Myths and Facts about “Pit Bulls”

October 16th, 2009 |

There are a great deal of myths and facts out there concerning Pit Bulls and other Bully breeds. Now in all honesty Pit Bull is a generic term that is being used for several breeds – American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and a few others. Do you know the difference? Or do you assume when you see a dog that has a box head, short and built that it is a “Pit Bull?” Would you know the difference? There are other breeds of dogs out there that resemble them in looks. Most people listen to the news and stories they have heard and make generalized assumptions about these dogs without ever knowing anything about them or the truth about them.

Over the centuries dogs have been used for a great deal of things – hunting, sports, fighting, protection, herding and so much more. No dog is breed to be aggressive towards people or to be dog aggressive. These are behaviors that develop and one of three things happen; 1) A responsible owner takes their dog to training and have it worked on 2) An owner allows the behavior to go unchecked and it gets worse 3) People prey on them and force them into a life of abuse and neglect. And encourage them or leave them no choice but to be that way.

History of the Breed – The belief is the extinct bulldog of old was crossed with the now extinct English White Terrier to create what we call the American Pit Bull Terrier. But as I have done research into this there is a lot of question about this, but all seem to agree that they started out in England, Ireland and Scotland. You can track them back to the Romans, Parts of Greece, Close to the boarders of China. Dating from 50 A.D. to 1500’s and so forth, not only in written text but in paintings. It is believed that the bulldogs were used wide and far being breeds to local dogs of the area. With the Romans they brought what they found in England/Britain areas back and breed them with what they were already using in fights, arenas, and wars. These dogs eventually found their way back to England. I found a great deal of references to the Molossian family and the dogs they used and that this may be where they started out. I do know that there is a lot of puzzle piecing on this. Regardless most agree that they are Bulldog and Terrier Crosses that have come to be the American Pit Bull Terrier and the other cousins to them as well.

Theses dogs over the centuries were used for so many things. Yes at a time they used them for fighting, bull and bear baiting. Do remember as you read through history that many cultures where very cruel and enjoyed watching animals fight, even putting people and dogs in the rings to fight a large animal. Our history is bloody and cruel. As time went on people found other uses for them. Guarding their herds, livestock, farms, families and homes. After the AKC and UKC came about Pits began to compete for agility & obedience titles and winning. Through out time people have continued to use them to fight and bait bulls & bears, but in No way does this mean that all of them are dog aggressive or even will be. All dogs had a purpose and most still do. Dogs were not always breed to be lazy lap dogs, to sit in the a/c and do nothing all day. Dogs of all breeds were by people for different reasons. Bringing “in” traits they wanted and breeding traits “out” they didn’t want. Greyhounds and Whippets were designed to run a “course.” To chase and kill small animals or prey, like rabbits and squirrels. This does not keep them from being family pets. Labs well they are retrievers. Yes most the time the birds are dead but they were also trained to go in and scare the birds out and at times they did kill the birds. But there are thousands living as pets today. Standard Poodles once were used as guard dogs in England. Rhodesian Ridgebacks were used to help hunt lions.

There will always be a debate over dogs and what is good or bad. When it comes down to it – Dogs are NOT born bad or good. They are born. They come into this world as blank slates. They learn what they are taught or in some cases not taught. If you take any dog and toss it in the yard – Never play with it, never interact with it, and never introduce it to people or other animals. What do you expect to happen? If you walk up to someone and they always hit you. You start out flinching and then one day you fight back. They same happens with dogs. But if you introduce that dog into a loving situation and begin to teach it the way they should be – They learn.

By now many people have either stopped reading this article or mumbling what crap… I have been working with and for rescues, shelters, trainers, kennels, dog daycares, pet stores, groomers, pet sitters, and vets for nearly 15 years. My first dog was a lab mix. Because of her I found my love for all dogs. For many years I was told she was lab and pit mix. As my kids were born that did not change anything. She loves my kids unconditionally. Now nearly 16 years old I would never change anything. I was never taught or told that this breed or that breed was bad. And all these years later I still feel that THERE ARE NO BAD DOGS ONLY BAD PEOPLE.

