Pit Bull Terrier

I have spent alot of time in USA and have seen alot of Pitbull Terrier's over there and also I have a few friends in the states who own them.
I have lived in the UK for years and have never seen a dog like the Pitbulls`in USA. I know there are people who live here in the UK that say they own a 'Pitbull' but when I see pictures of them they look nothing like the dogs I have spent time with in the States.
I know it is illegal to own a 'Pitbull' here but still some people insist on saying they have one!?!
What is everyones opinion on this?

90% so call pitbull in the uk are just crossbreeds to have similar look to a pitbull, if people tell you they have a pitbull you know it a crossbreed the real pitbull owner wont tell you what they got.

Xbreed, but I don't know a lot about it Xx

I don't think it's illegal to own a Pitbull, but under the Dangerous Dogs Act they are subject to restrictions like being neutered, muzzled and so on (I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to this Act I'm afraid, as I don't have and never had had a dog that is included in it).

I have seen photos of Pitbulls and seen a little bit of that programme that has that American "Dog Whisperer" guy that has a Pitbull (lovely dog and very well trained btw) and I agree that I too have not seen a dog in my experience that has resembled those dogs in the UK. But I have come across people (young guys) who say they have a Pitbull. I suspect that, poor little saddos, that what they have is Staff cross but they want to appear "hard" by calling it Pitbull.

This doesn't do our Staffs a lot of favours, unfortunately.

pitbulls are banned in the uk

I stand corrected Steve!

Just shows then that those young lads I have come across who say their dog is a Pitbull are delusional.

they have crossbreed the people who own real pitbull wont tell anybody what they have got also people who breeds them wont let chavs have one because it can be easy to trace back to them.. only select few will havea real pit.

I'd say 99% of the 'pitbulls' in the UK are bad cross breeds.

I've spent time in a america and met some true pittys and have never seen any dog that remotely resembles the dogs in the US

When the ban first came in I worked with seized pits and so far I have not seen any more actual pits they mostly as said before are x breeds

You are aloud to keep a pit/x breed that resembles a pit if they are neutered (hence most so called pits are not), insured,registered with the local council, muzzled and on lead at all times when in public

Gazagem wrote:You are aloud to keep a pit/x breed that resembles a pit if they are neutered (hence most so called pits are not), insured,registered with the local council, muzzled and on lead at all times when in public

You're not allowed to own a pitbull in this country, it's a banned breed!

If you are caught with one you may be allowed to have it registered on the exempt register (neutered, chipped, muzzled in public & insured), but you may also be forced to have it pts. You really don't have any choice in the matter, and it's down to your local authority & whether your dog is totally friendly & well behaved.

you can keep a pit (type) if they judge allow it.

P.S. re: original post - when I was in Haight Ashbury, San Francisco, I saw a lot of Pitbulls. Not one of the so-called pitbulls in this country that I've seen looked much like the real thing. As Steve says, if you genuinely own a pit in the UK you don't publicize it!

Steve wrote:you can keep a pit (type) if they judge allow it.

Yes, if a judge allows it, but it's a priveledge, not a right. The breed is banned, so you're not allowed to have one unless a judge is prepared to put it on the exempt register.

Tis true .. there are many shapes and sizes of APBT just as there are with staffy's ... but a pure bred APBT from good lines is still, to me, the ultimate dog! ... they excel in EVERYTHING they do, and are true athlete's ... I would bet a months wages that most of our population wouldnt be able to pick a good pit from a line of staffy cross's

I'd dearly love to own a pure bred APBT

I have to admit that before I went to San Francisco I had a fairly jaundiced view of pits. I didn't dislike them (admired them, tremendously) but I was wary of them - I'd fallen for the old "unpredictable" slur.

The dogs I saw out there mainly belonged to the hippies (yes, they still call them that in Haight) and were incredible looking dogs. Nothing overdone, but fit, agile & friendly. And yet one lady we spoke to said that she had been attacked by would-be robbers the previous summer & her dog had landed one of them in hospital - and that same dog was wagging its tail furiously, playing with my daughter!

All of them, without fail, had lovely temperaments. Beautiful dogs.

Caryll wrote:

Gazagem wrote:You are aloud to keep a pit/x breed that resembles a pit if they are neutered (hence most so called pits are not), insured,registered with the local council, muzzled and on lead at all times when in public

You're not allowed to own a pitbull in this country, it's a banned breed!

If you are caught with one you may be allowed to have it registered on the exempt register (neutered, chipped, muzzled in public & insured), but you may also be forced to have it pts. You really don't have any choice in the matter, and it's down to your local authority & whether your dog is totally friendly & well behaved.

Sorry that's what I meant
I have known a couple of registered pedigree pits (now nolonger with their owners rip due to old age) they were lovely dogs but were registered etc and were allowed by a judge to live to a ripe old age

Andy wrote:Tis true .. there are many shapes and sizes of APBT just as there are with staffy's ... but a pure bred APBT from good lines is still, to me, the ultimate dog! ... they excel in EVERYTHING they do, and are true athlete's ... I would bet a months wages that most of our population wouldnt be able to pick a good pit from a line of staffy cross's

I'd dearly love to own a pure bred APBT

Kick me into touch if I'm being out of order here ...

