Getting acknowledged of which breed your lovable mongrel belongs to aids to extend its lifespan. Often the admirers of dogs adopt puppies from shelters without knowing which species they belong to, as it does not matter to them.
But distinguishing the breed of your pup is vital as it would help you set breed-specific lifestyle and travel plans.
Even though you love your graceful, four-legged, and loyal friend without knowing its classes, knowing whether your Pitbull is purebred or not is vital. Every variety of dogs has its specific requirements to meet, and it assures their well-being.
Is my dog a Pitbull mix?
Getting acknowledged about whether your Pitbull is pure or mixed breed is a significant step. It helps you to set the daily nutrition or living arrangements of your pet.
Identifying the variety of a dog even aids the full-service shelter in recognizing one species from another.
It even quickens the lost and found process. The apt acknowledgment of whether your lost dog is a Pitbull mix accelerates the process, and you will quickly reunite with your loyal pet friend.
Breed identification matters in many ways.
The requirement of a Pitbull and a crossbred Pitbull differs.
So if the shelter misinforms you about the Pitbull mix and tells you it is purebred, there are chances it could suffer from malnutrition.
Differentiating a Pitbull from a Pit mix is challenging but a vital job.
There are no other varieties than these two that demand accuracy for multiple reasons.
Firstly, many communities worldwide have banned Pitbull. Secondly, if the pet parent is clueless about the breed of his dog, he cannot get insurance for his pet.
But many Pitbull adopters tend to label their pet as a crossbreed because it is slightly different from a purebred one.
If a Pitbull is naturally black, it does not mean it is a Labrador mix. Similarly, the red color of a Pitbull does not make it a Pharaoh hound.
So here we have noted down some of the vital characteristics you can search for in your pet to ensure whether it is a thoroughbred or just a pit mix Pitbull. Following are the characteristics to look for in your loving pet.
- Both can have short, shiny, and hard coats of any colored fur set tightly on the body. Pitbulls often consist of multiple colors with patterns, but a purebred one generally does not show any markings on them.
- The ears of an original Pitbull are either cropped or medium-sized. You can also find folded ears in them.
- A purebred Pitbull typically has a large, wedge-shaped head and a thick round neck. If the head of your dog is broad and rectangular-shaped, then it is a purebred Pitbull. Generally, in the body characteristics of a Pit mix, you would find features from both the Pitbull and other breeds. So, there are chances you would find similarities even in the structure of the skulls.
- Typically a thoroughbred Pitbull comes with an athletic physique of a husky, well-muscled body with a broad chest. But remember, even a crossbred Pitbull can also have these characteristics.
- Generally, a pedigreed male Pitbull does not weigh more than 35-60 pounds. If the weight of your pet crosses 70 pounds, there are chances it is a cross of Pitbull and Mastiff. In that case, the Pit mix can even cross the weight of 100 pounds.
- Typically a pure-blood Pitbull seems more energetic and active than a hybrid one. But in some cases, both can express their physical instincts through a lot of jumping and running. But, commonly, you will notice less aggression in a Pit mix.
- Their loyalty is beyond any question, and naturally, a Pitbull becomes more reactive around strangers or other dogs than a Pit mix.
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How to tell if your dog is a Pitbull mix?
The phrase Pitbull is an umbrella term that gathers a large number of dog breeds under it. But whenever people say Pitbull, in most cases, they mean American Pitbull Terrier.
Still, you can find a lot of Pit mixes in the community of the mongrels. The Pit breed is popular when it comes to crossbreeding. A lot of dog admirers love them for multiple reasons
Often Pitbulls get labeled as a dangerous breed due to the fatal attacks they are responsible for.
But people get mesmerized by the unique looks they have. It is the reason most pet parents tend to adopt Pitbull-like pups but with lesser aggressiveness.
In a hybrid Pitbull, you will find most of the features of a purebred Pitbull are present in it.
It is another reason why even purebred dog-lovers admire a Pit mix. However, here we have shared some attributes you can find in your Pitbull mix.
