Black Pitbull - Everything You Need to Know

Powerful dog breeds like American Staffordshire and American Pitbull Terrier reproduce offspring with solid-black coat color. Although these offspring are called Black Pitbull, they closely resemble their siblings despite the color difference. They are the most loyal, courageous, amiable, and devoted companion dogs with muscular and athletic stature. Unfortunately, these dogs are thought to be aggressive creatures that attack human beings. On the contrary, they are gentle and loving guard dogs who are possessive of their pet parents. Additionally, these dogs are often thought to be a rarity, but they are ubiquitous and always available.

Black Pitbull Mix Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Great Watch Dogs	Hyperactive breeds
Easy to train	Prone to become aggressive if not trained properly

Black Pitbull Basic Information

Name: Black Pitbull
Height: Up to 21 inches
Weight: up to 80 pounds
Coat: short, stiff, and dense
Color: Solid black
Energy: High
Activities: Agility, Conformation, Obedience, Tracking
Group: Working
Barking Level: Medium
Shedding Level: Low
Hypoallergenic: No
Litter Size: 5 to 10 puppies
Life Span: 12 to 16 years
Another Name: Black Pittie

American Pitbull Terrier Vs. Black Pitbull Comparison:

Black Pitbull Personality:

The Pitbull has a long, muscular body with a short-pointed tail that resembles a whip. They have a leveled broad head with prominent cheekbones, fleshy nose, and highly set medium-sized ears. Their black eyes are widely set apart. The hallmark characteristics of Black Pit Bulls are its wide, powerful jaw and solid-black coat due to the K locus dominant gene. A muscular, athletic physique makes their movements agile and elegant which makes them excellent guard dogs.

Due to their dark coat color, pet parents are advised to use light-up collars to ensure their visibility at night.

Traditionally, the Pitbull was bred for hunting and other blood sports like dog fighting, bull-baiting, and bear-baiting. As a result, these dogs have well-developed hunting and guarding skills.

Friendliness Overview

Affection Level	High
Family-Friendly	High
Kid-Friendly	High
Pet-Friendly	Medium to High
Strangers-Friendly	High

Adaptability Overview

Good for New Pet Owners	Low to Medium
Good for Apartment Living	Medium
Sensitivity Level	Medium to High
Tolerates being alone	Low
Cold Tolerance	Low to Medium
Heat Tolerance	Medium

Black Pitbull Temperament:

Black Pit bulls are the most loyal, protective, and fearless dogs with a playful demeanor. Being active and intelligent, these dogs love learning but have shorter attention spans. They have to expend their high energy; hence you have to keep them engaged with physical activity. This will prevent them from developing frustration and aggressiveness due to boredom.

Additionally, they are obedient and pleasing towards their pet parents, which makes them easily trainable. These dogs are highly attached to the family and crave attention. So, they find it challenging to share their owners with other pets. For this reason, they have to be raised along with other pets. But they are very affectionate and loving towards kids. However, if provoked or if they sense some risk, they may attack. All these characteristics make them a great choice of house pet. They are generally aware and keenly watch over their surroundings to greet anyone. This makes them a less efficient guard dog.

Black Pitbull Training:

The Black Pitbulls are easily trainable with a robust intellectual capability, obedience, and a pleasing demeanor. However, they tend to become headstrong if left alone for themselves. Despite being quick learners, PitBulls are prone to be aggressive. To prevent this behavior, they have to be socialized well at an early age. For this reason, they have to be enrolled in puppy training classes to ensure their companionship with pets.

Trainability Overview

Easy to Train	High
Intelligence	High
Prey Drive	Medium to High
Tendency to Chew, Nip & Play-bite	Medium to High
Tendency to Bark or Howl	Medium to High
Wanderlust Ability	Medium
Attention/Social Needs	High

Black Pitbull Exercise needs:

Given a Pit bull’s high energy levels, he needs exercises that stimulate him mentally and physically. If he doesn’t expend that energy, he may be frustrated or turn aggressive. Hence, he should be taken for a walk, jog, or run at least once a day for an hour. Some of the suitable canine activities for these dogs include dock diving, agility, and obedience. They can also be trained in search and rescue operations which they will excel at eventually. However, these canines are people-oriented, hence shouldn’t be left alone even during play. Additionally, they perform well when they get attention and love from their pet parents.

