Pit Bulls (American Pit Bull Terrier or APBT) do NOT have locking jaws. For some reason many people think this. But they do not. Like many other breeds of dogs out there once they grab on they don't want to let go.They do not have the strongest jaw out of all dogs. There was actually a test done by Dr Brady Bar from National Geographic to help disbar this myth. Pit bull actually have the lowest pressure PSI (per square inch) out of a rottweiler and german shepherd dog. The rottweiler had the highest PSI ( rottweilers are actually my favorite breed)
Many years ago before they were used for fighting they were owned by butchers. Using dogs to take down bulls was more cost effective for the butchers. The dogs were turned on the bulls and take them down. Many times a dog would grab the bull by the nose and not want to let go. If the dog let go it would be thrown as the bull was bucking and thrashing. These dogs were bred to each other because they brought the bulls down faster and more effectively. They did not damage the hide of the animals. People began realizing this was sort of fun to watch it was cheap entertainment and interesting to see dogs bring down such a strong large animal.
It soon became a sport. Breeding became very selective. This is where the term "pit bull" came from. They were the dogs that fought bulls in a pit. Eventually bull baiting was outlawed in many places and this soon turned to dog vs dog fights. It became an underground, gritty yet lucrative sport. And it still is until this day.
Ok this may be a shocker for some people. Every year the American Temperament Test Society, Inc test hundreds of dogs of many many breeds. The test is composed of several categories. Some examples are: behavior and reaction to strangers, sounds, new things, being touched, etc. If you ever watch any of the Animal Cops shows on Animal Planet then you have seen parts of this test. It's when they take a bowl a way, open an umbrella, check their teeth, etc.
Here are some of the results for some common breeds.
Breed Number of Dogs: Tested Passed Failed Percentage
AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER 772 664 108 86.0%
AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG 184 145 39 78.8%
BEAGLE 71 57 14 80.3%
BICHON FRISE 30 23 7 76.7%
BOXER 418 351 67 84.0%
CAIRN TERRIER 49 36 13 73.5%
CHIHUAHUA 38 27 11 71.1%
COCKER SPANIEL 227 186 41 81.9%
DACHSHUND (STANDARD SMOOTH)48 33 15 68.8%
DOBERMAN PINSCHER 1,574 1,222 352 77.6%
FRENCH BULLDOG 28 27 1 96.4%
GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG 3,038 2,559 479 84.2%
GOLDEN RETRIEVER 746 631 115 84.6%
GREAT DANE 275 219 56 79.6%
ITALIAN GREYHOUND 50 41 9 82.0%
LABRADOR RETRIEVER 763 704 59 92.3%
MALTESE 16 13 3 81.3%
POMERANIAN 33 25 8 75.8%
PUG 44 40 4 90.9%
ROTTWEILER 5,357 4,470 887 83.4%
SAMOYED 282 224 58 79.4%
SHIH TZU 41 32 9 78.0%
SIBERIAN HUSKY 295 257 38 87.1%
SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER 36 26 10 72.2%
STANDARD POODLE 243 209 34 86.0%
WEIMARANER 215 173 42 80.5%
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER 60 53 7 88.3%
Lady with my cousin
To see the complete list or read more about temperament testing visit:
Once upon a time in the early 20th century Pit Bulls were considered "America's Dogs." They were much more popular than labs, golden retrievers, german shepherds and came long before all the oodles, doodles, and apoos of today.
My grandfather in 1945 with his puppy pit bull.
They are smart, don't shed a lot and can be amazing dogs if you know how to deal with them. They are strong willed and will stand their ground wanting you to back down. They will test you with that every day. They need consistency as all dogs should have. But they need a firm handler or they will take advantage.
Big pet peeve of mine! HUGE!!! The color of your pit bulls nose does NOT mean anything. You will often see dogs advertised and hear people talking and they say my pit is a red nose or my pit is a blue nose. That means nothing, I don't care what color nose you dog has. A pit bull is a pit bull. The color means nothing. Lady is blue, which is now a trend. People want blue dogs because they think they are rare and will charge 3 times as much as a brindle. Pit bulls come in any color pretty much. And technically the color blue in any dog besides a merle great dane, aussies, dapple dachshunds and weimaraners is a genetic mutation. They have allergies and sensitive stomachs also. Notice how all of a sudden many breeds have blue? Labs, boston terriers, french bull dogs, shar peis?
Blue dogs have always been around. Now they are considered unique and rare and are "worth" a lot of money. However in the past when a blue puppy was born it was euthanized immediately. Since the coloring of the dog was not a breed standard breeders did not want people to know that their blood lines produced these mutated genes. As years went by some people felt bad about euthanizing puppies. So breeders would drop the puppies of at shelters, breed rescues or give them away to people they know. Now these blue dogs are seen as a hot commodity because they can charge so much for them. A reputable breeder will not charge more for these dogs, they should be the same price or even less because they are not desired among the show circuit.
I also can't stand when people say the pit bull is half blue and half brindle...but the dog is black and white. How does this make any sense?? That's like you have a lab that is black but you say it's half yellow and half chocolate because that's what the parents are.
Another huge problem is several people cannot properly identify a pit bull. So when reporting dog bits and such if they see that it was bulky strong, athletic dog they automatically say it was a pit bull. I discussed this in college in my urban sociology class. I made this poster and asked my class of 46 to identify the adult pit bull and the puppy and not a single person including my professor could do it. What does that say?
Do I recommend a pit bull for everyone, no of course not. I think before any one gets a dog they should research particular breeds carefully. Just because it looks cute does not mean it is a good match to you and your family.
Talk to someone who knows about dogs (I'm available), meet dogs of a particular kind you think you want. Maybe go through a process with a local breed rescue to foster a dog. Is having a dog even right for you?
I know I'm missing a ton of points and things that bother me, lol but it's late and I can't think anymore. Before I go I'm going to share with you some of my favorite pics of my Lady. Then I will give you the answers to the Can you spot the APBT.
Waiting patiently to open her presents.
New sweater for Christmas!
Chewing sticks with bella
