The “Pit Bull” is not a breed: the real history of the pit bull dog

Obviously, there is such a thing as a pit bull – we’ve all seen their cute faces, big, soft eyes and happy smiles. But there is a lot more to this dog breed than meets the eye. Did you know it isn’t even recognized as a separate breed by the American Kennel Club? And that’s not all – these loyal pets that grace thousands of homes around the world have a rich history.

Bull fights and blood sports: the pitbull’s early history

The name pit bull was once used to describe any dog used in bull-baiting, a gladiatorial-style sport in which dogs were set upon enraged bulls to entertain spectators. Because the games took place in a ‘pit’, and the dogs fought bulls, the name pitbull emerged as a colloquial term.

Despite being banned for being inhumane in the 19th century, the sport was popular for several hundred years beforehand. In order to maximize chances of a successful kill, several specialized dog breeds were developed. These dogs were then crossed with lighter and faster terrier types, to make them more suitable for fighting not bulls, but other dogs. When these sports were banned, many of these breeds – including the Old English Bulldog and the Bullenbeisser – became extinct, as demand for their continuation suddenly stopped.

However, in later years, attempts to revive the bulldog breeds emerged, this time motivated largely by dog shows. Breeders crossed remaining bull-fighting breeds to create the modern English bulldog, which is now a popular pet.

But another descendent of the early bulldogs were modern-day pitbulls. Unlike the English bulldog, they did not develop into one homogenous breed, but into a few strains. The American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Pit Bull Terrier are all their descendents. The term pit bull has remained an umbrella term for all of these, and any variation of them that would be evident from its physical characteristics. According to DNA tests, most pit bulls are actually the later – mixed breeds with a shared background and a distinctive look.

Modern pitbulls emerged in the early 20th century, in both the United Kingdom and the United States. They were used for both practical purposes, such as hunting and livestock driving, and simply as companions.

Thankfully, these dogs, no matter what their specific ancestry is, can no longer legally be subject to cruel fights for human amusement. However, they do owe some things to their past. Their sturdy, muscular frame, short smooth coats, and strong jaws are all remnants of their days in the pit. But sadly, they also inherit social stigma from their bloody past, being stereotyped as aggressive or dangerous dogs (even though statistics on dog bites by breed have been mostly inconclusive regarding this). The stigma has also affected an additional part of the pitbull’s status – it is unrecognized as a breed by some organizations.

Who recognizes pitbulls as a breed? Who doesn’t? The AKC vs UKC definition

The American Kennel Club does not recognize pit bulls as their own breed. In the 1890s, American breeders petitioned for what they called the American Pit Bull Terrier – one strain of the many dogs formerly bred for fighting sports – to be recognised by the AKC as its own, official breed. Wanting to avoid the dogs’ connection with dog fighting, the AKC refused, sparking the formation of the rival United Kennel Club.

True to their origins, the UKC do recognize the validity of the American Pit Bull Terrier. In fact, they also suggest that the America Pit Bull Terrier should be the only one to hold the title of ‘pit bull’, recognizing it as a totally distinct breed. There are some differences between pit bulls and other former dogfighter species, in particular their large size. But this request for the exclusive use of the term ‘pit bull’ mostlyy hasn’t stuck – the term is widely used to refer to any bull and terrier mix, no matter what its specific background is.

The AKC follows the latter, more liberal definition, and considers the term pitbull as an unofficial umbrella term for any medium-to-large sized dog with a muscular neck, broad chest, almond eyes and a short coat – although it also notes that this collection of vague characteristics is a tricky way of defining a pit bull, as they could theoretically apply to a large pug. As far as specific breeds go, it recognizes the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier as different types of what could colloquially be called a ‘pit bull’.

There are many additional organizations besides the UKC and AKC. ADBA, the American Dog Breeders’ Association, was founded in 1909 specifically for the American Pit Bull Terrier, and were some of the first people to set the standard for the breeding and ideal appearance of this dog. ABDA remains a pit bull-focused group, and one of the foremost modern registries for American Pitbull Terriers.

In the 1990s, another player emerged: the ABKC. This club formed to promote the American Bully, a newer mix that can fall under the pitbull umbrella, this time with a smaller and stockier frame and a shorter snout – a breed more similar to the English bulldog.

So, what actually is a pit bull?

Ae long been noted for their open and affecs we’ve seen, this question actually does not have a simple answer. It depends wildly on who you ask, and even dog experts in national committees can’t seem to make up their mind. The question of what counts as a pitbull is so complicated by the pitbull’s sad history that it’s hard to give a conclusive, academic-style answer. Is it just a Staffie by another name? Is it a mixed breed with no particular status? Or is it, maybe, an umbrella term for all of the above?

No matter which definition you believe in, we can say a few definite things about them. A pitbull is a loyal dog, an affectionate pet, and, provided with proper care and training, a friend for life. Pitbulls havtionate nature, especially towards their families. Their trainability and attentiveness to their owners have rendered them one of the most popular types of pet, whether simply for companionship or for working roles.
What are pit bulls like?

