[Sandra N]

Hello,

Our our family had to put our 7 year old pit bull to sleep last week and we are heartbroken. When we get over the grieving process, we would like to get another dog like him, as he was the best dog that we've ever had. My challenge is that when I've been trying to look up breeders, I find that my dog doesn't fit a lot of what I'm finding. He weighed between 95-100 lbs, had long legs, a big strong head, very muscular, brown/white coat and yellow eyes. What I see are a lot of short legged pit bulls. Even the standard says that males should be up to 60 lbs. I thought maybe he might be an American Bulldog, as he had the same large body, but his face is pitbull. We were told that he was a pitbull when we bought him, but never received his papers.

Any help that anyone can shed on this would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Sandra

 

[kimbo]

It would help if you posted a pic. I used to run a Pitt rescue in Johannesburg, and I too got a few in with very long legs and were bigger than the rest. Most of them had a bit of ridgeback in them though. If you got him from a breeder could you not get another puppy from the same breeder? Just a thought.

 

[Curbside Prophet]

You ought to look into Bad Rap. They'll not only answer your questions, but they may even find a dog for you to adopt.

 

[jbray01]

welcome to df. I am really sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. it's always hard, but can be harder if they go when they're younger like your guy.

it sounds like your dog may have been a mix. i have never heard of a pit bull that weighed 95-100lbs. i may be wrong though. why not try rescue? you can get a great dog and save a life at the same time. there are millions of bully breeds in the shelters.

also if you are trying to get a dog like your old one, you may be setting yourself up for a disappointment when the new dog is nothing like the old one. dogs have all different personalities and the key is to find one that fits you and your family.

good luck!

 

[Sandra N]

Thanks so much for the input. You are right about possibly being disappointed. I suppose that we are trying to fill the hole that is left by him not being with us. It is mostly his great personality that we miss. I do want to get a puppy so that we can socialize him early with our grandchildren. Thanks again

 

[blackrose]

It is mostly his great personality that we miss.

This is the key thing. Don't get a breed (or mix) of dog that resembles him physically. Get a breed (or mix) of dog that fits his personality and the qualities you liked about him. Then it won't matter what breed (or mix) he was.

 

[ACampbell]

Welcome to DF!
A typical to standard "pitbull" (APBT) shouldn't be 100 lbs ideally. Some are that big, some aren't the standard for them has a lot of variables.
My female is 17 inches tall and weighs about 55 lbs, she's done growing for the most part and is about the average size. What you are seeing in the way of breeders are the "bully" type breeders, which are short legged and very heavy.

If you are looking for a breeder and not a rescue, I'd suggest looking at the ARBA website for breeders. You'll find more in the way of the "game type" pitbulls there than you will with a lot of the UKC dogs. But if a rescue is an option, I think you might find one quite similar in personality. Rescues foster dogs and have a decent knowledge of the animals personality before you adopt. I'm not sure where Manteca is? Bad Rap is a good rescue and so is
http://www.outofthepits.org/

They are pretty local to me in Upstate NY.

 

[jiml]

You will find a lot of variability in the looks of "american bulldogs" some look like big pit bulls. Even the breeders I have seen that specialize in very large pit bulls (and there are those that would question the lineage of them) are more bulkey than tall wirth long legs. In fact I know some old time breeders that would say amstaffs are bred to be too heavy and bulky

 

[gracie_pie]

ADOPT ADOPT ADOPT!!!
Because of their reputation (which I do not agree with) people are turning in pitbulls by the handfull (very sad) some of them still little puppies. Search petfinder, where you'll find pictures and information you're looking for! (I just adopted two pit mixes a month ago!! They are so lovable and sweet)
Good luck in your search for new friend

 

[Sandra N]

Everyone's comments really have me leaning towards adopting. I looked on some of the sights and it's just so sad how many people just dump these dogs.

One of the nicest condolence comments that we received about our dog was, "Even though he didn't live a long life, he lived the best life that a dog could have." And that seems especially true with all of these poor dogs being discarded. To be able to help one of these poor little dogs, is the right thing to do.

 

[ninarasc]

That is great that you gave him a good home Sandra. Pitbulls are such loving, loyal, funny dogs if people would only give them a chance. I am strongly against any breeder (given the out of control pet population) but pitbull breeders are particularly disturbing to me since so many pits and pit mixes are dumped in the shelter. I wonder if those people even have a heart.

 

[HersheyBear]

Hello,

Our our family had to put our 7 year old pit bull to sleep last week and we are heartbroken. When we get over the grieving process, we would like to get another dog like him, as he was the best dog that we've ever had. My challenge is that when I've been trying to look up breeders, I find that my dog doesn't fit a lot of what I'm finding. He weighed between 95-100 lbs, had long legs, a big strong head, very muscular, brown/white coat and yellow eyes. What I see are a lot of short legged pit bulls. Even the standard says that males should be up to 60 lbs. I thought maybe he might be an American Bulldog, as he had the same large body, but his face is pitbull. We were told that he was a pitbull when we bought him, but never received his papers.

Any help that anyone can shed on this would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Sandra

That is not an American Pit Bull Terrier. A lot of "breeders" cross APBT's with Am. Staffs and sometimes other bulldog and mastiff breeds, to make those giganto dogs. The proper term for those is "American Bully", which is a relatively new creation. APBT's average 30-60lbs, with some UKC-bred males hitting 70.

This has info about American Bullies, which can come in different sizes:

http://www.abkcdogs.org/