- If the Pit mix has one parent from a dog breed, your lovable Pitbull can grow more massive than a purebred. For instance, if the dog is a mixture of a Pitbull and an English Mastiff, the Pit mix can grow larger. In some cases, a crossbred Pitbull can weigh even 100 pounds.
- Apart from a few cases, most Pit mixes come with medium-sized physiques and even husky, athletic body features.
- Naturally, most of the Pit mixes come with the attribute of cropped ears. But some Pit mixes can also miss this quality.
- Generally, all Pit mixes have folded ears that create tiny triangular shapes at the top of the skull.
- Pit mixes come with multiple color options. Many dog-lovers tend to adopt the pet with specific color requirements. For them, Pit mixes are the best option available. You can find this crossbred in probably 18 different shades and almost nine possible marking patterns.
- Apart from the physical characteristics, some behavioral nature would also aid you in recognizing a crossbred Pitbull. Their loyalty, friendly, companionable, confident, yet goofy character surely catches everyone’s eyes.
- But what many do not know is the level of intelligence a Pit mix can hold. They are one of the top intelligent pups living, and their eagerness to learn a new thing makes them more advanced.
- The ferociousness of a Pit mix can differ depending on the parent breeds. A thoroughbred Pitbull is so aggressive that many airlines and living communities across the world have banned it for public safety. But, generally, a Pit mix does not show that amount of aggression. Still, you can see an exception in some cases. If you have an aggressive Pit mix, try to train and socialize it from a very young age.
Hopefully, now you have plenty of information about a Pit mix. So depending on the knowledge, you can quickly tell whether your dog falls in this class.
Read:
What are the characteristics of a Pitbull mix?
If you are reading the article from the first, you must have gone through all the general characteristics of a Pit mix we shared earlier. The features can include
- Short, husky, muscular body.
- When a typical Pitbull weighs almost 30-60 pounds, the weight of a Pit mix can differ from this estimate. There are possibilities a crossbred Pitbull can weigh heavier than a thoroughbred.
- Sometimes the wedge-shaped features of the skull can get missing.
Now it is time to look into some crossbred Pitbulls with their attributes so that it will be easier for you to understand what probable characteristics a Pit mix can hold.
Pitbull Husky mix- the Pitsky
A Pitsky is a mix between the American Pitbull Terrier and a Husky of Siberian variant. Below are the attributes a Pitsky can hold.
- Pitsky is a medium-sized mongrel that weighs between 35-65 pounds.
- Even though it is almost difficult to predict which attributes your dog would inherit, there is a high chance you could see loyalty and intelligence in the resulting pup.
- Pitsky can be brave and friendly at the same time.
- Even though in a mix you cannot predict the characteristics of the resulting dog, there are chances a Pitsky can feature an athletic physique.
Pitbull Labrador mix- a Labrabull or a Pitador
Following are the characteristics a Labrabull or Pitador holds.
- While Labradors are famous for their quiet, friendly, and even timid natures, Pitbulls are the extreme opposite. So you can expect bravery, intelligence, and even friendly behavior from the resulting outcome.
- With Labrador as a parent, the Pitador mix can weigh a bit heavier than a typical Pitbull. You can expect it to weigh almost 50-90 pounds since the Labrador Retriever is one of the enormous breed dogs.
- Generally, a Labrabull grows short hair with a double-layered coat.
- The attribute of lop-ears in a Labrabull can differentiate it from a Pitbull. A purebred Pitbull features cropped ears with folded shapes, ears of a Pitador stay in a hanging position on either side of the skull.
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Bottom line
In this article, we have shared every possible characteristic of a Pit mix so that it would be easier for you to identify whether your pet is a crossbred Pitbull.
Remember, the features we have mentioned here are only some visual characteristics of the mongrel. If you want 100% accuracy in the breed identification process, avail of a DNA test.
Hi There, AJ Oren here. I am the founder of this amazing pet blog & a passionate writer who loves helping pet owners to learn more about their pets through my articles. I am also the content manager of this blog. I have experience in pet training and behavior, sheltering, and currently working for a veterinary clinic.