FACT: Pit bulls have been bred for hundreds of years for strength, agility, high pain tolerance and absence of aggression toward humans. Because they were traditionally fighting dogs and most were also family pets, the dogs required extensive handling. So even though they were bred to be aggressive towards other dogs, aggression toward humans has never been tolerated
FACT:Human aggression, severe shyness and instability are not traits typically found and accepted in the Pit Bull. Dogs with these traits are not good representatives of the breed and should not be placed in adoptive homes.
FACT: Pit Bulls were never Nanny Dogs
With people, American pit bulls are one of - if not the most friendliest and most loving breeds. Their pain tolerance makes them tolerant of children's rough play, and their confidence gives them a temperament owner's don't need to make excuses for. They are not a barky breed - many are not even good watch dogs - because they like people.
Those who know pit bulls know that they greet friend and stranger alike with the usual "bully grin" and wiggling butt. A pit bull which snaps or snarls at people is NOT representative of the breed and behavior like that is indicative of poor genetics. Serious breeders cull (euthanized) animals which display poor temperament in order to help maintain the high standard that historical breeders have handed us.
While friendly & loving toward humans, especially children -there was no such thing as a 'Nanny's Dog'. This term was a recent invention created to describe the myriad of vintage photos of children enjoying their family pit bulls. While the intention behind the term was innocent, using it may mislead parents into being careless with their children around their family dog - A recipe for dog bites! Well socialized dogs may be highly tolerant of rough handling, but expecting them to be Super Beings is setting them up to fail.
FACT:Human aggression, severe shyness and instability are not traits typically found and accepted in the Pit Bull. Dogs with these traits are not good representatives of the breed and should not be placed in adoptive homes.
FACT: Pit Bulls were never Nanny Dogs
With people, American pit bulls are one of - if not the most friendliest and most loving breeds. Their pain tolerance makes them tolerant of children's rough play, and their confidence gives them a temperament owner's don't need to make excuses for. They are not a barky breed - many are not even good watch dogs - because they like people.
Those who know pit bulls know that they greet friend and stranger alike with the usual "bully grin" and wiggling butt. A pit bull which snaps or snarls at people is NOT representative of the breed and behavior like that is indicative of poor genetics. Serious breeders cull (euthanized) animals which display poor temperament in order to help maintain the high standard that historical breeders have handed us.
While friendly & loving toward humans, especially children -there was no such thing as a 'Nanny's Dog'. This term was a recent invention created to describe the myriad of vintage photos of children enjoying their family pit bulls. While the intention behind the term was innocent, using it may mislead parents into being careless with their children around their family dog - A recipe for dog bites! Well socialized dogs may be highly tolerant of rough handling, but expecting them to be Super Beings is setting them up to fail.
MYTH: The "Pit Bull" is not a purebred breed.
FACT: Pit bulls are actually one of the oldest and certainly one of the purest. Written pit bull pedigrees date into the late 1700's, something very few other breeds can boast of. Pit bulls have been a registered breed longer than most AKC breeds have been in existence. Louis Colby's father, John Colby, gave his son a handwritten pedigree of Colby's Blind Jack, an animal born in 1932. The pedigree stretches back more than 50 years, naming, in Louis Colby's words, "the best fighting dogs in England and America in the past fifty years." In the mid 1880's, the breed was already old.
MYTH: The term "Pit Bull" means all the bull and terrier breeds.
Fact: The term "pit bull" is the shortened form of the name American Pit Bull Terrier, the name by which the breed is registered with the United Kennel Club and American Dog Breeders Association. The term "pit bull" is correctly applied only to dogs of pure American pit bull blood or registry; not to American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, mixes of these breeds or any other breed.
MYTH: Pit bulls are a mix of terrier and English bulldog.
Fact: Actually, the breed know as the "English" bulldog is a relatively recently developed animal designed strictly for the show ring. In fact, "bulldogs" were not even created until several years AFTER bull baiting (the purpose for which it was supposed to have been bred) was banned and discontinued in the United Kingdom. So, it is impossible for the pit bull to have been developed from a breed younger than itself. In fact, the show "bulldog" is developed from the original working bulldog - the pit bull.
