APBT standards

I encourage you to have an open mind during this introduction and not get caught up in our mention of dog-fighting but try and develop an understanding of the TRUE APBT​

BASIS AND ORIGIN OF THE APBT CONFORMATION STANDARD ​

In this page I want to contrast and highlight the differences in each of the standards that represent the APBT. First, I want to start with the basis of conformation as stated by the American Dog Breeders Association. This basis of conformation does not hide the fact that the APBT was developed to win dog fights and the basis of conformation for the APBT should reflect this. ​

As modern day, honorable, and law abiding, APBT fanciers we would never even consider fighting our dogs to prove their worth for breeding, but we should stick as closely to what those proven dogs looked like as possible. ​

We should not breed for big thick barrel chested dogs because this is what is winning in the conformation ring this year or because that is what the Amstaff looks like, or for bowling ball headed dogs because "we as an individual" think this looks better we should be breeding to preserve the APBT standard. ​

Judges must stop picking the over-done, overly massive dogs or we will soon have American or English Bulldogs called APBTs.​

United Kennel Club - (UKC) http://www.ukcdogs.com/Terriers/AmericanPitBullTerrier.std.htm ​

American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA)- http://members.aol.com/bstofshw/conform.html ​

American Kennel Club (AKC) http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/amstaff.cfm ​

from ADBA website- edited by Matrix​

Those persons whose opinions on conformation have borne the test of years have without exception, come from the ranks of the professionals who use the animals to make money. There are cattlemen who can look at two hundred calves and pick the ten best gainers by looking at their conformation. Race horsemen are the most knowledgeable conformation people you will meet. They all like the same basic things in a horse; although they claim to differ greatly, their differences are minute. ​

Professionals look for an animal that can get the job done. Amateurs, because they have no way to test their theories, wind up feeding their imaginations. Due to today's laws and social standards, breeding practices are dictated to breeding a dog for looks rather than performance.

In the interest of preserving the most extraordinary animal that man has ever created, let's take a good look at what the American Pit Bull Terrier was suppose to do. ​

Look to the profession of the dog in establishing the APBT standard, so that our grandchildren will at least see an authentic physical reproduction of a fighting dog.

If we start with the premise that conformation should reflect the ideal for the dogs usage and that this particular animal was suppose to win a dogfight, we come naturally to the question, what did it take to win? 1. Gameness 2. Attitude 3. Stamina 4. Wrestling ability 5. Biting ability. Note that only one of these qualities; wrestling ability, is directly related to conformation. One other, stamina may be partly due to conformation, but is probably as much reliant on inherited efficiency of the heart and circulatory system. Some people seem to feel that the shape of the head determines hard bite, but in practice, it seems there are a lot of other factors involved. ​

When we talk of conformation we really only mean one thing - - wrestling ability.

Conformation and wrestling ability are very closely related and it's usually the bottom dog in the fight that quits. The dog whose muscle and bone structure doesn't permit him to wrestle on even terms, needs more of everything else to win. So It is believed that wrestling ability (and therefore conformation) is a very important ingredient in a fighting dog. ​

Our Standard of Conformation can not be based on what someone who never saw a dogfight thinks a fighting dog should look like, but should be based on those physical attributes displayed by winning pit dogs of yesteryear.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE WINNING FIGHTING DOGS OF YESTERYEAR​

 

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History​

UKC​

The United Kennel Club was the first registry to recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier. U.K.C. founder C. Z. Bennett assigned U.K.C. registration number 1 to his own APBT, Bennett's Ring in 1898. ​

ADBA​

The American Dog Breeders Association, Inc. was started in September, l909 as an exclusive association of American Pit Bull Terrier breeders. ​

AKC​

The American Staffordshire Terrier was accepted in 1936 for registration in the American Kennel Club stud book as Staffordshire Terriers. ​

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CHARACTERISTICS​

UKC ​

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. The American Pit Bull Terrier has always been capable of doing a wide variety of jobs so exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog's versatility. ​

ADBA​

Above all, the American Pit Bull Terrier is an all around athlete. ​

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AKC​

Over the past 50 years, careful breeding has produced today's American Staffordshire Terrier who is affectionate, reliable, and an especially good dog for children. The American Staffordshire Terrier is a happy, outgoing, stable, and confident dog who makes a wonderful family pet. The American Staffordshire Terrier is adaptable to country or city living, the only thing that

will break his spirit and his heart is lack of his owner's fond attention. ​

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GENERAL APPEARANCE ​

UKC​

The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, solidly built, short-coated dog with smooth, well-defined musculature. This breed is both powerful and athletic. The body is just slightly longer than tall, but bitches may be somewhat longer in body than dogs. The length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of the dog's height at the withers. The head is of medium length, with a broad, flat skull, and a wide, deep muzzle. Ears are small to medium in size, high set, and may be natural or cropped. The relatively short tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point. This breed combines strength and athleticism with grace and agility and should never appear bulky or muscle-bound or fine-boned and rangy. and may be natural or cropped. The relatively short tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point. ​

