Blame the deed, Not

the breed!

Pit bull is not a breed, it is a term used to describe American Pit bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. These are three different breeds but have similar characteristics. They all belong to the Molosser Family. The Molossian family of dogs bear the name of the people with whom they were most often associated, a group of people in ancient Greece, the Molossi Tribe.

Molosser Family

HistoryThe Pit bull flourished in America, and was one of the most popular breeds. Pit bulls accompanied pioneer families on explorations. They were so popular during the 1900’s, they were our mascot in both World Wars One and Two. History icons such as Theodore Roosevelt and Helen Keller were proud owners of this breed.

* Head is medium length, with a broad skull and very pronounced

cheek muscles, a wide deep muzzle, a well-defined, moderately

deep stop, and strong under jaw.

* Eyes are round to almond shaped, low in the skull, and set apart.

* Ears are set high.

* Neck is heavy and muscular.

* Body is muscular with a deep, broad chest.

* Tail is medium length and set low.

* Hindquarters are well-muscled with hocks set low on the legs.

* Coat is a single coat, smooth, short, and close to the skin

Breed Identification

****The city of San Francisco recognizes a dog as a Pit bull if he/she possesses 5 out of 8 of these characteristics.

Can you identify the Pit bull?

Answers at the end

Services

Pit bulls are commonly used for the following services:

* Therapy

* Disability aides

* Search and Rescue

* Narcotics and Bomb Sniffing

* Allergen Sniffing

*Police

*Border Patrol

Neville the Pit bullExplosives PatrolWashington State Patrol

The media is largely responsible for the bias against pit bulls. According to the ASPCA, pit bull attacks are not only over reported, but any dog that resembles a pit bull is quickly given that label. The ASPCA conducted a study in 2007, recording how often dog attacks were reprinted when the dog was wrongly identified. There were no attacks printed more than twice if the dog was not a pit bull. One attack by a pit bull was reprinted 230 times. This story was even covered by CNN, MSNBC, and FOX.

Negative Media Attention

Myths

Myth Fact

Pit bulls have lock jaw. Verified via expert examination, the jaws of a pit bull are functionally the same as the jaws of any other breed.

Pit have a naturally aggressive nature.  In tests done by the American Temperament Test Society, pit bulls were generally less aggressive when faced with confrontational situations that produced negative reactions out of many other stereotypically "friendly" dog breeds, such as beagles and poodles.

Pit bulls brains swell causing them to go crazy.

Dogs turn due to: improper handling, lack of socialization or training, a misreading of behavior by owner, or rarely disease.

Pit bulls are only good for fighting. Pit bulls were ideal for fighting because they are naturally trainable and eager to please their owner.

Family Dogs

In England, Pit bulls are so popular and have such a well known reputation with children, they are nickname the “Nanny Dog”. Pit bulls generally make poor guard dogs because they are so people friendly, however they are very protective of their family. They have been bred for centuries to be human-friendly, and when trained properly, are submissive with people and confident in their surroundings.

Laws regarding Pit bulls vary depending on the area in which you live. Breed Specific Legislation can restrict breeds severely and

also ban them completely.

States implementing Pit bull bans include Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri,

New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Usually the ban requires the dog be muzzled and on a very short Leash(12 inches to 3 feet). Pit Bulls are the number one target for

theselaws in America.

Bans

Sergeant Stubby- An all American war hero who saved his

entire platoon from a poison gas attack and

singlehandedly caught a German spy.

Popsicle- A Pit bull rescued from a drug dealer’s freezer. He

was able to sniff out 3,075 pounds of cocaine in the largest

drug find in Texas history.

Dakota- Handpicked by NASA to assist in the recovery of the

Astronauts after the 2003 shuttle disaster.

Diamond- Saved owner Darryl Steen and two daughters, 9

and 16 years old, from apartment fire.

Famous Pit bulls

Brittany Settles

A. Dogo Argentino

B. Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog

**C. Pit bull**

D. Cane Corso

E. English Bulldog

Could you spot the Pit?

Resourceshttp://www.understand-a-bull.com/

www.realpitbull.com

http://www.shortywood.com/pitfacts.htm

http://www.globalanimal.org/2011/06/15/pit-bull-bans-an-ineffective-and-cruel-solution/42397/

http://www.pitbulllovers.com