There is some terrier blood in the modern pit bull. Terrier blood was added, just as mastiff blood was also added. This explains why some lines of pit bulls are quite "bully" in build, and at the larger end of the standard, while others are quite "light" in build, and may weigh as little as 25 pounds. However, the pit bull is a "bulldog" in action and appearance. He is a gripping dog - not a terrier (which means "Earth dog" which pursues its quarry underground.
MYTH: If pit bulls were purebred, they would registered by the American Kennel Club.
Fact:The AKC did register pit bulls in 1936. They changed the name to Staffordshire terrier, and later, when they divided the breed again into two separate breeds, they changed it to American Staffordshire terrier and Staffordshire bull terrier.
While the pit bull is thoroughly English and Irish in its origin, it was in America that the dog first was officially "registered". The pit bull soon had two single-breed registries, the UKC and the forerunner of the ADBA. These registries exist to this day, and, for the most part, continue to register pure pit bulldogs. [The UKC allows American Staffordshires to be registered as "pit bulls" which, in recent years, has had a tremendous impact of the breed as registered by the UKC. For the most part, UKC and AKC registered dogs cannot be differentiated, as they carry primarily the same blood. UKC dogs are now bred almost exclusively for show and pet purposes with little thought given to form, function or working soundness. The ADBA up until very recently has registered "anything", including obvious mastiff-pit bull mixes as a result of the craze for "large" pit bulls. Registries are driven by puppy registrations - and private registries are profit orientated businesses.]
Like all purpose bred dogs, the purebred pit bull can come in a variety of colors, sizes and builds. Some strains show a touch more terrier infusion; thin and racy, with narrow heads, they may weigh as little as 25 pounds. Others are small, but very stocky, showing a clear connection with the smaller, stockier strain known today as Staffordshire bull terriers. And there have always been large, more bullmastiff orientated strains. Some of these dogs can, in a pure state, reach into the nineties in weight. In the 1970's a small group of fanciers began a breeding program dedicated to not only saving these large pit bulls, but also of distancing themselves from the politically troubled name "pit bull". These dogs were the foundation for a breed now called "American bulldog".
Then a small group of pit bull fanciers decided that their "Grand Old Breed" needed full American Kennel Club recognition in order to distance itself from its baiting/fighting heritage. A standard was drawn up and application made to the AKC. [John Colby's dog "Primo" was one of the dogs used to formulate the AKC standard, and Primo's picture illustrated the idea of perfection for many years. Those wanting to know what a real American Staffordshire is supposed to look like should study a picture of Primo.]
The dogs were accepted, but the AKC would not allow the word "pit" in the name, and so the rather dubious designation of Staffordshire "terrier" was chosen. Only the AKC could come up with a name like that! Staffordshire was a place in England noted for its harsh way of life and its fighting animals, however, it could hardly claim to be the place of origin. And placing this bulldog in the terrier group was simply ludicrous. Terriers, named for the Latin "terra" meaning earth, are smallish dogs which "go to ground" after small prey. They are noted for their quick tempers and sharp intelligence. True terriers are "hand spannable", meaning a man can grasp the dog behind its shoulders and have his fingers touch. Dogs larger than this are of doubtful use in ground work. To consider a breed which has always worked above ground, whose original purpose was the gripping of large wild game, then later wayward bulls, and then later still combat with a variety of animals, a "terrier" defies explanation.
The word "American" was added to the name of this very British breed in the 1970's when pit bulls began being imported to the US under the name Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Most registries simply lumped the two dogs together, since they were the same breed. The AKC and UKC did for many years. Yet the two lines of the same breed had changed in some important physical ways. The pit bulls developed in the UK after the turn of the century had been bred strictly for show and pet. Emphasis had been put on a stocky, "bully" look and small size. Top weight for the breed was 35 pounds - in reality the bottom weight for most pit bulls. Because of these differences, the AKC created two breeds where before their had been one (this has been done several times, as with the Norwich and Norfolk terrier to name one example). Because of this division of the same dog, there were now three distinct "breeds" all originating from the good ol' pit bulldog. The American pit bull terrier as registered by the ADBA and UKC, the American Staffordshire as registered by the American Kennel Club (and by the UKC, but as an American pit bull terrier) and the Staffordshire bull terrier as registered by the AKC and now the UKC. For further clarification on these three lines of dog, click here.
