View source for Pit bull

{{Short description| Type of dog}}
{{Redirect|Pitbull|the musician|Pitbull (rapper)|other uses|Pitbull (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox Dogbreed
| name    = Pit bull
| image = Pit bull sampler.jpg
| image_caption = A selection of dog breeds sometimes classified as pit bull types. Clockwise from top left: [[American Pit Bull Terrier]], [[American Staffordshire Terrier]], [[American Bulldog]], [[Staffordshire Bull Terrier]].
| country  = United States
}}
'''Pit bull''' is an umbrella term for several [[Dog type|types of dog]] believed to have descended from [[bull and terrier]]s. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the [[American Pit Bull Terrier]], [[American Staffordshire Terrier]], [[American Bully]], [[Staffordshire Bull Terrier]], and sometimes the [[American Bulldog]], along with any crossbred dog that shares certain physical characteristics with these breeds. In other countries, including the United Kingdom, the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed specifically,{{r|Hoffman|Oxford|Webster}} while the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not considered a pit bull.{{r|Hoffman|Olson|Allen}} Most pit bull–type dogs descend from the British bull and terrier, a 19th-century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the [[Old English Bulldog]] and the [[Old English Terrier]].{{r|Fogle|Morris|Beaufoy}}
Pit bull–type dogs have a controversial reputation as pets internationally, due to their history in [[dog fighting]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-07-03|title=The Most Feared Dogs May Also Be the Most Misunderstood|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/07/pit-bull-ban-aggressive-dog-breed-bronwen-dickey/|access-date=2020-08-15|website=National Geographic News|language=en|archive-date=July 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715182806/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/07/pit-bull-ban-aggressive-dog-breed-bronwen-dickey/|url-status=dead}}</ref> the number of high-profile attacks documented in the media over decades, and their proclivity to latch on while biting. Proponents of the type and advocates of regulation have engaged in a highly contentious [[nature-versus-nurture]] debate over whether aggressive tendencies in pit bulls may be appropriately attributed to owners' poor care for and competency to handle the dog or inherent qualities owing to their breeding for fighting purposes.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Glazebrook|first=Louise|date=2016-04-13|title=What makes an animal dangerous? The nature v nurture debate in dogs|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36038438/what-makes-an-animal-dangerous-the-nature-v-nurture-debate-in-dogs|access-date=2020-08-15|website=BBC Newsbeat|language=en-GB|archive-date=October 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014025355/http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36038438/what-makes-an-animal-dangerous-the-nature-v-nurture-debate-in-dogs|url-status=live}}</ref>  While some studies have argued that pit bull–type dogs are not disproportionately dangerous, offering competing interpretations on dog bite statistics, independent organizations have published statistics based on hospital records showing pit bulls are responsible for more than half of dog bite incidents among all breeds despite comprising only 6% of pet dogs.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=The Problem With Pit Bulls|url=https://time.com/2891180/kfc-and-the-pit-bull-attack-of-a-little-girl/|access-date=2020-08-20|magazine=Time|archive-date=May 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513130829/https://time.com/2891180/kfc-and-the-pit-bull-attack-of-a-little-girl/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Coile2">{{cite book |last1=Coile |first1=D. Caroline |title=Pit Bulls for Dummies |date=2021 |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |isbn=978-1119720904 |edition=2nd ed., Kindle }}</ref>{{Rp|pp=18, 49}} Some insurance companies will not cover pit bulls (along with [[Rottweiler]]s and [[Wolfdog|wolf hybrids]]) because these particular dogs cause a disproportionate rate of bite incidents.<ref name=Gephardt>Gephardt, Bill. [http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=25091614 Some dog breeds too risky for insurance companies.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904071314/http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=25091614 |date=September 4, 2015 }} KSL.com, May 8, 2013</ref> Dog bite severity varies by the breed of dog, and studies have found that pit bull–type dogs have both a high rate of reported bites and a high rate of severe injuries, compared to other non–pit bull–type dogs.