Boston Terrier Pet Adoption Center In California

« Bird Names

Boy Dog Names »

Pit Bull is a term commonly used to describe several breeds of dog in the Molosser family that were historically used for dog fighting. The breeds most often placed in this category are the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

In the media the term is vague and may include other breeds with similar physical characteristics, such as the Perro de Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Alano Espanol, Japanese Tosa, Dogue de Bordeaux, Cordoba Fighting Dog, Bull Terrier, Antebellum Bulldog, Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, American Bulldog, Boxer, Valley Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge, Renascence Bulldogge, and Banter Bulldogge. These breeds are rarely listed by name in breed-specific legislation, but they are sometimes included when the term is defined broadly and based on physical appearance.

History

The ancestors of modern Pit Bulls come from the bulldogs and terriers of England. At one time, every county in England had its own breed of terrier. Many of these still exist; however, some have evolved into new ones. Such is the case for the English White and the Black and Tan terriers, whose descendants include the bull-and-terriers, the Fox Terrier, and the Manchester Terrier. Terriers served an important purpose in England by killing vermin that might otherwise ruin crops, damage property, or spread disease such as the Black Plague. The development of sports such as rat- or badger-baiting further added to the breeds' importance.

Mastiff type dogs also have a long history in England; they are thought to have been brought by the Celts. It is also known that the Normans introduced the Alaunt. These dogs were used in battle and for guarding, but they also served utilitarian purposes, such as farm work. Specifically, these dogs accompanied farmers into the fields to assist with bringing bulls in for breeding, castration, or slaughter. The dogs, known generally as bulldogs, protected the farmer by subduing the bull if it attempted to gore him. Typically a dog would do this by biting the bull on the nose and holding on until the bviolently struggling bull despite injury. These traits permitted the development and rise of the bloody sports of bull-baiting and bear-baiting. In Elizabethan England, these spectacles were popular forms of entertainment. However, in 1835, bull-baiting and bear-baiting were abolished by Parliament as cruel, and the custom died out over the following years.

, which could be carried out under clandestine measures, blossomed. Since Bulldogs proved too ponderous and uninterested in dog fighting, the Bulldogs were crossed with English White and Black and Tan Terriers. They were also bred to be intelligent and level-headed during fights and remain non-aggressive toward their handlers. Part of the standard for organized dog-fighting required that the match referee who is unacquainted with the dog be able to enter the ring, pick up a dog while it was engaged in a fight, and get the respective owner to carry it out of the ring without being bitten. Dogs that bit the referee were culled.

As a result, Victorian fighting dogs (Staffordshire Bull Terriers and, though less commonly used as fighters, English Bull Terriers) generally had stable temperaments and were commonly kept in the home by the gambling men who owned them.

During the mid-1800s, immigration to the United States from Ireland and England brought an influx of these dogs to America, mainly to Boston, where they were bred to be larger and stockier, working as farm dogs in the West as much as fighting dogs in the cities. The resulting breed, also called the American Pit Bull Terrier, became known as an "all-American" dog. Pit Bull-type dogs became popular as family pets for citizens who were not involved in dog-fighting or farming. In the early 1900s they began to appear in films, one of the more famous examples being Pete the Pup from the Our Gang shorts (later known as The Little Rascals ).

During World War I the breed's widespread popularity led to its being featured on pro-American propaganda posters. (see poster, left)

The Pit Bull is the only dog to have ever appeared on the cover of Life Magazine three times.

Pit Bulls and dog bite related human fatalities and other statistics

Statistics about dog bites are difficult to analyze because the term "Pit Bull" may be used to refer to other breeds. The differences in appearance which separate dog breeds are often hard to determine. Generally, dogs are categorized by differences in outward physical attributes. Recently, the decoding of the canine genome has allowed scientific testing to determine dog breeds, but this method is not yet widely used. Because of these uncertainties, statistics regarding dog bites are scientifically suspect. Yet another problem in gathering data is the lack of information about the total dog population. Despite the lack of hard data, public perception is that Pit Bulls are more likely to bite than other breeds.

"The problem with statistics appears to be that there is no consistency in where the figures are obtained, nor are there variables included in most studies. Some studies use AKC numbers, some use HSUS numbers and others use CDC&P numbers. Few include causes or contributing circumstances to the attacks, nor are the total numbers of dogs in a certain breed taken into consideration. There is no national recording system for non-fatal dog bites in the United States."

Pit Bulls as pets

In shelters across the United States, Pit Bulls or dogs that appear to be Pit Bulls comprise a large portion of the shelter's population and may be destroyed due to the stigma associated with the breed (or because of overcrowding).

Nevertheless, they can and often do make wonderful family pets as featured on the American Little Rascals and Our Gang television shows. While friendliness and tolerance towards humans are traits of the breed , there are, as in any breed, those that are dangerous toward humans. Many attacks by other dog breeds are misclassified as "Pit Bulls" by media reports.

Any owner of a Pit Bull must train the dog well. Lack of proper socialization and strong training can result in a dog with aggressive tendencies. Under the care of an overly-permissive or uneducated owner, Pit Bulls (or any other large breed) can become very dangerous dogs.

Banning of Pit Bulls

This table shows places where Pit Bulls have been banned or where bans were proposed.