MYTH: The pit bull was bred for dog fighting only.
Fact: The history of the pit bull far predates the time when bans on bull baiting caused blood sport fanciers to turn to fighting dog against dog. The very name "bull" or "bulldog" gives us the clue as to what the original purpose of this breed was.
Far back into history - too far for us to see - man had bred dogs for gripping large game like boar and bear. From these dogs developed the Butcher's Dog, or Bulldog. The bulldog was an animal from 35 to 80 pounds, long of leg, sturdy in body, athletic, with a strong head and muzzle. The pit bulls of today descend directly from these animals.
MYTH: "Bull terriers" are pit bulls.
Fact: The "bull terrier", that humorous white dog (though they come other colors) with the slanty eyes and deformed muzzle, is often confusedly called a "pit bull", and yet he carries only a portion of pit bull blood. The bull terrier was developed to perfection by a Birmingham man named James Hinks. In the words of his son, James Hinks II, his father "My father owned dogs from the bravest of the old breeds and had experimented in their breeding. He had also crossed in the white English terrier and the Dalmatian. In this way he produced a pure-white dog, which he named the bull terrier." The idea, again, was predominantly to develop a "stylish" dog, bred for its good looks. The original bullterrier cross looked much like a thinly built pit bulldog, as the characteristic "down-face" wasn't developed until a specific stud dog imparted that characteristic in the breed and it became the fad. Several years after the development of the white show bull terrier, pure pit bulldogs were bred back into some lines, for added mental and physical hardiness. The breeders of the pure white dogs, despite their increasing issues with deafness and other degenerate problems, fought tooth and nail to keep the pit bull-bull terrier crosses from the registry. These crosses were, however, admitted after a struggle.
MYTH: Pit Bulls Do More Damage Than Other Breeds
Fact: The damage that a dog does when it bites depends on the location of the bite, the victim’s behavior while being bitten (twisting away will cause more damage than holding still), and the size ratio between dog and victim, among other factors. Breed has very little to do with bite strength or level of damage. You can look at a dog bite and guess the dog’s size, the victim’s behavior, but you cannot guess the breed of dog that bit a person by looking at the dog bite.
Many numbers are floating around that claim to be the PSI (pounds per square inch) of pit bulls’ jaw strength. The numbers range wildly, from 800 PSI to 2000 PSI. These numbers are completely unfounded; there are no scientific studies to back any of these numbers up. In fact, bite force cannot even be accurately measured in PSI; the proper term is “pounds of force” or “Newtons” (metric system).
One study conducted by Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic showed that the average domestic canine has an average bite of 320 pounds of force. In one portion of the documented study, Dr. Barr tested three dog breeds, a German Shepherd Dog, a Rottweiler and an American Pit Bull Terrier. The Rottweiler bit with 328 pounds of force, the highest pounds of force ever recorded from a domestic dog. The German Shepherd bit with 238 pounds of force, and the an American Pit Bull Terrier bit with 235 pounds of force.
MYTH: Pit Bulls have locking jaws.
Fact: A pit bull's ability to "lock on" with its jaws is one whopper of a myth that refuses to let go. There is no 'enzyme,' no special mechanism that would make a pit bull's jaws 'lock.' They're DOGS, not alligators. Need proof? After research, Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin, University of Georgia concluded, "We found that the American Pit Bull Terriers did not have any unique mechanism that would allow these dogs to lock their jaws. There were no mechanical or morphological differences..." The same silliness shows up with myths about bite pressure.
MYTH: Scars or cropped ears indicate a dog has been fought or used as bait.
Fact: Dogs can get scars from all kinds of situations and misadventures. Housemate dogs as well as strays can have arguments over prized resources for example without any prompting from an irresponsible owner. He may have started those fights, or tried like hec to avoid them, or anything in between. He may be an active dog that ran through brambles on a hike with his owner, tumbled with a cat or other dogs at the park, nosed in too close to a wild urban animal such as a raccoon, or cut himself while trying to dig out of his yard. He may also have developed a skin condition known as mange, which causes patches of missing fur. Badly cropped ears typically reflect an uneducated dog owner's attempt to mimic the professional crops that are popular with UKC and AKC show dogs.
