One of the biggest facts about pit bulls is that they are some of the most commonly misunderstood dogs out there because of the misperceptions that society places on them. The stigma placed around pit bulls makes people more fearful of them and this fear, in turn, creates laws on banning them as well as media coverage of horrible things that happen rather than trying to understand them or the root cause of these issues.
Pit bulls are actually anything but aggressive if they are raised properly. Instead, they are some of the goofiest and most loving dogs there are! To help everyone get to know these dogs a little better, below is a list of fun facts about pit bulls. The hope for this is to provide some insight that may change your mind about them, learn something new about them, or make you love them even more than you may already do!
Fun Facts About Pit Bulls # 1: Pit bull is not actually a breed
Wait, what?! Actually, the name pit bull is not really the name of this breed of dog. Pit bull is used as a term for this type of dog in which mainly four different breeds make up pit bulls; American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. With a mix of breeds like this, it’s no wonder that they can all look so different in terms of appearance!
Pit bulls, in early America, were used as protectors of the family, defended the livestock from predators, and in some families, pit bulls were called nanny dogs because of their trust with children. In order to get to know these dogs better, you must first learn about their origins.
Origin of breeds:
- American Pit Bull Terrier– Ancestors can be traced back to the 1800s and came from the British Isles. These dogs are descended from Old English Terriers and Old English Bulldogs and became known as the bull and terrier. Old English Bulldogs were thick, muscular, and ferocious and were bred for bear and bull-baiting and the Terrier was agile and feisty.
- These dogs were originally bred together to create the perfect dog-fighting type for combinedness of speed, strength, and lighter weight. They arrived in the United States in the late 1800s and became known as the American Pit Bull Terrier. In the U.S. they became useful as farm dogs/cattle dogs. Their breed name was first recognized by the (UKC) United Kennel Club! Unfortunately, this breed is still not recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club).
- American Staffordshire Terrier– In 1936, there were 50 UKC dogs that were accepted for registration by the American Kennel Club with a new breed name. Staffordshire Terrier was chosen because their ancestors originally came from Staffordshire, England. Their breed name was revised in 1969 to American Staffordshire Terrier to distinguish it from British Staffordshire Bull Terrier and they are recognized by the AKC!
- American Bully– This breed is newer and was developed in the 1980s by at least five other breeds that were used to create the ‘bully’ traits such as size, stockiness, and muscle. Unfortunately, this breed is still not recognized by the AKC however, they have been recognized by the United Kennel Club since 2013!
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier– These dogs were developed in the mid 19th century. Staffordshire is one of the main origins of bull and terrier-bred dogs. Originally also developed as fighting dogs and also share the same ancestry as the Bull Terrier. In 1935 the Kennel Club accepted Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeds and the American Kennel Club admitted them in 1974! The Kennel Club states that this breed is also a descendant of the bull and terrier cross that was made in England.
- *American Bulldog– This fifth breed is one that the majority of people go back and forth on whether they are considered part of the pit bull grouping or not. American Bulldogs are also descendants of Old English Bulldogs and were used for cattle-droving and bull-baiting. American Bulldogs were used by farmers and ranchers as working dogs. I have included them since there is no definitive answer as to whether or not this breed can be classified as pit bull or not.
Fun Facts about Pit Bulls #2: They are not born aggressive
No way! Yes, it is true though! Just because breeds that make up what we know as pit bulls were originally bred for dog fighting does not mean that these dogs are naturally born aggressive. Yes they have the strength and yes some can look intimidating, however, these dogs are naturally not aggressive unless trained in a manner to be.
Society unfortunately tends to focus on bad things that have happened in instances involving these dogs that have made the news in past years. Because of that, there is now a stigma placed around pit bulls. Pit bulls can be just as mean in comparison to smaller dogs like the Chihuahua or Pomeranian. In actuality, pit bulls are usually less aggressive than these kinds of dogs as well as German Shepherds and Rottweilers.
Genetics and environment:
A dog’s genetics can predispose it to behave a certain way however behavior develops through genetics as well as its environment. Since pit bulls were originally bred for blood sport they will always have some genetic influence from that but this doesn’t mean they are truly born aggressive animals. They may have a tendency to be more aggressive with other dogs because of their tolerance towards them but are rarely aggressive with people.
Since there are so many different breeds that can make up every single pit bull it’s hard to know the true genetics so the environment is extremely important and every dog should be considered an individual versus its breed. Early-onset care and socialization with people and other dogs play a pivotal factor in pit bulls’ behavior. If cared for properly, trained, and brought up in a loving home environment, then pit bulls are some of the least aggressive dogs you will ever get to know. They truly make wonderful family dogs and it really is all about the people who raise them!