<ref name="Essig">{{cite journal |last1=Essig |first1=Garth F. |last2=Sheehan |first2=Cameron |title=Dog bite injuries to the face: Is there risk with breed ownership? A systematic review with meta-analysis |journal=International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology |date=February 2019 |volume=117 |pages=182–188 |doi= 10.1016/j.ijporl.2018.11.028 |pmid=30579079 |s2cid=57740754 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165587618305950 |access-date=23 February 2022 |issn = 0165-5876 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Jeffrey Q. |last2=Krieger |first2=Rachel |title=Pediatric Dog Bites to the Face May Have Been Less Severe During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Cohort Study |journal=Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery |date=January 13, 2023 |volume=81 |issue=5 |pages=575–582 |doi =10.1016/j.joms.2022.12.018|pmid=36646135 |pmc=9838755 }}</ref>
Pit bull–type dogs are extensively used in the United States for dog fighting, a practice that has continued despite being outlawed.{{r|Morris|Kalouf}} Several nations and jurisdictions restrict the ownership of pit bull–type dogs through [[breed-specific legislation]].{{r|Hoffman|Olson}} A pro–pit bull lobby exists that spends millions of dollars a year promoting pit bulls as family pets, funding pro-pit bull researchers, and opposing laws that regulate their ownership.<ref name="Coile2"/>{{rp|loc 762}}
== History ==
[[File:Benjamin Marshall - Dustman - Bulldog and Terrier Mix.jpg|thumb|200px|Early 19th century bull-and-terrier]]
The term has been used since at least the early 20th century.<ref name="The Dog fancier 1913">{{cite web |title=The Dog fancier v.12 1903 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044095334702&view=1up&seq=258&q1=%22pit%20bull%22 |publisher=The Dog fancier |page=28 |date=1903}}</ref>{{r|Webster}} It is believed all dogs that are now classified as pit bulls descend from the British [[bull-and-terrier]], which were first imported into North America in the 1870s.{{r|Fogle|Morris}} The bull-and-terrier was a breed of dog developed in the United Kingdom in the early 19th century for the [[blood sport]]s of dog fighting and [[rat baiting]]. It was created by crossing the ferocious, thickly muscled [[Old English Bulldog]] with the agile, lithe, feisty [[Black and Tan Terrier]].{{r|Fogle|Morris}} The aggressive Old English Bulldog, which was bred for [[bear baiting|bear]] and [[bull baiting]], was often also pitted against its own kind in organized dog fights, but it was found that lighter, faster dogs were better suited to dogfighting than the heavier Bulldog.{{r|Fogle|Morris|Beaufoy}} To produce a lighter, faster, more agile dog that retained the courage and tenacity of the Bulldog, outcrosses from local terriers were tried, and ultimately found to be successful.{{r|Fogle|Morris|Beaufoy}}
As it was in the UK, dog fighting became a popular pastime in 19th century America and bull-and-terriers were imported to the New World to pursue the blood sport.{{r|Fogle|Morris}} In the United States, organized dog fights have been progressively outlawed in various states since 1874, culminating in federal legislation criminalizing animal fighting in 2007.{{r|Kalouf}}
In the 1890s breeders of American pit bull–type dogs attempted to have their dogs recognized by the [[American Kennel Club]], but because of the type's association with dogfighting, the club rejected these entreaties.{{r|Fogle|Morris}} Following this rejection, in 1898 breeders of American Pit Bull Terriers established a rival [[kennel club]], the [[United Kennel Club]]. In addition to being a breed registry, the United Kennel Club also regulated dogfights.{{r|Fogle|Morris|Wilcox}} In the 1930s the American Kennel Club was faced with a dilemma: whilst not wishing to condone dogfighting, there was a desire to recognize a uniquely American dog breed for which over 30 years of breed records existed.{{r|Fogle|Morris|Wilcox}} The solution was to recognize Pit Bull Terriers under a different name and prohibit these dogs from being used in organized fights, and in 1935 the American Kennel Club recognized Pit Bull Terriers as Staffordshire Terriers.{{r|Fogle|Morris|Wilcox}}