Myths and Facts about Bully Breeds:

United Kennel Club’s Description: “The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog…The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work.”

The “Lock Jaw” myth:

The infamous locking jaw is a myth. The American Pit Bull Terrier and related breeds are physiologically no different from any other breed of dog. All dogs are from the same species and none have locking jaws. Dr. I Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states, “To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of ‘pounds per square inch’ can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data.” Furthermore, Dr. Brisbin states, “The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of ‘locking mechanism’ unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier.”

Do Pit Bulls turn on people?

No In fact, no breed of dog does. Dog aggression is nearly always preceded by some kind of warning, and there is always a reason behind the attack. However, many inexperienced owners do not recognize the dog’s behavior as aggression, or refuse to acknowledge it as a warning sign. The only exception I can think of is Springer Rage, a rare and controversial neurological condition that manifests itself as a spontaneous attack, followed by confusion, and then a return to normal behavior. Pit Bulls are NOT prone to this condition. There are individual dogs of any breed that may be more aggressive to others.

Pits in our history:

You would be surprised at how owned a pit bull.

In the early part of the 20th century, pit bulls were the most popular breed of dog. Think of the RCA dog, the Buster Brown dog, Tige, and Pete the Pup from the Li’l Rascals. He spent countless hours a day with children. He never hurt anyone.

Helen Keller, President Teddy Roosevelt, and General George Patton all owned pit bulls. Were these very smart people somehow unaware of the pit bull’s dangerous reputation? No, the pit bull’s bad reputation is a recent development.

There are quite a few celebrities who have Pit Bulls as members of their family including: Rosie Perez, The Crocodile Hunter, Judd Nelson, Usher, Alicia Silverstone, Cassandra Creech, Sinbad, John Stuart, Amy Jo Johnson, Linda Blair, Vin Diesel, and Bernadette Peters.

Pit Bulls are heroes! America’s first war dog was a Pit Bull named Stubby. He earned several medals during World War I and was honored at the White House. The Ken-L-Ration dog hero of 1993 was a Pit Bull named Weela. She saved 30 people, 29 dogs, 13 horses and a cat during a flood in Southern California. A Pit Bull named Bogart saved a four-year-old child from drowning in a swimming pool in Florida. Dixie, the Pit Bull, was inducted into the Georgia Animal Hall of Fame after she saved some children from a Cottonmouth snake.

In fact, the highest obedience trial record of all time is held by an American Pit Bull Terrier named Maddy!

To all that do read this: I hope that you will come way from this article and have learned something new. These dogs are wonderful and loving pets. They are great family dogs. And yes I have 2, but I have had several other kinds of dogs. After years of training dogs, it’s not the pits causing all the trouble. My first pit was a stray that was skinny, sick and alone. She was hanging out at a gas station looking for food. She came over to us and when I opened the car door to get a leash – She jumped in and layed down. Come to find out she is deaf and just a year old. Turned out into the streets of Houston. Over the years I have worked with lots of rescues and helping stray and lost dogs get home. I have never had an issue with any of the bullies that I have picked up. Including the ones dragging a chain that was nothing but skin and bones.

Please stop and think before condemning a breed you know little to nothing about. A breed that you have never met. As a parent I do understand wanting to protect your children, family and pets from harm, but not at the cost of whipping out an entire breed. For those of you that are saying but your kid has never been hurt or bit by a dog. Your wrong, my daughter was 5 when she was bit, in the face, by a Dalmatian. I also remember our trip to the E.R. There was another kid there over a dog bite too. His was the family Chihuahua and he had just over 20 stitches in his face.

Be a responsible pet owner. Have your pet spayed or neutered, keep their vaccinations current, heartworm and flea preventative current. Take your pet to training. Don’t allow unwanted behaviors to go unchecked. Think before you get a pet. Do you have the time and money, does where you live allow the type of pet you are getting? Make sure you want a long haired dog, big or small. Be responsible.

pit diogram