Ritter Kreuz Kennel

The "Bull and Terrier" combination of dogs originated in England and has provided the foundation behind the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and other bully breeds. These "Bull and Terrier" breeds were created to fight, like it or not, that is their history. 

Through the Bulldog these "Bull and Terrier" breeds belongs to the Molossus family, and some of these breeds are very close to the Bulldog of old time, and have few resemblances with the Terriers. I would go so far that I would say that some Bull and Terriers even have more traits common with the bulldog of old, than the modern "smashed up" brachycephalic show version English Bulldog has.

When bullbaiting was outlawed in England in 1835, the era of dog-fighting began, and with it, the "Bull and Terriers" evolved. These newly created breeds would fight anything that man put in the pit with them. The Bull and Terriers were designed to this kind of work, but there is so much more to these breeds than fighting, and they have often gotten an undeserved bad reputation.

Once bull baiting was banned, dog breeders who appreciated the fierceness, courage, and tenacity of the bull dogs turned their attentions to breeding dogs for dog fighting. They began with the bull dog, mixed in some terrier blood, and produced the Bull and Terrier, a dog that met all of their expectations. The Bull and Terrier was bred for aggression to other dogs, unrelenting bravery, a high pain threshold, a willingness to fight to the end, and a warm affinity for humans.

As a pit-dog only the Bulldogs possessed the requisite courage but they lacked the necessary agility. Various Bulldog crosses were tried, mainly with terriers, until eventually a specific breed of bull terriers was produced which was fast, strong and utterly game.The breed most often referred to as the Terrier part of the "Bull and Terrier" breeds is the now extinct "White English Terrier", a breed close related to the "Black and tan terrier", now known as Manchester Terrier. The White English Terrier is described as almost identical to the "Black and tan Terrier" except for the colour, which at the White English Terrier should be shiny white.

These early fighting dogs were of all sorts and shapes, size and colours since their breeding was very promiscuous. By 1860 they more or less fell into one of two groups, from one of which the English Bull Terrier was developed and from the other the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Both breeds were initially game, since nobody would keep a bull terrier which was not, but it did not take a long time before the English Bull Terrier was bred for show, and looks were "improved" at the expense of courage, whilst the Staffordshire Bull Terrier continued to be bred for the pit.

As mentioned earlier at this page these breeds often got an undeserved bad reputation. Often the breed's history as a fighting dog is used against them and some of these breeds are banned and outlawed in several countries, not so much because of incidents or accidents, but more because the breed's history. The "Bull and Terrier" breeds got a history full of fighting scars, that is correct, but it is not the only dogs with skeletons in their closet.

Who would dream to ban the AKC show "English Bulldog" because of their bloody fighting past, before they were bred down to sickly lumps? or the hounds in the South used to hunt down, and destroy renegade slaves?? how about German Shepherds, and Doberman's used in Nazi Germany to maul prisoners in the concentration camps??? the fact is nearly no one would.

Properly raised these breeds are no more dangerous than any other breed. They are athletic and powerful and incredible strong, but if human aggressive, it is nearly always the owner to blame. These breeds are in fact very human friendly and seek contact with all people, and it can be the best friend to your children. Remember that these dogs would not be allowed to be human aggressive. The dogs had to be handled in the pit and any dog that did show aggressiveness against man were useless in the fighting pit, and were culled on the spot.

Bull and Terrier dogs came to the US in the mid 1800's as all-around farm dogs and frontier guardians. The United Kennel Club recognized the Bull and Terrier Dog as the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1898.

The AKC eschewed breeds called "pit bulls" until 1936, when it recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier under the alias Staffordshire Terrier, named after the miners of Staffordshire, England, who had a hand in developing the breed for the fighting pit. The name was changed in 1972 to the American Staffordshire Terrier to distinguish the breed from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier of England, the ancestor of the American dogs, which was recognized by AKC in 1974. The British version of the dog is 14-16 inches tall and weighs up to 45 pounds. The American cousin is 18-19 inches tall and weighs up to 80 pounds. UKC's American Pit Bull Terrier is preferred to range from 30-60 pounds with females generally, but not necessarily, smaller than males. Staffs, AmStaffs, and APBTs produced by responsible breeders are bred for temperament. Many dogs of these breeds are therapy dogs, and many also excel in protection work, SAR, guard, and obedience work.

So what happened? The American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier had a well deserved reputation as a loyal and trustworthy family pet in the early years of this century, but of late has been severely castigated as a vicious, man-killing beast, worthy of banishment from the cities, considered guilty with no chance of proving innocence in any case. "Pit bull" is a generic and derogatory term that encompasses any of several breeds of dogs or crosses on those breeds. Pit Bull fanciers can be divided into two camps: conscientious breeders of the Staffy Bull, Amstaff, and APBT, who face the slander heaped upon them by ignorant neighbors; and unethical breeders of all three breeds who still indulge in dog fighting or promote aggressive temperaments for illegal purposes.

Dog fighting rings still exist.....it's only been a few years since a ring with national ties was busted in New Richmond and Blanchester, Ohio--and inner city drug dealers often use the dogs to guard their drug supplies and cash.To further complicate matters, those who still breed for fighting are not as careful to preserve the dog's strong instinct to bond with humans as the early breeders did. So, today "pit bull" is a pejorative term that strikes fear in the hearts of many and leads to the spreading of urban legends about dogs with locking jaws that exert 20 thousand pounds of pressure, unstable breed temperament, and overwhelming human aggression.

In fact, the well-bred American Pit Bull Terrier, or American Staffordshire Terrier is a family guardian and protector; an intelligent and obedient pet, a sweet, even-tempered dog that serves well as a help-mate to handicapped owner and friend to small children, and a healthy, hardy dog that complains little and offers much to his family. Unfortunately, it has been more important for legislators in many jurisdictions to prove to constituents that they have "done something" about community problems. Spurred on by media accounts of "pit bull" attacks described in lurid detail, these councils and commissioners have banned pit bulls in all their forms from their communities. The owners are the ones most likely at fault for harboring a vicious dog, or that few of these dogs actually bite people. Members of the bull and terrier breed, and its crosses are not always easy to identify. These people "They".....John Q. Public....push for strict bans on entire breeds, regardless of breeding, or temperment.

Sir Walter Scott (Scottish novelist, poet & historian, 1771-1832) once wrote ; "The cleverest dog I ever had, was what is called a bulldog terrier". Owners of the Bull and Terrier breeds of today will easily confirm that this is the case.

Ryan R. Smith - Ritter Kreuz Kennel, American Pit Bull Terriers