This legendary American breed was developed from various lines of old fighting bulldogs and bullterriers, such as the Irish Bulldog, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Dudley Terrier, Irish Staffordshire Bullterrier, English Bullterrier, Scottish Blue Paul, English White Terrier and others in the 1800's. A number of breed fanciers maintain that the Pit Bull Terrier contains no terrier blood at all and that it is in fact the original British bulldogge, but these claims are poorly substantiated and oftentimes due to confusion in regards to the history, genetics and the appearance of old bulldogs, as well as their use and working traits.
Without the terrier influence, there would be no bullterriers and while this should be clear enough for all, further explanation would require the understanding that the bulldogs used in the creation of bullterrier type dogs were mostly working crosses or bandogs themselves, specialized cattledogs whose only requirement for being labeled as "bulldogs" was to be a mastiff-type dog, preferably of supposed Alaunt ancestry and bred to control and (when needed) bait livestock, usually bulls, both for work and entertainment. Read more...