JOHN P COLBY | the American PIT BULL terrier origin

Colby’s story was not without controversy. In 1909, a tragic accident on his property involved one of his pit bulls and his two-year-old nephew, an incident exploited by detractors to criticize the breed. Undeterred, Colby continued breeding American Pit Bull Terriers until his death in 1941, leaving a lasting legacy. Today, Colby genetics are present in every major modern line of American Pit Bull Terrier game dogs.

John Pritchard Colby was born on January 15, 1875 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to Joseph Lunt Colby and Nellie S. Jackson. From an early age, he showed a keen interest in American Pit Bull Terrier game dogs, and at just fourteen he began importing and breeding “Pit Bull Game” specimens from England and Ireland.

In 1889, John P. Colby officially launched his Colby line of American Pit Bull Terriers by selecting strictly for gameness, sound structure, and balanced temperament. His reputation grew quickly, and his dogs were exported around the world, finding their way into the kennels of legendary figures such as Earl Tudor and George Armitage.

Breaking with the tradition of keeping the finest bloodlines exclusively among trusted breeders, Colby offered his game dogs and breeding services to the general public. This move helped popularize the APBT in the United States and cemented its reputation as a breed equally adept in the pit ring and in family life.

Some of his most influential dogs were Colby’s Galtie (whelped 1910), Colby’s Bobtail Bob (1895 – 21-time winner), Colby’s Pincher (24-time champion), and Colby’s Primo, which was even accepted by the AKC as a Staffordshire Terrier when the breed was reclassified under that name to distance it from dog fighting.