Sunday, August 10, 2008

Is My Pit Bull an Albino?

The term "Pit Bull" isn't a breed of dog. It's a term used to group three breeds of dogs - American Pit Bull Terriers (APBT), American Staffordshire Terriers (AmStaff) and Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Staffie). It is not unusual to see someone casually walking their cute little Pit Bull in the community. At first glance, one wonders, is that dog white or is it an Albino? It doesn’t do any harm to label the furry little friend one way or the other. You might find out that the owners aren’t really sure themselves and you may just get confusing answers to this question depending on who you ask. Many Pit Bulls have white or very light hair with a small spot or spots that are brindle, these are “White” not “Albino”. Remember, Albino dogs will not have pigmentation.

Features that will establish that a Pit Bull is an Albino:
1. The eyes can be either pinkish red or a pale blue, depending on how the light reflects on the Iris portion of the eye (The eyes are not colored, it’s the blood vessels that appear to give color)
2. White or very pale hair
3. A pink nose
4. White eyelashes
6. Skin will be pink
7. The nails will be light in color, usually white or pink
8. The pads will also be a pale pink

I simply have to be heard on this matter due to the "unwarranted negative stigma. Pit Bulls can be very loveable and good natured dogs. How you treat your dog has the most to do with how aggressive they become and how socially acceptable they are in the community. Just as how children and adults treat other people or dogs.

NOTE: This next text clip of information was taken from “The American Pit Bull Registry” - The odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 600,000 in the USA. Comparatively speaking you are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to be killed by a dog of any breed. When you further break down the odds of being attacked and killed by a Pit Bull the odds are in your favor -approximately 1 in 145,000,000. That’s million folks. In contrast, you are 4 times more likely to be killed by a cow in the USA than any breed of dog, much less a Pit Bull.

As always, take care of your furry little friends!

John
www.beyondthecrate.com