The All American Dog Registry LLC Breed Standard for the American Pit Bull Terrier
INTRODUCTION – The Breed Standard for the AADR, LLC registered American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is the theoretical ideal, to which the actual living breathing dog is compared. Each dog is to be judged only against the standard, and not to the other dogs in the show ring. A maximum of 100 point is possible, but rarely achieved. Because the purpose of the conformation ring is to assess breeding stock, dogs incapable of reproducing may not compete in this event, even though they are welcome in not for title (“fun”) classes such as “judge’s choice” and performance events such as weight pulling. Any dog that attempts to bite a human will be asked to leave the show ring immediately, and will not receive a refund of entry fee(s). Barring exigent circumstances, any dog that bites a human anywhere on the show grounds will be permanently removed from the show site. This breed standard is the exclusive intellectual property of the All American Dog Registry, LLC, and may not be used by any Federal, State, County or Municipal government, or any other legal entity for the purpose of trying to identify the breed of a dog residing within their jurisdiction. Permission is granted to reproduce this breed standard as published, in whole or in part, for the ongoing education of dog breeders, exhibitors, judges and the public at large.
HISTORY – The All American Dog Registry, LLC has a mission of preservation. We will not attempt to use the written breed standard
to reinvent the wheel. Rather, the ideal standard is based on a consensus of the opinions provided by individuals who possess an in
depth knowledge of breed history and purpose. The AADR, LLC believes that the American Pit Bull Terrier is truly the most extraordinary breed of domestic canine ever created by man, a dog’s dog, if you will. In other words, the authentic performance bred APBT is the dog that other dogs aspire to be when they grow up!
Times may have drastically changed, but it was only a few generations back that almost all types of dogs were bred not for looks
but for performance. The AADR acknowledges that every pure bred American Pit Bull Terrier, (APBT) American Staffordshire Terrier (AST)
or Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT) originates from common ancestors who were bred for activities that modern society now considers
distasteful. Depending on how far back you choose to go, these activities include but are not limited to: hunting, organized rat killing,
badger baiting, catching and holding livestock to be butchered for human consumption, and dog (or even monkey) against dog wrestling
contests. While human history often conjures up images that make us squirm, for better or worse it culminates in what we are and
experience today. The APBT was refined for a purpose that is no longer allowed in the breed’s country of origin. This purpose required
physical stamina and wrestling ability. If we lose the characteristics that made our dogs the greatest and most versatile canine athletes ever created, then we do the breed a great disservice. The written standard for every recognized breed was based upon the original purpose of that breed, regardless of its current use(s).When a parent club or registry allows or encourages its members to breed dogs that stray from the characteristics of its origin, the breed is irrevocably changed into something else entirely. It becomes nothing more than a caricature, making a mockery of the foundation stock and those that worked tirelessly to preserve it. In keeping with our mission, the AADR, LLC encourages the breeding of dogs for the characteristics that honor the history and performance based purpose of their ancestors. The AADR, LLC does not encourage or condone any activity which violates The Animal Welfare Act, or any other law.
Despite our constantly changing views of which canine activities are politically correct, the positive byproducts of performance bred dogs are numerous. Dogs bred for performance have an emphasis placed on substance over style. Breeding for qualities such as intelligence, trainability, stable temperament, the ability to focus despite distraction, structural soundness and the desire to please their human counterparts make it easy to transition the performance bred dog into a seemingly limitless variety of jobs that benefit mankind. Additionally, performance dog breeders have contributed volumes of information regarding canine health, training and behavior for the betterment of the species as a whole.
The dog is a malleable creature, completely capable of forgiving human error and indiscretion. American Pit Bull Terriers that have been rescued from horrific circumstances have gone on to become successful United States Customs dogs, search and rescue dogs, Law Dogs trained to detect explosives and narcotics, therapy dogs and assistance dogs for people with special needs. The modern American Pit Bull Terrier as promoted by the AADR, LLC is an intelligent, people loving, athletic, robust dog with a healthy genetic makeup that is free of many of the congenital disorders which plague other breeds. Because they come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, and because of their history of loyalty, versatility and devotion to family, the American Pit Bull Terrier has remained one of the most popular breeds in the United States. The American Pit Bull Terrier also enjoys a devoted international following.
