General Appearance

Should look like an American Pit Bull Terrier giving the impression of strength and muscle tone, not slight or frail. Appears with heavy boned, with a light and springy back end. Must have an athletic build. Adult dog should be of a lean but fit showing a hint of rib and backbone with muscles firm and defined. Glossy coat with nail trimmed.

A. Coat Tight fitting folds around the neck and chest. A well exercised animal. Short hair and the gloss showing overall health of the animal. Color or any combination of colors, except for colors or color patterns known to be genetically linked to health problems. Neck Should be muscled and heavily strong. Long in length

 

B. Head Head size balanced in relationship to the rest of the body, with a wedge shape and 2/3 the width of the shoulders. The cheeks 25% wider than the neck. The length from the nose to the stop should equal the length from the stop to the back of the head. The head should be deep from the top of the head to the bottom of the jaw. Straight box like muzzle Teeth, incisors should meet in the front in a scissor bite. Canines should be wide at the base and taper to the end, top Canines fitting tightly together behind the bottom canines. They should be sound and healthy with none missing. Eyes, small and deep set. Elliptical when viewed from the front, triangular when viewed from the side. Ears cropped or natural are ok.

Faults: short neck, cheeky, underdeveloped muzzle, lippy, missing canines, overshot or undershot to the extent that Shoulders Wider than the ribcage at the 8th rib. Scapula well laid back, 45 degree or less angle to the ground, and broad and flat Allowing for adequate muscular attachment for a heavy and sturdy front end. Forearms are slightly longer than the humerus and solid, twice the thickness of the metatarsal at the hock.

 

C. Back Broad and long enough to square the dog. Too short can interfere with a dogs flexibility. Too long a loin causes the dog to Carry excessive weight and affect a dog’s agility and quickness.. Faults: short or flat hip, straight stifle, double jointed or slipped hock, cow hocked, bunchy muscles.

 

D.. Tail Thick at the base, tapering at the end, not gay tail. Hang down when relaxed. B. Legs This can be judged by the set of the tail legs long and sloping, which should be low. Ideal slope of hip should be 30 degrees to the ground. The femur should be of a length so that the stifle joint is proportioned in the upper 1/3 of the rear assembly. Rear angulations - ratio between the lengths of the bones and the muscles which attach on these bones, causes a bent stifle which leads to a well bent hock? This contributes to the natural springiness that is desired in the rear assembly. The muscle attachment is long and deep, well past the joint, which causes the muscles to appear smooth, but defined. (Not Bunchy).

Faults: short or flat hip, straight stifle, double jointed or slipped hock, cow hocked, bunchy muscles.