page_title: American Pit Bull Terrier
section_title: Temperament
hierarchical_section_title: American Pit Bull Terrier / Temperament
context_page_description: The American Pit Bull Terrier is a purebred dog breed recognized by the United Kennel Club and American Dog Breeders Association, but not the American Kennel Club. It is a medium-sized, intelligent, short-haired dog, of a solid build, whose early ancestors came from the British Isles. When compared with the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier is larger by margins of 6–8 inches in height and 25–35 pounds in weight. The American Pit Bull Terrier varies in size. Males normally are about 18–21 inches in height and around 35–60 pounds in weight. Females are normally around 17–20 inches in height and 30–50 pounds in weight.
  According to the ADBA, the American Pit Bull is prescribed to be medium-sized and has a short coat and smooth well-defined muscle structure, and its eyes are to be round to almond-shaped, and its ears are to be small to medium in length, typically half prick or rose in carriage. The tail is prescribed to be slightly thick and tapering to a point. The coat is required by the ADBA to be glossy, smooth, short, and stiff to the touch.
context_section_description: The UKC gives this description of the characteristic of the American Pit Bull dog: "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 [inter]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 standard imposed by the ADBA and Old Family Red Nose Registry ( OFRNR) considers the human aggression a disqualification factor. The American Preservation Dog Registry (APDR) standard points out that "the temperament MUST be totally reliable with people".
  The ATTS (American Temperament Test Society) conducts temperament testing since 1977 with several dog breeds, and as of July 2018 has tested more than 900 APBTs. According to the tests conducted by ATTS, the APBTs has an 87.4% pass rate. This compares to a pass rate 85.6% for the Golden Retriever, which is one of America's most popular dog breeds. However, the ATTS website does have a disclaimer: "The data presented on our web site is raw data; it is not a scientific study nor is there any statistical significance attached. We have no control over who brings their dog to the test and there is no accurate data as to a dog breed’s population in the US."
  In September 2000, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study that examined dog-bite–related fatalities (human death caused by dog-bite injuries) to "summarize breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks during a 20-year period and to assess policy implications." The study examined 238 fatalities between 1979 and 1998 in which the breed of dog was known. It found that "the data indicates that Rottweilers and pit bull–type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF [dog bite-related fatality] in the United States between 1979 and 1998" and that it was "extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities."
  However, the article continued, saying that care should be taken in drawing conclusions based on these data because:
  first, the study likely covered only about 74% of actual DBRF cases;
  second, records of DBRF may have been biased by the propensity of media to report attacks by certain breeds over others;
  third, it is not always straightforward to identify a dog's breed, and records may be biased towards reporting "known" aggressive breeds; and
  fourth, it was not clear how to count mixed breeds.
  fifth, such breeds have traditionally been used in dogfighting at a far higher percentage than others.
  The authors concluded by noting that "breeds responsible for human DBRF have varied over time" (for example, Great Danes caused the most reported DBRF between 1979 and 1980). In the face of this inconclusive data, the study authors recommended that breed should not be the "primary factor driving public policy", instead making the following policy recommendations: "adequate funding for animal control agencies, enforcement of existing animal control laws, and educational and policy strategies to reduce inappropriate dog and owner behaviors" as likely to be beneficial and specifically to decrease the occurrence of dog bites.
  In a peer-reviewed literature review of 66 dog-bite risk studies, the American Veterinary Medical Association determined that "breed is a poor sole predictor of dog bites. Controlled stud
caption: Red nose female
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