What is the real American Pit Bull Terrier?
The statements here pertain to the true American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT), and should not be confused with the dogs that are commonly but falsely labelled as "pitbulls."
While gamedogs have existed for hundreds of years, the APBT we know today resulted from "Bull-n-Terrier" crosses produced in the United States of America (USA) by cross breeding bull-baiting dogs and game terrier breeds imported from Europe and Ireland during the 1800's. By only breeding the best working individuals produced from those crosses, dedicated breeders in the USA utilized performance based selective breeding strategies to refine this new population of gamedogs. This breeding methodology concentrated the genes responsible for producing the desired traits into a refined gene pool, resulting in a more prolific population of superior canine gladiators. With competition driving the evolution of these new gamedogs, they not only outperformed gamedogs of the past, they also more consistently produced offspring with superior structural soundness, excellent health, mental stability, exceptional athleticism, great wrestling skills, a powerful grip, toughness, endurance, tremendous drive, and extreme determination (aka "gameness"). These dogs became recognized by the UKC in 1898 and by the ADBA in 1908 as the "American Pit Bull Terrier." (Ralph Greenwood purchased the ADBA in 1973).
In 1936, the AKC recognized many of these same dogs as the "American Staffordshire Terrier;" however the AKC excluded rednose dogs. While the APBT was continually competing as a gamedog and bred to meet the performance standards required by such activities, the American Staffordshire Terrier was competing more in the show arena and less in the performance arena. Breeding standards drive the evolution and divergence of all breeds, and as time passed the performance of Am Staffs began declining as they lost the essential traits required of gamedogs. Meanwhile, the performance of the APBT was continually evolving as ultimate gamedog. Given the amount of divergence that has occurred due to having different niches with different selection criteria, the APBT and Am Staff have today without question diverged into two different breeds despite sharing common ancestry.
In 1976 the Animal Welfare Act was passed, and due to legal pressures now placing serious punishments towards particular types of gamedog activities, by the 1990's many of so called "APBT enthusiasts" gave up their interest in gamedogs completely. Others became more involved in the UKC show arena and their breeding practices became more along the lines of the AKC Am Staff. While the UKC dogs were still registered and known as "APBTs" by the UKC, many true gamedog enthusiasts tend to look down upon the UKC registered dogs, and no longer consider the UKC dogs true APBTs due to repeatedly falling short of being true gamedogs when tested since the UKC registered dogs were generally no longer bred to gamedog standards.
Meanwhile, those seriously committed to true gamedogs now either hand wrote their own pedigrees for their own records or registered their dogs exclusively with the ADBA or one of other smaller gamedog registrations such as the Sporting Dog Registry (SDR). In addition to this, true gamedog enthusiasts were also now forced to either risk serious punishments for participating in activities that were outlawed or find a new means of testing the abilities and will of their dogs, such as hog hunting.
What is a "gamedog" one may ask. Well, if you have ever heard the question, "Are you game?," then you know that question simply means, "Are you willing?" As a result, gameness is most easily defined as the willingness to continue a task despite stress. The abilities of an individual are irrelevant if the individual is not first willing to perform the task at hand. As a result, the willingness of a gamedog is its most essential trait, and as a result gameness is typically the most sought after trait that APBT breeders seek to maintain or enhance within their breeding program.
Pictured is my daughter Courtney with Pitbro's Little Rascal of ASC (view pedigree).
Our APBTs: Heavy Sorrells (& Mayday "outs")
We maintain a small population of very high quality APBTs that are not only purebred, but our dogs are also exclusively from gamebred stock with track records of exceptional performance. We selected our preferred bloodlines and foundation dogs by itemizing our goals and objectives for these dogs. The first requirement for our APBTs was to be true to type, meaning they must display the traits required of their ancestors. Next, we reviewed bloodlines known to produce specimens that were larger than the breed's average size range, as we use our dogs for hog catch work or protection work. The additional size provides better control of the larger opposition our dogs would be expected to subdue. After examining many bloodlines, we chose to focus on the Sorrells line as our foundation, but also use APBTs that are heavily bred on Mayday (Redboy/Jocko/Bolio) when outcrossing.
