- Name: Pitbull
- Country of origin: America
- Average height: 43-53 cm
- Average weight: 14-27 kg
- Maximum age: 12-15 years
Author of the article
Tatyana Anisimova
Breeder of purebred dogs with 12 years of experience.
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Description of the breed
What does a pitbull look like?
There are three types of pit bull:
- Albanian
- Dwarf
- Mini
General characteristics of the appearance of American pit bulls:
- Height - approximately 48 cm
- Weight - about 25 kg
- The head is large, with pronounced cheekbones and a strong jaw.
- Powerful neck extending into the chest.
- The small eyes are deeply located.
- Deep-set ears can be cropped by a third.
- The dog is short, squat, strong, broad-shouldered.
- The coat is short and hard, without undercoat.
Any coat color is acceptable except marble. Some competitions do not allow blue pit bulls to participate.
The merle color is a characteristic feature of the Albanian Pit Bull Terrier. This type of color is also called “merle”. In appearance, this type resembles an ordinary American pit bull. This subspecies is one of the most expensive dogs in the world.
Such an unusual color, created artificially, may also be accompanied by nervous disorders. Such puppies may be deaf, blind, or have low immunity. Some are even born dead.
Dog handlers do not want to classify the Albanian pit bull as a separate breed. The Dwarf Pitbull is small and stocky.
But a mini pit bull cannot be called a baby. His height is average for a pit bull, as is his weight. It got its name because of its skeleton. Popular colors: brownish, gray, snow white, cream and black.
Dog character
The dog was bred specifically for dog fighting. This is the reason that in the eyes of people, the pit bull is a formidable, aggressive and merciless dog. However, this is not quite true. In everyday life, a dog that is not accustomed to fighting rarely shows aggression.
What kind of character a dog will grow up in depends only on the owner and trainer. It is extremely important for such a dog to undergo socialization and training in at least basic commands so that it lives well in the family.
Then it won’t be scary to leave the child with her. She can become a full member of the family, a reliable and loyal friend, and a good nanny.
The hallmark of a pit bull is loyalty. A pit bull will protect its owner as long as necessary.
Pit bulls love to play, and they are especially fascinated when the owner hides something and gives them the opportunity to find it.
Despite their apparent aggressiveness, pit bulls do not attack themselves. The fact that the dog is about to attack can be understood by the following signs:
- the torso tenses
- the dog starts growling
The pit bull moves extremely confidently. The back is always straight and the dog is always ready to act.
This breed is not stupid, although many people have the completely opposite opinion.
How to choose?
Purchasing a puppy of this breed is a very responsible matter, and therefore, if you decide to buy a white pit bull, you should under no circumstances rush .
Before buying a pet, you need to carefully calculate your strengths: after all, dogs of this breed need a lot of physical activity and professional training, and therefore their owners must have the means and opportunities to provide them with all this.
It is not recommended to take a dog at the market or through an advertisement if the puppy does not have documents about its origin, since it is not known which line such a pit bull belongs to and whether there are any dogs in its family with an unbalanced psyche or hereditary ailments. It could also just be a similar mixed breed.
You should buy a puppy of this breed only from a kennel or from a breeder who treats their dogs responsibly and does not use breeders with mental problems or poor health for breeding..
When choosing a future pet from a litter of puppies, you need to pay special attention to its appearance and behavior. A good, healthy baby is quite active, he plays with pleasure with his littermates and is not afraid of people.
His coat is clean, shiny and smooth, his ears, eyes and nose are clean, and there are no signs of scratching or inflammation on his skin.
If we are talking about purchasing a pure white puppy, before purchasing it is recommended to check how well he hears, just in case..
And, of course, if possible, you should avoid knowingly purchasing an albino dog that has no pigmentation at all.
Breed care
The size of pit bulls allows them to be kept in apartments. When kept in an enclosure, you need to communicate and contact the pit bull terrier daily. If you do not socialize your dog, you can raise an angry dog that will be a collection of stereotypes about the breed.
Grooming for short hair is quite easy. It consists of weekly brushing. This improves blood circulation in the skin, cleans the dog by removing dust and dirt. During spring and autumn shedding, you need to brush more often. If a dog sheds all year, you need to visit a veterinarian and review the menu and conditions for keeping the dog.
Bath your pit bull every two months. Particular care must be taken to ensure that water does not get into the ears. When the dog gets dirty, simply wipe it down. Of course, if he is very dirty, you can give him a bath, but it is not advisable to do this just like that, as you can dry out and ruin the wool. After bathing, the dog should not be allowed to be in a draft.
It is imperative to inspect whether cracks have appeared on the paw pads. To prevent wounds from appearing on the pads, rub in vegetable oil.
Nails are trimmed every month with a nail clipper designed for large breeds. Then they are sharpened with a file.
Ears should be wiped with a damp cotton pad every week. When healthy, they are pinkish, without redness or sulfur.
The eyes should be wiped with a cotton pad soaked in chamomile decoction.
Teeth are brushed every week, 1 or 2 times. To do this, use a specialized toothpaste intended for dogs and a dog toothbrush. It is important to periodically give your pet solid food, rope toys or beef bones to prevent the formation of plaque and tartar.
Pit bull diet
Since this breed is prone to allergic reactions, you should approach feeding very carefully. The diet must be determined from the first days the puppy is in the house. You can feed both dry ready-made food and natural food.
Natural food does not mean that you can feed him the same food that a person prepares for himself. Natural food must be well balanced. But even though the diet includes the most healthy and necessary foods, you still have to feed your dog with vitamin supplements.
