Pit Bulls are active dogs that need both physical and mental stimulation. Interestingly enough, when Pit Bulls were banned from the province of Ontario, in Canada, the overall number of dog bites increased, though the number of dog bites by Pit Bulls decreased. Moreover, these studies do not usually cover all dog bite fatalities and mixed breeds may be mistakenly accounted for as “pure breeds”. Biased associations between Pit Bulls and bite-related injuries and fatalities are possibly due to the media’s overreporting of attacks from certain breeds over others, as well as bias towards reporting stigmatised dog breeds. In scientific literature assessing 66 dog bites, the breed was not considered as a risk factor for dog bites. Nevertheless, when raised with other animals, even cats and other furry pets, Pit Bulls are friendly and non-aggressive.įurthermore, the American Pit Bull has one of the highest proportion of approval in temperament tests performed by the American Temperament Test Society, whose motto is “A sound mind in a sound body”. Pit Bulls also have a strong prey drive and are known climbers and jumpers, so good fencing is advisable. For this reason, and because they are dominant dogs with some level of dog aggression, interactions with other animals should be supervised and off-leash walks are not recommended. Pit Bulls do not tolerate non-sense behaviours from other animals and, though they will not start a fight, they will not back down from one when provoked. In fact, aggressiveness towards humans is highly uncharacteristic, as this was an undesirable trait for fighting dogs and thus selection was done in the opposite direction.
#Full grown american pitbull terrier full#
Confident, active, and full of energy and enthusiasm, Pit Bulls are mistakenly taken for aggressive dogs, due to their dark past as fighting dogs and some unscrupulous and negligent owners. These “nanny dogs” are natural protectors and known loyal companions of their families. Intelligent, bold, and extremely affectionate, American Pit Bull Terriers are great family pets and are particularly fond of children. Male Pit Bulls weigh between 15 and 27 kg (35-60 lb) and are 45 to 53 cm tall (18-21 inches), while females weigh 13 to 22 kg (30-50 lb) and are 43 to 50 cm tall (17-20 inches). This type of legislation ranges from complete banning of the breed (in the UK, Ontario, and some locations in the US) to certain restrictions or conditions on ownership. There are legal liabilities associated with its ownership and there is breed-specific legislation in more than 20 countries (most of them in Europe, but also Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Malaysia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and Venezuela). As working dogs, they are determined and engaged, playing important roles as police dogs (detecting narcotics and explosives), service dogs (for the deaf), border patrol dogs, and search and rescue dogs. Their fighting past was left behind, though their willingness to please, their overall enthusiasm, and solid body are sometimes exploited for criminal purposes, such as guarding illegal drug operations and dog fighting.Īmerican Pit Bulls are great sporting dogs, excelling at agility, obedience, flyball, lure coursing, and weight pulling, just to name a few canine sports. During the 20th century, Pit Bulls moved on to be farm and companion dogs. Immigrants going to America took Pit Bulls with them and soon they started performing other tasks, such as catching wild cattle. Because dogs needed to be separated during fights, kindness towards humans was considered a desirable trait and dogs were bred to be friendly. After that, illegal dog fighting grew, as it was easier to conceal, and Pit Bulls kept being bred and selected for their aggressiveness, willingness to fight, and athletic structure. They were thus used in bull baiting and bear baiting, until these blood sports were banned in 1835 with new animal welfare laws. By combining the strength and resistance of Bulldogs and the drive and gameness of Terriers, breeders aimed at creating a powerful, invincible dog to fight in pits.
Pit Bulls were bred in 1800s England by mixing the now extinct Old English Terriers with Old English Bulldogges. Though related, they differ in conformation and personality. This dog breed has not been recognised by the American Kennel Club (AKC), being considered the same as the American Staffordshire Terrier. The American Pit Bull Terrier belongs to the pit bull family of dogs, which includes different dog breeds, such as the Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier.
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