Pit Bull FAQ
Q: What's a pit bull type dog?
A pit bull type dog is a combination of dog breeds that includes: American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, bull terrier, American bulldog1 and any other pure bred or mixed breed dog that is a combination of these dogs.
Q: What is the history of the pit bull?
The sport of "bull baiting" began nearly two thousand years ago in Greece. When the Romans conquered Greek lands, they adopted and spread the sport. After 17 hundred years of tradition, a type of bull baiting dog emerged which we recognize as the pit bull today: extremely strong jaws for it's size, a fierce fighter and very loyal to his master.
In 1835, bull baiting was banned in England and replaced by "ratting," in which a person would toss a rat into a pit and wagers were placed on how long it would take the dog to kill it. To increase agility, quickness and prey-drive, ratters blended terriers into the bull baiting breed. This combination produced the modern day pit bull.
On the heels of ratting, dogfighting developed. Both sports were intricately linked with gambling, just as dogfighting still is today. Pit bulls, dogfighting, gambling, and the traditions surrounding each, were exported to America and Canada as settlers made their way to the New World.
Q: What is dogfighting and what does it have to do with pit bulls?
Pit bulls are the dog of choice amongst Dogmen, individuals who fight their pit bulls against other pit bulls. Dogmen consider pit bulls the ultimate canine gladiator. They were selectively bred for "gameness," the ability to finish a fight.2
The sport of dogfighting involves a contest between two dogs fighting each other in front of spectators for entertainment and gambling purposes. Fights average an hour in length but often last two or more. A dogfight ends when one of the dogs will not or cannot continue.3
As the arrest and conviction of Michael Vick demonstrates, dogfighting still proliferates in the US. Yet, public and law enforcement education is on the rise. As recently as February 2008, one of the top dogfighting breeders in the country, Mahlon Patrick, was arrested, effectively dismantling his breeding operation.
Q: Why do I always read about pit bulls in the news?
When a pit bull attacks, the damage inflicted may be catastrophic. The media understands this as do law enforcement officers. For this reason, pit bull attacks are regarded as a serious public safety threat and are reported accordingly. Social tension is also a reason why pit bull attacks are more newsworthy. The pit bull problem is 20-years old, yet many cities are still reluctant to make policy that directly targets them. As a result, mauling after mauling is reported.
About half of all media reports about pit bulls involve police officers shooting them. Since the mid 70's pit bulls have been used extensively in criminal operations for drug dealers, gang members and other violent criminals. The pit bull is the dog of choice for criminals. This stems back to their inbred qualities of robust strength, tenaciousness and high pain tolerance.4
Q: Why do people say that pit bulls "don't let go?"
Over years of selective breeding, pit bulls have developed enormous jaw strength. The attribute of "holding on" has been developed too. Such a trait delivers better results in the fighting ring. US courts formally recognize this pit bull characteristic as "lock and shake." When the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the Denver pit bull ban, the high court set aside characteristics that pit bulls displayed when they attack that differ from other breeds. One of them was their bite:
"[pit bulls] inflict more serious wounds than other breeds. They tend to attack the deep muscles, to hold on, to shake, and to cause ripping of tissues. Pit bull attacks were compared to shark attacks."5
Leading pit bull websites encourage responsible owners to use a "break stick" -- a device used to pry the dog's jaws open -- in case their dog accidentally gets into a fight. They also warn that using a break stick on any other breed may cause serious injury to the person. This is because no other dog breed possesses the "lock and shake" trait.6
One of the most powerful examples of a pit bull "not letting go" occurred in a courtroom. During the Toldeo vs. Telling trial, the Lucas County Dog Warden showed a videotape of a tranquilized pit bull hanging from a steel cable. The dog is unconscious and still does not release his grip. At the time of the taping, the animal was being housed at the county shelter.7
Q: Do pit bulls bite more than other dogs?