While we hate that there are people who would abuse animals, the term 'bait dogs' tends to be overused by the well intentioned but misinformed. Unless there are witnesses to the cause of injury, the story behind scars on a dog remain an unhappy mystery with an unknown perpetrator. To shout "bait dog!" whenever a dog with bite marks appears keeps a popular myth alive and may actually be encouraging copycat crimes by offering animal abusers ideas we would rather they didn't have.
MYTH: Dogs found with injuries were bait dogs.
Fact: “Bait dog” is a term that is used to label dogs that have been used in dog fighting. Sadly, bait dogs do exist, but they are not commonly found in shelters. Law enforcement professionals have taught us that bait dogs are very rarely found alive in their investigations; however, an unusually large number of dogs are being labeled as ‘bait dogs,’ based on nothing more than speculation about the dog’s past,” mostly because the dogs in question bear scars indicative of having survived one or more serious fights. There are “many possible explanations why a shelter dog might present with injuries: getting hit by a car, mange, having a scuffle with another animal, birth defects, etc. When we label these dogs as ‘bait dogs, we’re implying more than we actually know.
MYTH: Pit Bulls turn on their owners without warning
Fact: It is incredibly rare for a dog to attack without warning. Dogs have a system of body language and precursors to aggression that include growls, barks or nips. This is how our dogs let us know how they’re feeling and warn us of any potential aggressive display. If a dog suddenly “snaps”, it can be any breed or mix of dog and can indicate a serious neurological condition. “No single, neutered household pet pit bull has ever killed anyone.” Karen Delise, LVT, Independent Scholar, and Author.
MYTH: It’s all in how they’re raised.
Fact: While this is a nice sentiment that is often overheard from many people who love and advocate for this breed, it can also be dangerous. A dog’s personality is made up of both the genetic temperament and environment of the dog. Many dogs have come from horrible abuse and even dog-fighting situations and have become wonderful family companions. On the other hand, there are many dogs who have been raised with the utmost love and care, but have those genetics at play that can come out as aggression.
Fact: The American pit bull (called "pit bull" for short and "American pit bull terrier" by dog breed registries) is a pure breed of dog. In fact, they are one of the oldest and purest of dog breeds.
Many people think of "fancy" breeds as the "blue bloods" of dogdom - with long pedigrees reaching back into time. In fact, the opposite is often true; golden retrievers, borzoi, Irish wolfhounds, Dobermans, German shepherds, Saint Bernards and most terrier breeds are of quite modern origin and often the result of deliberate cross breeding. Most dog breeds are only about 100 years old. The American pit bull has been a pure breed with written pedigrees which reach back twice that far.
The average American pit bull can trace its lineage further back than a dog that wins the Westminster dog show!
Fact: There is no "rare" pit bull color. And the color of a dog's nose does not indicate it is a certain "type" of pit bull. Color is simply an expression of genetic code concerning coat color.It might surprise you to learn that today the so called "rare blue pit bull" is in fact not rare, and not a pit bull! The blue color is a dilute of black, and occurs in the American Staffordshire breed. How it popped up in those dogs is any one's guess. Blue is a mastiff color, not a bulldog color. (There are no blue English bulldogs, but the English mastiff did used to come in blue, as do some other mastiff breeds).
Here is what Louis Colby has to say about the "blue" dogs, and I can't think of any better authority: "As a boy growing up, and listening to multiple conversations between my father and visitors such as Collagan, Heinzl Vose, Donovan, and other dogmen from all over the country..never did the word blue appear. There never was a blue Colby dog in my father's yard, nor mine.To my knowledge there was never a blue colored dog reported in any match or sporting event."
Fact: Because a dog attacks other animals does not mean that animal will attack humans (including children). It is a myth that once a dog has attacked another dog (or killed a chicken, etc) that "next time it could be a child".Many working breeds have antipathy towards other animals - coonhounds go mad at the sight of a raccoon, foxhounds will not hesitate to tear a dog-like fox to shreds, greyhounds and other sight hounds live to chase and maul rabbits and will eagerly kill cats. They are still used today to chase down and slaughter coyotes. Even the ever-friendly beagle will "murder" a rabbit, given the chance. And yet the greyhound, coon and foxhound and beagle are among the friendliest of breeds towards humans. And it is the same with the well bred pit bulldog.
