American Pit Bull Terrier Size Guide: How Big Does an American Pit Bull Terrier Get?

Originally from the UK, Pit Bull Terriers have been around for a couple of centuries, meaning that their appearance and temperament are fairly defined. The American Dog Breeders Association classifies them as a medium-sized breed with a muscular build. In this American Pit Bull Terrier size guide we will take a look at exactly how big these dogs can get.

Our handy interactive puppy growth chart and calculator takes all the hard work out of predicting your puppy’s potential adult size. This helps you to know exactly what you are in for.

American Pit Bull Terrier Size Predictions by Age

Not to be confused with their smaller cousin the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terriers are a popular breed in the US despite not being officially recognized by the American Kennel Club. These strong, stocky dogs have a sweet, loving nature and make excellent family pets.

Tenacious, eager, and courageous, the American Pit Bull Terrier’s unfortunate heritage of blood sports such as bull and bear baiting is partly responsible for the breed’s bully-dog reputation. Beyond that, their strength and athleticism sadly make them perfect for unlawful dogfighting, and they are frequently used as attack dogs by criminals and gangs.

However, people who have owned these beautiful, loving dogs will attest to the fact that they are incredibly misunderstood. Far from being aggressive, American Pit Bulls are enthusiastic pups with a natural zest for life and an extremely affectionate nature. They especially love spending time with children and are often loyal and thoroughly devoted to their families.

With all their boundless puppy-like energy, American Pit Bull Terriers can often seem much larger than they are. For this reason, they suit a larger house with a lovely big garden. Here is what you can expect in terms of their adult size and their growth across the first year of their lives:

Age	3 months	6 months	1 year	Adult
Weight	9 – 20 lbs	26 – 40 lbs	30 – 50 lbs	30 – 60 lbs
Height	8 – 10 inches	14 – 18 inches	17 – 21 inches	17 – 21 inches

*A dog’s height is not measured from the top of its head but from its withers. This is the point between their shoulder blades.

Generally, an American Pitbull Terrier’s most significant growth period is between 3 and 6 months. Towards the end of this time, they will be at around 80-90% of their adult height and about 60% of their adult weight. At 12 months they will be at their adult height but will continue to bulk up for up to another year after this, depending on their genes and lifestyle.

Are There Different Sizes of American Pit Bull Terrier?

While there aren’t technically any different sizes of American Pit Bull Terrier, there are an array of ‘Pit Bull’ breeds, including the Bull Terrier, the Chamuco, and the Colby. Breeders are also working on creating designer hybrid dogs which they have termed ‘Pocket Pitbulls’ and ‘Miniature Bull Terriers.’ These are usually between 10 and 16 inches tall and weigh 10 to 30 pounds.

Be cautious when opting for one of these, though, as dogs bred to be smaller can come with a whole host of health issues.

In terms of the American Pit Bull Terrier, there are slight size variations between the genders, with males being on the larger, heavier end of the scale at 35 to 60 pounds and 19 to 21 inches compared to the females’ 30 to 50 pounds and 17 to 20 inches.

American Pit Bull Terrier Growth Patterns

As with most breeds, American Pit Bull Terriers do much of their growing in the first 6 months of their lives. By the time they are half a year old, they will already be looking distinctly adult in terms of their height. However, these stocky, muscular dogs can often take much longer to get to their adult weight – anything from 18 to 24 months. Larger working animals may even continue to grow into their third year.

How Big is a Full-Grown American Pit Bull Terrier?

A mature American Pit Bull Terrier will be somewhere between 17 and 21 inches to the shoulder and weigh 30 to 60 pounds. Where exactly they sit on this scale will depend on their gender (female dogs are usually smaller than male ones). Their genes will play a part, too; therefore, it’s a good idea to ask about the parent sizes when adopting a puppy.

To predict your American Pit Bull Terrier’s adult size, keep in mind that they usually get to half their total weight around 4 months and their adult size at roughly 24 months. You can calculate their potential adult weight at 4 months by taking what they weigh at that age and multiplying it by two.

A different formula you could use is:

1. Growth = current weight / current age in weeks
2. Adult weight = Growth x 52 (number of weeks in one year)

So, for example, if your 12-week old pup weighs 18 pounds. You simply divide the current weight by their age in weeks and multiply the result with 52:

What Age is an American Pit Bull Terrier Fully Grown By?

The age at which your dog will be fully grown depends on what you consider to be fully grown. While they will likely have attained their adult height by their first birthday, they will only be at around 80% of their total weight at this time.

Most experts would agree that you can consider your two-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier to be fully grown. They, however, would also concede that dogs on the bigger end of the spectrum could continue to grow far beyond this time.

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If you are looking to take on an American Pit Bull Terrier because you are able to see beyond the nasty misinformation and understand what fantastic pets these dogs make, you may well be wondering just how big they can get. Hopefully, the breed standards and size calculations included here have gone some way to addressing this question for you and helping you to decide whether this is the breed for you.