Pit Bull Informational Pages
by Diane Jessup 

First, check depth of chest. This dog shows the ideal: the chest bottom is level with the point of elbow.

A chest which is higher lacks depth and the dog will lack "air" and stamina. A chest lower will interfere with the dog's front leg movement. The elbow should not run into the curved part of the chest.

This pit bull/American bulldog cross also shows the depth of chest wanted.

This dog has a horrible front, but look at how her chest goes back deeply before it starts its rise. All this anatomy is controlled by the ribcage.

Pat Hastings: "Mother Nature will not allow any part of the heart or lungs to protrude outside of the ribcage. The more extreme the underline, the less lung capacity and stamina the dog will have". Tricks of the Trade.

This picture shows a dog with a "herring gut", meaning the sternum ends right under the elbows, and the chest starts its rise early, pinching the vital organs. You can see how the heart and lungs would be cramped in this dog's body.

Pat Hastings: "The depth of the ribs should extend to the ninth rib." Tricks of the Trade.

Pat Hastings: "The loin is measured from where the last rib comes off of the spine. The distance from the last rib to the pelvis should be much shorter than the distance from the last rib to the shoulder." Tricks of the Trade.

A short loin will inhibit a dog's ability to swing about side to side. Too long a loin will cause the dog to have a lack of support in it's back. This dog shows a fantastic depth of body and good spring of rib, but a slightly short loin.

A short loin will inhibit a dog's ability to swing about side to side. Too long a loin will cause the dog to have a lack of support in it's back.

"Spring of ribs" describes a dog with nice, full spring of the bone part of the ribs. Good "spring", however does not mean a "barrel chest". A "barrel chest" does not taper near the bottom, allowing the dog's elbow to be placed (correctly) close to the body.

Here a weight pulling dog shows how more power is generated from an arm straight under the dog then one pushed out to the side; a more effective fulcrum. Dogs "out at the elbow" because of faulty shoulders or chest wall would be stronger if they did not have those faults.