Fact: The first United States war dog was a Pit Bull named Stubby. Stubby served in World War I and was honored with medals and a visit to the White House. He went on to inspire the United States Military K-9 Corp.
Fact: Pit Bulls have long served as therapy dogs. In fact, Helen Keller's canine helper was a Pit Bull. Organizations such as the Chako Rescue Association have Pit Bull therapy dogs across the country in Utah, California and more.
Fact: Although dogfighting is a felony in all 50 states, it continues to occur in every part of the country and in every type of community. Fights can happen in a variety of locations ranging from back alleys to carefully-staged enterprises. Fights typically take place in a 14-20 square-foot pit designed to contain the animals. Fights can last just a few minutes or several hours, and both animals may suffer injuries including puncture wounds, lacerations, blood loss, crushing injuries and broken bones. Although fights are not usually to the death, many dogs succumb to their injuries later, and losing dogs are often discarded, killed or brutally executed as part of the “sport.”Dogfighting is often associated with other forms of criminal activity including illegal gambling and possession of drugs and firearms. By our estimate, there are tens of thousands of dogfighters in the U.S., forcing hundreds of thousands of dogs to train, fight, and suffer every year.
FACT: Pit bulls are actually one of the oldest and certainly one of the purest. Written pit bull pedigrees date into the late 1700's, something very few other breeds can boast of. Pit bulls have been a registered breed longer than most AKC breeds have been in existence. Louis Colby's father, John Colby, gave his son a handwritten pedigree of Colby's Blind Jack, an animal born in 1932. The pedigree stretches back more than 50 years, naming, in Louis Colby's words, "the best fighting dogs in England and America in the past fifty years." In the mid 1880's, the breed was already old.
MYTH: The term "Pit Bull" means all the bull and terrier breeds.
Fact: The term "pit bull" is the shortened form of the name American Pit Bull Terrier, the name by which the breed is registered with the United Kennel Club and American Dog Breeders Association. The term "pit bull" is correctly applied only to dogs of pure American pit bull blood or registry; not to American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, mixes of these breeds or any other breed.
MYTH: Pit bulls are a mix of terrier and English bulldog.
Fact: Actually, the breed know as the "English" bulldog is a relatively recently developed animal designed strictly for the show ring. In fact, "bulldogs" were not even created until several years AFTER bull baiting (the purpose for which it was supposed to have been bred) was banned and discontinued in the United Kingdom. So, it is impossible for the pit bull to have been developed from a breed younger than itself. In fact, the show "bulldog" is developed from the original working bulldog - the pit bull.
There is some terrier blood in the modern pit bull. Terrier blood was added, just as mastiff blood was also added. This explains why some lines of pit bulls are quite "bully" in build, and at the larger end of the standard, while others are quite "light" in build, and may weigh as little as 25 pounds. However, the pit bull is a "bulldog" in action and appearance. He is a gripping dog - not a terrier (which means "Earth dog" which pursues its quarry underground.
MYTH: If pit bulls were purebred, they would registered by the American Kennel Club.
Fact:The AKC did register pit bulls in 1936. They changed the name to Staffordshire terrier, and later, when they divided the breed again into two separate breeds, they changed it to American Staffordshire terrier and Staffordshire bull terrier.
While the pit bull is thoroughly English and Irish in its origin, it was in America that the dog first was officially "registered". The pit bull soon had two single-breed registries, the UKC and the forerunner of the ADBA. These registries exist to this day, and, for the most part, continue to register pure pit bulldogs. [The UKC allows American Staffordshires to be registered as "pit bulls" which, in recent years, has had a tremendous impact of the breed as registered by the UKC. For the most part, UKC and AKC registered dogs cannot be differentiated, as they carry primarily the same blood. UKC dogs are now bred almost exclusively for show and pet purposes with little thought given to form, function or working soundness. The ADBA up until very recently has registered "anything", including obvious mastiff-pit bull mixes as a result of the craze for "large" pit bulls. Registries are driven by puppy registrations - and private registries are profit orientated businesses.]
