American pit bull jumping over the sticks :-
The American Pit Bull Terrier
(APBT) is a medium-sized, solidly built, short haired dog whose early ancestors
came from England and Ireland. It is a member of the molosser breed group. The
American Staffordshire Terrier and The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) by
breed are from the same lineage; Staffordshires was the name given by AKC, and
American Pit Bull Terriers by UKC. The real difference between the two breeds
is 6–8" in height and 25–35 lb in weight. The APBT tends to be the larger
of the two.
The dog was bred first to bait
bulls and bears. When bear-baiting and bull-baiting were deemed inhumane,
rat-baiting and dog fighting became more popular. The APBT Breed was used in
both sports, and its prevalence in being put in pits with rats, or other dogs
led to "pit" being added to its name.
The American Pit Bull is
medium-sized, and has a short coat and smooth well-defined muscle structure.
Its eyes are round to almond shaped, and its ears are small to medium in length
and can be natural or cropped. The tail is slightly thick and tapers to a
point. The coat is glossy, smooth, short, and slightly stiff, and can be any color.
Twelve countries in Europe, as
well as Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Malaysia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico,
Singapore, and Venezuela have enacted some form of breed-specific legislation
on pit bull-type dogs, including American Pit Bull Terriers, ranging from
outright bans to restrictions and conditions on ownership. The state of New
South Wales in Australia places restrictions on the breed, including mandatory
sterilization. A few counties, and cities in the United States as well as the
Province of Ontario in Canada, have outright banned ownership of the American
Pit Bull terrier, and the breed is banned in the UK.
TEMPERAMENT :-
The UKC gives this description of
the characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier:
The essential characteristics of the
American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This
breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make
excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of
children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because
of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully
socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed’s natural agility makes it one
of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed.
The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely
friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is
uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well
in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its
willingness to work.
American Pit Bull Terriers have
been banned from or restricted in several countries, municipalities, cities,
counties and military bases under the notion that they are inherently
aggressive toward people and other animals. There is no real evidence to support
the belief that the APBT is inherently aggressive.
In September, 2000 a
meta-analysis conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) was published which examined dog bite related fatalities
(human death caused by dog bite injuries) over a 20 year period from 1979-1998.
The study examined 238 fatalities in which the breed was known. The study was
surmised to covered approximately 72% of known dog bite related fatalities
during that period. Over a 20 year period, "pit bull-type dogs" were
involved with more dog bite related fatalities than any other breed. However in
the later half of the study Rottweilers accounted for more dog bite related
fatalites than pit bulls.
"Despite these limitations and concerns,
the data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of
human DBRF (dog bite related fatality) in the United States between 1997 and
1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of
dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to
be a breed-specific problem with fatalities... However, breeds responsible for
human DBRF have varied over time."
—Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States
between 1979 and 1998
Regardless of speculation on
temperament of the American Pit Bull Terrier throughout the years, the breed
recently has consistently received acceptable scores from the American
Temperament Testing Society, scoring 86.8% as of February 2013. The average
passing rate for all breeds tested is 83%.
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