The fact that APBTs look very similar to Staffs, and that they are banned from the UK (didn't know that until now), and the hysteria in the press towards bull breeds in general (which they generally refer to as Pitbulls or Staffs) makes having a Staff these days a rather hazardous experience. I know that a lot of people (not all) who see my Staff are wary of him, until they get to meet him with his loving hugs and licks.

I can't help remembering a recent case where a bull breed (Staff?) was taken from his owner and consequently destroyed because the authorities decided that he was a Pitbull.

Just how safe are we Staff owners from having our dogs seized and destroyed because they resemble an APBT?

new Staffy owner wrote:
Just how safe are we Staff owners from having our dogs seized and destroyed because they resemble an APBT?

That's difficult question to answer. If you have a registered dog, you're pretty safe, especially if it's well bred, well behaved & friendly. If you have a badly bred dog that's over Standard size, or is badly behaved/aggressive, then you could well have a problem.

Many stafford cross breeds could be classed as 'pitbull types' but are left alone because they're well trained & friendly & have responsible owners.

they dont really look like each other

Steve wrote:they dont really look like each other

No, they don't. It's got to be said, though, that the pits I saw in California were slightly smaller & stockier than the one in that pic, although still bigger than a staff.

new Staffy owner wrote:

Andy wrote:Tis true .. there are many shapes and sizes of APBT just as there are with staffy's ... but a pure bred APBT from good lines is still, to me, the ultimate dog! ... they excel in EVERYTHING they do, and are true athlete's ... I would bet a months wages that most of our population wouldnt be able to pick a good pit from a line of staffy cross's

I'd dearly love to own a pure bred APBT

Kick me into touch if I'm being out of order here ...

The fact that APBTs look very similar to Staffs, and that they are banned from the UK (didn't know that until now), and the hysteria in the press towards bull breeds in general (which they generally refer to as Pitbulls or Staffs) makes having a Staff these days a rather hazardous experience. I know that a lot of people (not all) who see my Staff are wary of him, until they get to meet him with his loving hugs and licks.

I can't help remembering a recent case where a bull breed (Staff?) was taken from his owner and consequently destroyed because the authorities decided that he was a Pitbull.

Just how safe are we Staff owners from having our dogs seized and destroyed because they resemble an APBT?

They are safe because they dont resemble the APBT as in it is easy to tell the difference between a true APBT and a true Stafford and I assume that the relevent people who are in charge of deciding what is what will be well informed of the differences. The simple fact, in my opinion, is that owning a Staff is a priviledge shared by a large percentage of the dog owning community. They are one of the most popular breeds for reasons that we all know. I dont believe that owning one is a hazardous experience. The press is the press and the laws put in place regarding dangerous dogs will not effect genuine Stafford owners, ever!!!

Steve wrote:they dont really look like each other

+1
Good picture Steve!!

Agree with everything said so far.. on the topic of the chances of your staffie being seized, i'd say it depends on where you are in the country and if he/she's a cross. I've known some awful cases of people having their staff/lab crosses seized because of their slightly slanted eyes..

I've argued with the wardens/police time and time again over "type" dogs due to be pts, but sadly to no avail as they're the big boss men apparently. They tried to put my girl to sleep for being pit type initially the little staffy cross with the big round eyes!! Haven't ever been stopped since though, and Bis is a bigger girl. I'd say on the whole you haven't got anything to worry about, but even less so if the dog is registered as Caryll said, or in my experience from a rescue centre where they should have already been tested (and passed) if they in any way resembled a pit. I wouldn't worry too much though, it's uncommon that people get their dogs seized off of the streets for no reason!

Rachel33 wrote: I wouldn't worry too much though, it's uncommon that people get their dogs seized off of the streets for no reason!

Moo is a rescue and certainly doesn't fit standard, but she is a well behaved dog, never gonna be taken away.

Andy wrote:Tis true .. there are many shapes and sizes of APBT just as there are with staffy's ... but a pure bred APBT from good lines is still, to me, the ultimate dog! ... they excel in EVERYTHING they do, and are true athlete's ... I would bet a months wages that most of our population wouldnt be able to pick a good pit from a line of staffy cross's

I'd dearly love to own a pure bred APBT

You and me both

I'd also have a dogo in a heartbeat if they weren't banned i ADORE those dogs

OMG Rachel, what an awful experience (having had your girl being accused of being pit type and being threatened with destroyal). Just proves my point on all Staff types being tarred with the same brush (resembling a Pitbull, however marginally).

Well, as my little boy is not registered (born of two pet dogs - dad a definate Staff - mum a bit leggy and taller so I cannot be sure that he 100% Staff) I guess I will have to be extra careful (as I hope I am anyway).

Still can't forget that dog being destroyed because he looked like a Pitbull.