Like all purpose bred dogs, the purebred pit bull can come in a variety of colors, sizes and builds. Some strains show a touch more terrier infusion; thin and racy, with narrow heads, they may weigh as little as 25 pounds. Others are small, but very stocky, showing a clear connection with the smaller, stockier strain known today as Staffordshire bull terriers. And there have always been large, more bullmastiff orientated strains. Some of these dogs can, in a pure state, reach into the nineties in weight. In the 1970's a small group of fanciers began a breeding program dedicated to not only saving these large pit bulls, but also of distancing themselves from the politically troubled name "pit bull". These dogs were the foundation for a breed now called "American bulldog".
Then a small group of pit bull fanciers decided that their "Grand Old Breed" needed full American Kennel Club recognition in order to distance itself from its baiting/fighting heritage. A standard was drawn up and application made to the AKC. [John Colby's dog "Primo" was one of the dogs used to formulate the AKC standard, and Primo's picture illustrated the idea of perfection for many years. Those wanting to know what a real American Staffordshire is supposed to look like should study a picture of Primo.]
The dogs were accepted, but the AKC would not allow the word "pit" in the name, and so the rather dubious designation of Staffordshire "terrier" was chosen. Only the AKC could come up with a name like that! Staffordshire was a place in England noted for its harsh way of life and its fighting animals, however, it could hardly claim to be the place of origin. And placing this bulldog in the terrier group was simply ludicrous. Terriers, named for the Latin "terra" meaning earth, are smallish dogs which "go to ground" after small prey. They are noted for their quick tempers and sharp intelligence. True terriers are "hand spannable", meaning a man can grasp the dog behind its shoulders and have his fingers touch. Dogs larger than this are of doubtful use in ground work. To consider a breed which has always worked above ground, whose original purpose was the gripping of large wild game, then later wayward bulls, and then later still combat with a variety of animals, a "terrier" defies explanation.
The word "American" was added to the name of this very British breed in the 1970's when pit bulls began being imported to the US under the name Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Most registries simply lumped the two dogs together, since they were the same breed. The AKC and UKC did for many years. Yet the two lines of the same breed had changed in some important physical ways. The pit bulls developed in the UK after the turn of the century had been bred strictly for show and pet. Emphasis had been put on a stocky, "bully" look and small size. Top weight for the breed was 35 pounds - in reality the bottom weight for most pit bulls. Because of these differences, the AKC created two breeds where before their had been one (this has been done several times, as with the Norwich and Norfolk terrier to name one example). Because of this division of the same dog, there were now three distinct "breeds" all originating from the good ol' pit bulldog. The American pit bull terrier as registered by the ADBA and UKC, the American Staffordshire as registered by the American Kennel Club (and by the UKC, but as an American pit bull terrier) and the Staffordshire bull terrier as registered by the AKC and now the UKC. For further clarification on these three lines of dog, click here.
MYTH: The pit bull was bred for dog fighting only.
Fact: The history of the pit bull far predates the time when bans on bull baiting caused blood sport fanciers to turn to fighting dog against dog. The very name "bull" or "bulldog" gives us the clue as to what the original purpose of this breed was.
Far back into history - too far for us to see - man had bred dogs for gripping large game like boar and bear. From these dogs developed the Butcher's Dog, or Bulldog. The bulldog was an animal from 35 to 80 pounds, long of leg, sturdy in body, athletic, with a strong head and muzzle. The pit bulls of today descend directly from these animals.
MYTH: "Bull terriers" are pit bulls.
Fact: The "bull terrier", that humorous white dog (though they come other colors) with the slanty eyes and deformed muzzle, is often confusedly called a "pit bull", and yet he carries only a portion of pit bull blood. The bull terrier was developed to perfection by a Birmingham man named James Hinks. In the words of his son, James Hinks II, his father "My father owned dogs from the bravest of the old breeds and had experimented in their breeding. He had also crossed in the white English terrier and the Dalmatian. In this way he produced a pure-white dog, which he named the bull terrier." The idea, again, was predominantly to develop a "stylish" dog, bred for its good looks. The original bullterrier cross looked much like a thinly built pit bulldog, as the characteristic "down-face" wasn't developed until a specific stud dog imparted that characteristic in the breed and it became the fad. Several years after the development of the white show bull terrier, pure pit bulldogs were bred back into some lines, for added mental and physical hardiness. The breeders of the pure white dogs, despite their increasing issues with deafness and other degenerate problems, fought tooth and nail to keep the pit bull-bull terrier crosses from the registry. These crosses were, however, admitted after a struggle.
