Pocket Pitbull

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.