What Is the Average Height for Pit Bulls?

The American pit bull terrier can be a friendly, playful and loving companion.
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Muscular, courageous, agile, fiercely loyal and frequently misunderstood, the American pit bull terrier, also called the pit bull, has been recognized as an official dog breed by the United Kennel Club for more than 100 years. Because pit bulls tend to vary in size, organizations such as the UKC emphasize that, in terms of showing dogs, standards suggested for height and weight are less important in pit bulls than are balanced and proportion.

Suggested Height Standards

In spite of the fact that the UKC, the IOEBA and other organizations make a strong case for placing the focus on balanced proportions rather than strict numbers when it comes to pit bull height, the organizations recognize that pit bull specimens do fall within a minimum height and a maximum height. For male pit bulls, average height at the shoulder is generally between 15 and 21 inches. For females, the average height at the shoulder is between 14 and 20 inches. That's a greater variance than for most sanctioned dog breeds.