BREED TYPE, GENERAL APPEARANCE AND PERSONALITY – 20 points
It can be difficult for some people to separate out and define breed type because the outward impression of a dog is mostly a manifestation of the underlying structure. However, a dog can be physically sound, functioning as nature intended, but exhibit no distinguishable breed type. The dog that closely resembles its breed standard in both its physical appearance and personality is said to exhibit “type”. Type is best determined by asking “at first glance, is the dog’s breed easily identified or could it be mistaken for something other than an APBT?” Without “type” an individual breed does not exist.
At first impression, the correct APBT is lively, physically sound, and in balance. No one aspect is exaggerated, everything in proportion and nothing to extremes. To reach an optimal balance of power versus speed the American Pit Bull Terrier should have a balance of height to length, size to weight and equality of skeletal angulation in the front and rear assemblies. Head and neck excluded, height is measured from the thoracic vertebrae above the shoulder to the ground and should be roughly equal to the length as measured from the forward point of the shoulder (tuberculum majus) to the rear point of the hip (tuber sacrale). With the rear pastern vertical to the ground, the distance between front and rear feet will be slightly longer than the height. The dog should be presented to the judge clean and conditioned to the proper weight for its height. In the refined historical purpose, APBTs were matched at equal weights. Any excess weight would have been a handicap that put the dog up against a larger opponent. The ideal APBT should appear athletic and capable of great endurance with well defined lean muscle. It should never appear starved or dehydrated nor should it appear soft or bulky. Puppies should be shown at a healthy weight, neither pudgy nor skinny, and they are not encouraged to begin a conditioning regimen until at least 9 months of age. Show dogs are expected to live a full and well rounded life outside of the conformation ring. Well healed scars gained from normal dog activities are not to be considered a fault. A dog that has sutures, staples, and unhealed or open wounds is not eligible to compete.
SIZE – The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium sized dog, most often falling within a 30 lb. to 60 lb. range. Balance of proportion and balance of height to weight are more important than a specific size. Realistically, APBTs at the extremes of the size spectrum usually lack balance, possess physical features that are often disproportionate to the rest of their bodies and rarely exhibit the desired movement. Therefore, females are preferred to be 50 lbs or less and males are preferred to be 60 lbs or less. It is preferred that no mature APBT be smaller than 30 lbs.
COLOR - All coat colors are acceptable. No preference is given to one color over another and no color or coat pattern is to be discriminated against. Accepted nose colors are black, blue, chocolate and red. A solid color nose is preferred over a bi colored (“butterfly”) nose. A completely un-pigmented (“Dudley”) nose is a serious fault, and should not be confused with a diluted shade of red nose.
PERSONALITY – The APBT should be bold and confident. He should be curious with his environment, but responsive to his handler and gentle with family members. Unwarranted human aggression is highly undesirable. Often described as somewhat “co dependant”, the APBT wants to be wherever his “pack” is and doing whatever they are doing. Whether watching television on the sofa, hunting, swimming, police work or other activity, the APBT should be eager and willing to please. Like most terriers, they can have a strong prey drive and many APBTs exhibit some level of aggression towards other dogs and/or non human animals. Their intelligence combined with their natural athleticism can often get them into trouble, so the APBT is best suited for families with prior dog ownership experience, individuals who are willing to research the breed and make adequate preparations, or those who have access to a breed mentor. Ultimately, if you are not prepared to hold your self up as a public example of responsible ownership, the AADR, LLC humbly asks that you do everyone a favor and choose another breed.
