Let's Talk About Pit Bulls

When talking about pit bulls, there are two very distinct groups: the “pit bulls are sweet angels that can do no harm” group, and the “pit bulls are vicious man-eaters” group. Just as the vastly divergent two-party government system isn’t doing US citizens any good, the two-party pit bull fanatics system isn’t doing the breed any good either. So my friends, sit back, grab some popcorn, and let’s watch the myths and drama about America’s most misunderstood breed unfold.

Pit Bull History
Contrary to popular belief, pit bulls are not a “type” of dog. While it is true that pit bulls are a combination of multiple bull-type and terrier-type breeds (many of which are now extinct), this does not mean the pit bull is not a legitimate pure breed in itself. Saying the pit bull is a mutt just because they came about by crossing multiple breeds hundreds of years ago is like calling the Doberman, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd Dog, or any other breed a mutt simply because they too originated by crossing breeds. The term “pit bull” is a shortened version of the American Pit Bull Terrier, just as “lab” is short for Labrador Retriever. You might also see the term “APBT” used in place of American Pit Bull Terrier, just as you might see “GSD” in place of German Shepherd Dog. They all reference the same breed of dog. That dog was bred for a distinct purpose, just as any other breed.

Pit bulls were not bred to be nanny dogs. I repeat… pit bulls were not bred to be nanny dogs. Already I have one side chanting “hallelujah” and the other ready to throw that bowl of popcorn at me. As much as it may break your heart, pit bulls were selectively bred to be the best fighting dog this country has to offer. This happened as a result of a sport called bull baiting (and to an extent, bear baiting, but that was far less common). Bull baiting is a blood sport which consists of placing a bull dog in a ring with a tethered bull, and cheering the dog on as he harasses and attacks said bull. Dogs were scored, placements were made, and individuals would win money depending on which dog they betted on. Starting in Ireland and England, this led to the development of the English Bulldog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The sport moved to America in the 19th century, and with it came proven bull dogs.

Eventually, bull baiting was outlawed, and fanciers turned to a harsher blood sport: dog baiting, or what’s now known as dogfighting. Dogfighting actually predates bull baiting (records can date it back as far as the Roman empire), though it didn’t become nearly as widespread as it is today until after the mid 19th century. Dogfighting is a blood sport which involves placing two dogs against one another in a pit. Originally, proven bull dogs were used. However, a dog’s fighting style and a bull’s fighting style are wildly different, and both the temperament and the physique of the dogs had to change. These bull dogs were crossed with various terrier breeds (commonly used in the sport of rat baiting) to improve tenacity, speed, agility, and create what’s known today as “gameness,” or a dog’s inability to give up despite immense physical pain and acute trauma. These new bull terrier dogs were incredibly skilled fighters. Seeing as they were fought in a 4-walled pit, it’s easy to see how the “pit bull terrier” was born both in the US and in Europe. The American Pit Bull Terrier was recognized as a purebred dog in the US by the United Kennel Club in 1898.

Gradually animal welfare organizations got involved, and over time, dogfighting was outlawed across all 50 states in the US. When pit bull fanciers tried to apply for AKC breed recognition, AKC wanted nothing to do with the breed or the people involved. Thus, in 1936, the American Staffordshire Terrier was born. It was, essentially, a pit bull recognized under a different name. Most AKC registered Am Staffs were also dual registered as UKC pit bulls. Over time though, the two breeds began to slowly diverge as UKC focused largely on preserving the pit bull as an accomplished athlete, while AKC focused heavily on conformation shows which created a more flashy and physically sound dog. However, UKC still accepts AKC registered Am Staffs to be dual registered as pit bulls despite the differences in physical appearances. Thus, the “two breeds” (there’s heavy debate over this) are often interbred even today.

UKC American Pit Bull Terrier

AKC American Staffordshire Terrier

From that stock also came the American Bully (which is recognized by the UKC and can be interbred with both pit bulls and Am Staffs), but that’s a whole different pot that can be stirred at a later time. Trust me, we don’t want to get into that today.

Pit Bulls and Dog Aggression
Just as dogs can be selectively bred to herd, point, catch, and retrieve, they can also be selectively bred for increased aggressiveness towards other dogs. According to canine behaviorist, Jean Donaldson, this is done by breeding for a low dog-dog aggression threshold, increased gameness, overall pugnacity or belligerence, and a failure to properly “read” and communicate with other dogs (particularly the inability to recognize necessary cut off switches for aggression).  Pit bulls also score much lower on Acquired Bite Inhibition (ABI) tests than many dog breeds due to the way they have been bred to fight. It is a myth that pit bulls have “locking jaws.” However, they sure do know how to bite and HOLD. There's a lot that can be done with training and management, but I've witnessed too many times that for better or for worse... you just can't change genetics.

