OK SEEEEEE that was great! thanks!
Here is the standard revisions with edits from the current active committee members on the standard!
Sometime during the nineteenth century, dog fanciers in England, Ireland, and Scotland began to experiment with crosses between Bulldogs and Terriers. They were looking for a medium sized dog that combined the tenacity and agility of the terrier with the strength and courage of the Bulldog. In the nineteenth century, immigrants brought these initial “bull and terrier” crosses to the United States where the American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed was officially created in 1898 along with the formation of the United Kennel Club. For the next 70 years, it was refined as one of the most versatile and human friendly working breeds ever developed. As with all working breeds its form, type and conformation were soon solidly defined by its function.
During its development and refinement the breed’s constitution, courage, good temperament, and human friendly nature were forged and perfected in the most unforgiving of environments, selected for against impossible odds, and refined by the needs and requirements of the working class families of America. The result was a dog that symbolized and embodied all of the great virtues to the United States of America: strength, indomitable courage, and gentleness with loved ones. It was because of these honorable characteristics that the American Pit Bull Terrier was held aloft as the canine symbol of The United States of American in the First World War. Like many other breeds of dog, the APBT does have a fighting heritage. However, they were more often used to catch semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt and flush game, to drive livestock, to protect livestock from wolves, coyotes, wild dogs, and most often, and primarily, their function was as the most faithful of family companions.
There are few breeds more adaptable to living as a member of a family and few breeds that can obtain a more beloved place in a person’s heart! Today, the American Pit Bull Terrier continues to demonstrate its versatility, competing successfully in Obedience, Tracking, Agility, and Weight Pulls, Dog Sport and Conformation. The American Pit Bull Terrier is also an extremely versatile and willing therapy dog, serving in care facilities for the elderly, Alzheimers failiities, cancer treatment hospitals, abused children’s facilities, and children’s reading help programs among others. (This may be a bit “wordy”, but I think including Therapy Dogs is important – edit as you see fit).
The United Kennel Club is the original registry for the American Pit Bull Terrier and was founded on the American Pit Bull Terrier. U.K.C. founder C. Z. Bennett assigned U.K.C. registration number 1 to his own APBT, Bennett's Ring in 1898.
The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are a human friendly nature, strength, unwavering confidence, and overwhelming zest for life. Physically the breed was developed for a combination of speed, agility, strength, stamina and endurance. This breed is overly eager to please their humans and should be seen as brimming over with enthusiasm in most situations. Properly bred members of the breed will not make good guard dogs because of their human friendly nature, but make excellent family companions. Like many other breeds, the APBT may exhibit some level of dog toward dog aggression, especially toward dogs of the same sex. Because of its powerful physique and high levels of energy, the APBT requires a responsible owner who will extensively socialize and provide obedience training and daily exercise for the dog. The breed's has a natural dexterity and ability to jump and climb so good fencing is a must for this breed. This breed does very well in all performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work and please its owners.
The American Pit Bull Terrier has always been capable of doing a wide variety of jobs. Deviations from the described ideal should be penalized in direct proportion to the degree of the deviation.
Temperament new primary section
Quality temperament is the fundamental, essential and the most important aspect of the breed - “essential” being the key word in the foregoing statement. Above all aspects of conformation, the American Pit Bull Terrier must be stable of temperament. The temperament of the APBT is visibly displayed by an outgoing enjoyment of every moment, an alert Terrier attitude, and undeniable bulldog confidence.
Adults or puppies, of any age, that show any type of HUMAN aggression must be disqualified. Some degree of controllable “dog toward dog” aggression is normal, especially in young adults of the breed.
Judges must disqualify adult APBT that are fearful or timid. Puppies at their first shows may be nervous and wide eyed but should never display uncontrolled fear behavior. Puppies in 6-12 month licensed classes that display mild timid behavior should be allowed to continue in the class for socialization, but must never be awarded points. NOTE: This does not apply to novice puppies, though confident, friendly novice puppies must be preferred.
The truly, honestly and ethically bred American Pit Bull Terrier is always friendly to humans, always confident, and always alert to their surroundings.
Faults: Reserved or wariness toward humans; individuals lacking confidence; lack of awareness or interest in surroundings.
Disqualifications: Fearful or timid behavior in adults of the breed, human aggression in puppies or adults.