About APBT, AST, SBT & AB

About APBT, AST, SBT & AB

I was this have to post it. People think about Abs are APBTs. Because there are people like the Land of The Giants and a lot more Kennels are Breeding Pit Bull Mastiffs that are from 60 to 130lbs and call them APBT. My opinion on this Modern-day APBT are Getting to big. The Original APBT was small like SBT size. Now you see Mastiffs APBTs. It is funny to me. But I will tell you this People need to tell people the truth about what they put in there lines. Please Read This.

How did you do? Did you find the pit bull? Which one did you pick?

Okay, I admit, it was a bit of a trick question. There is no "pit bull" on the list.

"Pit bull" is NOT a breed. It is a category of breeds which were once (and in some places still are) associated with bull baiting and pit fighting. The term is very vague. Breed-specific legislation uses the term "pit bull" to encompass a number of breeds. Humane societies use the term "pit bull" for any dog that has a certain appearance. The media uses the term "pit bull" to describe a vicious dog (or a vicious politician).

Most people agree that the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier are "pit bull" breeds. However, some people believe that the American Bulldog and the Bull Terrier breeds are also pit bulls. The "pit bull" breeds are similar and can trace their origins back to one common ancestor, a type of dog simply referred to as "Bulldog".

Identifying a "pit bull" can be really difficult, even for vets and animal control officers. "Pit mixes" are common in shelters because it's hard for shelter workers to determine whether the pit bull is a purebred APBT or AmStaff, or if it has some other breed thrown in the mix. (My dog Dozer was a "purebred" pit puppy until he grew up and suddenly took on a lot of Lab traits.)

Among people who are not familiar with the bully breeds, the definition of a "pit bull" is VERY loose. American Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, Bull Mastiffs, Boxers, Dobermans, Rottweilers... even Labs and mixed dogs have been labelled pit bulls. The vagueness of the term leads many people, politicians, and the media to wrongly label any vicious dog a "pit bull".

Breed-specific legislation freqently refers to pit bulls and pit mixes without giving a definition of what is considered a "pit bull/mix". This leads to serious constitutional questions and frequent identification problems. Often, the dogs were determined to be "pit bulls" based on appearance alone. As you know from the chart above, just because it might look like a pit bull doesn't mean it is one!

The term "pit bull" does not mean the same to everyone. To the average person, a pit bull is a vicious, biting dog. The image that comes to mind when one says "pit bull" is that of a monster - a stocky, vicious looking dog with locking jaws, an aggressive temperament, and an appetite for human babies and cuddly kittens.

Unfortunately, this image is displaced onto real pit bulls (the aforementioned AmStaff and APBT). As I discuss throughout the rest of this website, such a stereotype is totally incorrect, but as I shall explain, it is understandable how this comes to be. On the next few pages I also examine the horrible consequences of such a stereotype, and encourage responsible pit bull owners to step forward and confront those who would perpetuate such a damaging image of the pit bull.

On this website, when I say "pit bull", "pit bull terrier", or "pit bulldog", I am generally referring to American Staffordshire Terriers (AmStaffs) and American Pit Bull Terriers (APBTs). These are the two breeds that are most frequently referred to as "pit bulls".