Facts & Myths

Fact vs. Myth

Fact #1:
The  “Pit Bull” has a very strong need to please. They are gentle, loving, good natured, playful, and extremely loyal family pets that are great with children and adults. Almost always obedient, they are eager to please their masters.

Fact #2:
“Pit bulls” love to love. They’re known for being big snugglers, face lickers, and all around best friends.

Fact #3:

 If you’re interested in a dog that provides additional protection for your home, “pit bulls” aren’t for you. They love people and are always happy to meet a new friend.

Fact #4:

 If you’re just looking for a dog that makes you look tough, you should consider whether or not you want to put in the time and effort any pet requires.

Fact #5:
If you don’t have time or don’t agree with discipline and training, the “pit bull” isn’t right for you. We encourage all our adoptive parents to use positive reinforcement as well as correction training and ask that they be able to keep up consistent training and control the house with a consistent strong, loving hand.

Fact #6:
“Pit bulls” are terriers and terriers need a lot of exercise. We recommend “pit bulls” for active homes with room to run and play. “Pit bulls” are great with children and don’t mind ear tugging or tail pulling.

Myth #1: Pit Bull is a breed

“There’s a great deal of confusion associated with the label “pit bull.” This isn’t surprising because the term doesn’t describe a single breed of dog. Depending on whom you ask, it can refer to just a couple of breeds or to as many as five—and all mixes of these breeds. The most narrow and perhaps most accurate definition of the term “pit bull” refers to just two breeds: the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) and the American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff). Some people include the Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog in this group because these breeds share similar head shapes and body types.

Because of the vagueness of the “pit bull” label, many people may have trouble recognizing a pit bull when they see one. Multiple breeds are commonly mistaken for pit bulls, including the Boxer, the Presa Canario, the Cane Corso, the Dogo Argentino, the Tosa Inu, the Bullmastiff, the Dogue de Bordeaux, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog and the Olde English Bulldogge.”*

Think you can accurately identify a pit bull?

Test yourself by following this link: http://www.pickthepit.com/

Really want to test your knowledge? Try this quiz:  http://naplesnews.polldaddy.com/s/can-you-identify-a-pit-bull  

*quoted from the ASPCA, http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/truth-about-pit-bulls

When we refer to “pit bulls,” pitties, pibbles, pitbulls we are referring to the mutts that encompass the physical characteristics described above.

Myth #2: Locking jaws
Many people believe or have been told that part of the reason “pit bulls” are so dangerous is because they can lock their jaws. This is simply not true. While they do have strong jaws and tend to be a muscular breed, their bone, muscle, and jaw structure is not different than any other dog.   In fact, did you know the Rottweiler has a stronger jaw than the “pit bull.”

Myth #3: “Pit bulls” are vicious

Recently “pit bulls” have developed a reputation as vicious animals. Unfortunately, because of that reputation, people who treat animals unethically want to own them. They chain them up, they’re forced to live outdoors regardless of weather; they’re beaten, starved, and forced to fight for their life.

Eventually these dogs can turn on their owner or other humans after years and years of abuse.

“Pit bulls” are not inherently vicious or dangerous. 84% of “pit bulls” pass the American Temperament Association test. That is higher than Border Collies, Golden Retrievers, and Beagles.

Myth #4: “Pit Bulls have more bite pressure per square inch (PSI) than any other breed.”

This is absolutely false. Tests that have been done comparing the bite pressure of several  breeds showed pressure PSI (per square inch) to be considerably lower  than some wild estimates that have been made. Testing has shown that  the domestic dog averages about 320 lbs of pressure per square inch.   Recently Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic conducted a comparative test between a Pit Bull, a Rottweiler, and a German Shepherd. The Pit  Bull had the LOWEST PSI OF THE THREE.

The highest pressure recorded from the Pit Bull was 235 lbs PSI.  The highest from the GSD was 238, and the highest from the Rott was 328.  Dr. Barr states that as far as he knows, the PSI tested in the Rott is the highest on record for any domestic canine.

What happened to the supposed 10,000 pounds PSI pressure that the breed supposedly has???  It’s a MYTH, pure and simple.

Myth #5: The myth of the “blue nose” & the “red nose” …. “Red or blue nose dogs are: a special type of Pit Bull / rare / worth more than black nose dogs”

Let’s talk color in Pit Bulls. (when we say “Pit Bulls” we mean Pit Bull type dogs who are categorized into the same bucket due to physical characteristics)

Pit Bulls are traditionally a performance breed. That means that they were originally bred based on how well they performed a certain task, not what they looked like. Color was probably the least important thing that old-time breeders of Pit Bulls considered. Today, Pit Bulls remain largely a working/performance dog, and so the old way of doing things as far as looks are concerned largely still holds fast. True, many American Pit Bull Terriers today are also bred with the show ring in mind, however color is of almost zero importance even in that venue. No one who really knows Pit Bulls is all that impressed by color. A flashy color does not a good dog make, and although many people have favorite colors, breed savvy people know that it’s what’s under the coat that counts.

Pit Bulls come in almost every color that is genetically possible in dogs. Some colors are more common (brindle or fawn for instance); some colors you don’t see as often (such as spotted or black and tan). One thing is for certain, however: blue and red nosed dogs do NOT fall into the “rare” category – there are many of both colors out there.

Nose/coat color is NOT a specific breed or type of Pit Bull. Colors are not breeds.

No color is more rare or valuable than another. Yet for some reason, unscrupulous backyard breeders pump out “blue” puppies by the thousands (and sell them for thousands). These people produce poor quality animals with no thought to health and temperament, their biggest selling point being coat color. Breeders of this type many times charge jacked up prices for their puppies, justifying the high price tag by claiming their dogs are of a “rare” or “special” color. The unsuspecting buyer is duped into believing their animal is extraordinary simply because he happens to have an “odd” colored nose. When really blue/red dogs are not more rare or special than any other color – in fact, they’re dying in shelters, just like all other Pit Bulls. Breeders of this ilk are especially dubious because not only are they producing bad stock, but they lure their customers in by making false claims.

There is a specific line of American Pit Bull Terrier known for its red noses; this is the Old Family Red Nose strain. But this was a tight-knit family of dogs bred closely because of their superior ability in the pit. The genetic closeness of the dogs made it easy to pass
on certain traits–it just so happens that the traits of the Old Family dogs included not only gameness, but the genes for red noses as well.

There is nothing wrong with liking one color above another, but one should be an educated consumer/owner.

Some people have the mistaken belief that blue or red nosed dogs are a special “type” of Pit Bull. When speaking of such dogs, these sorts are apt to make statements such as, “I have a blue Pit”, or “My dog is the red nosed kind”. Let’s replace “brindle” with “red-nosed”: “My dog is the brindle kind.” Sort of silly, no? Brindle is just a color a Pit Bull may be, not a “kind” of Pit Bull. Well, ditto red and blue.