Alaskan Pit Bull

The name Alaskan Pit Bull is a combination of the names of the dog’s parent breeds: the Alaskan Malamute and The American Staffordshire Terrier, also known as the Pit Bull Terrier. The Alaskan Malamute originated over 4,000 years ago and is the namesake of the Mahlemuts Innuit tribe who inhabited the present day northwest coast of Alaska. The tribe originally relied on Alaskan Malamutes for hunting bears and seals, as well as sledding across harsh terrain. During the 1800s, Alaskan Malamutes were imported to the United States to assist Gold Rush prospectors on the West Coast. Once in the United States, breeders started mixing Alaskan Malamutes with smaller dogs for racing purposes. The breed became very diluted as a result; however, in the 1920s, there was a successful effort to revive the purebred variety, and the AKC recognized the breed in 1935. The American Staffordshire Terrier was developed in the English region of Shaffordshire in the 1800s for dog fighting. It was likely a mix between an Old English Bulldog and various Terrier breeds. In fact, it was originally called the “Bull and Terrier”. The breed fell out of fashion when dog fighting was outlawed. Nonetheless, some specimens made their way over to the United States during the 19^th century and American breeders developed an animal with more heft and a larger head. This variation became known as the Pit Bull Terrier. It was recognized as such in 1936; however, over thirty years later, the breed was renamed the American Shaffordshire Terrier. Alaskan Pit Bulls may have been breed as early as the late 1800s given the Malamute’s and Pit Bull’s long history in the United States. However, they are still an unusual hybrid dog and not recognized by the American Kennel Club.