Dog Breed Guide

American Pit Bull Terrier

Profile

Size

Medium

Country of origin

United States

Origin

19th century

Bred for

Working dog, Companion

Height

male 46 - 53cm (18 - 21in), female 43 - 51cm (17 - 20in)

Weight

male 16 - 27kg (35 - 60lb), female 14 - 23kg (31 - 51lb)

Life span

12 - 14 years

A medium-sized dog with a lean, muscular body, a broad head and powerful jaws. It is astonishingly strong for its weight and highly athletic. The short, glossy coat comes in blue, red, brindle, piebald and almost any other color.

Energetic and tenacious, it is affectionate and friendly with its family. It loves attention and, like a child, still wants to sit in your lap even when fully grown. However, it can be combative with other dogs, so it needs socialization from puppyhood and reliable training and control to match its strength.

It has very high exercise needs. Plenty of physical and mental activity, such as fetch and dog sports in addition to walks, helps it settle down at home. Its skin is somewhat sensitive, and some individuals are prone to allergies.

Good to know

When the United Kennel Club (UKC) was founded in the United States in 1898, registration number one went to Bennett's Ring, an American Pit Bull Terrier owned by the club's founder, C. Z. Bennett. It was also the first breed the UKC registered.

In Our Gang (also known as The Little Rascals), a series of short films hugely popular in 1920s and 1930s America, the children's sidekick was Pete the Pup, a dog with a ring around one eye. Pete was a pit bull type dog, and in those days such dogs were seen as dependable family companions.

Later, its fighting past and news of attacks spread an image of the "dangerous dog," and in 1991 a British law banned keeping the breed. Ownership and import are still restricted in some countries and regions, while in the United States some of these dogs work as therapy and search and rescue dogs.