Recognizing the Pit Bull Breed

American Staffordshire Terriers are Often Confused with Other Breeds

Jan 17, 2009

Pit Bull bias is largely attributed to misidentification of dog breeds. Some experts say up to 75% of dogs identified as pit bulls are actually other breeds of dogs!

It's a question that many dog lovers would answer with a "yes" - but think again. Pit bulls are perhaps the single most misidentified dog breed out there, which perpetuates the pit bull's negative image as an unstable, vicious and blood-thirsty attack dog.

Misidentifying Dogs as Pit Bulls

According to Alan Sullivan, a former Boston area animal control officer, more than 75 percent of the dogs that are described as "pit bulls" are actually other dog breeds.

"People will see a muscular, intimidating dog and they'll automatically call it a pit bull. It's frightening how few people can correctly identify a pit bull when they see one," Sullivan explained, adding, "As an animal control officer, I investigated many dog mauling cases and few involved true pit bulls.

"Many of the dogs involved in dog bite incidents and maulings are reported as pit bulls, but few actually are. Labrador retrievers, cocker spaniels, Siberian huskies - dogs that are typically viewed as good family dogs are most often the breeds that are involved in these mauling and dog bite incidents. Unfortunately, people blame pit bulls for the work of more than two dozen dog breeds, so it's no wonder that they've got a bad reputation in some people's minds."

Is This Dog a Pit Bull?

Sullivan isn't alone in his frustration over pit bull misidentification. One website, PitBullsOnTheWeb.com, published a "Find the Pit Bull" photo array that challenges website visitors to pick out the true pit bull.

Very few people select the pit bull on the first, second or even third try, according to Sullivan.

At one event with other animal control officers, Sullivan brought along a "Find the Pit Bull" photo array to show his colleagues, but "Of the more than two dozen animal control officers present - professionals who should know their dog breeds very well - only five were able to correctly identify the pit bull on the first try. Several of the animal control officers owned pit bulls, but were still unable to pick out the proper dog on the first shot. That tells me there's something seriously lacking when it comes to knowledge about the pit bull breed, even among professionals," Sullivan explained.

Perceptions of pit bulls vary, as PitBullsOnTheWeb.com points out: "For many people, a pit bull is a a big headed dog, or a dog with cropped ears. For some it's a brindle dog, a big, stocky dog, or one with an eye patch."

The Harm of Misidentifying Other Dog Breeds as Pit Bulls

Unfortunately, the frequent misidentification of a dog as a pit bull has only increased negative stigma surrounding the pit bull breed. This has led to pit bull bans in some communities, while many insurance companies will not offer homeowner's insurance to pit bull owners.

But virtually everyone who truly knows the pit bull breed agrees that the pit's bad reputation is unwarranted.

"They're a physically strong breed. They're an outgoing breed. And they're a very obedient, trainable breed. If you're going to breed a dog as an attack dog or a fighting dog, a pit bull is a very logical choice - but it's not because they're inherently vicious or aggressive. They're simply more appealing to the worst type of dog owners for their smarts and physical strength. You're not going to pick a chihuahua for a dog fighting ring. You're not going to pick a pug to be an attack dog. You're going to pick a strong, muscular pit bull because physically, they're the best for the job. Any dog can be trained to be aggressive or to fight. Pit bulls are simply picked for this more frequently than other dog breeds," explained pit bull owner and pit bull foster parent Alexis Foster.

In addition, the fact that a pit bull is a stigmatized dog breed makes people more likely to report a dog bite incident involving a pit bull, skewing dog bite statistics in a way that makes the pit bull and other "aggressive" dog breeds look even worse.

"I have never had a report of a dog bite involving a chihuahua. But far and away, chihuahuas and other small or medium breed dogs account for most of the dog bites I've sustained on the job," Sullivan said, concluding, "People simply don't feel as threatened by a chihuahua or other small dog, and they're less likely to inflict serious injury, so people simply don't report it."

In fact, many dog trainers believe that small dog aggression is more common due to the fact that small dogs are less threatening. Foster added, "If your pit bull growls at a person, alarm bells go off. If your pomeranean growls at someone, there's some owners who think it's cute and harmless."