index
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