Bull Breed Identification
Mis-identification is one of the biggest problems our breed faces today. Many cross-bred dogs are misidentified as pure-bred Staffordshire Bull Terriers - which, in some circumstances, be detrimental to our breeds reputation.
Animal Network are great advocates for the correct identification of bull breeds - we thank them for their support.
Animal Networks' Bull Breed identification test relies on BITSA™ (Breed Identification Through Scientific Analysis) which can help identify the breeds that make up mixed-breed dogs.
Breed Identification made easy:
• Identifies the breed ancestry of the dog in question
• Applies a simple, safe and non-invasive sampling method
Dog's Breed History Revealed:
The BITSA report identifies a dog's ancestry, giving an identification of the breeds detected, broken down into primary, secondary and distant.
The BITSA test can help identify the most common ancestral breeds that may be misidentified on the NSW Company
Animal Registry microchip database, which is most often caused by lack of proof of breed.
The following Canine Bull breeds can be identified using this test:
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Bull Terrier/Minature Bull Terrier
• British Bulldog
• Bullmastiff
• Dogue de Bordeaux
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Rottweiler
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Other breeds commonly identified in mixed-breeds which may be mistaken for Restricted Breeds are the Labrador Retriever, Pointer, Rhodesian Ridgeback and Weimaraner.
Breed Signatures: A breed signature is a genetic representation of a particular canine breed. BITSA is able to identify 56 of the most common breeds present in the dog population of Australia. Our breed signature database contains data from registered pedigree dogs, whose reference samples were collected at Dog Shows throughout Australia. This ensures that we have the most accurate, reliable breed signatures.
Pit Bull Terriers:
BITSA does not test for Pit Bull terrier.
As a Pit Bull terrier/American Pit Bull Terrier is listed as a restricted dog breed in
Australia, we do not have the ability to collect significant breed signatures for these dogs due to the limited population.
Similarly, as the Pit Bull is a restricted breed and prohibited from importation under the Customs Act, internationally bred Pit Bulls are not entering the country, so an international breed signature would not be valid within Australia as the breed signature would not match the canine population.
The vast majority of what most people recognise as Pit Bull Terriers are in fact cross breeds of many breeds. Just because a dog has a red or brown nose and is a solid build does not make it a particular breed.
For more information, please contact us.