Understanding the ancestral lineage of the gamebred APBT is important, for without this understanding one fails to understand what it took to produce these dogs and how important it is to protect this gene pool of dogs. We are pleased the recorded heritage of our APBTs can be directly traced back through working camps all the way to a time when some of the first gamedogs were imported to the USA. Never-the-less, even the best bloodlines produce some individuals that should not be bred. For this reason, performance based selection musts still be used when selecting breeding stock; therefore, all of our dogs must pass intense performance based assessments and hip X-rayed screening.
By line breeding on Ch. Sorrells' Pokey & Parker's Big Daddy (Sorrells) while outcrossing to ASC's Lucky 7, who is heavy Gr. Ch. Mayday, our goal is to develop a line of catchweight gamedogs that breed true to the history of the APBT, but with a bit more size.
Sorrells' Bloodline
"Sorrells' Bull," the foundation to the Sorrells' line of pit bulls (or "pitbulls" as some mistakenly say), and "Indian Bolio" (the foundation to Pat Patrick's dogs) were both founded upon a combination of Zeke/Goldie. Not only do the Sorrells' APBTs display many of the traits I desire, it should also be noted that many consider Sorrells & Patrick to be two of the best breeders of gamedogs in the modern era. It is for these reasons that I chose to obtained several dogs directly from Bert Sorrells and Madison "Mad" Parker. For those that don't know, Madison was the primary handler and breeder of many legendary Sorrells' dogs, including Ch. Raisin, Ch. Shoshone, Ch. Joe Testament, Ch. Uncle Bud, Ch. Sailor, 2xW Budlite, Ch. Johnny Walker Red, 1xW Crazy Horse, and many others. I acquired the dog pictured above, Sorrells' Captain Skip from Bert Sorrells in 2004.
Mayday (Redboy-Jocko-Bolio)
Despite the fact that Bert Sorrells and Mr. Patrick were competitors that did not get along, both men personally informed me that Redboy dogs crossed well with their dogs. If one studies the top performers, this fact is easily verified many times over. Gr. Ch. Mayday ROM (pictured above) was produced by putting Redboy/Jocko dogs over the top of a female from Pat Patrick blood (which is nearly identical to the Sorrells' blood foundation), and for this reason Mayday plays a significant role in our program. Other dogs that have considerable influence in our program include Gr. Ch. STP's Buck ROM (7xW), Ch. Deadlift ROM, Gr. Ch. Tant's Yellow ROM (6xW), and Ch. Gator ROM. These dogs include various combinations of Redboy/Jocko/Bolio/Jeep blood. Additionally, the combination of the Patrick & the Sorrells APBTs also produced the legendary dog Hollingsworth Bull.
A few of my mentors from the APBT world
Madison "Maddog" Parker
One of my mentors in the world of the APBT is none other than the legendary Madison "Maddog" Parker. Madison has a lifetime of experience as a handler and conditioner of working APBTs, and also played a major role in breeding many of the legendary dogs in the Sorrells line of APBTs that were registered under Bert Sorrells' name, dogs such as Uncle Bud, Joe Testiment, Maddy the Mouth, Raisin, Sailor, and many others. Today Madison owns and operates BulletProof Kennels.
Mahlon "Pat" Patrick
With over 40 years of experience breeding working class APBTs, "Pat" Patrick's line of dogs is quite possibly behind more lines of "pitbulls" than any other breeder from the modern era. When it comes to one's knowledge of what it takes to breed quality working class animals, there is not another dogman in recent history that I respect more. Mr. Patrick's ability to recognize the natural genetic potential of working prospects is excellent. I appreciate his extensive knowledge and experience. His willingness to openly share such knowledge and experiences with those that earn his respect is very generous.
