17.3. United Kennel Club
At http://res.ukcdogs.com/pdf/breedstandards/American%20Pit%20Bull%20Terrier.pdf, the UKC in their breed standards state,
“AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER
Official UKC Breed Standard
Revised December 1, 2012
Quality is never to be sacrificed in favor of size. Characteristics that very clearly indicate crossing with other breeds are not to be tolerated. UKC is unwilling to condone the validity of using exaggerated specimens of this breed in a breeding program and, to preserve its health and vibrancy, cautions judges about awarding wins to these representatives.
HISTORY
The United Kennel Club was the first registry to recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier. UKC founder C. Z. Bennett assigned UKC registration number 1 to his own APBT, Bennett’s Ring, in 1898.”
[Would it then follow that all American Pit Bull Terriers are descendants of Bennett’s Ring?
How can you have a “breed” of dogs for 114 years, i.e., from 1898 to 2012, without a “breed standard”?]
“GENERAL APPEARANCE
The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, solidly built, short-coated dog with smooth, well-defined musculature. This breed is both powerful and athletic. The body is just slightly longer than tall, but bitches may be somewhat longer in body than dogs. The length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of the dog’s height at the withers.
The head is of medium length, with a broad, flat skull, and a wide, deep muzzle. Ears are small to medium in size, high set, and may be natural or cropped. The relatively short tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point.
CHARACTERISTICS
Because most APBTs exhibit some level of 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.
SKULL-The skull is large, flat or slightly rounded, deep, and broad between the ears. Viewed from the top, the skull tapers just slightly toward the stop. There is a deep median furrow that diminishes in depth from the stop to the occiput. Cheek muscles are prominent but free of wrinkles. When the dog is concentrating, wrinkles form on the forehead, which give the APBT his unique expression.
NOSE-The nose is large with wide, open nostrils. The nose may be any color.
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
The American Pit Bull Terrier must be both powerful and agile; overall balance and the correct proportion of weight to height, therefore, is far more important than the dog’s actual weight and/or height. Desirable weight for a mature male in good condition is between 35 and 60 pounds. Desirable weight for a mature female in good condition is between 30 and 50 pounds. As a general and approximate guideline only, the desirable height range for mature males is from 18 to 21 inches at the withers; for mature females it is from 17 to 20 inches at the withers.”
At http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/WebPages/Registration/AmericanPitBullTerrierSingleRegistration, it is stated,
“The rules for Single Registration for this breed are as follows:
As of July 15, 2013 American Pit Bull Terrier Single Registration is open.
The general requirements for consideration for American Pit Bull Terrier Single Registration are as follows:
1. Completed UKC Application for American Pit Bull Terrier Single Registration Aplicación de registro singular APBT ya disponible en español. Aplicación de registro singular APBT
2. The dog must be at least six months of age
3. Photocopy of the dog’s registration certificate with a UKC acknowledged registry:
– the AKC (American Kennel Club), (these dogs would be currently registered as American Staffordshire Terrier);
– the Canadian Kennel Club, (these dogs would be currently registered as an American Staffordshire Terrier);
– the ADBA (American Dog Breeders Association);
– any FCI affiliated registry.”
[Why are American Staffordshire Terriers being registered as APBT?
Note: On March 23, 2015, the American Dog Breeders Association (“ADBA”) announced that it would no longer register American Staffordshire Terriers as “American Pit Bull Terriers.
The ADBA stated at http://www.adbadog.com/p_pdetails.asp?fpid=795,
“The American Staffordshire Terrier will now be recognized as a separate breed. Any dog registered in the American Kennel Club (AKC) as an American Staffordshire Terrier (AST) will be registered as such with the ADBA.”
Nevertheless, the United Kennel Club continues to identify American Staffordshire Terriers as “American Pit Bull Terriers”.]
As of March 5, 2017, the preceding link no longer worked. Instead, the information is at https://www.ukcdogs.com/single-registration-requirements-american-pit-bull-terrier#. The reference to American Staffordshire Terriers being registered as “American Pit Bull Terriers” has been deleted. In addition, a search of the UKC’s list of “breeds” did NOT return anything for American Staffordshire Terriers: however, Staffordshire Bull Terriers are now listed as a separate and distinct breed as has been the case with the American Kennel Club since 1974 and most, if not all, recognized and accepted international kennel clubs. The American Staffordshire Terrier was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936.
