
Therefore a merle Pitbull type dog is not 100% of Pitbull origin. This means another breed with this color gene has been chucked into the mix at some point. While there are merle colored Pitbull type dogs out there, the merle color gene is not naturally found in these breeds. Pitbull type dogs come in pretty much any animal color you can think of, except for merle. Many owners still prefer this and adopt the look. Their tails are long and straight, and their ears tend to be rose-shaped, except of course when they have been cropped. They all require minimum bathing and brushing. All Pitbull type dogs have a square-shaped head, a square fleshy nose, and big almond-shaped eyes.Īll of their coats are short and smooth. You can compare their heights and weights, according to their official breed standard, at the end of this section in the table. Some dogs are squatter and wider, some are taller and leaner. AppearancesĪll Pitbull type dogs share their athletic and muscular look. So, dependending on who you ask, you may well get a different answer, but all the information in this article is what is the most common belief or what is commonly accepted by the professionals in the canine world. Others say that the American Pitbull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier are in fact the same breed of dog. Many people argue that the American Pitbull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier are the only two breeds that are true Pitbull type dogs. And some are accepted by all Kennel Clubs. However, just to make it slightly more confusing, some breeds are only accepted by certain Kennel Clubs. The following four dog breeds are the most widely accepted Pitbull type dogs.

Different Types of Pitbulls There are several different classifications of dog that people refer to as “Pitbulls.” This was where the American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and American Bully were born. It was here that American dogfighters wanted to create an even bigger and more powerful fighting dog breed. Any dog that displayed human aggression were culled.Īfter the Civil War, British immigrants began to arrive in America, with their fighting dogs in tow. This is where their love of humans also stems from. But, as soon as a human entered the ring, they were trained not to attack. However, on an important note, all fighting dogs were obviously trained to be extremely vicious towards other dogs. This is where the Pitbull type dog’s vicious reputation started. The last dog standing, or fighting, won their owner the prize and reputation of breeding the best dogs around. Not only did these events involve gambling, but they enabled owners to showcase their dog’s gameness and strength. They were cheaper to organize and easier to drive underground so to hide the events from law enforcement. But the spectators and participants quickly turned their attention to dogfighting events. In 1835, when the Cruelty to Animals Act was enacted, this sport was thankfully stopped. This is where bear and bull-baiting were popular but cruel, blood sports. Pitbull type dogs first originated in Great Britain. This breed was meant to be tenacious and powerful. Terriers, who are known for their agility and feistiness, and Bulldogs, who are known for their brute strength, were bred together to create the perfect fighting dog. Often when someone is talking about a Pitbull, they will more than likely be referring to an American Pitbull Terrier. The American Pitbull Terrier is the main dog breed that is associated with the term Pitbull. However, often other similar looking breeds will also be chucked under the Pitbull label, which we will look into further in the next section. There are four official breeds of the Pitbull type dog.

It’s an umbrella term used for dogs who descend from Bulldogs and Terriers. Officially, a Pitbull is not actually a dog breed in itself. Defining Pitbulls Pitbulls are a type of dog breed descended from bulldogs and terriers.
