Pit Bull Dog - Debunking Pit Bull Myths - Truth About The Pitbull Dog

The true Pit Bull was a strong working dog. It assisted farmers by pulling carts and by bringing bulls in for breeding, castration, or slaughter. Pit Bulls literally held bulls down by the nose while the cowboy did whatever it was he needed to do.

The tenacity of Pit Bulls in holding on in spite of injury led to the sport of bull-baiting in Elizabethan England, and to a lesser extent bear-baiting (where Rottweilers were more commonly used). Parliament found this treatment to be cruel to bulls - so in 1835 they banned the sport.

Some men decided because of the massive jaws of the Pit Bulls that it would be a great sport to see them in dog fights with each other. But they were frustrated. The gentle pitbull dog was ponderous and had no interest whatsoever in fighting.

So the Pit Bull was crossed with the English White, Black, and Tan Terriers.

Why that choice? Terriers were originally bred and owned by Royalty for the purpose of killing vermin on their property. Even the very smallest of them has an obvious thirst for blood. Terriers were later used in the sports of rat-baiting and badger-baiting.  Also known for dog aggression tendencies, Terriers seemed to have what it takes for dog fighting.

So around 1835, the Bulldog was bred with the Terrier, creating the dog breed mix that tends today to be the most common one to turn aggressive. (We'll explore why below.)

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The rampant increse American Pit Bull Terrier should, indeed, be treated completely as a "different breed" from the "pure" Pit Bull lines - such as the Brindle Pit Bull Dog, Red Nose Pit Bull, and Blue Nose Pit Bull - and not blame the acts of one "dog breed" on the other.

One reason they should be treated in all ways as separate dog breeds is because of the blood-thirst in so many with Terrier blood lines.

There are exceptional ones - so I don't advocate putting them down or totally eliminating the idea of crossing them. After all, I'm rehabilitating one now who has the highest level of dog aggression possible - a Pitbull-Terrier cross who other "dog trainers" said was impossible and must be euthanised. It's long, arduous, and dangerous work, but she can be saved...

Some believe there is no harm in crossing dog breeds, and that mixed breeds make better dogs than pure dog breeds. But the truth of the matter is that with mixing, you often end up with many bad dogs that give a good dog breed a bad name - such as the much maligned Pit Bull.

Why? Cross-breeding two dog breeds that have different needs can cause split personalities - e.g., one side of the dog wants to be with his owner, while the other wants to run all the time. More often than not, you have the health problems of two dog breeds instead of the health problems of just one. Also, by the second generation cross, insanity can creep in - and with it aggression.

The pure breed Pit Bull is a wonderful, gentle dog. But combining the power of the Pit Bull with the blood thirst of the Terrier is dangerous - Because the perfect way to create an aggressive, unpredictable dog is to take dogs of different personalities and intents and cross them. That's exactly what we have here!

The best way to keep a bloodline strong is to breed purebred dogs from different bloodlines in different states or countries. Then we won't have so many poor mixed breeds in shelters because people don't know how to handle their mixed personalities. That's sad.

If we are going to change perceptions of the Pit Bull or mixed dog breeds, then we must be very careful to straighten everything out first. All dogs should be evaluated for temperament, regardless of dog breed, before adoption. Any dangerous signs show up right away.

Immigration to America from England and Ireland in the mid-1800's led to breeding larger, stockier Pit Bulls in the Boston area. They were also used increasingly as farm dogs in the West, and for fighting in some cities. (The terrible macho practice of pitbull dog fighting expanded much later in the 1960's with the American Pitbull Terrier and other Pitbull crosses and look-alikes.)

The American Pit Bull Terrier and the gentle, loyal, pure bloodline Pitbull became popular family pets in the 1900's - so popular at one point that you may recognize the beloved "Pete the Pup" in "Our Gang" shorts ("The Little Rascals"). Other "famous" Pit Bulls were Tige from the Buster Brown Shoe advertisements, and Arnold, the Pit Bull from Tiny Toon Adventures.

Americans love competitive sports. Some successfully use Pit Bulls in protection sport competition such as Schutzhund. This debunks the urban legend that Pit Bulls cannot release their jaws once they are "locked" onto something. In Schutzhund, the dog must release its grip on command after biting the decoy's sleeve, as that is an integral part of scoring the competition.

The first dog I had growing up was a sweet Brindle Pit Bull of pure bloodlines, "Eclipse." She was very gentle with everyone, and never fought with other dogs.

The Pit Bull is protective - which is good for a child or family - but it must be properly raised. It is also a mellow, balanced dog who makes a wonderful family pet. But you must be sure to introduce visitors properly - because they won't let a stranger in.

A good example is Chico, the adorable, rescued Pit Bull puppy in New York who was the "Best Holiday Dog" winner on PawPersuasion.com.

Learn more about Dog Behavior and get Obedience Dog Training Tips to help with your Pitbull Puppy or Pitbull Dog with these free "Platinum Expert Author" Dog Behavior, Dog Whisper, Dog Obedience Training Articles.

Pit Bull as a Dog Breed - Myths abound, with irrational fears, discriminatory legislation, and dog breed prejudice against the loving, loyal Pitbull Dog. How can this be?

According to Wikipedia on Pit Bull, several different dogs with similar characteristics are all called "Pit Bull," including the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Also, there are some other dog breeds which are physically similar to the Pit Bull and have been mistakenly called "pit bull." These include the Indian Bull Terrier, Argentine Dogo, American Bulldog, Bull Terrier and the Perro de Presa Canario.

The Perro de Presa Canario especially is a vicious "killer dog" that never should have been brought into the country. Unfortunately, the Pit Bull gets blamed for their deadly actions.

Even the CDC admits the data necessary for accurate determination of dog breeds involved in dog attack deaths is flawed and full of holes. The CDC does NOT advocate dog breed specific legislation, but instead "Dangerous Dog" laws regarding individual dogs that have been shown to be dangerous.

We agree. "Ban the Deed, Not the Breed!"

Yet the loving, loyal, intelligent Pit Bull is outlawed in many places due to mistaken identity with similar-appearing but dangerous dogs (such as the Perro de Presa Canario), irresponsible ownership, and intentional abuse which would cause adverse reactions in any dog breed. Many would-be family pet Pit Bulls (and mixed dog breeds that resemble them) are put down in shelters daily out of irrational fear of "the breed."

BEST HOLIDAY DOG WINNER 2006
Santa was good to pitbull rescue - Brindle Pitbull Puppy, Chico



This sweet, 3 month old Pit Bull Puppy is a pitbull rescue lovingly adopted from Biscuits and Bath in Manhattan's Upper East Side. Pitbull puppy "Santa Chico" and proud owner, Marukah, reside in Laurelton, New York.




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