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Pit bull is an umbrella term for several Dog type believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and sometimes the American Bulldog, along with any crossbred dog that shares certain physical characteristics with these breeds. In other countries, including the United Kingdom, the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed specifically, while the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not considered a pit bull. Most pit bull–type dogs descend from the British bull and terrier, a 19th-century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.
Pit bull–type dogs have a controversial reputation as pets internationally, due to their history in dog fighting, the number of high-profile attacks documented in the media over decades, and their proclivity to latch on while biting. Proponents of the type and advocates of regulation have engaged in a highly contentious nature-versus-nurture debate over whether aggressive tendencies in pit bulls may be appropriately attributed to owners' poor care for and competency to handle the dog or inherent qualities owing to their breeding for fighting purposes. While some studies have argued that pit bull–type dogs are not disproportionately dangerous, offering competing interpretations on dog bite statistics, independent organizations have published statistics based on hospital records showing pit bulls are responsible for more than half of dog bite incidents among all breeds despite comprising only 6% of pet dogs. (2025). 9781119720904, John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 9781119720904 Some insurance companies will not cover pit bulls (along with and Wolfdog) because these particular dogs cause a disproportionate rate of bite incidents.Gephardt, Bill. Some dog breeds too risky for insurance companies. KSL.com, May 8, 2013 Dog bite severity varies by the breed of dog, and studies have found that pit bull–type dogs have both a high rate of reported bites and a high rate of severe injuries, compared to other non–pit bull–type dogs.
Pit bull–type dogs are extensively used in the United States for dog fighting, a practice that has continued despite being outlawed. Several nations and jurisdictions restrict the ownership of pit bull–type dogs through breed-specific legislation. A pro–pit bull lobby exists that promotes pit bulls as family pets, advocates for and funds pit bull research, and opposes laws that regulate their ownership.
As it was in the UK, dog fighting became a popular pastime in 19th century America and bull-and-terriers were imported to the New World to pursue the blood sport. In the United States, organized dog fights have been progressively outlawed in various states since 1874, culminating in federal legislation criminalizing animal fighting in 2007.
In the 1890s breeders of American pit bull–type dogs attempted to have their dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club, but because of the type's association with dogfighting, the club rejected these entreaties. Following this rejection, in 1898 breeders of American Pit Bull Terriers established a rival kennel club, the United Kennel Club. In addition to being a breed registry, the United Kennel Club also regulated dogfights. In the 1930s the American Kennel Club was faced with a dilemma: whilst not wishing to condone dogfighting, there was a desire to recognize a uniquely American dog breed for which over 30 years of breed records existed. The solution was to recognize Pit Bull Terriers under a different name and prohibit these dogs from being used in organized fights, and in 1935 the American Kennel Club recognized Pit Bull Terriers as Staffordshire Terriers.
The name "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" was first used in Britain in 1930 in advertisements for bull-and-terrier-type dogs. Organized dog fighting had been effectively eliminated in the United Kingdom by the Protection of Animals Act 1911, but devotees of the bull-and-terrier type continued to breed these dogs, predominantly in England's Black Country. Throughout the early 1930s attempts were made in England to gain recognition for these dogs with The Kennel Club; these efforts were successful in 1935. In order to avoid confusion with the British breed, in 1972 the American Kennel Club changed the name of their American breed to the American Staffordshire Terrier.
Despite criminalisation, illegal fights using pit bull–type dogs have continued to be widespread in the United States. In the 1990s in that country it was estimated 1,500 dogs died annually in organized fights, and by the mid-2000s it was estimated over 40,000 people were involved in the illegal blood sport. Pit bull–type dogs are also used by criminal organizations to guard illegal narcotics, and to intimidate and attack civilians, other criminals and police, the type becoming a status symbol in American gang culture. On the other side of the law, pit bull–type dogs have been used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as drug detection dogs.
