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Depending on the source, the History of the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) varies greatly. Some sources even believe that is shares a common ancestry with the dogs of the Molossian Tribe. It is the dogs of the Molossian tribe, that are believed to be direct ancestors of the modern day Mastiff breeds.

All sources agree that the American Pit Bull can likely trace its ancestry back to the bull dogs of Scotland and England. These Bull dogs came out of the sport of Bull Baiting. Bull baiting was a sport where a bull was staked to the ground and only allowed to move 30 or so feet, then a group of dogs would be set free in an attempt to immobilize the bull. The sport was so popular in England that by the 16th century just about every English town had a bull baiting arena. In an attempt to increase the sports popularity, there was even a period of time in England when it was illegal to sell bull meat that hadn’t been baited.

It was during the peak of Bull Baiting popularity, that scholars believe, the sport of dog fighting was increasing in England. Dog fighting was a cheaper sport to organize than Bull Baiting, and was likely used by people of fewer means, as a way to profit off of their dogs. In addition to dog fighting, the sport of Ratting was also likely started during this period as well. The sport involved placing a dog in a pit and then throwing in live rats, the dog that was able to kill the most in a set period of time was declared the winner. As with all dog sports gambling, played a key part in the financing of the competitions.

By 1835 England had banned all forms of Bull Baiting and Dog Fighting. Due to the ease of concealment, it is believed that Dog fighting continued for the majority of the 19th century in England. Because bull baiting and Dog fighting became illegal, the sport of Ratting became more popular, because at that time it was still allowed under English Law.

When the English and Irish peoples immigrated to America, they also brought their beloved dogs with them. One of the popular breeds was what would become known as the American Pit Bull Terrier. In America the sport of Dog Fighting continued during the 18th and 19th centuries, and in some area’s into the early 20th century. But, it was also during this time that the Pit Bull was creating a name for itself, as a good all purpose working dog. It was even known to herd cattle and Sheep. Due to its people friendly nature and its versatility it found a home with many early settlers of America.

It wasn’t until 1884 that the American Kennel Club (AKC) was created to promote purebred dogs and their breeders. Due to the illegality of Dog Fighting, the AKC decided not to recognize the breed. However, owners and admirers of the American Pit Bull Terrier created the United Kennel Club in 1898 with the sole purpose of recognizing breeds that were not accepted by the AKC. It is no surprise that the first breed recognized by the UKC was the American Pit Bull Terrier.

In 1936 the AKC decided to recognize the APBT but not as a “American Pit Bull Terrier” but instead as the “Staffordshire Terrier”, named after the location in England thought to be the origin of the Bull and Terrier mixes. Several years latter the AKC would change the name to “American Stafforshire Terrier” or AmStaff, in order to separate the dog, from its English cousins.

It is commonly accepted the Amstaff breed is a different line today than the UKC Pit Bull breed. However, to add to the confusion, it is possible for a AKC registered Amstaff to duel register as a UKC pit bull. It is not possible for a UKC pit bull to register as a Amstaff. It is generally accepted by breeders that the AKC line is being breed to adhere to a show dog quality, where the UKC breeders continue to breed Pit Bulls to excel at working sports such as agility, weight pulling, and in some cases schutzhund. Generally, the Amstaff tends to be slightly lighter than the APBT. However, it is not uncommon for the dogs to look identical.