Pitbull are naturally good pets and are fun to have at home. But they can also be a bit exuberant at times and as such might constitute a challenge to deal with when taking into consideration their muscular frames.
Now if you are an owner of a Pitbull and you think the size of your pet might be a problem, there’s actually no need to consider this a problem. Pitbull breeds come in a variety of forms and luckily enough we’ve done all the research you need and we’re going to provide you with the necessary information you need to know to figure out just how big a pit-bull could get.
Let’s get to today’s question: How big will a pitbull get?
Pitbull Pedigrees
Pitbulls are really common dogs. The breed happens to be a favorite for pet owners all over the world and can function in practically any role. Their eager and exuberant natures make them very friendly and fiercely loyal.
Now Pitbull happens to be a general name given to the breed of dogs sharing this particular ancestry and having these attributes. Established breeds also have to be recognized by a member of a certified kennel group to go on record as belonging to the Pitbull breed.
Knowing the maximum your Pitbull can grow to is mostly done by figuring out the pedigree of your pitbull. This way, you know the expected physical proportions of your dog.
Now despite popular perceptions, Pit-bulls are not a singular breed but happen to have various types, the term pit-bull being a generic term. Pitbulls happen to be a crossbreed of the Old English Bulldogs and Old English Terriers, the latter now considered extinct. This dog breed was originally created to serve as fighting dogs in bloodsports.
There happen to be various strains and mixed versions of pitbulls, but among them happen to be the properly acknowledged pure breeds which are:
- The American Pit Bull Terrier.
- The American Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
- The Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
- The American Bully.
Now each breed has a history of its own with differences and similarities cutting across each breed. We’d be looking at these four major types, their history as well as their ancestry. Understanding how they’ve evolved will give us a sort of reference point when talking about this breed and its sizes.
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The American Bully
The American Bully is a breed of pitbull that was created between 1980 and 1990. The idea behind the breeding of this dog was so as to reduce the ‘prey drive’ of the dog while boosting the ‘bully’ aspects.
Originally seeking foundation from the original breeding of the Old English Terrier and Olde English Bulldogge, further crossbreeding was created with several bulldog-type breeds. The particular breed was originally recognized by the American Bully Kennel Club in 2004. This dog as of recent has risen to massive levels of popularity
A distinct aspect of these dogs is a wide front, a direct result of breeding choices seeking preference for mass and heavy bone density. They can easily adapt and can be used as security dogs as well as family pets. Breeding for aggressive purposes is actually discouraged. Thankfully this regulation led to most of the ‘gameness’ being bred out of them.
American Bullies make really good family pets. They have one of the best dispositions to other dogs, children, and people. They also happen to have a higher tolerance for pain so they can handle unnecessary bugging by younger kids. Nonetheless, be sure this doesn’t occur on a normal as dogs, despite being domesticated, still respond negatively to bad physical interactions. Fortunately, instances of aggression against humans or extreme cases of viciousness are rare and uncharacteristic of this Pitbull breed.
Now the American Bully happens to have various varieties as most dog breeds happen to have. Each variety having similarities with other variations of the American Bully Breed as well as distinct features that separate it from others.
Standard Variant
This sub-breed of the American Bully has a bulky muscular body with a blocky head and heavy bone structure. Adult males are placed at 17 inches to 20 inches while the adult females are placed 16 inches to 19 inches in size.
Classic Variant
This type happens to share similarities in size with the standard but is of a lighter frame than those of the standard variety. They have more subdued features than other varieties. The similarities are the same as the standard variant, with heights getting to between 17-20 inches for adult males and 16-19 inches in height for adult females.
XL Variant
XL types are measured at between 20 inches and 23 inches at the withers with females being between 19 inches and 22 inches at the wither. They are the largest variants of the American Bully. But they only differ from the standard variants in height but all other physical attributes are similar.
Pocket Variant
This is the smallest size of the variations of the American bull terrier. The males can get to 17 inches in height but it might also get to 14 inches. The females don’t go less than 13 inches but can get to 16 inches at most, at the withers.
The American Pitbull Terrier
This pitbull happens to be a purebred dog breed and is widely recognized as the status quo for pit-bull dogs. Believed by some conservative professional breeders to be the only true pit bull, the American Pit-bull Terrier is usually defined with a glossy, short, smooth coat that is stiff to the touch.
This dog breed was originally bred for dog fighting but due to repeated backlash and regulations, this was changed. They moved on into being used as farm dogs and, as of now, the American pit-bull terrier are pet favorites and are also used, due to their attributes, for protection.
They are fine as home trained pets, but can also be police dogs as well as therapy dogs. The American Pitbull Terrier is actually a really friendly dog and they display eager and happy personalities when meeting people for the first time. Because of this, they might not operate well as guard dogs, but that does not stop them from interceding when their owners are threatened.