There is a lobby of animal rights groups that are spending millions of dollars to try to rebrand pit bulls as family dogs. In efforts to counter negative perceptions about pit bull–type dogs, both the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the New York City Center for Animal Care and Control have unsuccessfully attempted to rename the type.
In the United Kingdom it is also a dog owner's responsibility to prove that the dog is not one of the prohibited types (dog types bred for fighting) under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or that the dog has a Certificate of Exemption (grandfather clause). The UK uses Dog Legislation Officers (DLO) which have special training and experience in dog identification. Those officers also provide expert evidence for authorities.
Methods
There are various ways to identify a pit bull's specific breed. It can be proven through Breed registry (Pedigree chart) and through testing a dog's DNA to validate parentage or it can be determined through testing DNA-based ancestry, through examining a dog's traits or the use of artificial intelligence. Which method is suitable depends on the purpose of the identification. While some methods might be good enough to satisfy a dog owner's curiosity, not all methods are accepted for legal reasons. For example, France banned pit bull type dogs (category 1) in 1999, but purebred registered American Staffordshire Terriers (category 2) are only restricted, not banned. Therefore, only American Staffordshire Terriers registered with Central Canine Society (French language. Société centrale canine) are legally allowed to be in or to re-enter the country. Parental DNA testing of a not-registered purebred dog would not be sufficient under French law to legally transfer such a dog into or through France.
Pure breed identification
Two pit bull breeds, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, can be registered at internationally recognized Kennel Clubs, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), through their respective breed clubs to receive registration papers. Both breeds are also recognized by the Fédération Cynalogique Internationale (FCI), which maintains and publicizes their breed standards. In contrast, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Bulldog and the American Bully are not recognized by international Kennel Clubs, though they can be registered at other Kennel Clubs, such as the United Kennel Club (UKC).
An example of distinct Phenotypic trait that a Labrador Retriever and an American Pit Bull Terrier have. This list considers characteristics of a dog's form as well as function and typical behavior:
Dog type identificationBreed assessors look at a suspected pit bull's physical characteristics like the shape of the head, ears, flews, jowls, teeth, eyes, chest, legs and tail, as well as the characteristics of the dog's coat (color, hair length, growth and texture), skin, weight, height and body length to determine if a dog categorizes as a pit bull type dog or not. Companion Animals Act 1998, Guidelines for breed assessors. (2013) Chief Executive, Department of Premier and Cabinet. "Pit bull-type dogs are defined as any dog displaying a majority of physical traits of any one or more of the specific breeds mentioned above American, or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing (physical) characteristics that substantially conform to the standards established by American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club". Denver Pit Bull Fact Sheet. (2021) Animal protection – Denver Public Health & Environment.
Whether the dog type pit bull can be sufficiently defined has been the subject of legal disputes. For example, the claim that the legal phrase "commonly known as a pit bull dog" is unconstitutionally vague has been dismissed by judicial decisions: "...the ownership of a dog 'commonly known as a pit bull dog' is prima facie evidence of the ownership of a vicious dog, is not unconstitutionally void for vagueness since dogs commonly known as pit bulls possess unique and readily identifiable physical and behavioral traits which are capable of recognition both by dog owners of ordinary intelligence and by enforcement personnel." The court also found that specific behavioral features distinguish pit bulls from other dogs and therefore can be taken into account when identifying a pit bull: "Furthermore, the dog owner of ordinary intelligence, when determining whether he or she owns a pit bull dog, need not rely solely on the dog's physical traits. Rather, the pit bull possesses certain distinctive behavioral features which differentiate it from other dog breeds." State v. Anderson, 57 Ohio St. 3d 168, (Ohio 1991).
Challenges of mixed or cross breed identification
Mixed or cross breed identification can be more challenging than pure breed identification and can be supported by testing for genetic markers. However, DNA-based ancestry testing that works with owner-reported databases can be unreliable and the American Kennel Club does not recommend using those. For example, the Manawatū District Council does not accept DNA heritage testing for pit bulls, instead they look at a dog's certain physical traits.