However, the waters surrounding pit bulls has become extremely muddy. Most pit bulls are no longer bred for fighting. They are bred for things like conformation, muscle mass, performance sport ability (agility, obedience, barn hunt, weight pull, etc), impressively large heads, etc. You throw in interbreeding between pit bulls, Am Staff, American Bullies, etc and it just becomes a mess. Sometimes gameness and aggression predisposition is readily apparent in young puppies by the time they are 4-5 weeks old, just as it would be 100 years ago. However, due to lack of selection for fighting traits in recent years, typically this is masked and does not present itself until much later, if at all. In most pit bulls, heavy dog aggression does not begin to present itself until they reach 2-3 years old.

So, if you are considering a pit bull or you already have one, this is something to always keep in the back of your mind. Early socialization, training, and teaching them how to properly communicate with other dogs is necessary and may help prevent issues from starting. However, many pit bull owners will have to resort to a management routine one way or another.

Pit Bulls and Human Aggression
With that said though, there is a way to select for uninhibited aggression towards dogs and totally avoid selecting for aggression towards people. Humans and dogs are vastly different species, so to argue that dog aggression directly corresponds with human aggression is an ignorant statement and shows a lack of fundamental understanding of both genetics and canine behavior.

While a low threshold for dog-dog aggression was instilled in the pit bull, an extremely high (arguably the highest of all dog breeds) threshold for dog-human aggression was instilled as well. This was absolutely necessary to prevent accidentally injuring dogmen during fights. If ever a fight was called off and the two dogs needed to be separated, redirection bites were prohibited. It was common for dogs who exhibited redirection behaviors to be culled. Harsh, but it worked. This type of selection also made pit bulls ideal companions for families with children-- assuming there were no other dogs present.

Remember how I said the waters surrounding pit bulls have grown muddy though? Most pit bulls are no longer bred for fighting. They no longer NEED to be able to tolerate a man reaching in and grabbing them while they are in the midst of a brutal fight and experiencing incredible pain and immense surges of adrenaline. As a result, their tolerance for dog-human aggression has begun to decrease. Contrary to many people’s beliefs, they aren’t any more aggressive towards humans than any other breed-- however, they are no longer that “bomb proof” breed people claim them to be… and they certainly aren’t “nanny dogs.”

Breed Specific Legislation
Due to the enormous amount of people who purchase pit bulls thinking they WILL be the perfect “nanny dog,” and thus completely forgoing necessary socialization and management, pit bull bites are on the rise like never before. In fact, 66% of fatal dog attacks are from pit bulls, according to the CDC. Furthermore, a five-year research project which reviewed all incoming dog-bite injuries to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found that 50.9% of the attacks were from pit bulls. These are statistics you simply cannot make up. Counter-arguments say breeds like dachshunds and chihuahuas score highest on reactivity scales and actually are responsible for more bites than most other breeds combined. This is true. However-- the difference here is that as of right now, pit bulls put more people in the hospital with serious injuries each year than any other breed. That needs to change.

Thus, It’s no surprise that several countries have imposed a ban on pit bulls (New Zealand, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Canada, France, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and the U. S. territory of Puerto Rico). There are also places in the US, Ireland, Canada, Spain, Brazil, and Australia that impose mandatory sterilization and/or strict ownership requirements of pit bulls to try to manage the population. Is this all necessary though?

Absolutely not.

A more simple, lower cost, and ultimately more effective alternative is public education, responsible ownership measures, and dog bite prevention programs. The majority of “pit bull advocates” seem to want to erase or re-write history as a means of making the pit bull seem like something it isn’t. “Getting a dog without having a true understanding of the breed, it’s history, and all of its traits (both good AND bad!) is like buying a house without an inspection-- something will go wrong.” Anonymous quote, but still one of my favorites. Maybe things will be okay for a few weeks, a few months, or even a year. However, it’s not going to last forever. Potential pit bull owners need to understand what they are getting themselves into beforehand so proper training and management steps are already in place. Shape them to be responsible dog owners instead of people who think they just adopted a fault-free angel, and I’m sure you’ll see those bite numbers go down.

Lastly, proper dog bite prevention programs such as Doggone Safe and the Safe Kids/Safe Dogs Project will help teach children and adults how to read dog body language, how to behave around dogs, and how to recognize warning signs before it’s too late. Just because a dog has a lower reactivity threshold does not mean they won’t display the same warning signs as a dog with a very high threshold. Recognize these warning signs, and you can keep both you, your dog, and your kids safe.

The Takeaway
It is true that pit bulls are only dangerous in the wrong hands.

However, the right hands are those who are well educated and understanding of their energy level, their genetic predisposition for dog aggression, their low reactivity threshold, their high prey drive, and how quickly the breed becomes overstimulated.
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If you want to love pit bulls, you have to love more than their squishy faces and their sweet disposition with people. You have to love everything that comes with them. You have to understand that no amount of love can make that go away.