The American Pit-bull Terrier also happens to have several bloodlines which originated due to various aspects of its history, most especially, its history of fighting.
Colby Pit Bulls
This version of the American Pit-bull Terrier is considered one of the most famous and important members of the breed.
Originally started by John Pritchard Colby in 1989, these black-nosed dogs are prevalent within the breed. This is mostly due, in part, to the use of one of John Colby’s favorite dogs called Colby’s Pincher as a popular stud dog. At the time, many dog owners wanted Colby’s services as a stud due to his popularity as an invincible fighting dog.
Old Family Red Nose
Originating from Ireland, the Old Family Red Nose bloodline is known for its unique reddish coloration. Physical attributes are usually marked with a copper-red nose and coat with other red features such as nails, eyes and lips. These prevalent features generally led to the creation of its name to signify the differences between the breed and other pitbulls.
Despite these features, a pitbull is only fully recognized as being an old Family Red Nose when it has been confirmed to possess a high percentage of the required bloodline of that pedigree.
Also, this dog is also known for its gameness, a term used to describe dogs with exuberant personalities. These dogs are specifically bred in order to finetune this nature so as to enable eagerness irrespective of injury.
Jeep bloodline
The last known of the American pitbull terrier line, these dogs were originally created by James Crenshaw in 1976. James Crenshaw owned the original Crenssaw’s Jeep. Jeep was a male black-nosed American Pit Bull terrier, a stud dog known for its resilient spirit in dog fights at the time.
Now, this American Pit Bull Terrier breed can grow to a maximum of 21 inches with a bodyweight of 27.2 kilograms. The males can grow between 18 inches to 21 inches with a bodyweight of between 15.8 kilograms to 27.2 kilograms. The females happen to fall between 17 inches to 20 inches with a weight of between 13.6 kilograms to 22.6 kilograms.
The American Staffordshire Terrier
The American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier happen to share very similar features, a distinction that has led to many issues over the years.
This particular pedigree of pitbull, also known as Amstaff, came about in 1936 when 50 registered United Kennel Club dogs were accepted for registration by the American Kennel Club under a new name and with a new purpose.
Originally, the name given to this breed was the Staffordshire terrier but this name was altered in 1969 to American Staffordshire Terrier in order to separate it from the bull-type terrier group. The Staffordshire tag was given in order to pay homage to the Staffordshire county where the original ancestors of the breed were expected to have originated from.
This particular breed of pit bulls is physically categorized as agile and graceful but muscular, being keenly alive to his surroundings. Typically, they appear medium-sized in length with a broad skull, stocky body build and pronounced muscles on the cheek.
The noses of these dogs are always black and their ears can be either cropped or uncropped but set high on their heads.
The males can grow to between 18 inches to 19 inches while the female falls between 17 to 18 inches in height.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is from the result of breeding with the English white terrier and bulldogs. Originating from the Black County of Staffordshire, it shares a similar history with most Pitbull breeds having been initially used to serve as fighting dogs in blood sports as well as dogfighting and other illegal animal activities.
Due to various steps taken to ban the problem of blood sports and pit fighting, the Staffordshire bull Terrier, like other members of the Pitbull family, found a place for itself on farms as a guard dog. Eventually, the dog found a place in homes as well as other positions that greatly differed from its original history as a fighting dog.
Despite the initial tough exterior, pitbulls of this breed happen to perform well as family pets. The Staffordshire bull terrier is also widely popular with the ITV Britain’s Favourite Dogs show awarding this particular breed the most popular dog breed in Britain in 2019. Popularly known even back in the years of dogfighting as a family-friendly dog, it’s popularity has only risen in recent times.
The male types of this breed happen to grow to heights of between 14 inches to 16 inches, with males weighing between 13 kilograms to 17 kilograms. The females, on the other hand, weigh between 11 kilograms to 15 kilograms.
Mixed Breeds
Now despite the aforementioned major breeds being accepted as the purebred pedigree version of the Pitbull, there are also many mixed variants who share similarities with the aforementioned breeds of pitbull.
They display similar physical features recognized as being mostly Pitbull features. They differ due to the cross-breeding with other dog breeds which have somewhat altered their physical attributes. Because of this, they do not share recorded Pitbull status like the rest of the dogs mentioned above as they are not considered to be pure breeds.
Conclusion
Pitbulls are, as you’ve probably figured out, a tenacious dog breed. The general consensus when it comes to the size of these dogs is that they can grow to a maximum of 21 inches with a wide stocky build making them above average sized dogs. So be sure to be prepared to have a pretty big pet if you happen to have one. (Click here to read How Big Is Hulk The Pitbull? Hint: He is really really big!)
But don’t be scared. Pitbulls are naturally friendly animals responding with the same energy they are given. So simply show your Pitbull lots of love and she’d be the best darn pitbull you’ve ever seen. But be sure to have control as they respond better to firm masters.