Studies have found that when people involved in dog rescue, adoption, and regulation identify the breed of a dog of mixed parentage, this identification did not always correlate with the DNA analysis of that dog. Mixed-breed dogs are often labeled as pit bulls if they have certain physical characteristics, such as a square-shaped head or bulky body type.
Deliberate mislabeling of pit bulls
In Australia some dog owners give false information regarding the breed of their dog to local authorities, despite this being an offence under the Crimes Act. Inquests after fatal or serious dog attacks showed that pit bull owners registered their dogs under a wide range of other breeds, like the Australian Terrier, to evade their local laws and regulations.
In France, investigations following the dog attack death of Elisa Pilarski led to the discovery that her partner and dog's owner had deliberately passed off a purebred American Pit Bull Terrier as a mix of a Whippet and a Patterdale Terrier and imported it into the country illegally. American Pit Bull Terriers are not recognized as a breed in France and are considered a pit bull type, which has been banned in the country since 1999.
In a 2021 review of 19 retrospective dog bite studies from U.S. Level I trauma centers, pit bulls were found to inflict a higher prevalence and severity of injuries compared with other breeds. A 2020 literature review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that from 1971 to 2018 of all pure breed dogs in the United States, pit bull–type breeds were second, behind the German Shepherd, and ahead of Labradors, , and Rottweilers (in that order) for the most bites severe enough to require hospital treatment. The study found that the proportion of bites caused by German Shepherds decreased by 0.63 percent per year over that time interval while the proportion caused by pit bulls increased by 1.17 percent per year. The pit bull proportion of dog bites increased more slowly in Denver, Colorado, where breed-specific legislation had been in place.
In a 2014 literature review of dog bite studies, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) argues that breed is a poor sole predictor of dog bites. According to the AVMA, controlled studies have not identified pit bulls as disproportionately dangerous, but other studies have found that, compared with other dog breeds, pit bulls were more likely to inflict complex injuries, are more likely to attack unprovoked, and are more likely to go off property to do so. Pit bull–type dogs are more frequently identified with cases involving very severe injuries or fatalities than other breeds, but a 2007 study suggested this may relate to the popularity of the breed, noting that sled dogs, such as Siberian Husky, were involved in a majority of fatal dog attacks in some areas of Canada.Raghavan M. Fatal dog attacks in Canada, 1990–2007. Can Vet J. 2008;49:577–581 Bite statistics by breed are no longer tracked by the CDC, and are discouraged by the AVMA and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Pit bulls were originally developed from dogs that were bred for bull baiting and dog fighting. Pit bull attacks are often perceived as taking place "without warning", possibly due to the type's fighting heritage, as fighting dogs that do not signal aggression may do better in the ring. However, recent research suggests that this perception may reflect a lack of knowledge of dog body-language, and owners' over-confidence in their ability to interpret those signs. In fighting with dogs of other breeds, pit bulls, German Shepherds, and Rottweilers were often the aggressor, and more than twenty percent of studied Akitas, Jack Russell Terriers and pit bulls displayed serious aggression towards other dogs. Although there may be a connection between breed of dog and aggression towards humans, the difficulty of classifying dog attacks by specific breed after the fact has made this point controversial and debated. Violent interactions between humans and canines have been studied by the U.S. government,Hanna, TL, Selby LA. Characteristics of the human and pet populations in animal bite incidents recorded at two Air Force bases. Public Health Rep. 1981;96:580-584. notably the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),Clarke NM. A survey of urban Canadian animal control practices : the effect of enforcement and resourcing on the reported dog bite rate, Master of Science — MSc 2009 as well as academic veterinary researchers. The interpretation of these studies, breed identification and relevanceDuffy, DL., Hsu, Y. Serpell, JA. Breed differences in canine aggression. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2008;114:441–460. issues, and variable circumstances have given rise to intense controversy. Additionally, researchers on both sides of the pit bull debate rarely disclose when they are being funded by lobbyists, leading to a risk that the scientific literature on pit bulls has been influenced by money.
