Difference between American Bulldog and American Pitbull

Q: How to tell the difference between American Bulldog and American Pit Bull Terrier?
I have a dog that I always thought was an APBT but a few people have suggested that she might be an American Bulldog. I have seen pictures of both that look so much like her! What's the difference?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Rosko M
Size and face - American Pit Bull longer, stronger, mean-looking whereas American Bulldog has a round face and rounder body. There is another dog resembling American pit - think English but it is HUGE, awesome.
Be extremely careful with American pits - often used in fighting - have seen In Houston 5th Ward pit bulls - young - chained to 25-50 pound dumbells and dragging around for strength.

Photo by Primitim/Flickr CC

Answer by Joanne
American Bulldog
hight 19in - 28in
weight 65lb - 130lb

Pit Bull
hight is 18in - 22in
weight 50lb - 80lb

so the bulldog is usually bigger and heavier. also, the face looks more similar to a normal bulldog than a pit.

Answer by jevon021
An American Bulldog is the one with the chubby face and the bigger body and has a lot more health problems. While the APBT is a very medium-sized dog with a more athletic body type, also has a very fine coat.

Answer by d06b30
The difference is that they are two completely different breeds of dogs. Pitbulls are known as being a fighting dog, but if they are raised right, they are kind, friendly, and loyal dogs! Same as bulldogs, or any other dogs for that matter. One similarity though, is that they are both considered "bully dogs", as they have both been used for fighting. Raised right though, they are perfectly fine.

Answer by Susie
I keep hearing that they are different breeds, but that's not what my research has found. Their origins and history are identical. The American Pit Bull Terrier is a recognized breed among the different breeders' associations while the American Bulldog is either not recognized or said to have gone extinct in the '60s or '70s.

Some say the bulldog is slim and the pit is stocky while others say the bulldog is stocky and the pit is slim. Pits are supposed to have smaller ears, but if they are uncropped the ears are big and floppy. Pits are supposed to be 21 inches and under while bulldogs are supposed to be 22 inches and over, but breeders and owners have reported both breeds from 18 to 28 inches tall. Both have the exact same temperament, and neither are aggressive to people or other pets unless they are trained to be or poorly bred which causes temperament problems in all breeds.

Pits who have attacked people were either trained to attack strangers or sicked on the person they attacked. It has been suggested, and is very possible, that breeders adopted the bulldog name from the extinct breed in order to sell puppies when pits were widely avoided and even made illegal in some areas.

Answer by kascade7
American Bulldogs are gorgeous, my brother-in-law used to have one. They are much larger and stockier - when Hannibal was a 9-month-old puppy this guy let his pit bull run at him and Hannibal grabbed his head in his jaw and threw the pit bull. I like pit bulls too though, but they seem to be much smaller. I also like the coat of the American bulldog better, they tend to have a reddish color or black with white fur, while pit bulls tend to be brindle colored.
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