HEAD – 5 points
The size of the head should be in proportion to the rest of the body, roughly 2/3 as wide as the shoulders, and almost as long from the tip of the nose to the stop, as it is from the stop to the back of the top of the skull (occiput). There is a median furrow that begins at the moderate and well defined stop and diminishes in depth as it approaches the rear of the skull. The head is shaped like a blunted wedge when viewed from the top and the side, and appears square when viewed directly from the front. The muzzle is broad under the eyes as well as deep, tapering only slightly toward the nose, and the top line of the muzzle is straight when viewed from the side. The cheek muscles are powerful and well developed at maturity. The lips should be clean and tight. Wrinkles will appear on the forehead when the dog concentrates, and “smile” wrinkles may appear at the corners of the mouth, giving the breed a unique and often human like expression.
NECK – 3 points
The neck should be muscular, and long enough that when the dog stands naturally on a slack leash, the bottom line of the jaw is level with, or just above the top of the center of the spine when viewed from the side. About 3/4ths the width of the jaw where it joins the skull, the neck widens gradually until it transitions smoothly into the shoulders.
DENTITION – 5 points
The incisor teeth should comprise a scissor bite, with the top teeth fitting tightly in front of the bottom. The canine teeth should also fit together tightly and be wide at the base. As long as the canines are tight fitting, a level bite or a reverse scissor bite (where the bottom teeth close tightly in front of the top teeth) are permitted but not preferred. Some tooth wear is expected relative to the advancing age of the dog, just as missing teeth are common in young puppies. A chipped or broken canine tooth is only considered a fault and not a disqualification, but missing canine teeth exclude a dog from receiving a trophy award.
EYES – 2 points
The eyes should be elliptical and deep set, with no looseness or sagging of the eyelids. The color of the eye is relative to the color of the nose pigment. Red nose dogs will naturally have a lighter eye, usually golden or sometimes hazel, and on rare occasion they may be green. White dogs and those with minimal color spots will have eye color relative to the nose pigment color and one or both eyes can be partially blue. Solid blue eyes do occur, but manifesting in a pair is rare. Any white dog possessing eyes without any iris pigment (pink or red eyes) should be photographed for the purpose of scientific verification, and the photos sent to the AADR, LLC office immediately, as this is not only a very serious fault but a rare genetic occurrence that warrants official documentation by experts within the scientific community.
EARS – 2 points
The natural ears should ideally be medium sized and rose shaped (folded back), but half prick (semi erect) or half drop ears are acceptable. Full drop and fully erect (bat) ears are undesirable. The ears should be set on the skull so that an invisible line could be drawn from the outside corner of the eye to midway between the top and bottom of the inner formation of the ear (burr), when viewed from the front.
REAR ASSEMBLY – 25 points
If the dog is standing square, the rear pastern (tarsus and metatarsus) will be vertical from the hock (tuber calcanae) to the ground and be placed slightly behind the rear point of the hip. With the back leg in this position, the slope of the hip should be a 45 degree angle to the ground when measured from the top point of the pelvis at the tuber coxae to the rear point of the hip at the tuber sacrale. The leg bones (tibia and fibula) should be longer than the thigh bone (femur). This positions the knee (patella) in the upper third of the leg. If you were to draw a line from the rear point of the hip to the knee it should create a right angle (90 degree) to the slope of the hip. The line from the knee down to the hock should make an opposite right angle that is also a 45 degree angle to the ground. The pasterns are relatively shorter, only about a third of the overall height of the rear leg. From a historical perspective the APBT did the majority of his work from his back end, therefore the importance of this specific arrangement cannot be overstated.
TORSO – 10 points
A correct ribcage is elliptical in shape, broader at the top but tapering as it reaches its maximum depth between the elbows. Like a bellows, this shape moves a greater volume of air more efficiently than a wide “barrel” or a shallow “herring gut”. The loin should be well developed, broad and fairly short, but not so much that it reduces the dogs’ flexibility. There should be breadth across the pelvis so that the back feet are placed somewhat farther apart than the front feet for added stability.
