A pit bull is a type of dog rather than a breed, according to the ASPCA, Pit Bull Rescue Central and Best Friends Animal Society. These are dogs that were originally bred first to fight bulls and then to fight other dogs. Despite their recent fierce reputation, pit bulls are very people-loving dogs and will do just about anything to earn a human’s praise – including ripping another dog to shreds.
But pit bulls have a long history of being far more than just a fighting dog. They are also babysitters, search and rescue dogs, therapy dogs, guard dogs, dogs working for the customs office, vermin exterminators, bed warmers and beloved companions. Helen Keller had a pit bull. The dog in “The Little Rascals” film series was a pit bull (although the ring around his eye was painted on).
Dog Types
Pit bull type dogs can be a mix of many breeds, but usually there is a bulldog or a breed derived from a bulldog in there somewhere. The main breeds seen today are the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier (the original is shorter than the Americanized version). A pit bull type dog has short hair, a boxy figure, a short nose, a broad chest and semi-floppy ears (which may be cropped or cut off entirely at the owner’s whim).
Dogs were originally bred for their function and not for their forms. There are three other popular types of dogs that are mistaken as breeds. They are the Jack Russell, the Lurcher and the Staghound. These dogs may or not have a written pedigree, but they tend to fall into a particular physical type and can do a particular physical function.
The Myth of the Purebred
What is a purebred dog, then? Basically, the only difference between a purebred dog like a French Bulldog and a pit bull is money. People have decided that some dogs are worth a lot more money than others. A dog may come with a pedigree and a registration from a kennel club, but kennel clubs do not check the accuracy of these pedigrees.
Although professional and amateur dog breeders argue that purebred dogs produce puppies that will grow up to look and behave in a certain way, anyone who actually pays attention to dogs that the only thing predictable about dogs is that they are unpredictable. Littermates will grow up vastly different in size, health and trainability.
But all dogs, no matter what their breed or type, can be trained to be a positive benefit to society. Pit bulls are intelligent enough to know what is expected of them and can be fully rehabilitated. It’s too bad the same can’t be said of human beings. There’s a lot we can learn from pit bulls.
References:
“ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs.” Sheldon L. Gerstenfeld, VMD. Chronicle Books; 1999.
Pit Bull Rescue Central. “Breed Information.” http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html
Best Friends Animal Society. “Pit Bulls: Saaving America’s Dog.” http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pit_bulls.cfm
