The Pit Bull Bible Online APBT Database (2024)

FAQs

What two breeds make a pitbull? ›

Most pit bull-type dogs descend from the British bull and terrier, a 19th-century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.

Unlike the pitbull breed, the cane corso is a single breed. This dog breed became popular when it caught the attention of the invading Romans in Greece. They've been admired for their guarding instinct while proving to be capable hunters.

Pit Bulls were originally bred from Old English Bulldogs (these dogs are similar in appearance to today's American Bulldog) who gained their popularity on the British Isles in a cruel blood sport known as “bull baiting”.

A common mistake we hear people make is referring to a specific dog's breed as “Pit Bull.” What many do not realize is that “Pit Bull” is an umbrella term which refers to three registered breeds of dogs: Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and American Pit Bull Terrier.

Bully dogs are descendants from crosses between ancient bulldogs and a variety of British terriers. The crossing of the bulldog and the British terrier produced a breed called the Bull-and-Terrier that combined the muscle power and tenacity of the bulldog with the terrier's alertness, agility and speed.

The breed's ancestors were the mastiff-like, cattle-herding dogs of the ancient Romans who accompanied their armies as they swept across Europe. Some of these dogs were left behind when the army moved on, and in Germany, they bred with local sheepdogs and produced the Rottweiler.

Most experts believe they're descended from the now-extinct Greek Molossus dogs and later, after being bred with fighting dogs from England, they became the Roman “pugnaces” (a category of dogs used for attacking wild animals).