MYTH: Pit Bulls Do More Damage Than Other Breeds
Fact: The damage that a dog does when it bites depends on the location of the bite, the victim’s behavior while being bitten (twisting away will cause more damage than holding still), and the size ratio between dog and victim, among other factors. Breed has very little to do with bite strength or level of damage. You can look at a dog bite and guess the dog’s size, the victim’s behavior, but you cannot guess the breed of dog that bit a person by looking at the dog bite.
Many numbers are floating around that claim to be the PSI (pounds per square inch) of pit bulls’ jaw strength. The numbers range wildly, from 800 PSI to 2000 PSI. These numbers are completely unfounded; there are no scientific studies to back any of these numbers up. In fact, bite force cannot even be accurately measured in PSI; the proper term is “pounds of force” or “Newtons” (metric system).
One study conducted by Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic showed that the average domestic canine has an average bite of 320 pounds of force. In one portion of the documented study, Dr. Barr tested three dog breeds, a German Shepherd Dog, a Rottweiler and an American Pit Bull Terrier. The Rottweiler bit with 328 pounds of force, the highest pounds of force ever recorded from a domestic dog. The German Shepherd bit with 238 pounds of force, and the an American Pit Bull Terrier bit with 235 pounds of force.
MYTH: Pit Bulls have locking jaws.
Fact: A pit bull's ability to "lock on" with its jaws is one whopper of a myth that refuses to let go. There is no 'enzyme,' no special mechanism that would make a pit bull's jaws 'lock.' They're DOGS, not alligators. Need proof? After research, Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin, University of Georgia concluded, "We found that the American Pit Bull Terriers did not have any unique mechanism that would allow these dogs to lock their jaws. There were no mechanical or morphological differences..." The same silliness shows up with myths about bite pressure.
MYTH: Scars or cropped ears indicate a dog has been fought or used as bait.
Fact: Dogs can get scars from all kinds of situations and misadventures. Housemate dogs as well as strays can have arguments over prized resources for example without any prompting from an irresponsible owner. He may have started those fights, or tried like hec to avoid them, or anything in between. He may be an active dog that ran through brambles on a hike with his owner, tumbled with a cat or other dogs at the park, nosed in too close to a wild urban animal such as a raccoon, or cut himself while trying to dig out of his yard. He may also have developed a skin condition known as mange, which causes patches of missing fur. Badly cropped ears typically reflect an uneducated dog owner's attempt to mimic the professional crops that are popular with UKC and AKC show dogs.
While we hate that there are people who would abuse animals, the term 'bait dogs' tends to be overused by the well intentioned but misinformed. Unless there are witnesses to the cause of injury, the story behind scars on a dog remain an unhappy mystery with an unknown perpetrator. To shout "bait dog!" whenever a dog with bite marks appears keeps a popular myth alive and may actually be encouraging copycat crimes by offering animal abusers ideas we would rather they didn't have.
MYTH: Dogs found with injuries were bait dogs.
Fact: “Bait dog” is a term that is used to label dogs that have been used in dog fighting. Sadly, bait dogs do exist, but they are not commonly found in shelters. Law enforcement professionals have taught us that bait dogs are very rarely found alive in their investigations; however, an unusually large number of dogs are being labeled as ‘bait dogs,’ based on nothing more than speculation about the dog’s past,” mostly because the dogs in question bear scars indicative of having survived one or more serious fights. There are “many possible explanations why a shelter dog might present with injuries: getting hit by a car, mange, having a scuffle with another animal, birth defects, etc. When we label these dogs as ‘bait dogs, we’re implying more than we actually know.