ADBA​

Look first at the overall profile of the dog. Ideally, he should be "Square" when viewed from the side. That is, about as long from the point of the shoulder to the point of his hip as he is tall from the top of the shoulder, to the ground. Such a dog will stand high and have maximum leverage for his weight. This means that standing normally with the hock slightly back of the hip, the dog's base, (where his feet are) will be slightly longer than his height. Using the hip and shoulder as guides will keep the viewer from being fooled by the way the dog is standing. His body is called on for speed, power, agility and stamina. He must be balanced in all directions. Too much of one thing robs him of another. He is not an entity formed according to human specialists. In his winning form he is a fighting machine...a thing of beauty. ​

AKC​

The American Staffordshire Terrier should give the impression of great strength for his size, a well put-together dog, muscular, but agile and graceful, keenly alive to his surroundings. He should be stocky, not long-legged or racy in outline. His courage is proverbial. ​

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HEAD ​

UKC​

The APBT head is unique and a key element of breed type. SIZE It is large and broad, giving the impression of great power, but it is not disproportionate to the size of the body. Viewed from the front, the head is shaped like a broad, blunt wedge. When viewed from the side, the skull and muzzle are parallel to one another and joined by a well defined, moderately deep stop. Supraorbital arches over the eyes are well defined but not pronounced. The head is well chiseled, blending strength, elegance, and character. SKULL - The skull is large, flat or slightly rounded, deep, and broad between the ears. Viewed from the top, the skull tapers just slightly toward the stop. There is a deep median furrow that diminishes in depth from the stop to the occiput. Cheek muscles are prominent but free of wrinkles. When the dog is concentrating, wrinkles form on the forehead, which give the APBT his unique expression. MUZZLE - The muzzle is broad and deep with a very slight taper from the stop to the nose, and a slight falling away under the eyes. The length of muzzle is shorter than the length of skull, with a ratio of approximately 2:3. The topline of the muzzle is straight. The lower jaw is well developed, wide and deep. Lips are clean and tight.TEETH - The American Pit Bull Terrier has a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth meeting in a scissors bite. NOSE - The nose is large with wide, open nostrils. The nose may be any color. EYES - Eyes are medium size, round to almond-shaped, and set well apart and low on the skull. All colors are equally acceptable except blue, which is a serious fault. Haw should not be visible. EARS - Ears are high set and may be natural or cropped without preference. If natural, semi-prick or rose are preferred. Prick or flat, wide ears are not desired. ​

ADBA​

In general, such a head will be wedge shaped when viewed either from the top or side, round when viewed from the front. The head varies more in the present day pit bull than any other part of the body, probably because its conformation has the least to do with whether he wins or loses. However, there are certain attributes which appear to be of advantage. SIZE: First it's overall size. Too big a head simply carries more weight and increases the chances of having to fight a bigger dog. Too small a head is easily punished by a nose fighter and is especially easy for an ear fighter to shake. In an otherwise well proportioned dog, the head will appear to be about two thirds the width of the shoulders and about 25% wider at the cheeks than the neck at the base of the skull. From the back of the head to the stop, should be about the same distance as from the stop to the tip of the nose. The bridge of the nose should be well developed which will make the area directly under the eyes considerably wider than the head at the base of the ears. Depth from the top of the head to the bottom of the jaw is important. The jaw is closed by the Temporal Fossa muscle exerting pressure on the Coronoid process. The deeper the head at this point, (that is, between the zygomatic arch and the angular process of the bottom of the jaw) the more likely the dog is to have leverage advantage both in closing the jaw and in keeping it closed. A straight, box-like muzzle and well developed mandible will not have much to do with the biting power but will endure more punishment. "Lippy" dogs are continually fanging themselves in a fight, which works greatly to their disadvantage. Teeth should meet in the front, but more importantly, the canines or fangs should slip tightly together, the upper behind the lower when the mouth is closed. Fangs should be wide at gum line and taper to the end. Soundness and healthy with none missing. The eye elliptical when viewed from the front, triangular when viewed from the side, small and deep set. ​

AKC​

SIZE Medium length, deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop; and ears are set high. Ears Cropped or uncropped, the latter preferred. Uncropped ears should be short and held rose or half prick. Full drop to be penalized. Eyes Dark and round, low down in skull and set far apart. No pink eyelids. Muzzle Medium length, rounded on upper side to fall away abruptly below eyes. Jaws well defined. Underjaw to be strong and have biting power. Lips close and even, no looseness. Upper teeth to meet tightly outside lower teeth in front. Nose definitely black. ​

