Pit Bull question

I just have a conformation question that I've been wondering about. I don't know what breed standard is, but how come there are pit bulls that look like this:



And then pit bulls that look like this:

http://images.craigslist.org/01010401020501040120070702ddf6c99e40baafe94c004232.jpg

Is one better than the other? Is there a reason they are drastically different looking? Are pits supposed to look like one or the other, or can it vary a bit?

i think the easiest way to answer your question is with this link:
http://apbtconformation.com/

dogs like in that picture are *not* correct pit bulls. they're extremely overdone, not the "moderate" animals that the standard calls for.

A "pit bull" is a general term for similar looking dogs. So though the dogs in the pic you posted may be "pit bulls" in the general sense, IMO they are not American Pit Bull Terriers.

Many of the oversized dogs you see referred to as pit bulls come from lines such as Razor's Edge, which for years have been questioned as to why their dogs were so big. They recently admitted to adding other breeds into the lines here and there (EB, mastiffs, etc) and now are calling their dogs American Bullies.

I don't know too much about it, but Miakoda and bahamutt I'm sure know more.

Its similar to how you end up with racing huskies that look nothing like show huskies, or field Labs that look nothing like show Labs. The only difference here is that the overdone "pit bulls" are not being bred for show. They are being bred solely to satisfy some peoples' warped idea of what the breed should be. It would like a group of people suddenly deciding that Beagles should weigh 80 pounds and prick-eared, and breeding specifically for that. They aren't breeding to any written standard, just to their own ideals.

To put it simply, some people don't care about preserving a breed. They do what they want to do, and nobody can tell them otherwise. Honestly, though, the dogs in that top picture aren't even close to the depths of mutation that some people have done to this breed.

The first link is from Iron Cross Kennels. I've never seen such massive dogs. The second link is some random craigslist ad, and that is what the pit bulls I've always seen have looked like.

I just wasn't sure why the first set of dogs were so huge, to a lay person they do look like the better bred dog. When I first saw them, on TV, I thought they were awfully impressive. The breeder said he sold his puppies for something like $5,000 apeice.

I'm glad I asked though, because I hate that I had the wrong idea.

They're very attractive to amateurs. (Not a jab at you, just illustrating the type of people that are usually attracted to them.) And they like the feeling that they're getting something unique, or new and improved, so they're going to pay for it. That's almost 10 times what I paid for my dog out of health-tested and titled parents.

And this is one of the reasons I love having Baha and Mia and the others here (aside from the fact that I just LIKE them so much, lol). It doesn't matter how much you guys post on the good APBT forums, you will never have anywhere near the amount of good influence and the chance to teach and to change minds like you do here, in a place where people who aren't already knowledgeable come to talk Dog

There are some people who are breeding those over-done Pit Bulls for more than just greed though and they are being completely honest about the heritage of their dogs. They refer to their dogs as American Pull Dogs because they breed them to be ultimate weight pull dogs.

Most often though, these Bandogs (labeled as Pit Bulls or even American Pit Bull Terriers) are not bred for any purpose other than greed. I find it interesting how some people go for these dogs because they look so big and powerful (which they are) but when push comes to shove a REAL APBT can out-do them in a lot of activites because these guys tend to lack agility, stamina and endurance. Not to mention due to being poorly bred a lot of the time they are rather unhealthy.

Typical breeds crossed with the APBT to create these American Bullies are English Bulldog, Neopolitan Mastiff, English Mastiff, Dogue de Bordeaux, Cane Corso, Presa Canario, and American Bulldog, Of course other breeds have been known to be used as well.

they also, i guess, look bigger and badder and tougher than a "normal" pit bull. nevermind that they suffer from all kinds of health problems and aren't all that athletic. it's not about what the dog really is, it's about what the dog looks like

I just hope that after dumping $5K on a pup, they can afford another $10K when the hips blow out.

No offense taken at all! I'm quite comfortable with my amateur status, and I'm loving this board and the opportunity to learn so much.

I actually don't even plan on owning a pit, no specific reason, they just aren't on my list, but I've still been curious about those big, beefy dogs.