I am pleased to announce that Mr. Patrick not only purchased one of our APBTs, but also purchased several of our American Sentinels, and even stated that our dogs to be the only dogs of any other breed that display the same level of drive and intensity that he was use to seeing in his game bred dogs.
I consider it a great honor that he likes my dogs enough to be a repeat client and to have also sent me his 2000 ADBA Dogman Hall of Fame plaque as a thank you gift...a gift I will undoubtedly & proudly pass down to my son.
M.L. Smith's Bubba Buck
Sorrells APBT - Click HERE to see Bubba Buck's Pedigree.
Bubba Buck is going to be 10 years old in June of this year (2022), and he is an incredible dog and very well bred. We obviously hope we will be able to use him in our breeding program. That said, we are doing some work with him now to try to increase the sperm production in this male as he had never been bred until nearly 8 years old and that breeding did not take. For those that do not know, my Bachelor's and Master's degrees are both in Animal Sciences, and my Master's specifically focused on Reproductive Physiology. I spent a lot of time in genetics and behavior, but it was actually reproductive physiology I focused on. As a result, I have found a University vet clinic doctor to reach out to them about possible GnRH treatment and running a few other labs in hopes of increasing Bubba Buck's count high enough to produce viable offspring. This dog is strong and healthy, but simply has not been bred until late in life, which will create some hurdles for us. If we are successful, this will certainly be a great addition to help us maintain a high degree of purity from the working line of Sorrells APBTs.
Frankie-Bomp's Stats
- DOB: 06-22-2012
- Height: 22"
- Weight: 56#
- Hips: "Excellent"
As close to Bert's yard as possible
This dog's parents both came directly from Bert Sorrells' yard, and as a result, this is one of the few dogs that is just one generation removed from Bert's hands. This dog is strong, super active, and athletic still to this day.
Parker's Frankie Bomp of ASC (1xW)
Sorrells APBT - Click HERE to see Frankie-Bomp's Pedigree.
Frankie-Bomp is an exceptionally well bred and proven game dog. He is a true representation of the Sorrells line (with the Zeke/Godlie foundation) and has many traits we desire, and I am confident he will be a great addition to our line of APBTs.
Frankie-Bomp's Stats
- DOB: 06-15-2015
- Height: 22"
- Weight: 56#
- Hips: "Excellent"
A True Sorrells' dog
I acquired this Sorrells APBT from Madison "Mad" Parker, who was the primary handler and breeder of many legendary Sorrells' dogs, including Ch. Raisin, Ch. Shoshone, Ch. Joe Testament, Ch. Uncle Bud, Ch. Sailor, 2xW Budlite, Ch. Johnny Walker Red, 1xW Crazy Horse, and many others.
ASC's Lucky 7
Redboy/Jocko/Bolio/Jeep - Click HERE to see Lucky 7's Pedigree
No reason to use AKC Am Staffs show dogs, UKC show dogs, or other PR show dogs, etc...not when you have working bulldogs like this to choose from. ASC's Lucky 7 excels at PP work...and his offspring are proving to excel at hog hunting...but he also has pedigree that is not just full of working bulldogs, but one that is also full of great producers (ROMs & PORs). You just gotta be willing to put in the work to find the right dog...a dog that works, has good hips, and is bred from working dogs that also produce. Since so many cannot read a pedigree worth a toot, I will explain his.
Lucky 7s TOP SIDE is the product of a full-sibling breeding heavy on the REDBOY-JOCKO-BOLIO blood heavily based on Gr. Ch. Mayday ROM, Gr Ch Tants Yellow ROM (6xW), Gr Ch STPs Buck ROM (7xW), Ch Deadlift ROM, Hollingsworth's Dolly (ROM),
Lucky 7s BOTTOM SIDE is heavy Crenshaw (JEEP-REDBOY) with Ch. Crenshaws Jeep ROM (4xW), Rodriguezs Gator ROM (4xW), Long's Weirdo ROM, Ch. Slim Shady ROM, Ch. Woodall's Weird Jack ROM, Gr. Ch. Crenshaw's Black Jack ROM, Peek's Lucky (ROM).