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NECK​

UKC ​

The neck is of moderate length and muscular. There is a slight arch at the crest. The neck widens gradually from where it joins the skull to where it blends into well laid-back shoulders. The skin on the neck is tight and without dewlap. ​

ADBA​

Nature usually blesses a tall rangy dog with a fairly long neck which is a tremendous advantage in that, it enables him to reach a stifle when his opponent may have his front leg, take an ear to hold off a shorter necked opponent, or to reach the chest himself when the other dog is trying to hold him off. The neck should be heavily muscled right up to the base of the skull. ​

AKC​

Heavy, slightly arched, tapering from shoulders to back of skull. No looseness of skin. Medium length. ​

 

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FOREQUARTERS ​

UKC​

The shoulder blades are long, wide, muscular, and well laid back. The upper arm is roughly equal in length to the shoulder blade and joins it at an apparent right angle. The forelegs are strong and muscular. The elbows are set close to the body. Viewed from the front, the forelegs are set moderately wide apart and perpendicular to the ground. The pasterns are short, powerful, straight, and flexible. When viewed in profile, the pasterns are nearly erect. ​

ADBA​

The scapula (shoulder blade) should be at a 45 degree or less slope to the ground and broad and flat. The humerus should be at an equal angle in the opposite direction and long enough that the elbow comes below the bottom of the rib cage. The elbows should lie flat, the humerus running almost parallel to the spine; not out at the elbows which gives a wide "English Bulldog" stance. This type of shoulder is more easily dislocated or broken. The forearm should be only slightly longer than the humerus and heavy and solid-nearly twice the thickness of the metatarsal bones at the hock. The front legs and shoulders must be capable of sustaining tremendous punishment and heaviness can be an asset here. The relationship between front and back legs should be, at first appearance, of a heavy front and a delicate back. This is because in an athletic dog, the metatarsal bones, hock and lower part of the tibia will be light, fine and springy. The front legs will be heavy and solid looking. The experienced bulldog man however, will note the wide hip, loin and powerful thigh, which makes the back end the most muscular. ​

AKC​

The front legs should be straight, large or round bones, pastern upright. No resemblance of bend in front. Shoulders are strong and muscular with blades wide and sloping.​

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BODY​

UKC​

The chest is deep, well filled in, and moderately wide with ample room for heart and lungs, but the chest should never be wider than it is deep. The forechest does not extend much beyond the point of shoulder. The ribs extend well back and are well sprung from the spine, then flattening to form a deep body extending to the elbows. The back is strong and firm. The topline inclines very slightly downward from the withers to a broad, muscular, level back. The loin is short, muscular and slightly arched to the top of the croup, but narrower than the rib cage and with a moderate tuck-up. The croup is slightly sloping downward. ​

ADBA​

He should have a deep rib cage, well sprung at the top but tapering to the bottom. Deep and elliptical, almost narrow is preferred to the round or barrel chest. The rib cage houses the lungs which are not storage tanks, but pumps. The ribs are like a bellows. Their efficiency is related to the difference in volume between contraction and expansion. A barrel chested dog, in addition to carrying more weight for his height, has an air pump with a short stroke. He must take more breaths to get the same volume of air. Depth of rib cage gives more room for large lungs. Shoulders should be a little wider than the rib cage at the eight rib. Too narrow a shoulder does not support adequate musculature but too wide a shoulder makes a dog slow and adds unnecessary weight.​

AKC​

Well-sprung ribs, deep in rear. All ribs close together. Forelegs set rather wide apart to permit chest development. Chest deep and broad. Back is Fairly short. Slight sloping from withers to rump with gentle short slope at rump to base of tail. Loins slightly tucked. ​

 

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HINDQUARTERS ​

UKC​

The hindquarters are strong, muscular, and moderately broad. The rump is well filled in on each side of the tail and deep from the pelvis to the crotch. The bone, angulation, and musculature of the hindquarters are in balance with the forequarters. The thighs are well developed with thick, easily discerned muscles. Viewed from the side, the hock joint is well bent and the rear pasterns are well let down and perpendicular to the ground. Viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are straight and parallel to one another. ​

