Bully Breed 411

What you should know about ‘Pit Bulls’…

The term ‘PIT BULL’ has become a generic term used to describe a dog with a blocky head, short hair and stocky appearance. There is such a breed as the American Pit Bull Terrier. However 85% of dogs labeled “pit bull” in American shelters are not in fact pit bulls. According to the National Canine Research Council, breed labels put on dogs by shelter workers and veterinarians are incorrect 87% of the time once the dog is genetically tested. Since more than 44% of the dog population is of mixed ancestry, veterinarians and organizations alike are questioning the merit of breed identification altogether.

But can’t you do genetic testing?

Not for ‘pit bulls’. According to the Wisdom Panel, the world’s leading canine DNA tests,“due to the genetic diversity of this group, we cannot build a DNA profile for the pit-bull…when these types of dogs are tested with Wisdom Panel, we routinely detect various quantities of the component purebred dogs including the American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Boxer, Bulldog, and various other Terriers.” More or less, pit bulls are all mutts with a similar body type. The bottom line is that all dogs are individuals and should be treated accordingly.

FACT: NO breed is uniform and no one trait will be expressed by every dog within a breed, even if they are similar in appearance.

In fact, when two dogs from different breeds are crossed, the variations in the puppies are extremely versatile. We venture to say that if these puppies ended up at the shelter they would be labeled as ‘pit bull.’ The study above was published in 1965 which proves that we as humans are still labeling dogs based on stereotypes. Unfortunately, this societal practice is costing thousands of dogs their lives, as being labeled a ‘pit bull’ is more times than not, a death sentence. With all that in mind, here’s what is known about dogs of the bully breed which includes, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Separating the Pit from the Bull.

Not all ‘pit bulls’ were bred to fight. Historically, some American Pit Bull Terriers were bred for this purpose but the American Staffordshire Terrier was not. History shows us that the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier were primarily bred to be ‘game’ which is a term used to describe determination or a working drive. We want to be very clear, gameness does not equal aggressiveness and gameness is only negative when exploited by humans, such as in dogfighting. FACT: a dog can be game and not be aggressive. The innate gameness of the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier is what makes them excellent candidates for both therapy and search and rescue work. The American Staffordshire Terrier, who is grouped under the term ‘pit bull’ was seldom a fighting dog. The AmStaff was originally bred for show due to it’s physique. The truth is that all ‘pit bull’ type dogs today are so far removed from the original breeding lines that is is impossible to make generalizations regarding temperament and behavior.