What is a pit bull?
What is a pit bull?
Historically, “pit bull” was an informal and slang term that was used to describe any dog that was used for the cruel sport of bull-baiting – using dogs (of any breed) to seize tethered animals such as bulls within an enclosed area called a “pit” (thus the term “pit bull”).
How many pitbull-type dogs are there?
Pitbull-type dogs are growing in popularity and are by far the most popular “strong” breed dog in the U.S. – in fact, an estimated 20% of dogs in the U.S. can be classified as pitbull-type dogs . Below, learn more about the pitbull-type breeds, the history of pitbull-type dogs, and how the term “pit bull” originated.
How can you tell if a picture of a Pitbull is biased?
An easy way to identify bias and misinformation about pitbull-type dogs is any website or organization that publishes aggressive pictures of pitbull-type dogs. Aggressive pictures can be found for any breed , but these biased and cherry-picked pictures never represent the breed as a whole.
Should we use DNA testing to identify Pitbulls?
As the Mars Wisdom Panel web site recognizes in explaining why DNA testing is an inappropriate tool for defining pit bulls, “The term ‘pit bull’ does not refer to a single recognized breed of dog, but rather to a genetically diverse group of breeds which are associated by similar physical traits,” specifically those favored by dogfighters.
