American Pit Bull Terrier vs Glen of Imaal Terrier

An American Pit Bull Terrier
Photo: geoggirl
A Glen of Imaal Terrier
Photo: Irish-Terrier-2023

Side by side

American Pit Bull Terrier
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Adult weight
Males 16–27 kg (35–60 lb); females 14–23 kg (30–50 lb) (registry figure)1
Males 14–18 kg (31–40 lb); females 13–16 kg (29–35 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 45–53 cm; females 43–50 cm (registry figure)1
Males 31.8–35.6 cm; females 31.8–35.6 cm3
Lifespan
12–13 years4
Median 12.1 years5
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes6
Group
Terrier (AKC)
Terriers7
Coat
No sourced figure
Coat of medium length7
Shedding
No sourced figure
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
No sourced figure
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
No sourced figure
A moderate amount
Class
Companion
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The American Pit Bull Terrier is a little larger on average: about 20 kg (44 lb) as an adult, against 15 kg (34 lb) for the Glen of Imaal Terrier.
Temperament
They differ most on activity (American Pit Bull Terrier: needs lots of exercise; Glen of Imaal Terrier: a good daily walk and play) and on affection (American Pit Bull Terrier: a lap or leaning dog; Glen of Imaal Terrier: affectionate on its own terms).
Alike
Both are rated the same on prey drive: likely to chase small pets.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

American Pit Bull Terrier
Terrier · Medium

Breed standards describe a confident, eager and people-focused dog that is usually friendly with strangers, which makes it a poor guard dog.

Glen of Imaal Terrier
Terriers · Medium

In temperament the Glen is spirited and brave, but it is less excitable than many terriers and is often calm indoors.

The American Pit Bull Terrier page →The Glen of Imaal Terrier page →

Breed traits

Day to day
American Pit Bull Terrier
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Needs an experienced owner
Needs steady training
With people
American Pit Bull Terrier
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Bonded to its family
Independence
Differs
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Decides for itself
Around the home
American Pit Bull Terrier
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Quiet
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour8. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home9,10.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The American Pit Bull Terrier grows to the heavier adult, about 20 kg against the Glen of Imaal Terrier's 16 kg.
American Pit Bull Terrier
Glen of Imaal Terrier
01020302m4m6m9m12m18m
01020302m3m4m6m9m12m18m

More comparisons

Compare the American Pit Bull Terrier with
American Pit Bull Terrier vs Staffordshire Bull TerrierAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs American Staffordshire TerrierAmerican Bully vs American Pit Bull TerrierAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs Bull TerrierAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs German ShepherdAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs BulldogAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·