The American Pit Bull Terrier was once a beloved breed in the US but now has a negative reputation due to ignorance and hype. The APBT descends from bulldogs and terriers used for bull-baiting and dog fighting in England. Early bloodlines like Colby, Carver, Boudreaux, and Gas House helped establish the breed in America. Despite myths, APBTs do not have locking jaws or abnormal bite strength. Properly trained and socialized, APBTs make loving, loyal companions though their strength requires constant control.

1. The americanpitbull terrierBy: Chris Butcher

2. PitbullsTitoBellaJadeInfo

3. Background

4. MythsThe History of the American PitBull TerrierJADE“Give a dog a bad name and hang him. The Virtues of the dog are his own; his vices, those of his master.” –Old English Proverb Perhaps no breed of dog ever has been given as bad a name as the American Pitbull Terrier (APBT). The mere mention of the ambiguous term “pitbull” conjures images of a vicious and aggressive canine monster with a taste for small children. Likewise, “pitbull” owners are automatically tagged as promoters of the cruel and illegal practice of dog fighting.Nothing is further from the truth. In fact, the APBT was once one of the most respected and beloved breeds in the US. Ignorance and hype have fostered its negative reputation, putting the breed in a real danger of extinction.

5. How the purpose of the dog changed how the dog was built in structure.

6. The Staffordshire bull terrier had its beginnings in England many centuries ago when the bulldog and Mastiff were used for the sports of bull-baiting and bear-baiting; in the Elizabethan era, breeders produced large dogs for these sports but later on the 100–120 pound animal gave way to a small, more agile breed of up to 90 pounds. The sport of dog fighting gained popularity in England in the early 19th century and a smaller, faster dog was developed. It was called by names such as "bulldog terrier" and "bull and terrier". The bulldog at that time was larger than the modern-day English bulldog we know today, weighing about 60 pounds. This dog was crossed with a small native terrier, related to the present-day Manchester terrier to produce the Staffordshire bull terrier weighing on average between 30 and 45 pounds.

7. Some of the Early BloodlinesColby bloodlineJohn P. Colby started the Colby bloodline in 1889 and they been going ever since. John P. Colby started with the best dogs that the immigrants had brought over Ireland and England. The Colby bloodline is known world wide and probably the oldest pitbull bloodline. Carver BloodlineSome of the most phenomenal performing dogs that we know of today comes from the Carver bloodline. Maurice Carver was born in 1916 and started working with dogs at a young age, possibly 10 or 11. Carver passed away in 1979, he had a lot of years of dog breeding. He was known for having a great instinct and an eye for what dogs to breed.

8. More of the Early BloodlinesBoudreaux BloodlineGas house bloodlineSince the 1930’s Boudreaux bloodline has stood the test of time and is the foundation of some of the best intelligent performance bloodlines. Boudreaux has produced some of the worlds most famous pitbulls.One of the most famous and widely quoted dogs as the foundation stock of PitBull Terriers in America was The Gas House Dog. The Gas House Dog, was a brindle dog with white blaze in face, white ring about neck, white breast and paws. He was the property of the late John McDonald, who at the time of ownership had charge of the gas-house stables in Boston .

9. What on Earth does all of this mean? Black Nose

10. Red Nose

11. Blue Nose

12. American PitBull Terriers The Old Family Red Nose dogs out of Ireland started this trend. People started calling them, "Old Family Reds" and "Red noses" because they had a distinct red coat with red nose with golden eyes. This trend was since been carried on by pitbull owners referring to the dogs by their coat color or nose colors. Some of the common pitbull colors are:bluebrindleredmerlefawnwhite

13. The Myths and FactsMyth: "Pit Bulls have locking jaws." Fact: The jaws of the Pit Bull are functionally the same as the jaws of any other breed, and this has been proven via expert examination.Myth: “Pit Bulls have more bite pressure per square inch (PSI) than any other breed.”Fact: This is absolutely false. The highest pressure recorded from the Pit Bull was 235 lbs. PSI. The highest from the German Shepard was 238 lbs. PSI, and the highest from the Rottweiler was 328 lbs. PSI. The PSI tested in the Rottweiler is the highest on record for any domestic canine.

14. More Myths and FactsMyth: “The brains of Pit Bulls swell and cause them to go crazy”. Fact: Prior to the boom in Pit Bull popularity, the Doberman Pinscher was rumored to suffer from an affliction of the brain in which the skull became too small to accommodate a dog’s grey matter. This would, according to the rumor, cause the Doberman to go crazy, or “just snap” out of no where and attack their owner. This rumor could never be quantified, and indeed had no merit whatsoever. Now that the Doberman fad has run its course the Pit Bull has inherited the swelling brain myth. It is no truer now than it was during the Doberman’s fad days.