It is very important that only the owner feeds the puppy.
American Pit Bull Terrier daily menu:
- 100 g of meat, occasionally can be replaced with heart or liver
- 40-50 g of cottage cheese with a fat content of less than 2-4%
- 100 - 150 g pumpkin, carrots, zucchini
- 100 ml milk
- Porridge
- Greenery
You should not feed your dog fatty or sweet foods. The dog can become fat, which in turn leads to health problems. You should also exclude butter, sour cream, and baked goods from your diet.
It is important to observe feeding times:
- From 1.5-2 months - six times a day.
- Up to 4 months - five times a day.
- From 4 to 6 months - four times a day.
- Up to 8 months - three times a day.
- From 8 months - two meals a day.
Dry food should only be of premium quality for the American Pit Bull Terrier breed.
Mating
Mating takes place on the territory of the male dog to give him confidence in his abilities. You will need a muzzle, a cup of water and Vaseline. On this day, you need to treat the bitch as kindly as possible so that she doesn’t get nervous.
Before mating, dogs are walked and fed 3-4 hours before the start of the process. The female genitals are treated with a solution of rivanol.
Mating is always carried out in the presence of the owners, who, if anything happens, must come to the aid of their pets. The first mating takes place in the presence of a veterinarian.
The male is ready for mating all year round, the female comes into heat from 1 to 3 times a year. As a rule, mating is carried out no earlier than the 11th day of estrus. This process is complex and can last from 5-10 minutes to an hour.
Education and training of the pit bull breed
It is necessary to train a pit bull from the moment it arrives in the home. It is important to prove your importance, but not with aggression, to which the dog will only respond with anger.
It is best to turn to professionals and take courses, because the pit bull is not an easy dog.
It is easy to learn, especially if the training takes place in the form of games. When trained using this method, the puppy will grow up to be very active, socially adapted and obedient.
Puzzle toys and a game of hide and seek are suitable for such dogs. You can ask them to find some objects, they love it.
Pit bull health
The most common diseases among American Pit Bull Terriers are:
- aortic stenosis
- hip dysplasia.
The first symptoms of these diseases: the dog gets tired quickly and breathes heavily.
Hormonal diseases also occur in dogs. Thyroid dysfunction is the main cause of incurable diseases and obesity.
Pit bulls also suffer from allergic reactions.
The most unhealthy type of American pit bull is the Albanian. This is due to the fact that a gene has been added to their genome that not only imparts a marbled color, but also causes many diseases. Because of this, the dog is not recognized as a separate breed by any cynological organization.
Origin story and what it looks like in the photo
Having appeared in ancient times, baiting dogs were very popular among fans of fights with bulls, bears and other large animals.
These strong, hardy and brave dogs, without any fear, entered into battle with an enemy significantly larger than them in size and very often defeated them..
It was the baiting dogs of antiquity that became the ancestors of the Old English Bulldogs, which, like their ancestors, were used for baiting bulls.
However, in the end, people noticed that bulldogs, for all their wonderful qualities as real fighters, lacked agility and mobility, and therefore attempts were made to cross them with dogs of other breeds.
As a result, it turned out that the best results in battles with large animals are shown by mestizos obtained from terriers.
Later, these dogs, which inherited strength, jaw strength and courage from bulldogs, and agility, mobility and tirelessness from terriers, were called bull-and-terriers and, like their ancestors, they were used as bait dogs.
White and spotted coat colors are among the most common in bulldogs, so it is not surprising that bull and terriers, and later pit bulls, inherited this coat color from their ancestors.
After fighting with bulls and bears was legally prohibited in Britain in 1835, bull and terriers found themselves without work. And then the breeders of these dogs began to use them for dog fighting.
At the end of the 19th century, bull and terriers were brought to the United States, where local farmers used them not only for fights with other dogs, but also for hunting semi-wild bulls and pigs, and also as companions.
Pros and cons of the breed
Advantages of American Pit Bull Terriers:
- Easy care for short hair.
- Simple diet.
- A smart dog, easy to raise and train.
- An active, positive dog, an ideal companion for walks and active dog sports.
- Not prone to diseases (with the exception of marbled ones).
Disadvantages of the breed:
- Requires a lot of effort to educate.
- Suitable only for people who have already had positive experience with dogs.
- Without training, the dog will become angry, aggressive and can become a problem for the whole family.
- Requires a lot of attention, frequent long active walks.
- If not given enough attention, they become irritable and uncontrollable.
- Dog diseases are often incurable or require serious treatment.
Genetics of colors
An important aspect when choosing a pet is color. Dog fur is heterogeneous and consists of different types of hair:
- cover (first layer),
- guard (second layer),
- downy (undercoat).
The guard hair conveys the tone, and the down hair conveys the shade. Pigment controls color. With a lack or absence of it, the hair is colorless. The American Pit Bull Terrier has three color pigments: yellow, brown and black.
The color of both skin and hair can be formed only with the help of the pigment melanin. There are two forms of melanin:
- eumelanin (black, brown color),
- pheomelanin (yellow, orange color).
Colored dogs have different sets of genes in their genotype.
Genes responsible for coloring and their symbols:
- gene C (the body’s ability to create a pigment of any color),
- gene A (distribution of pigment throughout the hair),
- gene B (creation of black pigment),
- c (partial albinism),
- b (formation of brown pigment).
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This unusual breed in every sense looks good in any color. She represents strength, courage, devotion and love. And if you are determined to get just such a dog, then don’t let anyone change your decision. It is not the dog that paints the man, but the man who paints the dog. In any case, all responsibility lies with you.