ADBA​

Secondly, look at his back end. That's the drive train of any four legged animal. A Bulldog does 80% of his work off his hips and back legs. A long sloping hip is most important. By its very length, it gives leverage to the femur or thigh bone. A long hip will give the dog a slightly roached backed appearance. Hence the "low set" tail so often spoke of. The hip should be broad. A broad hip will carry with it a broad loin and permits a large surface for the attachments of the gluteal and the biceps femoris muscles, the biggest drivers in the power train. The femur or thigh bone should be shorter than the tibia, or lower leg bone. This means that the stifle joint will be in the upper one third of the hind leg. It is not uncommon to see dogs with a low stifle. They are usually impressively muscled because of the bigger biceps femoris, but are surprisingly weak and slow on the back legs because of leverage lost by the long thigh. A short femur and long tibia usually means a well bent stifle, which in turn leads to a well bent hock. This last is a really critical aspect of wrestling ability. When a dog finds himself being driven backward, he must rely on the natural springiness of the well bent hock and stifle to control his movement. Dogs with a straight or the frequently seen "double jointed" hock of many of the Dibo bred dogs, will wrestle well as long as muscle power can sustain them, but if pushed, will tire in the back end more quickly and soon lose their wrestling ability. ​

AKC​

Hindquarters well-muscled, let down at hocks, turning neither in nor out. ​

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FEET ​

UKC​

The feet are round, proportionate to the size of the dog, well arched, and tight. Pads are hard, tough, and well cushioned. Dewclaws may be removed. ​

ADBA​

The feet should be small and set high on the pasterns.​

AKC​

Feet of moderate size, well-arched and compact.​

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TAIL ​

UKC​

The tail is set on as a natural extension of the topline, and tapers to a point. When the dog is relaxed, the tail is carried low and extends approximately to the hock. When the dog is moving, the tail is carried level with the backline. When the dog is excited, the tail may be carried in a raised, upright position (challenge tail), but never curled over the back (gay tail). ​

ADBA​

The set of the tail is most important. It should be low. The length should come just above the point of the hock, thick at the base and tapering to a point at the end and should hang down like a pump handle when relaxed. ​

AKC​

Short in comparison to size, low set, tapering to a fine point; not curled or held over back. Not docked​

 

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COAT ​

UKC​

The coat is glossy and smooth, close, and moderately stiff to the touch. ​

ADBA​

Skin should be thick and loose, but not in folds. It should appear to fit the dog tightly except around the neck and chest. Here the skin should be loose enough to show vertical folds even in a well conditioned dog. ​

AKC​

Short, close, stiff to the touch, and glossy. ​

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COLOR ​

UKC​

Any color, color pattern, or combination of colors is acceptable.​

ADBA​

The coat of the dog can be any color or any combination of colors. It should be short and bristled. The gloss of the coat usually reflects the health of the dog and is important to an athletic American Pit Bull Terrier.​

AKC​

Any color, solid, parti, or patched is permissible, but all white, more than 80 per cent white, black and tan, and liver not to be encouraged.​

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HEIGHT AND WEIGHT ​

UKC​

The American Pit Bull Terrier must be both powerful and agile so actual weight and height are less important than the correct proportion of weight to height. Desirable weight for a mature male in good condition is between 35 and 60 pounds. Desirable weight for a mature female in good condition is between 30 and 50 pounds. Dogs over these weights are not to be penalized unless they are disproportionately massive or rangy.​

ADBA​

Height to weight ratio is critical. Since dogs were fought at nearly identical weights, the bigger the dog you have at the weight, the better your chances. Hence, stocky dogs with long bodies, heavy shoulders and thick legs usually lost to taller, rangier opponents.​

AKC​

Height and weight should be in proportion. A height of about 18 to 19 inches at shoulders for the male and 17 to 18 inches for the female is to be considered preferable. ​

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GAIT ​

UKC​

The American Pit Bull Terrier moves with a jaunty, confident attitude, conveying the impression that he expects any minute to see something new and exciting. When trotting, the gait is effortless, smooth, powerful, and well coordinated, showing good reach in front and drive behind. When moving, the backline remains level with only a slight flexing to indicate suppleness. Viewed from any position, legs turn neither in nor out, nor do feet cross or interfere with each other. As speed increases, feet tend to converge toward center line of balance. ​

ADBA​

The gait of the dog should be light and springy. Most of the above relates to the skeletal features of the dog. When we look at muscles, from the breeders standpoint, it is much more important to look at the genetic features of musculature than those features due to conditioning. A genetically powerful dog can be a winner in the hands of even an inept owner, but a genetically weak dog needs a good matchmaker to win. Conditioning won't do much for him. Think of bones as levers with the joints as the fulcrum and the muscles being applied to the power source. The power being applied to the lever is more effective the farther away from the fulcrum it is applied. Muscles should be long, with attachments deep down on the bone, well past the joint. Short muscled dogs are impressive looking but not athletic. A muscle's power value lies in it's ability to contract. The greater the difference between its relaxed state and it's contracted state, the greater the power. ​

AKC​

Gait must be springy but without roll or pace. ​

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