american pit bull terrier

The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a medium-sized, solidly built, short haired dog whose early ancestors came from England and Ireland

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American Pit Bull Terrier

A fawn-and-white American Pit Bull Terrier
Other names	APBT
Nicknames	Pit Bull
Country of origin	United States
[hide]Traits Weight Male 30 to 60 lb (14 to 27 kg) Female 30 to 60 lb (14 to 27 kg) Height Male 14 to 24 in (36 to 61 cm) Female 14 to 24 in (36 to 61 cm) Coat any Color any Litter size 5 to 10 Life span History During the 19th century, England, Ireland, and Scotland began to experiment with crosses between bulldogs and terriers, looking for a dog that combined the gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog.[1] In the late 19th century to early 20th century, two clubs were formed for the specific purpose of registering APBTs: the United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeders Association. The United Kennel Club was founded in 1898, and was the first registry to recognize the breed, with the owner assigning the first number to his own APBT.[2] The dog was bred first to bait bulls and bears.[3] When baiting bulls was deemed inhumane, ratting, a sport where a number of rats were placed in a pit for a specified time with the dog, and dog fighting became more popular. The APBT was used in both sports, and its prevalence in being put in pits with rats led to "pit" being added to its name.[4] With time, the dogs became more commonly used as house pets due to their friendliness towards people.[5] In America, farmers and ranchers used their APBTs for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, and to drive livestock.[6] The dog was used during World War I and World War II as a way of delivering messages on the battlefield.[5] The name "Staffordshire Terrier" was adopted by some owners as a way of distancing the breed from a name with a stigma, and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. Later, the word "American" was added to reduce confusion with its smaller British cousin, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Once an extremely popular family dog in the United States (for example, Pete the Pup in The Little Rascals movies and Tige in Buster Brown was an APBT), the American Pit Bull Terrier's popularity began to decline in the United States following World War II in favor of other breeds