American Pit Bull Terrier

Described as people-focused; may not tolerate other dogs.
An American Pit Bull Terrier
Photo: geoggirl
Adult male
16–27 kg
35–60 lb
Adult female
14–23 kg
30–50 lb
Lifespan
12–13 yrs
Class · Companion
also Sport

What it's like

Breed standards describe a confident, eager and people-focused dog that is usually friendly with strangers, which makes it a poor guard dog. Its fighting background can show as intolerance of other dogs. Sergeant Stubby, an American army mascot of the First World War, is often described as a pit bull-type dog, though his breeding is uncertain.

Owners in a large survey found American Pit Bull Terriers tend to be friendlier with people than dogs in general. On calmness, friendliness with other dogs and independence, they were about average. Breed is only a small part of any one dog's personality, so meet the dog before you decide.
Day to day
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Sensitivity
Average
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour1. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home2,3.
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Size and growth

An American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium dog, heavier than a Border Collie and lighter than a Golden Retriever. Males end up clearly heavier than females.

It is a medium-sized, muscular terrier, built for agility and strength rather than bulk. It has a broad, flat skull, powerful jaws, a deep chest and a fairly short tail that tapers to a point. The coat is short, glossy and moderately stiff to the touch. It comes in almost any colour or pattern, and the UKC standard rules out only merle.

Puppy growth

Reference curve · community data appears as owners log
By about 3 months, a male American Pit Bull Terrier puppy is already as heavy as a grown Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They grow fastest between 3 and 4 months old.
Fully grown
11 mo
Both sexes, at 99% of adult weight6
Male
Female
Shaded: expected range
01020302m4m6m9m12m18m
01020302m3m4m6m9m12m18m
Age
Male
Female
2 months
3.4–5.9 kg 7.5–13.0 lb
3.3–5.4 kg 7.3–11.9 lb
3 months
5.1–8.7 kg 11.2–19.2 lb
4.6–7.7 kg 10.1–17.0 lb
4 months
7.3–12.6 kg 16.1–27.8 lb
6.6–11.0 kg 14.6–24.3 lb
5 months
9.4–16.3 kg 20.7–35.9 lb
8.4–13.9 kg 18.5–30.6 lb
6 months
11.3–19.4 kg 24.9–42.8 lb
9.8–16.3 kg 21.6–35.9 lb
7 months
12.7–21.8 kg 28.0–48.1 lb
10.9–18.1 kg 24.0–39.9 lb
8 months
13.6–23.5 kg 30.0–51.8 lb
11.6–19.3 kg 25.6–42.5 lb
9 months
14.3–24.6 kg 31.5–54.2 lb
12.2–20.2 kg 26.9–44.5 lb
10 months
14.8–25.4 kg 32.6–56.0 lb
12.6–20.9 kg 27.8–46.1 lb
11 months
15.1–26.0 kg 33.3–57.3 lb
12.8–21.3 kg 28.2–47.0 lb
12 months
15.3–26.4 kg 33.7–58.2 lb
13.0–21.6 kg 28.7–47.6 lb
15 months
15.7–27.0 kg 34.6–59.5 lb
13.4–22.3 kg 29.5–49.2 lb

Lifespan

No vet study has measured how long American Pit Bull Terriers live yet. The 12–13 years shown is a reference range, not a measured one.

Where it comes from

The American Pit Bull Terrier comes from bull-and-terrier crosses made in 19th-century England, Ireland and Scotland, which immigrants brought to American farms to catch half-wild cattle and hogs. The UKC says it was the first registry to accept the breed. GOV.UK lists the Pit Bull Terrier among dog types it is against the law to own in the UK8,9.

The American Pit Bull Terrier was shaped in the United States during the nineteenth century. As well as working on farms, the dogs were used in organised dogfighting and were bred for gameness and tenacity. The United Kennel Club, founded by Chauncy Bennett, registered the breed from the late nineteenth century. In the nineteen-thirties the American Kennel Club recognised dogs of much the same stock as the Staffordshire Terrier, later renamed the American Staffordshire Terrier, and since then the two lines have largely been bred separately.

Breed standard

No FCI standard covers it; its group here is AKC Terrier group.

Questions people ask

General guidance for dogs rather than a measured American Pit Bull Terrier figure: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later, so a medium-sized breed is most likely somewhere in the middle.

Compare with related

Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Terriers · Medium
American Staffordshire Terrier
Terriers · Medium
American Bully
Terrier · Large
Bull Terrier
Terriers · Medium
Or compare the American Pit Bull Terrier with any breed you choose
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Sources

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Parts of this page were written by AI ·