{"id":2352,"date":"2022-01-15T13:06:19","date_gmt":"2022-01-15T13:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitbulltribe.com\/?p=2352"},"modified":"2022-01-15T13:06:20","modified_gmt":"2022-01-15T13:06:20","slug":"why-pitbulls-are-not-recognized-by-the-akc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitbulltribe.com\/why-pitbulls-are-not-recognized-by-the-akc\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Pitbulls Are Not Recognized by the AKC?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many Pit Bull owners are surprised not to see their breed featured in events\u2014like the Westminster Dog Show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason is that the AKC doesn’t recognize American Pit Bulls as a breed, but things get confusing as you learn more about what’s behind that decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s unclear why American Pit Bulls are not recognized by the AKC. However, it\u2019s likely that the organization doesn\u2019t consider these dogs distinct enough to be a separate breed from the American Staffordshire Terrier. However, the AKC recognizes other breeds in the \u201cpit bull\u201d family.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This subject can get a little bit confusing, and APBT owners have been trying to make sense of it for a while. Here, I’ve attempted to do exactly that and shed light on some of the misunderstandings surrounding American Pit Bulls. Keep reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s Unclear Why the AKC Doesn\u2019t Recognize American Pit Bulls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"american<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The thing about calling a dog a pit bull is that it’s an umbrella term that doesn’t refer to a specific breed. My dog is sometimes called a pit bull because he fits many of the physical traits associated with pit bulls: almond-shaped eyes, a muscular neck, a broad chest, and a smooth and short coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if we’re being precise, he isn’t really a pit bull\u2014he\u2019s an American Bully. There isn’t a breed called “pit bull”; rather, many dog breeds fit our perception of a pit bull, American Bullies being one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The breed that comes to most people’s minds when they think of a pit bull is usually an American Pitbull Terrier. This short, energetic, and affectionate breed is similar to the American Bully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s expected for the AKC not to recognize pit bulls since they aren’t a proper breed but rather a generalizing term. What\u2019s surprising to many owners is that the American Pit Bull Terrier isn’t recognized either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same is true for other breeds that fall into the pit bull category, just as it happens with my dog. He’s an American Bully, a breed that isn’t recognized either by the AKC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other associations have included the American Pitbulls in their list of recognized breeds. The United Kennel Club<\/a> and the American Dog Breeders Associations are the most notable ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this only begs the question: why is the AKC still leaving American Pit Bulls out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AKC Thinks APBTs Aren\u2019t Different Enough From ASTs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"pitbull<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I think part of the reason might date back to when the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier were essentially the same breed. This original breed was supposed to combine the gameness of terriers and the athleticism of bulldogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the 1930s<\/a>, dogs from this original breed have been bred for different purposes. However, they remain extremely similar. Sometimes not even experts can’t find the differences between the three breeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, out of the three breeds that came out of this original breed, only the American Pit Bull Terrier isn’t recognized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you ask around in forums, you’ll get many answers from folks trying to make sense of this confusing decision. If I had to guess, it seems like AKC doesn’t consider the American Pit Bull Terrier as a pure breed, but rather as an imprecise category akin to “Pit Bull.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AKC<\/a> recognized American Staffordshire Terriers as a breed in 1972. At the time, the AKC let into their register a few American Pit Bulls that fit their standards for American Staffordshire Terriers, which further suggests that the AKC sees American Pit Bulls more like a deviation for AST than a separate breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the fact is that, since that time, ASTs have been bred separately from APBTs, so it’s safe to say they are different breeds by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pit Bulls Were Raised for Dog Fighting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another reason could be that the AKC didn’t want to be associated with dogfighting. Dogfighting indeed was one of the original purposes of American Pit Bulls. However, over time, they became beloved for their other talents and traits, and now they\u2019re genetically far from their fighting ancestors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dogfighting was banned in 1976<\/a> in the US. Although this horrible practice is still held in illegal circles, regular Pit Bulls aren’t as associated with it as they once were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How the AKC Decides on Registering a New Breed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since none of these reasons convinced me, I took a look at the AKC’s guidelines for recognizing a new dog breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AKC decides to register a new breed by following these rules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n