Maybe I'm just getting a little hysterical

Opinion on pits? There great dogs, loyal loving and protective just like most other dogs.
Pits in uk? Next to none which is why bsl states type and not breed as they are not reconised as a breed in the uk. Most types are bread to look like what * heads think a pit looks like often using a staff with a bulky breed like a lab. I could go on and on about this but one thing i will say is that after my two being called wolf dogs, hyenas, some kinda mountain hunting dogs and kelpie all in just one day the british public dont know dogs from *.

Oh's aunt and uncle have a farm in suffolk and they own two pits, however they had to have them on the exempt register. Wasn't too tricky as they are both fantastic dogs with great temperaments, and the farm is huge..they are never really in the village or around a lot of people. (Although they wouldn't cause a bit of bother if they were).
Will try and bug them for some photos at some point.

PygmyParrot wrote:Oh's aunt and uncle have a farm in suffolk and they own two pits, however they had to have them on the exempt register. Wasn't too tricky as they are both fantastic dogs with great temperaments, and the farm is huge..they are never really in the village or around a lot of people. (Although they wouldn't cause a bit of bother if they were).
Will try and bug them for some photos at some point.

I'm just interested in how they got them? They obviously can't import them, so they would have to be bred here. I'm surprised that the authorities didn't ask who bred them in the first place?

I'm not sure tbh Caryll, I've only met them once but I do know the dogs are getting on in years.

PygmyParrot wrote:I'm not sure tbh Caryll, I've only met them once but I do know the dogs are getting on in years.

Please don't think I'm criticizing! It's just that the ban came in the 80s so no pit could have been imported and must therefore have been bred here. My concern is that they are cross breeds being sold as pits. Nothing wrong with cross breeds (before anyone has a go at me) but deception if they're not full pit.

No Caryll it's fine...it's me not listening to oh properly, just asked him and he said they are american bulldog crosses that the police were going to seize and they had to prove they were not pits. I had no idea it was what the dog looks like that can cause the problem for the authorities. When I met the dogs few years back I wouldn't have known an am staff from a pit, and I wasn't very up on the different laws. Totally get where you are coming from with the cross breed thing.

Aaaah, that makes sense.

The whole BSL thing is so stupid - just because a dog looks a certain way doesn't make it dangerous!

I get nervous if we see the police when out with Dex, and I don't think he looks anything like a pitbull but what if some idiotic copper decided to be a div. I would end up arrested if they tried to take my boy as I imagine we all would.

APBTs were added to the dangerous dogs list in 1991 I believe, and as it is/was illegal to breed from pure bred dogs from that date it's very unlikely that any have made it through to 2012. So unless it's an illegally bred dog or import there is not much chance that any true APBT exist in the UK. So anyone who has one will not be advertising it if they have any sense.

The Dangerous dogs act was a typical knee jerk reaction and was badly written and advised, its a typical government * up. However we are stuck with it

PygmyParrot wrote:I get nervous if we see the police when out with Dex, and I don't think he looks anything like a pitbull but what if some idiotic copper decided to be a div. I would end up arrested if they tried to take my boy as I imagine we all would.

I've been stopped by the police and questioned over Chance, but i talked them down as they weren't the brightest shall we say.

As long as they are well behaved and under control they are very unlikely to stop you.

I really like Pits, but they are bigger than I personally like. However, I have never met a bad one. Heard stories and a number of the physicians in hospitals swear they are mean. Saw 3 today on our morning walk and there are so many around here. Those who don't want the stigma that goes with it don't crop and often tell people they are terrier mixes. However, even my vet recommends pits as the absolute best choice for a family dog.

I'm with Steve. I don't think Callie (full Staff) looks at all like a APBT! She's half the size!

Everyone here, where we have far more pits than Staffies, says she looks like a short, stocky ABPT. I correct them and say that pits look like bigger, long, leggy Staffies

Most pits I have known are very friendly by the way. 99% of the time it depends on the owner.

and I'm with you Ben, I like the Staffy size a litle better personally

Yes, I really like APBTs but prefer the staffy size!

I prefer bigger dogs so much prefer the apbt size

When we are in France we see a lot of american staffordshire terriers they are cat 2 dogs with a pedigree without they are cat1 (pitbull )they are bigger than olly by abou t 5 ins at the shoulders ,but all the ones we have met have been soft , i have not seen anything like them in england thou all so called pitbulls here are crosses

harlou wrote:all so called pitbulls here are crosses

That about sums it up!

Caryll wrote:

harlou wrote:all so called pitbulls here are crosses

That about sums it up!

exactly!

ella wrote:

Caryll wrote:

harlou wrote:all so called pitbulls here are crosses

That about sums it up!

exactly!

Yup and thats why bsl is type and not specific. Ive lost count of dogs i meet that have pit in them..just goes to show what ignorance, mass human hysteria and the media can achive.

how would you know if they got pit in them?

Steve wrote:how would you know if they got pit in them?

Id bet money they dont its just every chav sees a bull breed and says pitt and the old folks follow suit as they ars just as bad...