Common Mixed Pit Bull Breeds

Pit bulls make wonderful pets and are one of the most popular breeds today. Because of their physical strength, intelligence, and loyalty, the American pit bull terrier is one of the most popular dogs breeders want to mix with other breeds to create pit bull mixes. The most common dog breeds mixed with pit bulls are Labrador retriever, Rottweilers, boxers, and huskies due to their intelligence and friendliness and other common traits, making new and interesting mixed-breed dogs.

When you mix two breeds of dog, what you can expect is to get a mixture of characteristics from each of the parent breeds. Labs and pit bulls are both medium-sized dogs of a comparable size. You can expect a pit bull mixed with Lab to grow to a couple feet tall at the shoulder and weigh around 60 pounds, though a larger or smaller than average parent might produce larger or smaller puppies.

Labradors come in chocolate, black and yellow colors, but pit bulls can have nearly any color pattern. So their puppies' coat colors can be difficult to predict. A labrabull's coat may be longer than a pit bull's, but will still be fairly short and require little grooming.

Both dogs are energetic as well. Combining the pit bull's strength and working acumen with a Labrador's natural tracking and retrieving skills, labrabulls make excellent hunting dogs. They should be good-natured dogs that do well with families, but both parent breeds can become attached and panic if they are left alone for too long.

A popular pit bull mix is the pitweiler, a Rottweiler pit bull mix. As with any mixed breed, it can be difficult to predict whether puppies will be more similar to the larger or smaller breed in size. But Rottweilers are larger than pit bulls by enough that you can expect their puppies to be at least slightly larger than the pit bull parent. Also, because pit bulls can come in a variety of color patterns, pitweiler puppies may exhibit typical pit bull coloring or something more similar to the Rottweiler's black coat with rusty brown markings on the belly, neck, and face.

In temperament, Rottweilers and pit bulls are also similar. They both love affection and build strong bonds with their families. Rottweilers are a little more demanding than pit bulls, not just wanting time with their owners, but also wanting praise. Rottweilers are also less trustful of strangers than are pit bulls, so a pit bull mixed with a Rottweiler might be a better guard dog than his pit bull parent. Both are energetic and will need a moderate amount of exercise.

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Among the dog pairings on this list, boxers and pit bulls are probably the most similar. Mixed puppies between the two are usually referred to as bullboxers. Their most common color patterns are similar, and they are both short-coated, medium-sized working dogs that love people.

Bullboxers are high-energy dogs, as well, and like the others will need plenty of room to exercise or a good daily walk or run to keep them from getting bored. Also, like Rottweilers, boxers are less trusting of strangers than pit bulls, which are usually too friendly to make proper guard dogs. So if you're looking for a good, reliable guard dog, a bullboxer might be your best bet.

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If you're looking for a working dog with the strength of a pit bull, but a thicker coat and higher tolerance for cold temperatures, you might do well with a pitsky, a pit bull and Siberian Husky mix. The huskies' strong work ethic, intelligence, and capacity for work makes it a great foundation for mixing with a pit bull. The husky's thicker coat means your pitsky will need brushing a little more often than a pit bull, but otherwise this breed's grooming and health needs are minimal.

Like labrabulls, pitweilers, and bullboxers, pitskies will need plenty of exercise. Both pit bulls and huskies are very friendly, so pitskies aren't a good choice for watch dogs or guard dogs. Reliable, trustworthy and comfortable with children, pitskies make great family pets.