FRONT ASSEMBLY – 15 points
With the dog standing square, the shoulder blade (scapula) should ideally lay back at a 45 degree angle to the ground with an upper arm (humerus) of equal length that returns at a right angle to the shoulder blade. This places the elbow (olecranon) directly under the top of the shoulder and creates a powerful front because it allows adequate surface area for broad muscle attachment. The shoulder should be a little wider than the ribcage at the 8th rib. When viewed from the front, the lower arm (radius and ulna) should appear straight and solid, twice as thick as the rear pastern and longer than the upper arm. However, the side view reveals that the front pasterns (carpus and metacarpus) are not quite upright. This minimal angulation gives spring to the dogs gait and acts as a shock absorber. The natural stance should have the elbows parallel to the ribcage and places the front feet forward but angled slightly outward for better balance. Extreme toeing out is undesirable. So is toeing in, as it usually accompanies loose elbows that are held away from the body. The chest should be well developed but not overly broad, and the breastbone (manubrium sterni) should be prominent.
FEET – 3 points
The feet should be round and compact like a cat’s paw with well cushioned pads. Naturally open feet with longer toes, more like a rabbit are common and acceptable, but less preferred. The nails should be trimmed regularly so that they do not cause the toes to splay or the foot to position itself unnaturally. Flat feet at the tarsals (toes) or metatarsals are undesirable. Although they may be removed at the breeder’s discretion, single dewclaws are acceptable and naturally occur on the front feet, but double dewclaws or dewclaws on the rear feet are a fault.
TAIL – 3 points
When relaxed, the dog’s tail is carried low and resembles an old fashioned water pump handle. The length of the tail should end with a taper at the point of the hock. When moving with purpose, the correct tail is carried about level, as an extension of the top line. When standing at attention, the tail may be held in a gently curved upright “challenge” position, but should not curl completely over the top of the back or be held submissively between the legs. The tail should never be docked or altered.
SKIN AND COAT – 2 points
The skin and coat are indictors of good overall health. The coat should be short, slick and glossy and the skin should be thick. The jacket should be tight fitting except at the neck, where some looseness of skin is expected, but should not be excessive or extreme.
MOVEMENT – 5 points
If the dog has correct angulation and is in balance, it can move properly. Ideally, the dog should be exhibited at the trot. That being said, it is understood that under situations where excitement is high, and distractions abound, dogs will often act like dogs. Therefore, it is the handler’s responsibility to show the dog in motion to the best of their ability. At the trot, the dog should move out with a flexible but level top line and a ground covering stride. There should be no wasted movement. From forward most extension through rearward follow through the feet should move in close proximity to the ground. Unlike a dog with a more restricted range of motion, the dog that moves efficiently appears fluid and effortless but may need a step or two to fall into a natural rhythm. Because the longer length of stride provides more opportunity for some deviation, the correct moving dog may not always give the impression of ramrod straight movement when viewed coming and going. High stepping, crabbing sideways, rolling or pacing are undesirable for this breed. Feet should not cross over or interfere with each other. As speed increases the footfall will naturally converge towards, but never reach the center line of balance. A dog that is openly lame is considered unsound, and, at the judges discretion, may not receive a ribbon (points) even if it is the only dog in the ring that day. With written authorization from the determining judge, any dog that is dismissed for lameness will receive a refund of paid entry(s) for that weekends events.
Copyright All American Dog Registry, LLC 2008, All rights reserved
NOTICE: As of January 1st, 2009 the AADR, LLC will award two
types of Conformation Champion titles.
The term "Champion" will be awarded to any dog who:
Receives a minimum of 100 conformation points that includes at least one trophy award (Best Puppy, Best Male, Best Female, or Best In Show), or one class placing at the AADR LLC National Specialty.
The term "Reserve Champion" will be awarded to any dog who:
Receives a minimum of 100 conformation points from ribbons only, without ever receiving a trophy award or placing at the AADR LLC
National Specialy.
All dogs with a minimum of 100 points are eligible to compete in the "Best of Champions" class.
Any Reserve Champion that is awarded a "Best of Champions" trophy will be upgraded to Champion. Reserve Champions that reach 200 or more
points without ever receiving a "Best of Champions" trophy will be given the title(s) of Reserve Grand Champion, (300 points) Reserve Grand 1, etc.
Dogs that have competed in the Champions class, or have acquired more than 125 points are not allowed to enter regular classes.
