The Pocket Pitbull is a designer dog, a deliberate cross
between the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Patterdale Terrier, two terrier
breeds that are recognized by the United Kennel Club in England, but not yet by
the American Kennel Club. This canine, also known as the Pitterdale Terrier, the Miniature Pit Bull, and
even just the simplified Pocket Pit is being developed as a smaller version of
the American Pit Bull Terrier, as it is recognized by the United Kennel Club in
England. Although the American Kennel Club does not recognize the American Pit
Bull Terrier, they do recognize the American Staffordshire Terrier, a canine
that is similar enough to the American Pit Bull Terrier that some individual
dogs are registered with both the UKC as American Pit Bulls and with the AKC as
American Staffordshires, although breed
standards for the Pit Bull allow a greater range of sizes and colors than the
Staffordshire. The Patterdale Terrier is one of several
breeds believed to be descended from the
Fell Terrier, a small, enduring terrier bred to hunt in packs. The Patterdale was
first referenced in the 1930’s when a
breeder by the name of Joe Bowman began to selectively breed his terriers for
both hunting ability and gameness so that they could go to ground after fleeing
foxes where the larger Foxhounds could not. Several contributors in the 1950s
and the 1960s helped to refine the breed including Brian Nuttall, Cyral Breay, Frank Buck, and Tommy Dobson, and
in 1995 it was recognized by the United Kennel Club in England. The combination
of the two dogs produces a courageous, muscular dog that looks and acts a great
deal like an American Pit Bull but is
about a two-thirds to half the size.