MYTH: Pit Bulls turn on their owners without warning
Fact: It is incredibly rare for a dog to attack without warning. Dogs have a system of body language and precursors to aggression that include growls, barks or nips. This is how our dogs let us know how they’re feeling and warn us of any potential aggressive display. If a dog suddenly “snaps”, it can be any breed or mix of dog and can indicate a serious neurological condition. “No single, neutered household pet pit bull has ever killed anyone.” Karen Delise, LVT, Independent Scholar, and Author.
MYTH: It’s all in how they’re raised.
Fact: While this is a nice sentiment that is often overheard from many people who love and advocate for this breed, it can also be dangerous. A dog’s personality is made up of both the genetic temperament and environment of the dog. Many dogs have come from horrible abuse and even dog-fighting situations and have become wonderful family companions. On the other hand, there are many dogs who have been raised with the utmost love and care, but have those genetics at play that can come out as aggression.
Fact: The American pit bull (called "pit bull" for short and "American pit bull terrier" by dog breed registries) is a pure breed of dog. In fact, they are one of the oldest and purest of dog breeds.
Many people think of "fancy" breeds as the "blue bloods" of dogdom - with long pedigrees reaching back into time. In fact, the opposite is often true; golden retrievers, borzoi, Irish wolfhounds, Dobermans, German shepherds, Saint Bernards and most terrier breeds are of quite modern origin and often the result of deliberate cross breeding. Most dog breeds are only about 100 years old. The American pit bull has been a pure breed with written pedigrees which reach back twice that far.
The average American pit bull can trace its lineage further back than a dog that wins the Westminster dog show!
Fact: There is no "rare" pit bull color. And the color of a dog's nose does not indicate it is a certain "type" of pit bull. Color is simply an expression of genetic code concerning coat color.It might surprise you to learn that today the so called "rare blue pit bull" is in fact not rare, and not a pit bull! The blue color is a dilute of black, and occurs in the American Staffordshire breed. How it popped up in those dogs is any one's guess. Blue is a mastiff color, not a bulldog color. (There are no blue English bulldogs, but the English mastiff did used to come in blue, as do some other mastiff breeds).
Here is what Louis Colby has to say about the "blue" dogs, and I can't think of any better authority: "As a boy growing up, and listening to multiple conversations between my father and visitors such as Collagan, Heinzl Vose, Donovan, and other dogmen from all over the country..never did the word blue appear. There never was a blue Colby dog in my father's yard, nor mine.To my knowledge there was never a blue colored dog reported in any match or sporting event."
Fact: Because a dog attacks other animals does not mean that animal will attack humans (including children). It is a myth that once a dog has attacked another dog (or killed a chicken, etc) that "next time it could be a child".Many working breeds have antipathy towards other animals - coonhounds go mad at the sight of a raccoon, foxhounds will not hesitate to tear a dog-like fox to shreds, greyhounds and other sight hounds live to chase and maul rabbits and will eagerly kill cats. They are still used today to chase down and slaughter coyotes. Even the ever-friendly beagle will "murder" a rabbit, given the chance. And yet the greyhound, coon and foxhound and beagle are among the friendliest of breeds towards humans. And it is the same with the well bred pit bulldog.
Fact: The first United States war dog was a Pit Bull named Stubby. Stubby served in World War I and was honored with medals and a visit to the White House. He went on to inspire the United States Military K-9 Corp.
Fact: Pit Bulls have long served as therapy dogs. In fact, Helen Keller's canine helper was a Pit Bull. Organizations such as the Chako Rescue Association have Pit Bull therapy dogs across the country in Utah, California and more.
Fact: Although dogfighting is a felony in all 50 states, it continues to occur in every part of the country and in every type of community. Fights can happen in a variety of locations ranging from back alleys to carefully-staged enterprises. Fights typically take place in a 14-20 square-foot pit designed to contain the animals. Fights can last just a few minutes or several hours, and both animals may suffer injuries including puncture wounds, lacerations, blood loss, crushing injuries and broken bones. Although fights are not usually to the death, many dogs succumb to their injuries later, and losing dogs are often discarded, killed or brutally executed as part of the “sport.”Dogfighting is often associated with other forms of criminal activity including illegal gambling and possession of drugs and firearms. By our estimate, there are tens of thousands of dogfighters in the U.S., forcing hundreds of thousands of dogs to train, fight, and suffer every year.