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Pit Bull Informational Pages
by Diane Jessup 

Are they the same breed?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It is all a matter of perspective.

Perspective 1) all dogs, AKC, UKC or ADBA all originated from the same group of British dogs, making American Staffs, Staffie bulls and American pit bulls all the same dog.

Perspective 2) when the original British dogs came over, they became American Staffs and American pit bulls, however, the dogs which remained in Britain are somehow significantly different from the American dogs.

Perspective 3) all three of the "breeds" originated from the same group of British dogs, but have been bred along different lines and for different purposed long enough now to be separate breeds.

After two decades in the breed, this is what I believe:

I happen to believe in perspective 3 above. As a performance dog trainer and fancier, I believe that purpose bred animals are different from their show bred counterparts, even though they come from the same original stock, and may look similar.

(Left) Pure pit bull, 51 pounds

I believe that today there are:

a) "pure" pit bulls, often called "gamebred" because they are the dogs most often used by serious fighters
b) "pure" bred American Staffordshires, registered only with the American Kennel Club
c)"hybrid" pit bulls, who are a mixture of AKC registered American Staffordshire and "pure" pit bull
d) "pure" Staffordshire bulls

(Left) Rescue dog of unknown breeding 47 lbs

What is the difference between a "pure" pit bull, an American Staffordshire and a hybrid pit bull/Am Staff mix? Can you tell the difference by looking? Is there a difference in temperament? Is one "better" than another? CLICK HERE for more information on this.

The dog at left is a hybrid. He was an American Staffordshire / pit bull mixbreed, registered as a pit bull with the UKC and ADBA. He had to be euthanized due to severe hip dysplasia.

What does a "pure" pit bull look like?

Any performance bred breed will vary in appearance. Show bred animals are bred to conform to a written standard of appearance, and because of this, they are more uniform. Purebred pit bulls range in size from 25 pounds to about 75 pounds. Dogs larger than this are generally hybrids or mixbreeds. To see the standard for the pit bull CLICK HERE

(Left) Webster's Joker (1914) champion fighting dog. 43 lbs