Head shape provides the most definitive visual marker between these two puppies. At birth, both breeds arrive with slightly rounded, blunt muzzles. By the time a litter reaches four to six weeks of age, their structural differences become obvious.
BULL TERRIER PUPPY (6-8 WEEKS) PITBULL PUPPY (6-8 WEEKS)
(Convex / "Egg-Shaped") (Broad Skull / Definite Stop)
.-""""-. .------.
.' '. .' '.
/ \ / \ / | | \
; \ / ; ; | | ;
/ /\ \/ /\ \ / \____/ \
; | '----' | ; ; .--------. ;
| \ down / | / stop \ |
|---|
; '------' ; ; '----------' ;
\ [Convex] / \ [Flat/Blocky] /
'. Sloping .' '. Muzzle .'
'-..__..-' '-..____..-'
(Triangular, sunken eyes) (Round/almond, wide-set eyes)
The Bull Terrier features an egg-shaped head structure. Viewed from the profile, the skull curves gently downward from the top of the occiput straight to the tip of the black nose, unbroken by an indentation or "stop." The muzzle is completely filled out, presenting an oval cross-section without hollows beneath the eyes. Furthermore, their eyes develop into small, sunken, triangular slits set diagonally into the skull, a trait found in no other domestic dog breed.
American Pit Bull Terrier puppies follow a traditional canine silhouette. Their skull is broad and flat between the rose or half-pricked ears, carrying a deep, pronounced stop where the forehead meets the bridge of the muzzle. A distinct median furrow runs up between the eyes, accompanied by widening cheek ridges powered by masseter muscles. Their eyes are medium-sized, round-to-almond, and spaced wide apart on the frontal plane.
James H. Sterling
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
