The origins of the American Pit Bull Terrier can be traced to England. Attempts were made to cross bull dog breeds with terrier to combine hunting skills and strength with a sense of courage and tenacity. The Pit Bull Terrier was the result. The dogs were often used in bullbating. Another sport was to place the dog in a pit of rats for a specified amount of time and watch it fight, hence the name pit bull. Both sports have since been made illegal and deemed inhumane.

In America Pit Bulls were common farm dogs. They were used as guard dogs as well as to catch stray cattle. Their friendly nature towards their masters saw their popularity as a household pet increase.

Appearance

A medium sized dog, the Pit Bull is quite stocky and strong. It is broad across the chest and is longer than it is tall. It is very muscular in appearance. It has a short coat which is slightly coarse to the touch. It has medium sized ears. An adult will stand at around 18 – 22 inches and weigh between 16 and 27 kilograms.

Temperament

Many owners will attest to the loving and affectionate nature of the American Pit Bull Terrier, in fact the popularity of the breed has been based on this fact for many years. Such popularity was present in the 1950 TV series Denace the Menace where the youngs boys dog was an American Pit Bull Terrier. They are very protective of their family and property, but in general are friendly towards strangers.

Pit Bulls do have a reputation of being aggressive dogs, and some tests have shown them to have higher levels of aggression than other breeds. They have a strong hunting instinct and may attack small animals. For this reason it is integral that dogs are socialize and attend obedience school. Socialisation should continue throughout the dogs life.

In some places there are restrictions on owning or breeding a Pit Bull, because of their association with aggression and attacks on humans. You may simply need to register them, in other places it is now illegal to own a Pit Bull at all.

Working and Tasks

The intelligence and strength of the American Pit Bull Terrier sees it excel at many tasks. They will do well in obedience school. They will also enjoy sports like weight pulling, fly ball and agility. Eager to please their master, the Pit Bull will always approach new tasks with enthusiasm.

Pit bulls definitely fall into the category of working dogs. They have been used as guards of livestock and herding dogs as well as guard dogs. Pit bulls have been trained as search and rescue dogs in some parts of the world, and even as police narcotics dogs.

Health

The average lifespan of the American Pit Bull Terrier is on average around 12 years. They have a high incidence of his dysplasia so when looking for a puppy it is important to look for parents that have been hip scored. Some dogs have been known to suffer from patella problems as well as thyroid issues and congenital heart disorder.