Global

United States

Legal issues in the United States

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published a study concerning deaths from canine attacks in 2000. According to the study, between 1979 and 1998, one-third of all fatal dog attacks were caused by Pit Bull type dogs. The highest number of attacks (118) were by Pit Bull type dogs, the next highest being Rottweilers at 67.

A followup to the study published in 2000 by Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association suggested that "generic non–breed-specific, dangerous dog laws can be enacted that place primary responsibility for a dog’s behavior on the owner, regardless of the dog’s breed. In particular, targeting chronically irresponsible dog owners may be effective."

Misconceptions

Locking jaws

Many sources propagate the myth that Pit Bulls have a "locking jaw" mechanism, and that the dog cannot let go once it has bitten. This is untrue. According to Dr. I. Brisbin, a senior researcher with the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of South Carolina:

Furthermore, the Pit Bulls that compete successfully in protection sports such as Schutzhund obviously do not display an inability to release their grips after biting, as releasing the decoy's sleeve on command is an integral part of scoring the competition. Reports of Pit Bull type dogs refusing to release a bite grip is more likely a function of the breed's gameness—a willingness to engage in a task despite pain and discomfort.

A variant of the "locking jaw" story is told by Tom Skeldon, Lucas County (Ohio), dog warden, who said that an impounded Pit Bull that had been used in fighting started "going wild," biting at the walls of the kennel. He shot the dog with a tranquilizer, and then left it for five minutes to let it pass out. When he came back the dog had indeed passed out, but not before it had leaped up and clamped its jaws on a cable used to open the door of the kennel. "Everything else was relaxed, the dog was out cold, but its jaws wouldn't let go of that cable, and he was hanging in midair," said Skeldon. "Not even a jaguar will do that."

However, an incident reported by the Associated

Boston Terrier Pet Adoption Center In California

pets - Google News
pets - Google News

Olympics for pets - ITV.com
25 Aug 2008 at 11:40am

ITV.com
Olympics for pets
ITV.com, UK - 13 hours ago
Animal lover Heidi Yau said communication between dogs and humans is the key to good performance in pet races: "We need to stay very close to each other. ...
Smoke forces Sebastian facility to evacuate some pets - TCPalm
25 Aug 2008 at 11:12pm

Smoke forces Sebastian facility to evacuate some pets
TCPalm, FL - 1 hour ago
SEBASTIAN ? Smoke from an air-conditioning unit led to a partial evacuation of a pet rescue center Monday in Sebastian. Staff at Halo Rescue at US 1 and ...
Pets may soon whine about inflation - Economic Times
25 Aug 2008 at 6:51am

Pets may soon whine about inflation
Economic Times, India - 18 hours ago
The surging inflation has crossed the kitchen and entered the pets ' territory, with prices of animal feeds shooting up by 20 per cent in just three months. ...
Wild cats as pets - don't do it - The Oregonian - OregonLive.com
25 Aug 2008 at 1:36pm

The Oregonian - OregonLive.com
Wild cats as pets - don't do it
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, OR - 11 hours ago
Why do people keep wild cats as pets when so many domesticated cats end up euthanized at a shelter, dead on the side of the road hit by a car, ...
Centerville hopeful new shelter will help stray cat problem Macon Telegraph
all 2 news articles
PetSmart Charities(R) Dispatches Emergency Relief Waggin'(R) to ... - Mar...
25 Aug 2008 at 7:15pm

PetSmart Charities(R) Dispatches Emergency Relief Waggin'(R) to ...
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
Funds raised will be used to aid pets affected by the West Virginia rescue and future ER Waggin' rescue efforts when pets are affected by natural and ...
Pet fashion all the rage as owners bark, What recession? - AFP
25 Aug 2008 at 10:46pm

AFP
Pet fashion all the rage as owners bark, What recession?
AFP - 2 hours ago
That was the scene at the third annual Pet Fashion Week in Manhattan this past weekend, where despite a looming US recession, the world's dog-loving ...
Experts: College students, pets don't always mix - The Daily Toreador (su...
25 Aug 2008 at 10:52pm

Experts: College students, pets don't always mix
The Daily Toreador (subscription), TX - 2 hours ago
While pet adoption may seem like a good idea at first, students may want to take a step back before adopting that adorable mutt or big-eyed feline, ...
Pet-food recall leads to 6000 claims and counting - USA Today
25 Aug 2008 at 7:24pm

Pet -food recall leads to 6000 claims and counting
USA Today - 5 hours ago
By Julie Schmit, USA TODAY Almost 6000 claims have been filed in a class-action settlement stemming from last year's massive pet -food recall. ...
Get Ready for Pet Olympics - WRVA
26 Aug 2008 at 12:22am

Get Ready for Pet Olympics
WRVA, VA - 37 minutes ago
In what is believed to be the first of its kind in Hong Kong, a pet Olympics has been created in hope of encouraging physical fitness for dogs. ...
Refresher course: Re-housebreaking the already housebroken pet Lynchburg News and Advance
all 14 news articles
Putting a leash on hotels' pet policies - Boston Globe
24 Aug 2008 at 11:21pm

Putting a leash on hotels' pet policies
Boston Globe, United States - Aug 24, 2008
It means I'm peeved at the way many hotels are loosening their policies about pets . Now, hold on, animal lovers. I love my dog. ...

Newsfeed display by CaRP