What is a pit bull?

Question

First and foremost there is only one breed of dog that can be called a "Pit Bull" and that is "The American Pit Bull Terrier."

The APBT is the only breed with the words, "Pit Bull" in its name, therefore when someone refers to a "Pit Bull" using capital letters they are talking about a purebred American Pit Bull Terrier.

What happened is, the media and people who don't have a clue about what a real APBT looks like started attaching generic names to dogs that are similar in appearence.

The most common dogs referred to as "pitbulls" are:


The American Staffordshire Terrier (a close cousin to or some think the same breed as the APBT)


The Staffordshire Bull Terrier (also referred to as the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier)


The American Bulldog


The Dogo Argentino


The Bull Terrier


The Presa Canerio


The American Pit Bull Terrier


or any mix of the above breeds.

Answer 1

There is only one breed of dog that can correctly be called a "Pit Bull" and that is the APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier).

However pit bull has grown into a term mostly used by amateurs, to describe several breeds (or mixtures) of dogs with similar physical characteristics. Because of the vagueness of this term, the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier commonly fall under this name-category called "pit bull".

Due to this, there are several other breeds that can fall under the name-category of pit bull, including: the Argentine Dogo, the English Bull Terrier, the American Bulldog, and the Perro de Presa Canario. These breeds are usually not included by breed name in Breed Specific Legislation, but are usually included because of a broad definition and confusion as to what a pit bull actually is. All of these breeds as well as many others (including Great Danes, Newfoundlands and Rottweilers) are members of the Molosser family of dog breeds.

Because most people do not know the difference between an American Pit Bull Terrier and many other dogs in the Molosser family of dog breeds, they often wrongfully use the term "pit bull" when speaking of a so called "vicious dog". This is largely caused by selective bad media attention, a lack of knowledge and the knee-jerk reaction of blaming the breed not the deed.

Answer 2

staffs and pits were all once the same thing and then dog fighting became illegal and the show dog type of people went with akc which will not allow there dogs to be called or classed as a pit bull so they came up with Stafford and the pit bull people who were still fighting dogs or hunting with them kept the name pit bull and registered there dogs with adba and ukc
it should be noted that ukc use to host dog fights and publish winners in there blood lines mag. and had refs to uphold the rules to dog fighting,
due to the vast amount of time it has been since the split the staff dog that are bred for show and looks have lost most all of there aggression towards other animals and the pit bull on average still has the trait to want to fight animals. not all not every one on ever case but as a whole this is true.
show dogs ruin breeds because if the dogs dont get worked and proven on the level in which the breed was created it will no longer exist. do you want a lab that wont fetch or is afraid of water.?how about a beagle that would not chase a rabbit. or a Grey hound that cant run? sheep dog afraid of sheep. patterdales that wont dig and hunt. fox hounds and blue ticks that wound not tree coons> keep buying show dog s off untrue heritage and that what you will see in years to come.

Answer 3

lol. i like a bull in a pit. but is this a question or a statement? Sounds to me like you already solved it. But I think of american pit bull terrier. are you sure those other names arent just pit bull in a different language? I don't see much of a difference between them.

Answer 4

O.K. well since I own an American Staffordshire, I know he is not a "pitbull".As I'm sure people who own Bulldogs don't refer to them as Pitbulls either! Not sure where this question was going.

P.s. Never confused my Staffi for a "pit". Staffi's are bulkier than an APBT

Answer 5

for one why so many answers and a short question you ask what a pit bull s but talk like you know it?

it's one of the meanness dogs so citys will not have them because they can kill a human easy in about 3-8 min. all on the age and how healty

Answer 6

I know that i own a pit bull

Answer 7

its a bull in a pit ;)

Answer 8

Are you asking or telling?