It is the goal of the PBFSA to preserve the APBT in its original form by adopting a conformation standard that is based on the breeds original development.

In keeping up with modern time and acceptable social standards, the breeding of the American Pit Bull Terrier will have to focus on looks rather than performance. In the interest of preserving the most extraordinary animal that man has ever created, let’s take a good look at what the American Pit Bull Terrier was suppose to do.

The APBTs existence today was not because he was bred only for gameness, power, for his intelligence, loyalty, boldness, round eye, rose ear, red nose or his inclination for dragging children from the paths of speeding trains. He was bred to ceremoniously stand out. That’s right folks, he was developed for sporting competition.

The professional dogfighters have made him what he is, and today we have something the amateurs have preserved that reminds us of the gladiators of old.

Preservation of this grand athlete that was bred to go to war is going to be in our hands. So, let’s look to the profession of the dog, in establishing our standard, so that future generations will at least see an authentic physical reproduction of a fighting dog.

If we start with the premise that conformation should reflect the ideal for the dogs usage and that this particular animal was suppose to win a dogfight, we come naturally to the question, what did it take to win?

• Gameness
• Attitude
• Stamina
• Wrestling ability
• Biting ability

Note that only one of these qualities; wrestling ability, is directly related to conformation. One other, stamina may be partly due to conformation, but is probably as much reliant on inherited efficiency of the heart and circulatory system. Some people seem to feel that the shape of the head determines hard bite, but in practice, it seems there are a lot of other factors involved.

Good biters seem to be where you find them regardless of the shapes of their heads. When we talk of conformation we really only mean one thing — wrestling ability. This is the reason the American Pit Bull Terrier varies so much in conformation. His wrestling ability by itself was not nearly as important as the sum total of gameness, aggressiveness, bite and natural stamina, none of which are directly related to conformation.

Our Standard of Conformation should be based on those physical attributes displayed by winning pit dogs.