What Is a Line-Bred Pit Bull?

Line breeding is the breeding of animals that share a common ancestor but are not closely related. If two dogs that share a common great-grandparent breed, their offspring is considered to be line bred. Pit bulls are often bred using this technique, which helps them maintain characteristics such as short hair and a muscular neck.

  1. Line Breeding vs. Inbreeding

    • Line breeding is less extreme than inbreeding, in which a dog is bred with its offspring, sibling or parent. A pit bull's genetic material is twice as complex as a human being's, so even if two distant relatives breed, their offspring will have more variety in its genes than the result of an inbred pairing. This will lessen the chance of genetic diseases, such as congenital heart disease, being passed down from one generation to the next.

    Line Breeding vs. Out-Crossing

    • Another method of breeding pit bulls is out-crossing, where the two dogs being bred have no common ancestors within four or five generations. This method has the highest chance of eliminating genetic diseases and other undesirable traits. It can also lead to a phenomenon known as "Hybrid Vigor," in which the animals that are the direct offspring of two unrelated parents grow faster than their purebred cousins. However, out-crossing is like rolling the genetic dice every time. Unlike line breeding, there is no guarantee that any of the traits you value in your pit bulls will be preserved.

    Desirable Characteristics in Pit Bulls

    • An ideal pit bull has a powerful set of jaws, a broad head and a thick, muscular neck. The chest is deep, thick and well-sprung. The pit bull is strong for its size, and though it is stocky, it is also agile. The hair on its coat is thick, short and shiny, and its tail tapers to a point. These characteristics are valued by the United Kennel Club, the American Dog Breeders Association and the American Pitbull Registry, and should be among your breeding goals when line breeding.

    Line Breeding Tips

    • Plan out your breeding strategy 20 years into the future, not just one generation ahead. To help with this plan, map out your pit bull's desired traits up to 20 years in the past. Determine which trait is likely to have come from which parent or ancestor. This will allow you to determine which relatives to line breed your pit bull with. Make sure that the first female you breed a male with is of the highest quality, since she will be the foundation female for your entire breeding line.