The Mythical Pit Bull

When you hear "pit bull," do you think of locking jaws, a swelling brain, extreme aggression and high pain tolerance?

Let me explain some common myths about the American Pit Bull Terrier and why they aren't true.

Myths about pit bulls:

1. Pit bulls have locking jaws.
2. Pit bulls are responsible for most fatal dog attacks.
3. Pit bulls can't feel pain.
4. Pit bulls are aggressive towards people.
5. The brains of pit bulls swell, which makes them randomly go crazy.

Why are the myths false?

Myth #1: A pit bull's jaws function just like any other breed's, which has been tested by experts. Pit bulls do not have a locking mechanism on their teeth, nor can they bite with their front teeth while chewing with their back teeth. Pit bulls do not have exceptional bite strength, either, which is another common belief about pit bulls.

 

Myth #2: Most dog bite statistics fail to consider the total population of a dog breed in comparison to the number of dogs who have attacked or bitten a person. When statistics compare dog bites per breed to the total number of individuals in that breed, pit bulls actually fall at the bottom of the list. In fact, in a 1965-2001 study that examined dog attack statistics by breed, the following information was tallied:

 

Registered Population	# of Reported Attacks	Breed	% vs. Population
Approx.  240,000	12	Chow Chow	.005%
Approx.  800,000	67	German Shepherd	.008375%
Approx.  960,000	70	Rottweiler	.00729%
Approx.  128,000	18	Great Dane	.01416%
Approx.  114,000	14	Doberman	.012288%
Approx.  72,000	10	St. Bernard	.0139%
Approx. 5,000,000	60	Pit Bulls	.0012%

 

 

More recently, in December 2013, The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) published a massive study about dog bite statistics. The study found that family dogs were rarely involved and 76.2% of dog bites actually occurred by animals resident on the property. Dogs that do not get socialization with people on a regular basis are significantly more inclined to bite.

 

Furthermore, the study also found that, in more than 80% of the bite cases, the breed of the biting dog could not be accurately determined. In 18%, or 45, of the cases, the breed was able to be accurately recognized. However, 20 different breeds of dog were included in those 45 incidents. Statistics that claim pit bulls are killers and bite more frequently are false, and most people who claim they were attacked by a pit bull can't identify the breed themselves.

 

Myth #3: Pit bulls have the same nervous system as other breeds, and so feel the same pain. However, the pit bull was bred to continue a task even while feeling pain or discomfort. Pit bulls feel pain like any other dog, they were simply bred to ignore it, and this distinction leads to the third myth.

 

Myth #4: No breed of dog is more vicious than others, which has been proven in studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control. Bad owners create biters and not the breed of dog. A pit bull that is well-trained and given love and understanding will behave just as well as a Beagle that is raised the same way.

 

Myth #5: Just as with the locking jaws and pain tolerance myths, the brains of pit bulls behave no differently than any other dog. At one time, the Doberman Pinscher was believed to go crazy because its skull was too small to hold a swelling brain. Pit bulls, which have now held the media's negative attention, are the current breed to suffer from this false myth.

 

 

 

Beverly & Pack. "Baby puppy pit bull, Bach." Photograph. Flickr Creative Commons, 1 Sept. 2008. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. </link>.

 

"Breed Myths." The Real Pit Bull, 2014. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.

 

"Dog Bite-Related Fatalities." National Canine Research Council, Apr. 2014. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.

 

"SLC Pit Bull Lovers." Photograph. Flickr Creative Commons, 25 Mar. 2010. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. </link>.

 

"The Truth About Pit Bulls." M.A.B.B.R. Incredibulls, 2014. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.