To understand the truth about pit bulls it is important to understand that pit bulls are not a single breed of dog. The term pit bull refers to a wide variety of breeds including; the American Pitbull Terrier, the American Bulldog, and the American Staffordshire Terrier. The American Pitbull Terrier is the breed most commonly associated with the term pit bull, because of its name. Many people tend to think pit bulls are bad dogs, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. Pit bulls are all from different breeds, and are only associated with one another because of their looks. Let's take a look at the three most commonly misinterpreted breeds known simply as a pit bull.
- American Pitbull Terrier - The APBT is known as a vicious dog, but only because of negative media and their solid appearance. American Pitbull Terriers were bred in England as bulldogs, and were renamed when the first breeder of them moved to the United States of America. He registered his favorite breed with the American Kennel Club as the American Pitbull Terrier.
- American Staffordshire Terrier - A lot of people couldn't tell the difference between an American Staffordshire Terrier and an American Pitbull Terrier if their life depended on it. The breeds look very similar in the face and body, and of course they're both in the terrier family. The differences stop there, though. Am Staff terriers are known for being smaller in size than other pit bulls, and they only stand about 17 inches in height on average.
- American Bulldog - The American Bulldog gets its name from the job that the dog was developed to undertake. They were bred for herding bulls, and unfortunately, killing or fighting them. Bull baiting was a popular sport in the 1700's that pinned bulldogs against wounded bulls. The American Bulldog is the one breed in the pit bull group that was legitimately bred to destroy. However, centuries of curving the breed's temperament have actually turned them into an efficient herding dog.
The American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and American Bulldog are three of the most mistaken breeds of dog that live today. Unfortunately, they are also some of the most misinterpreted. The most important thing to realize is that pit bulls aren't mean dogs, and they are all coming from a different background. A dog is only as well behaved as its pack leader, or owner. Pit bull is a generic term associated with several breeds of dogs, and not just these three. My favorite pit bull is Jaxon, my American Pitbull Terrier. Who is your favorite pit bull?