Exercise Needs Overview

Energy Level	Medium to High
Exercise Needs	Medium to High
Playfulness	High
Intensity	High

Black Pitbull Grooming

Coat and Hair:

Pit bulls have a short and stiff coat that is easy to maintain. However, their coat may collect dirt, debris, or other foreign particles, which calls for their coat to be brushed once a week. Further, these dogs may shed seasonally. Hence an occasional brushing will ensure to distribute oil throughout their coat and keep them healthy.

Additionally, they may need an occasional bath when their coat becomes oily. For this purpose, a gentle shampoo will be required since they may have sensitive skin.

Nails:

To prevent overgrowth of nails in pit bulls, they have to be trimmed once in two months. Doing this prevents any inconvenience for your pet, especially during running or walking. Additionally, some very active dogs may wear out their nails themselves.

Teeth:

To support their overall health, brush your canine’s teeth daily with dog-formulated toothpaste. This daily routine prevents the possibility of developing periodontal diseases. Additionally, scheduling a visit for an annual periodontal examination with his veterinarian will help.

Ears:

It is vital to check your canine’s ears weekly once for any sign of infection. To prevent this, wipe your dog’s ears with a cotton ball dipped in pH-balanced ear cleaner. Additionally, gently clean the outer ear without inserting anything into the ear canal.

Grooming Overview

Amount of Shedding	Medium to High
Tendency to Drool	Low
Tendency to Snore	Low
Easy to Groom	High

Black Pitbull Health

The solid Black Pitbulls generally are healthy. However, they can be vulnerable to certain common diseases that affect all dogs. They include:

Osteoarthritis:

The condition when a dog’s joints become inflamed due to the deterioration of cartilage is termed osteoarthritis. This condition occurs in dogs who suffer from old age, injury, repetitive stress, or disease. It is prevalent mainly in the limbs and the spine.

Signs of osteoarthritis in dogs:

Stiffness, lameness, limping or difficulty getting up
Lethargy
Reluctance to physical activities.
Obesity
Irritability
Pain when touched
Difficulty posturing to urinate or defecate, or having accidents in the house
Loss of muscle mass over the limbs and spine

Treatment:

Unfortunately, there is no known cure, but symptomatic treatments like inflammation and pain alleviation are currently suggested. Additionally, they are also required to change their lifestyle, diet, etc.

Hip Dysplasia:

Hip Dysplasia is a heritable condition that occurs when the thigh bones don’t fit aptly into the pelvic socket of the hip joint.

Other Causes of Hip Dysplasia:

Injuries
Excessive weight gain
Wrong exercises
This condition causes defect or injury to the hip bones, joints and worsens without treatment.

Symptoms of hip dysplasia in dogs include:

Reduced activity and movements
Reluctance to rise, jump, run or climb
Lameness in the hind limbs
Reducing thigh muscle mass
Swaying, “bunny hopping” gait
Grating in the joint during movement
Enlarging shoulders
Pain
Stiffness

Elbow Dysplasia

Elbow dysplasia occurs when the bones of the elbow joint don’t align properly. This misalignment causes abnormal pressure at the joint, leading to chronic rubbing, resulting in severe osteoarthritis.

Symptoms

mild to moderate pain
lameness in the forelimbs

Although the symptoms begin to show as early as four months of age, some dogs will not show these signs until later in life. Further, both the elbows may be involved, but one of them may be heavily affected.

Cardiovascular disease:

Pit bulls are prone to cardiovascular diseases, which may be congenital or inherited. Some of the most prevalent cardiac diseases in Pit bulls include:

Aortic stenosis
Valve malformations
Irregularities in heart rhythm

General signs of cardiovascular diseases in dogs:

Exercise intolerance
Weakness
Coughing
Breathing difficulty
Increased breathing rate
Abdominal swelling
Loss of consciousness
A bluish tinge to skin and membranes
Loss of appetite and weight

Some more symptoms that occur rarely include:

Swelling of the legs
Jaundice
Coughing up blood.

Your veterinarian may recommend that you count the number of breaths your dog takes per minute when your dog is resting at home. This can be an effective way for you to monitor the development or progression of congestive heart failure in dogs with heart disease.

