The American Pit Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier group, one of several breeds loosely classified as pit bulls. Dogs of this breed are known for their strength, loyalty, and tenacity.

Ownership of American Pit Bull Terriers is controversial, due to a well publicized series of attacks by dogs considered to be of this breed over the last few decades. These attacks have led to the ownership of American Pit Bull Terriers and "pit bulls" in general being restricted or banned in many parts of the world. Many owners of American Pit Bull Terriers claim that well-bred American Pit Bull Terriers are not human aggressive, and suggest that the problem is due to the breed's appeal to irresponsible segments of society who may breed or train the dogs to guard and fight. American Pit Bull Terrier owners are also concerned that many of the dog attacks attributed to "pit bulls" are not perpetrated by actual registered American Pit Bull Terriers, but merely by poorly bred dogs that "look like" American Pit Bull Terriers.

American Pit Bull Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier -looking dogs are often associated with the urban and hip hop culture, and many young, predominantly male, people purchase them on the grounds of wanting a 'tough dog' — sadly, dogs of any breed acquired for such purposes often end up maltrained, misused and in poor health.

In the U.S. a dog license is recommended as well as most areas require them.

Appearance
The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, solidly built, short-coated dog with smooth, well-defined musculature. This breed is both powerful and athletic. The body is just slightly longer than tall, but bitches may be somewhat longer in body than dogs. The length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of the dog's height at the withers. The head is of medium length, with a broad, flat skull, and a wide, deep muzzle. Ears are small to medium in size, high set, and may be natural or cropped. The relatively short tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point. The American Pit Bull Terrier comes in all colors and color patterns. This breed combines strength and athleticism with grace and agility and should never appear bulky or muscle-bound or fine-boned and rangy.

Character
The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. American Pit Bull Terriers make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most American Pit Bull Terriers exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the American Pit Bull Terrier requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed's natural agility makes it one of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed. The American Pit Bull Terrier is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work.
The American Pit Bull Terrier has always been capable of doing a wide variety of jobs so exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog's versatility.
 

Temperament
American Pit Bull Terriers can be very sweet, curious, intelligent, and clownish. They are noted for their outgoing, affectionate, eager-to-please disposition and their fondness for people; they love attention and relish the company of humans. When raised with a firm but fair hand an American Pit Bull Terrier can make a wonderful family pet, however, American Pit Bull Terriers can also be stubborn, pushy, and prone to display aggression towards other dogs. Thus, they should not be the first choice of dog for a novice dog owner.
The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. breed statistics as of December 2005 show an 83.5% passing rate for the American Pit Bull Terrier as compared to an 81.2% overall pass rate for all the different breeds they test, showing that many of these dogs have stable and dependable temperaments. However, a firm, even hand and early obedience training are musts for this breed. Inexperienced owners tend to find them to be too much to handle - American Pit Bull Terriers can be quite "bouncy"! They generally have a lot of energy and high prey drive; they need exercise and stimulation in order to channel that energy properly and not become frustrated, bored, and destructive.

Exercise/Training
The American Pit Bull Terrier loves to be active, and it needs daily mental and physical exercise to keep it from becoming frustrated. It can be a good companion for jogging, hiking ore running along side a bike. Playing and obedience are very good types of mental exercise. 20 minutes obedience and playing with your American Pit Bull Terrier will be more useful for the dogs exercise then an hour walk on the leash can provide.

Color
The coat of the American Pit Bull Terrier is glossy and smooth, close, and moderately stiff to the touch. Any color, color pattern, or combination of colors is acceptable, except for merle.

Grooming
The coat of the American Pit Bull Terrier needs only a very little grooming and coat maintenance. A good nutrition and regular brushing keeps the proper coat of the American Pit Bull Terrier shine and the skin healthy. Bathing doesn’t harm the coat of the American Pit Bull Terrier as long as you use a good quality shampoo that doesn't dry the skin and coat and is formulated for a canine coat. The ears of the American Pit Bull Terrier should be kept clean and regularly inspected as well.

Any breed described as "good with children", the dog must be accustomed to children. Any dog that is not well socialized with children will not behave predictably around them. As with all dogs, they should never be left alone with young children.