Study this pedigree thoroughly, and know Lucky 7 represents the catch weight gamebred APBT very well.
Lucky 7's Stats
- DOB: 09-06-2016
- Height: 24"
- Weight: 68#
- Hips: "Excellent"
Produced here at American Sentinel K9, LLC
Lucky 7 was produced by here at American Sentinel K9, LLC. We carefully tested the entire litter by using performance based selection and only kept the best two pups in that litter, which included ASC's Lucky 7 and ASC's Wonder-Girl.
ASC's Banshee
Sorrells'/Redboy/Jocko/Bolio - Click HERE to see Banshee's Pedigree
ASC's Banshee is out of Parker's Frankie-Bomp x ASC's Komodo and a full-sibling to Brienne of Tarthe, making her a blend of our Sorrells strain and our RB/J/B strain.
Banshee's Stats
- DOB: 06-23-2021
- Height:
- Weight: growing
- Hips:
Photos coming soon
Banshee was produced here. Photos coming soon
ASC's Black Betty
Sorrells' Bloodline - Click HERE to see Black Betty's Pedigree
Black Betty is a well bred dog with heavy Sorrells base and with all of the outs in her pedigree coming only from great dogs from Maurice Carver, Floyd Boudreaux, and Pat Patrick blood, with a small amount of Redboy/Jocko also added to the line. Her pedigree is purely composed of proven stock.
Black Betty's Stats
- DOB: 01-24-20
- Height: 21"
- Weight: 52#
- Hips: Excellent
A heavily bred Sorells' dog
Black Betty was produced here from two dogs I acquired directly from Madison "Mad" Parker, who was the primary handler and breeder of many legendary Sorrells' dogs, including Ch. Raisin, Ch. Shoshone, Ch. Joe Testament, Ch. Uncle Bud, Ch. Sailor, 2xW Budlite, Ch. Johnny Walker Red, 1xW Crazy Horse, and many others.
ASC's Komodo
Redboy/Jocko/Bolio/Jeep - Click HERE to see Komodo's Pedigree
ASC's Komodo displays many great attributes required from a quality game dog. Her drives are great, nerves are great, athleticism is great, and her structure is great. She was of the pick of the litter from the breeding between Lucky 7 and his sister Wonder-Girl, read the pedigree description for Lucky 7 to understand how she is put together, as her pedigree is simply doubled up on the same. As a result, not only is she working out well herself, but with the homozygousity in her genome, we are confident she will also prove to be an excellent and consistent producer of working dogs.
Komodo's Stats
- DOB: 07-26-18
- Height: 21"
- Weight: 50#
- Hips: Excellent
Produced here at American Sentinel K9, LLC
Komodo is a phenomenal dog, and I like her so much that I know she will be play a significant role in the future of our Mayday APBT line and in our "pitbull" breeding program. I want a particular set of traits in our line of APBTs, and I am concentrating the desired traits of Lucky 7 in Komodo's genome.
(Sorrells) M.L. Smith's Miss Bull
Miss Bull's Stats
- DOB: 09-27-2015
- Height: 20"
- Weight: 40#
- Hips: Good
M.L. Smith's Miss Bull (Sorrells blood)
Miss Bull has a great attitude, good structure, great nerves, and is also an excellent producer.
(Sorrells) M.L. Smith's Rosebud
Rosebud's Stats
- DOB: 04-19-2016
- Height: 20"
- Weight: 42#
- Hips: Excellent
M.L. Smith's Rosebud (Sorrells blood)
Rosebud is another pure Sorrells dog with again...a great attitude, good structure, great nerves, and she too is also an excellent producer.