Hypothyroidism:

An underactive thyroid gland results in hypothyroidism.

Consequences of Hypothyroidism:

epilepsy
hair loss
obesity
lethargy
hyperpigmentation
pyoderma and other skin conditions

Cataracts: The condition causes cloudiness on the eye lens, which can lead to blindness. Hence, a periodical checkup is necessary to rule out underlying conditions like diabetes, hypocalcemia, and uveitis; however, if untreated, cataracts should be removed only with surgery.

Luxating Patella: When your Pitbull’s knee cap falls out of place, it leads to a condition called patellar luxation.

Signs of the luxating patella in dogs:

While your dog runs along, he may suddenly pick up a back leg and hops for some time.
Kicks his leg sideways to get the kneecap back in position and is normal.

Degenerative Myelopathy:

This is a disease that arises due to the degeneration of the white matter of the spinal cord. It onsets with a slowly progressive hind limb weakness and leads to its paralysis.

Early Symptoms of Degenerative Myelopathy

The hind paws turn downwards, and the dog walks on its knuckles.
The dog’s hindquarters wobble when standing still.
A push from the side easily stumbles the dog.
The hind feet scrape the ground when walking and become hairless leading to trauma.
The dog has difficulty rising from a lying position.

Coat and Skin Allergies:

Pitbull’s have a short coat which predisposes them to various skin conditions. Some of the skin conditions include:

Demodex Mange: This condition occurs when your dog’s hair follicles become infected with microscopic mites. Although a dog’s immune system defends him from these mites, some breeds like the Pitbull are often over infected.

Signs of demodex mange:

Dry, irritated, hairless lesions dominant on the face or feet.
Secondary infections may occur.

Prompt veterinary care ensures this disease doesn’t get out of hand.

Ichthyosis is an inherited disease characterized by a severe form of flaky skin that resembles fish scales. Dogs affected by this disease are born as puppies with abnormal skin. Although there is no specific cure for this condition, its symptoms can be alleviated with special shampoos and fish oils. Additionally, dogs with this condition shouldn’t be bred.
Cerebellar Ataxia is a genetically transmitted neurological condition that affects the cerebellum of the brain. As a result, the affected dogs lose the sense of space, distance and become uncoordinated. This condition appears during puppyhood when the affected dogs are around 6 and 16 weeks of age. Since there is no cure for this disease, you shouldn’t breed animals suffering from this condition

Parvovirus is a deadly illness caused by a virus. This disease is mainly seen in pups under 16 weeks of age when exposed to unclean and crowded places.

Symptoms of parvovirus:

Vomiting
Bloody diarrhea
Fever
Dehydration

Although vaccinations are available for this virus, Pitbull tends to have a weaker response to them. Hence, they have to be vaccinated with an extra dose post their regular puppy vaccine series. Further, his parvovirus has to be bolstered yearly.

Health Overview

Basic Health	Medium to High
Weight Gain Possibilities	Medium
Size	Medium

Black Pitbull Diet and Nutrition

A black Pitbull thrives well with a nutritious and healthy diet. Their food can be homemade or store-bought. However, it would help to feed them appropriately according to their size, weight, and activity level. Additionally, it would help if you restricted the treats you provide them to prevent obesity.

Black Pitbull Living Condition

Black Pitbull’s can very well adapt to an apartment lifestyle provided they get sufficient physical exercise. Additionally, they require a dry and warm place for sleeping. Due to their short coats, Pit bulls are less tolerant towards heat and cold. Hence, they shouldn’t be left outdoors during inclement weather. Being people-oriented, these dogs shouldn’t be left alone for long as they are prone to separation anxiety.

Things to Remember Before buying a Black Pitbull

Bluenose Pitbull is often mistaken to be Black Pitbull. Hence, verify the coat color of the dog or puppy if it’s a solid black coat. However, Bluenose Pitbull also has a similar color with a dense coat that appears black to our eyes. Additionally, Black Pit bulls are commonly available. Hence they shouldn’t cost more.

Cost Of a Black Pitbull

Although the price tag on Black Pitbull varies with different breeders, a professional dog breeder will charge somewhere between $800-$1000. Puppies from a recognized pedigree may cost you even higher.