The pit bull myths… we’ve all heard them.
Unfortunately, anyone dedicated to fighting BSL will be forced to deal with officials and others who believe some or all of the below false beliefs about pit bulls. This page was created to help you combat those myths with the best ammunition…facts!
No one breed as a whole is bad, the same as no one race of humans is bad. Much has to do with the individual, it’s genes, upbringing, and training. In the case of Pit Bulls, a breed that was created to be especially gentle with people, all of the human aggressive dogs are victims of one or more of the following: poor breeding, bad training, or irresponsible upbringing.
There are thousands upon thousands of Pit Bulls that are loving, loyal, safe pets, who will live and die without ever having bitten a human. They are the proof that this “born bad” idea is fiction, pure and simple.
Legal Proof: In the event you are asked to provide “fact based” and undisputed proof to this effect, in August 2002, the Supreme Court of Alabama affirmed the decision of the lower state court that pit bulls are not inherently dangerous. City of Huntsville v. Tack, et al., Alabama Supreme Court (2002).
Again, in the case of Zuniga v. County of San Mateo Department of Health Services, the California Court of Appeals held that pit bulls are not inherently dangerous. (1990)
According to Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia:
“In regard to claims of massive 1200 P.S.I., 1500 P.S.I., 1800 P.S.I. jaw strength he says, “To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of ‘pounds per square inch’ can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data.”
Dr. Brisbin has also conducted studies with respect to the myth that a pit bull’s jaws lock. With respect to this, he states:
“The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of ‘locking mechanism’ unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier.”
Despite all the studies on dog bites, the American Veterinary Medical Association has found that no single breed is more dangerous than another. Rather, studies show the most popular breeds at any given time tend to top the list because, of course, there are more of those dogs in the general population.
It may seem to the general public, who is constantly bombarded with disturbing reports on Pit Bull attacks, that this is the only breed that harms humans with any great regularity. However, the fact remains that Pit Bulls are hot news items. Dogs of all breeds and mixes bite and attack people all the time, but it is mainly the Pit Bull bites that get sensationalized.
If the breed of dog was the primary determining factor in all dog attacks, it would stand to reason that since there are literally hundreds of thousands of pit bulls in the United States alone, there would be countless more statistics on pit bull bites. The truth is, there simply are not. Any dog, regardless of its breed, is only as dangerous as his/her owner allows it to be.
Further, in the case of Tellings v. City of Toledo (2004), the Court found that there is no statistical evidence which indicates that the pit bull bites more frequently than some other breeds of dogs.
Using These Facts Effectively
When addressing myths about pit bulls with officials or the public, consider these approaches:
- Always cite credible sources (as provided above)
- Reference court cases where judges have ruled that pit bulls are not inherently dangerous
- Use expert testimony from veterinarians and animal behaviorists
- Focus on the role of responsible ownership in preventing any dog-related incidents
- Emphasize that dog behavior is determined by multiple factors, not solely breed
- Point out that media sensationalism creates a skewed perception of pit bull incidents
By countering myths with facts and evidence, we can help educate officials and the public about the true nature of pit bulls and why breed-specific legislation is ineffective and unfair.