There is a reason so many have jumped to the defense of the pit bull in the face of stigma and poor connotations – many have found them to make wonderful pets.

Pitbulls are mostly affectionate and gentle, to the extent that they are not recommended as guard dogs – a properly socialized dog is more likely to try to make friends with a burglar than scare him away. Their intelligence has led them to be utilized by police as search and rescue or bomb sniffers, while their sensitive nature has helped many to become therapy dogs.

That said, a pitbull, like any dog, is reliant on its owner. A dog’s breeding will only get it so far – especially in such a heterogenous species like the pitbull, where the exact genetics are often varied. What’s important is that they are properly socialized from a young age, given a calm and consistent environment, and undergo regular training. These factors are essential in maintaining low aggression.
Modern history: what pit bulls have been up to in the past hundred years

After dog fighting was gradually outlawed state-by-state (reaching a federal ban only in the 1990s), pitbulls evolved in a new direction. No longer the muscular, aggressive dog of the arena, it became instead a loving pet.

Pit bulls began to appear in ads, movies and magazines, playing the role of the quintessential family dog. Many photos survive today of pitbulls standing gently next to babies and young children in old, black-and-white family portraits.

The pitbull developed a status not unlike the labrador’s today as the ultimate, all American companion. In 1903, a pitbull named Bud was the first to accompany a human on a road trip across America – his goggles are still on display at the Smithsonian Museum. In the military, a pitbull was chosen as the mascot of a Pennsylvania infantry in the Civil War, while during World War I, pitbulls appeared on posters as representation of loyalty and hard work – the most famous representative of which was Sergeant Stubby, whose capture of a German spy led him to become the most decorated dog in US history.

Buster Brown was seen riding his large, brown pitbull in illustrations, while in Little Rascals, Petey the dog appeared played by various pitbulls, all with a ring drawn around their eye. Pitbulls also appeared on commercials and ads, and famously became the logo for HMV after the famous painting His Master’s Voice depicted a pitbull listening to a gramophone.

In light of this, it’s hardly surprising that the pitbull also became a dog commonly owned by high-profile Americans, among them Helen Keller and Theodore Roosevelt.

Unfortunately, a series of bans and ownership regulations in later decades meant that the pitbull’s popularity, both in terms of high-profile pitbulls and in the case of humble pets, dwindled rapidly. As such, fewer examples of famous pitbulls exist from recent years. Nonetheless, a few still remain – Cesar Milan’s calm, patient dog Daddy subverted audience expectations with his ability to cope with less well-behaved, yappy and aggressive dogs the trainer worked with on his reality show.

As stigma rose again, people began to seek out pitbulls for the aggressive, fierce traits they didn’t know the pitbull is not particularly prone to having – in particular as attack dogs. Sadly, underground dog fighting rings continued (although on a much smaller scale than before), a phenomenon which was exposed and became common knowledge after a high-profile search of the property of Michael Vicks. Vicks, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback at the time, was convicted of running illegal dog fighting rings among other offenses. The case drew public attention, and sympathy for those dogs subject to animal cruelty increased in public opinion.

Pit bull bans

The bans and ownership regulations on pitbulls have been widely criticized by a number of organizations. Surveys and data collections occasionally suggest that pitbulls are slightly more prone to bites – but it’s unclear if this data is skewed by a minority of poorly-raised dogs, or by the fact that pit bulls have strong jaws whose bites are more likely to require special attention than, say, a Chihuahua’s.

In any case, a lot of data also shows no agreement with the idea of pitbulls being particularly aggressive, and some data – not to mention a lot of anecdotal evidence from dedicated owners – suggests the opposite.

The bans on pitbulls have led to an increased chance of their being put down, abandoned or sent to shelters. For this reason, many organizations exist to restore the pitbull’s reputation, in the hope that it will save lives.

So, to summarize…

• a pitbull is a subjective term, with a definition that changes according to who you ask. It could refer to any of the following breeds:
• American ‘Pit Bull’ Terriers - a large breed emerging in late 19th century America, which is not universally recognized by all kennel clubs
• American Staffordshire Terriers, also known affectionately as ‘staffies’
• The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or ‘English Staffordshire Terrier’, confusingly also referred to as ‘staffies’
• The American Bully, a newer breed of pitbull which is shorter, stockier and more bulldog-like than the breeds listed above
• Any combination of the above, or even a mixed breed that has a number of the shared characteristics seen in standardized, purebred ‘pitbulls’.

Whether you see the term pitbull as a colloquial way of referring to those cute, almond-eyed and softhearted dogs you’ve seen on TV and in magazines, or whether you hold a specific and stringent purebred standard for the term ‘pitbull’, what you’ll surely believe is that these are wonderful, enduring dogs with a fascinating history, and hopefully, a bright and prejudice-free future.