A Type of Pit Bull

So, Daddy was on Google today trying to find American bulldog forums so he could brag about my brofur when he came across something that boiled his blood.

This was posted on another forum:

""A Virginia Beach girl and her pet are attacked by a bulldog. Her dog is killed and the animal responsible is locked up. 13-year-old Marshawn Cuffee was out Thursday night walking her dog, Giga, when an American Bulldog, a type of pit bull, charged and bit the dog and the girl."

He cannot stress enough that American bulldogs are NOT pit bulls. Not even close. It's like the dog on Homeward Bound. Chance; you remember him, right? Everyone and their brother thought he was a pit bull. Everyone uses him as their reason to like pit bulls. Which is great that he helped the pit bull fight; but, he is not a pit bull. Google it. He was NOT a pit bull.

I get sick of hearing people confuse the breeds. Once, I was walking down the road with my sister when we walked past the yard of an American bulldog. Now, this dog is about 110 lbs! Huge dog. Tall, to. He charged at my sister because she walked through his yard- he's a "guard dog"- and she said "You can never be too sure about pit bulls..." I stoped her right there. And said, "Not trying to make you feel stupid... but, he's not a pit bull. He's an American bulldog. Probably pure bred."

So, what is an American bulldog? Let's have a looksee:

Taken from dogresources.com

The American Bulldog is an athletic, temperamentally sound and medium to large sized dog that possesses great strength, agility and confidence. The expression should reflect intelligence and alertness. The sturdy and powerful yet compact frame is characteristically stockier and heavier boned in the males and more refined in the females. Some aloofness with strangers and assertiveness towards other dogs is accepted. However, an American Bulldog should not be excessively timid, shy or aggressive towards man and preferably not overly aggressive with other dogs. Due to its distinctive physical and mental characteristics along with its natural desire to be the total companion and working dog, an American Bulldog should never be confused with uniquely different breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier or the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Size-General: Males should range from 22 to 28 inches at the withers and weigh between 70 and 120 pounds. Females should range from 20 to 26 inches at the withers and weigh between 60 and 100 pounds. Weight should be proportional to height and body type. A dog should be well conditioned and not overweight or underweight. Standard: A leaner and more athletic dog in appearance. Classic: A larger and more powerful dog in appearance.

So, how is it really different from a pit bull? Have a look-see at the American pit bull terrier and you'll see:

From arba.com

The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, solidly built, short-coated dog with smooth, well-defined musculature. This breed is both powerful and athletic. The body is just slightly longer than tall, but bitches may be somewhat longer in body than dogs. The length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of the dog's height at the withers. The head is of medium length, with a broad, flat skull, and a wide, deep muzzle. Ears are small to medium in size, high set, and may be natural or cropped. The relatively short tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point. The American Pit Bull Terrier comes in all colors and color patterns. This breed combines strength and athleticism with grace and agility and should never appear bulky or muscle-bound or fine-boned and rangy.

The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed's natural agility makes it one of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed. The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work.
The American Pit Bull Terrier has always been capable of doing a wide variety of jobs so exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog's versatility.

The American Pit Bull Terrier must be both powerful and agile so actual weight and height are less important than the correct proportion of weight to height. Desirable weight for a mature male in good condition is between 35 and 60 pounds. Desirable weight for a mature female in good condition is between 30 and 50 pounds. Dogs over these weights are not to be penalized unless they are disproportionately massive or rangy.

There you have it.

American bulldogs are bigger. Were bred for different purposes. Have a bit of a different temperment. Shall I go on?

They are not the same breed.

Pete the pup was an American pit bull terrier. Chance was not.