Pit Bulls are arguably one of the most villainized and misunderstood dog breeds. A long and poor history of myths leaves these dogs as victims of unfair discrimination. There is an automatic assumption of aggressive and dangerous behavior that falls onto Pit Bulls. They are commonly and superficially associated with dogfighting, criminal activity, and human attacks.
These views serve as a reason why most animal shelters sport a high percentage of Pit Bulls in their care and therefore why these dogs are euthanized at a much higher rate than other breeds in shelters.
It is typically uncommon knowledge, or at least it was to me, that “Pit Bull” actually refers to four pedigreed breeds of dog: The American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and the American bully. Pit bulls are not one specific breed but rather a classification of multiple breeds.
Image by Haley Morrow
One commonly held belief in regards to Pit Bulls is that they are “natural fighters” and “hardwired to kill.” However, there is no scientific evidence to deem this as true. This belief comes about because specific breeds of pit bulls have been used over time in the illegal pursuit of dogfighting. Another commonly held belief is that the bite of a Pit Bulls is more aggressive and lethal.
Once again, this claim holds no truth. Scientific studies show that the biggest determining factor of a dog bite is the body mass and not the breed. So the bigger the dog the stronger the bite. With each predetermined belief placed on Pit Bulls, there is a lot of individual variation both between and within breeds.
Pit Bull Timeline
19th century: During this period, the original bull and terrier dogs were first bred to be fighters. Bulldogs were often crossed with terriers to be raised and trained to fight. These dogs were then released into a “pit” to chase and kill rats or fight one another – thus beginning the “pit bull” type of dog in the early 19th century.
Shortly before the Civil War, immigrants from the British Isles came to the United States along with their Pit Bulls. As the 19th century progressed, these dogs that were originally bred for fighting soon took on a much more valuable role in a developing nation. Pit Bulls were now bred primarily bred to fulfill the roles such as farming, protection, watching children, and companionship.
Image by Haley Morrow
The early 1900s: During this period, Pit Bulls were seen taking on more flashy roles as they were often cast in films as trick dogs and comedy sidekicks. During WWII Pit Bulls were used in advertising as a national mascot, and for this, they were loved. They symbolized fearlessness, protection, bravery, and loyalty. The public began to transition their views of these dogs from aggressive fighters to America’s sweetheart.
The late 1900s: Beginning in the 1960s, there began a push for more genteel breeds of dogs in the home, such as Golden Retrievers, Labradors, etc., to fit the lifestyle Americans were trying to cultivate then. Despite the Supreme Court passing of the Animal Welfare Act in 1976 which made dogfighting officially illegal in all 50 states, dogfighting began to see a resurgence towards and during the 1980s.
These dog fights were much more brutal and sadistic than that of the late 19th century as steroids, amphetamines, and cattle prods were utilized. As a result of this heartbreaking resurgence, animal rights advocates worked to end professional dogfighting. The movement got the media involved in order to bring this issue to the forefront of Americans’ minds and make people care.
However, the media showed footage of Pit Bulls used for aggression and fighting and backfired on the dogs. This poor media portrayal led people to develop a natural fear of Pit Bulls and turn their backs on them. The dogs were presented as willing participants in their own torture and were the ones demonized instead of the people training them and illegally enlisting them in fights.
Image by Haley Morrow
While this unfortunate stigma still unfairly follows Pit Bulls around, more advocates are getting on board with the fight for pit bulls. Thanks to positive media attention, education, and advocacy groups, light is being shed on the appropriate image of these dogs. Some advocacy groups doing great work include The American Pit Bull Foundation, BADRAP, and Love-A-Bull.
Today we can see Pit Bulls and their respective mixes providing comfort and smiles as service dogs visiting hospitals or serving in search and rescue missions such as the 9/11 tragedy. In addition to the Animal Welfare Act of 1976, more and more states are banning breed-specific legislation that overwhelmingly targets Pit Bulls and various Pit Bull mixes.
After analyzing the long history of Pit Bulls it becomes clear that they are not born as monsters or attackers seeking to harm, but rather that they are unfortunate victims of a lot of difficult situations and capable of being as loving and gentle as any other breed.
