Long with muscles developed. Hocks down and straight.
Coat: Glossy. Short and stiff to the touch.
Color: Any color or markings are permissible.
Weight: Not important. Females preferred from 30 to 50 pounds. Males from 35 to 60 pounds.
Scale of Points
General appearance, personality and obedience: 20
Head, muzzle, eyes and ears: 25 Neck, shoulders and chest: 15 Body: 15
Legs and feet: 15
Tail, coat and color: 10
Total: 100
The Pit Bull’s body should convey an overall impression of strength, power and athleticism.
Any color or marking is acceptable according to the standard. This dog’s glistening jet-black coat color is an attractive variety.
Selecting an American Pit Bull puppy is a serious task. You must choose a properly bred pup from a responsible breeder who concentrates on sound temperament.
Your Puppy American Pit Bull Terrier
CHOOSING YOUR BREEDER AND PUPPY
Choosing a Pit Bull pup for a family pet will involve an even more serious approach than in the case of many other breeds. It is necessary to find a pup that will mature to be the kind of dog that will be appropriate for your family. We must keep in mind that at this especially sensitive time in the existence of the Pit Bull breed, the reputation of the breed is really in question in the minds of many who will meet your dog. A poorly bred dog or a poorly socialized puppy will make a negative impression upon those who will meet your dog, and the last thing this breed needs is for people to get further negative impressions.
Avoid buying a puppy from any breeder who appears to have no goal in his breeding program. If a breeder’s goal is to breed “highly protective” (man-aggressive) Pit Bulls, avoid that breeder. A well-chosen Pit Bull will become devoted to you. A devoted dog will protect you, should the need to do so arise. You don’t need a Pit Bull from outwardly aggressive stock. You don’t need a dog that displays aggression unnecessarily. Such a dog will only scare your neighbors, becoming a serious liability for you and adding fuel to the fire begun by those who would outlaw this breed worldwide.
INHERIT THE MIND
In order to know whether or not a puppy will fit into your lifestyle, you need to assess his personality. A good way to do this is to interact with his parents. Your pup inherits not only his appearance but also his personality and temperament from the sire and dam. If the parents are fearful or overly aggressive, these same traits may likely show up in your puppy.
A pup from steady show stock can be a good choice. Outward aggression is often discouraged among show breeders, as there is no place for such aggression in the show ring. I do feel I need to warn you that winning conformation shows is not what this breed is all about, however. When the characteristics for which a breed was originally produced are totally ignored in a breeding program, a breed changes. Just as there are some undesirable qualities in the “backyard-bred dog,” many of the truly positive and most definitive qualities of the game-bred dog can also be lost in a genetic line. Nonetheless, for most prospective owners, the highly show-bred dog is probably the best choice for pups.
COMMITMENT OF OWNERSHIP
After considering all of these factors, you have most likely already made some very important decisions about selecting your puppy. You have chosen the Pit Bull, which means that you have decided that the breed’s characteristics are what you want in a dog and that the Pit Bull will fit well into your family and lifestyle. If you have selected a breeder, you have gone a step further—you have done your research and found a responsible, conscientious person who breeds quality Pit Bulls and who should be a reliable source of help as you and your puppy adjust to life together. If you have observed a litter in action, you have obtained a firsthand look at the dynamics of a puppy “pack” and, thus, you have gotten to learn about each pup’s individual personality—perhaps you have even found one that particularly appeals to you.
However, even if you have not yet found the Pit Bull puppy of your dreams, observing pups will help you learn to recognize certain behavior and to determine what a pup’s behavior indicates about his temperament. You will be able to pick out which pups are the leaders, which ones are less outgoing, which ones are confident, which ones are shy, playful, friendly, aggressive, etc. Equally as important, you will learn to recognize what a healthy pup should look and act like. All of these things will help you in your search, and when you find the Pit Bull that was meant for you, you will know it!
GAME-BRED
With a word of caution, I will not advise the prospective owner to avoid bringing home a pup from a truly game-bred litter. This is the real Pit Bull, after all. All of the qualities that originally endeared so many Pit Bull owners of the past to this breed are most commonly expressed in the game-bred dog. The Pit Bull is a dog of unlimited devotion to its human masters, as the Pit Bull match scenario shamefully proves. At no point in a serious Pit Bull match is any human participant afraid to enter the pit. A dog can be furious. It can be intent upon destroying its opponent. It can be exhausted. Indeed, it can be dying of its wounds. But it does not take its aggression out on its handler. How many other breeds can we say this about?
Researching your breed, selecting a responsible breeder and observing as many pups as possible are all necessary steps on the way to dog ownership. It may seem like a lot of effort…and you have not even brought the pup home yet! Remember, though, you cannot be too careful when it comes to deciding on the type of dog you want and finding out about your prospective pup’s background. Buying a puppy is not—or should not be—just another whimsical purchase. In fact, this is one instance in which you actually do get to choose your own family! But, you may be thinking, buying a puppy should be fun—it should not be so serious and so much work. If you keep in mind the thought that your puppy is not a cuddly stuffed toy or decorative lawn ornament, but instead will become a real member of your family, you will realize that while buying a puppy is a pleasurable and exciting endeavor, it is not something to be taken lightly. Relax…the fun will start when the pup comes home!
Always keep in mind that a puppy is nothing more than a baby in a furry disguise…a baby who is virtually helpless in a human world and who trusts his owner for fulfillment of his basic needs for survival. That goes beyond food, water and shelter; your pup needs care, protection, guidance and love. If you are not prepared to commit to this, then you are not prepared to own a dog.