Breed discrimination based on common misperceptions of aggressiveness:
With society placing fears on people that pit bulls are truly dangerous animals it has resulted in even insurance companies having the right to decline issuing homeowners insurance to pit bull owners as well as other breeds. It was also legal for them to raise premiums based on the breed as well. This made it difficult for responsible people, like me, that actually care for their dog(s) and to be able to have them in the first place.
Recently, NYS passed a new law prohibiting insurance companies from refusing homeowners insurance based on their dogs’ breed. This is huge and helps set the stage for society to start realizing that pit bulls are not born aggressive but can have their aggressiveness brought out by irresponsible owners.
Fun Facts About Pit Bulls #3: They do NOT have a locking jaw
Contrary to popular belief, this, in reality, is a myth! Pit bulls do not actually have locking jaws, despite all the rumors out there about this. A lockjaw is where you can tighten your jaw muscles, however, pit bulls do not have any physical mechanism that allows them to lock their jaw! Lockjaw is actually a serious Tetanus infection that causes a stiff jaw.
Nonetheless, they do have a very strong bite as well as very strong jaws that can lock onto a target but their grip can be broken. Typically a pit bull becomes so determined that they have something they don’t want to give up and will shove it into the back of their mouth behind their teeth making it very difficult to get them to release. These myths most likely developed over time from the origin of their breeds and the fact that they were bull-baiters and needed to bite and latch onto bulls.
Fun Facts About Pit Bulls #4: Their real personality traits/temperament
Temperament is defined as an animal’s personality, makeup, disposition, or nature. Temperament is not a physical attribute nor is it learned behaviors/commands. As a matter of fact, Pit bulls typically have a playful temperament and friendly nature! Some of their personalities include being clownish, loyal, affectionate, intelligent, stubborn, and obedient. Pit bulls are eager to please their humans, enthusiastic, and are even noted for their love of children. Do you remember the movie Little Rascals? If so, one of the most famous pit bulls “Petey” is in the movie as a companion to the kids and goes on all their adventures with them!
Pit bulls are also very determined and driven dogs so whatever they set out to do they don’t give up easily. They can also be quite emotional; more emotional than many other dog breeds. Because of this, pit bulls come across as being stubborn but are actually so sensitive that their feelings get hurt and they give you the silent treatment. This is quite funny if you think about how much personality they may have.
These dogs are also very friendly and they think everyone wants to be their friend so they end up being failures as guard dogs. They will be loyal to their family and will protect them when and if they have to. They also need lots of affection and interaction as part of their care as they can be extremely needy dogs. You can also watch my short YouTube video below regarding the temperament of pit bulls.
The temperament pit bulls have truly make them great companions and wonderful family dogs to have!
American Temperament Test Society
The ATTS test measures different aspects of temperament such as shyness, friendliness, aggressiveness in dogs. Since there are so many different laws and legislations as well as negative publicity associated with some breeds of dogs, the temperament test is meant to help give insight into a dog’s true behavior.
The most recent temperament test was conducted in 2017 across dog breeds and among those breeds tested were American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Since the American Bulldog breed is up in the air on whether they are part of the pit bull group or not, I will leave them out of these statistics. Between the other three though, Pit bulls have an average temperament test pass rating of 87.9%! This is a higher pass rating than some of America’s favorite dog breeds like Golden Retrievers at 84.9% and Chihuahuas at 71%.
- American Pit Bull Terrier- 931 dogs tested; 814 passed, 117 failed = 87.4% Pass Rating
- American Staffordshire Terrier- 743 dogs tested; 635 passed, 108 failed = 85.5% Pass Rating
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier- 143 dogs tested; 130 passed, 13 failed = 90.9% Pass Rating
Fun Facts About Pit Bulls #5: They make fantastic emotional-support dogs!
Why is that? Because of their temperament, pit bulls actually make great therapy dogs, especially the emotional support kind. With their loyalty and strong need to please their humans as well as how affectionate they are, they make wonderful emotional support animals. People who have a mental illness, especially those with anxiety can benefit from having them as therapy dogs because of the pit bull’s natural ability to be happy and goofy; they’re infectious to be around!
Have you ever seen a pit bull smile? When they are relaxed and happy they appear to look as though they are smiling which then results in you wanting to smile; creating laughter contagion! Pit bulls can make a person feel lots of happiness just from their smile alone. They also give great hugs which release endorphins that make us as humans feel happier. So if you are looking for an emotional support animal then a pit bull can provide a powerful presence to your life!
Thanks for reading! I hope my fun facts about pit bulls have provided some insight to help you realize that there is more to them than the misperceptions placed on them. I am very passionate about pit bulls because I have such a great fondness and love for them. I have been around many different breeds of dogs throughout my life and I believe that pit bulls are some of the most emotional dogs as well as intelligent compared to other breeds. I think their history as well as irresponsible people owning them and abusing them is what drives the discrimination around them. I hope these pit bull facts and pictures have left you feeling happy!
