(That friendliness is one reason pit bulls don’t normally make good guard dogs they have a tendency to look at an intruder as a new friend, rather than a danger.) In fact, for much of their history, pit bulls were considered non-aggressive. In the early 1900s, a pit bull was the most common dog selected to be a family pet, perfect as a “nanny dog”, thanks to its friendly nature and loyalty. In fact, various studies have shown that pit bulls account for a small portion of dog attacks, with other breeds, especially Labradors, coming out ahead. One of the most damning pieces of evidence is the fact that the national media reports pit bull attacks at a much larger rate and for a longer period of time than attacks by other breeds. Pit bulls have never been shown to be disproportionately dangerous, with the unreliability of the public being able to distinguish the breed of dog which bit them playing a large factor in the supposed increase in pit bull attacks. In addition, studies have shown that small to medium-sized dogs, such as collies and spaniels, are much more likely to be aggressive towards people. As of today, the pit bull, or American pit bull terrier as it’s properly known, has a passing percentage of 86.8% which is greater than some of the more popular breeds, such as the golden retriever or German shepherd.
The American Temperament Test Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to evaluating all breeds of dogs, in order to find out which ones have the best assortment of traits, such as aggressiveness and friendliness. 7 They Actually Have Quite A Relaxed Attitude Later research showed that the size and shape of a dog’s skull had the most effect on their bite force, with mastiffs having nearly as strong a bite as a lion. His results showed that the Rottweiler had the strongest, coming in at 325 pounds, and the pit bull was the lowest, only getting up to 235 pounds. Brady Barr of National Geographic performed a study of dog bites, measuring the strength of three separate dogs: German Shepherd, Rottweiler and pit bull.
(2,000 Newtons is equivalent to about 450 pounds of bite force.)įor a television special in 2007, Dr. (For comparison, a lion has 600 pounds of bite force.) However, that figure may just be confusion on the media’s part since it comes from a study that is actually talking in Newtons, another form of force measurement. The strength of a pit bull’s bite is another common myth thrown around by the uneducated, with numbers as high as 2,000 PSI (pounds per square inch) being casually remarked. (One of the reasons they are still popular with dog fighters today.) Ĩ Their Bite Is Not The Strongest Among Dogs The swift and agile dogs that fighters preferred were the ancestors of what we call pit bulls today. Once governments began to wise up and ban these kinds of horrific displays of animal cruelty, people began to arrange dog fights, since they were quicker and easier to set up. Eventually, due to their unique blend of qualities, pit bulls were used in bear-baiting, a “sport” in which one or more dogs would fight a bear for the amusement of a crowd, and other dangerous activities. They were originally bred to combine various dog breeds, including the bulldog and a number of different terrier breeds, to find a great balance of enthusiasm and stamina. You can blame 19th century England for this one. 9 Their Ancestors Were Bred For Dog Fighting (They’re partially descended from terriers.) When they see prey, whether it’s another dog or a rabbit, pit bulls will latch on with their teeth, preferring to shake the captured animal around, rather than release and bite again. One of the main reasons for this myth is that pit bulls have a particular biting style, which derives from their breeding history. Responsible owners of pit bulls should be aware of what is called a break stick it’s inserted behind the back teeth of a dog’s mouth and then twisted, prying open their jaws. However, this is irrevocably false they do have strong, well developed muscles in their jaw, as well as a large skull, but their grip can still be broken if you know what you’re doing. One of the more persistent myths about pit bulls is they have some sort of special mechanism within their jaws which makes it so they never let go of their target.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 Banned Dog Breeds 10 They Don’t Have Locking Jaws However, this couldn’t be further from the truth and, just like any other dog, the environment and the owners have the most influence on how a dog turns out. Pit bulls are one of the most misunderstood dogs, with many people seeing them as nothing more than violent, child-maiming monsters.
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