The pit bull's ancestry can be traced back to roughly the 12th century, when European hunters cross-bred the molossus, an early mastiff, with the Bellenbeiser, or bull-biter--which became known as...
The American Staffordshire Terrier, or Pit Bull Terrier, is classified in the Terrier Group by the American Kennel Club. In the UK, this breed is illegal and so is not classified.