Terms like “thick,” “strong,” and “well-built” should come to mind when you see a pitbull-type dog. Pitbull-type dogs aren’t linked by a particular breed, but rather a shared ancestry from dogs that were bred for fighting. The term “pitbull” emerged roughly 200 years ago in England to refer to dogs that were used to fight chained bulls or bears in pits—so-called “sports” known as “bull-baiting” or “bear-baiting. ”[2] X Research source The dog breed closest in appearance to pitbulls is the American Staffordshire Terrier. However, these dogs have more standardization in their size. [3] X Trustworthy Source American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source
Keep in mind that pitbull-type dogs were bred to have good physical characteristics for fighting, but that doesn’t mean they are natural fighters that are inherently dangerous. Pitbull-type dogs that are properly cared for and trained are rarely dangerous. [5] X Research source
Some people still crop (cut short) the ears of pitbull-type dogs, but this is a declining practice.
A pitbull-type dog’s coat accentuates its muscular appearance instead of concealing it.
On a very general level, pitbull-type dogs do tend to be very active and very accepting of training—which can lead to positive or negative character traits, depending on how they’re treated and trained. Make sure to provide your pitbull with plenty of positive socialization experiences while they are young. This is especially important for pitbulls as they have a bad reputation among some people, so even the smallest instance of bad behavior may reinforce fears about them.
Municipalities that ban “pitbulls” often use visual checklists. A dog that matches 5 of 8 visual descriptors, or a majority of 15 descriptors, for example, may be deemed a banned dog. If you define a “pitbull” as descending from one of the 4 most widely-known pitbull-type breeds—American pitbull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, or American bully—then DNA testing, breeding papers, or both can be helpful in defining a dog as such.
Of the 4 breeds most commonly called “pitbull-type,” the American pitbull terrier is probably the breed the average person would most likely identify as a “pitbull. ”
Like American pitbull terriers, American bullies can be practically any color.
Despite their smaller stature and stocky appearance, Staffordshire bull terriers still have a very muscular and powerful look. This breed can also come in any color, but is most likely to be white, black, brown, or reddish in coat color.
“Am Staffs” are often black, brown, or reddish, sometimes with sections of white, but can have practically any coat color.
The dog’s coat color usually corresponds to its nose color in these cases. Blue nose pitbulls usually have coats in the charcoal gray range, while red nose pitbulls usually have reddish-brown or auburn coats.
If a dog bites you and holds on, don’t try to wrestle yourself out of the bite unless you have no choice but to do so. If the attack continues, drop to the ground and assume a “turtle” pose if possible—tuck your head, arms, and legs against or beneath your body and expose primarily your back and backside.
Dogs typically do not show their teeth except when they feel threatened.
You might say that this is the moment when the dog’s “fight or flight” response kicks in, after which the dog is likely to either act aggressively or retreat.