Depending upon the community in which you live and the ratio of pit bulls within it, yes and no. But whether a pit bull bites more or less than another breed is not the point. The issue is the grave damage a pit bull inflicts when it does bite. The "lock and shake" characteristic of the bite causes severe bone and muscle injury.
When sizing up bite statistics, it is important to understand, What constitutes a bite? A singe bite, recorded and used in bite statistics, is a bite that "breaks the skin." One bite by a poodle that leaves two puncture wounds is recorded the same way as a pit bull attack, which can constitute hundreds of puncture wounds and massive soft tissue loss.8
Q: How come pit bull owners always say, "My dog is a sweetheart?"
To understand the experience of owning a negatively perceived dog, Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy did a study on pit bull owners. Researchers found that owners of pit bulls directly feel the stigma targeted at their breed and resort to various tactics to lessen it.9
One of the strategies included emphasizing counter-stereotypical behavior. For instance, to offset the popular idea that pit bulls are fierce and predatory, respondents in the study voiced just the opposite: "My dog is the biggest sweetheart in the world."
A related strategy involved emphasizing that behavior, not appearance, expressed their dog's true nature. Such behaviors often involved an overwhelming amount of affection toward people. This strategy is illustrated in the much-repeated phrase: "My dog wouldn't hurt a fly, but she might lick you to death."10
Q: Why does my friend say, "Pit bulls are animal-aggressive not people-aggressive?"
Due to selective breeding practice, pit bulls are highly animal aggressive. They frequently kill other pets and livestock. Pit bull experts warn owners, "Never trust your pit bull not to fight." They also state that under no circumstances should you leave a pit bull and another animal alone together.11
Animal aggression is unacceptable -- too many of our pets suffer injury and death as a result. The behavior also leads to human aggression. A common scenario is the following: A pit bull attacks a leashed dog being walked by its owner. The owner gets seriously injured trying to stop the attack.
News stories flourish about pit bulls breaking free of their property and attacking children and the elderly. These victims did not have pets with them, nor were they provoking the dog before the attack. The categorical denial by the pit bull community that the breed is not people-aggressive only serves to create new victims.
Q: What's the best thing we can do for communities and pit bulls?
The best thing we can do for communities and pit bulls is to limit their ownership and population. Fewer pit bulls means fewer human maulings and pit bull euthanizations. Animal People News reports that in 2007, US shelters killed about 1.4 million dogs; pit bulls and their mixes made up 750,000 of them.12
Most metropolitan animal shelters are plagued with high occupancy rates of pit bulls. Because of behavioral problems and liability costs, shelters won't adopt these dogs out. Instead, they are forced to euthanize them. Many pit bull advocates ignore this injustice, even though they claim to "love" the breed.
Over 250 cities have adopted breed-specific laws to address the pit bull problem. Such measures include mandatory sterilization laws and banning pit bull breeding. The most progressive legislation bans new pit bulls from entering a community at all. In just a few years, these cities see a significant drop in pit bull bites, euthanization rates and abuse.
Learn how communities are legislating pit bulls ยป
1Progressive pit bull legislation always includes the American bulldog in the definition of a "pit bull type dog."
2,4One City's Experience, by Kory A. Nelson, Senior City Attorney for the City of Denver, Municipal Lawyer, July/August 2005
3Dogfighting Fact Sheet, The Humane Society of the United States
5,8Pit Bull Case Report and Literature Review, by Steven F. Vegas, MD, Jason H. Calhoun, MD, M. Eng., John Mader, MD, Texas Medicine Vol. 84, November 1988
6Breaking Up a Fight, Pit Bull Rescue Central
7Toledo Vs. Tellings (case history), Animal Legal and Historical Center
9,10Managing the Stigma of Outlaw Breeds: A Case Study of Pit Bull Owners, by Hillary Twining, Arnold Arluke, Gary Patronek, Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy, Society & Animals Journal of Human-Animal Studies, Vol. 8 Number 1, 2000
11Breed Information, Pit Bull Rescue Central
12U.S. shelter killing toll drops to 3.7 million dogs & cats, Animal People News, July-August 2007
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