Similar but somewhat larger dogs began to show up in the United States around the time of the Civil War. Here they were known as the pit dog, pit bull terrier, American bull terrier and Yankee terrier. Another breed occasionally represented in the lineage of American fighting dogs is the bullmastiff. Unlike the other breeds mentioned, which were selected for aggressiveness to other dogs, the bullmastiff of 19th century England was bred primarily to attack human poachers on large estates. Later, these animals were used in competition against men in which the dog was muzzled and the man was armed with a club. The UKC was organized in 1898 specifically to register pit bull terriers, which were not recognized by the AKC (founded in 1884). This registry also sought to standardize the rules by which dogs were fought. The AKC did not recognize the breed until 1935 and chose to call the dog by a different name—the Staffordshire terrier. A UKC-registered dog, Pete from 34 The Humane Society of the United States the Our Gang comedies, also received AKC registration as a Staffordshire terrier. The acceptance of the breed by the AKC required the existence of stud books going back several generations. Because the only organization with good stud registries for this breed at the time was the UKC and because the purpose of the UKC was the registration and regulation of fighting dogs, virtually all dogs eligible for registration as AKC Staffordshire terriers were either fighting dogs or direct descendants of fighting stock. In 1972, recognizing the differences between American and English Staffordshire terrier bloodlines, the AKC renamed the registered version of the breed the American Staffordshire terrier. Today, there are many animals who could acquire multiple AKC, UKC or ADBA registration as American Staffordshire terriers or American pit bull terriers. Another AKC breed commonly classed with pit bulls is the bull terrier. This is a medium-sized Specialized cases
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