Pit bulls are known for their tenacity and refusal to release a bite, even in the face of great pain. A popular myth mischaracterized pit bulls as having "locking jaws". The refusal to let go is a behavioral, not physiological trait, and there is no locking mechanism in a pit bull's jaws. Pit bull–type dogs, like other terriers, hunting and bull-baiting breeds, can exhibit a bite, hold, and shake behavior and at times refuse to release. (1983). 9780964160903, Veterinary Medicine Publishing. ISBN 9780964160903 Pit bulls also have wide skulls, well-developed facial muscles, and strong jaws, and some research suggests that pit bull bites are particularly serious because they tend to bite deeply and grind their molars into tissue. Breaking an ammonia ampule and holding it up to the dog's nose can cause the dog to release its hold.
Many of the jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls apply their restriction to the modern American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and any other dog that has the substantial physical characteristics and appearance of those breeds, such as the Canadian province of Ontario. A few jurisdictions, such as Singapore, also classify the modern American Bulldog as a "pit bull–type dog".
Breed-specific legislation has been largely found to be ineffective at reducing the number of dog attacks. Debates often center on whether apparent aggressive tendencies are the result of poor dog ownership or natural behaviors of the breed.
Some municipalities take the opposite approach, and have passed anti-BSL laws. Anti-BSL laws have been passed in 21 of the 50 states in the United States, prohibiting or restricting the ability of jurisdictions within those states to enact or enforce breed-specific legislation.
Some municipalities started with BSL laws, then repealed them, such as Denver, Colorado.
Owners of rental properties may also be held liable if they knew an aggressive dog was living on their property and they did nothing to ensure the safety of other tenants at the property; as a result, many rental properties forbid pit bull–type dogs and any other breeds if the rental property's insurance will not cover damage inflicted by that type of dog. The dog breeds most often not covered by insurance companies include pit bull–type dogs, Rottweilers, German Shepherd Dogs, Dobermann, Akitas (Akita Inu and ), and .
In 2013, Farmers Insurance notified policyholders in California that it would no longer cover bites by pit bulls, Rottweilers and Wolfdog. A spokeswoman for Farmers said that those groups account for more than a quarter of the agency's dog bite claims.
Pit bulls have appeared in American World War I propaganda.
Pit bulls have appeared in the logos of Brown Shoe Company and Lagunitas Brewing Company. The above-mentioned Nipper appeared in a number of logos, including the RCA, the British His Master's Voice record label, and the HMV retail chain.
In 2005, two American lawyers used a pit bull logo and the phone number 1-800-PIT-BULL in a television advertisement to convey that they were "especially fierce litigators". The Supreme Court of Florida ruled that this use was in breach of Florida Bar advertising rules.
Air carrier restrictions
The following table has a sampling of air carrier embargoes on pit bulls.
Air France Safety Category 1 dogs, as defined by the French Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, are not permitted for transport in the cabin, or as baggage or cargo. These so-called "attack dogs" do not belong to a particular breed, but are similar in morphology to the following: Staffordshire Bull Terriers or American Staffordshire Terriers (pit bulls), Mastiffs and Tosas. Delta Air Lines Safety "We have determined that untrained, pit bull–type dogs posing as both service and support animals are a potential safety risk", the airline said.
Notable pit bulls
(2025). 9780231167123, Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231167123
As a symbol
Owning dogs like pit bulls and Rottweilers can be seen as a Status dog or status symbol. Pit bulls have been cultural symbols in "urban ghettos" and a part of hip hop culture. According to the Anti-Defamation League, pit bulls have been adopted as a hate symbol by racist . The White supremacist group Keystone State Skinheads have used a specific graphic of a pit bull as their logo.
See also
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