The name "Staffordshire Bull Terrier" was first used in Britain in 1930 in advertisements for bull-and-terrier-type dogs.{{r|Beaufoy}} Organized dog fighting had been effectively eliminated in the United Kingdom by the [[Protection of Animals Act 1911]], but devotees of the bull-and-terrier type continued to breed these dogs, predominantly in England's [[Black Country]].{{r|Beaufoy}} Throughout the early 1930s attempts were made in England to gain recognition for these dogs with [[The Kennel Club]]; these efforts were successful in 1935.{{r|Fogle|Morris|Kalouf}} In order to avoid confusion with the British breed, in 1972 the American Kennel Club changed the name of their American breed to the American Staffordshire Terrier.{{r|Morris|Wilcox}}
Despite criminalisation, illegal fights using pit bull–type dogs have continued to be widespread in the United States. In the 1990s in that country it was estimated 1,500 dogs died annually in organized fights, and by the mid-2000s it was estimated over 40,000 people were involved in the illegal blood sport.{{r|Fogle|Morris|Kalouf}} Pit bull–type dogs are also used by criminal organizations to guard illegal narcotics, and to intimidate and attack civilians, other criminals and police, the type becoming a status symbol in American [[gang culture]].{{r|Kalouf}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Cook|first=Frank|title=Pit bulls becoming drug dealers weapon of preference|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/06/29/Pit-bulls-becoming-drug-dealers-weapon-of-preference/6208551937600|date=June 29, 1987|publisher=United Press International|access-date=December 21, 2019|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221182621/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/06/29/Pit-bulls-becoming-drug-dealers-weapon-of-preference/6208551937600/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Al |last1=Baker |first2=Mathew R. |last2=Warren |title=Shooting highlights the risks dogs pose to police, and vice versa |date=July 9, 2009 |place=New York, NY |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/nyregion/10pitbull.html |access-date=January 7, 2010 |archive-date=November 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116022218/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/nyregion/10pitbull.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On the other side of the law, pit bull–type dogs have been used by [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] as [[drug detection dog]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |date=October 2002 |title=Cool K-9 Popsicle retires |journal=U.S. Customs Today |volume=38 |issue=#10 |url=http://www.cbp.gov/xp/CustomsToday/2002/October/k9.xml |access-date=August 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111024001344/http://www.cbp.gov/xp/CustomsToday/2002/October/k9.xml |archive-date=October 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Adrienne Mand |last=Lewin |title=Protecting the Nation — One Sniff at a Time |date=October 12, 2005 |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Terrorism/story?id=1200304&page=1 |access-date=February 2, 2009 |archive-date=March 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070322183804/http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Terrorism/story?id=1200304&page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
There is a lobby of animal rights groups that are spending millions of dollars to try to rebrand pit bulls as family dogs.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Fifth Estate: Pitbulls Unleashed |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFa8HOdegZA | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/iFa8HOdegZA| archive-date=2021-10-30|access-date=10 March 2021 |date=2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In efforts to counter negative perceptions about pit bull–type dogs, both the [[San Francisco SPCA|San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] and the New York City [[Center for Animal Care and Control]] have unsuccessfully attempted to rename the type.<ref>{{cite news |first=George |last=Cothran |title=Shouldn't we just kill this dog? |date=June 11, 1997 |place=San Francisco, CA |periodical=[[San Francisco Weekly]] |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/1997-06-11/news/shouldn-t-we-just-kill-this-dog |access-date=September 4, 2009 |archive-date=February 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209215548/http://www.sfweekly.com/1997-06-11/news/shouldn-t-we-just-kill-this-dog/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Clyde |last=Haberman |title=NYC; Rebrand Fido? An idea best put down |date=January 13, 2004 |place=New York, NY |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/13/nyregion/nyc-rebrand-fido-an-idea-best-put-down.html |access-date=September 4, 2009 |archive-date=May 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521175511/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/13/nyregion/nyc-rebrand-fido-an-idea-best-put-down.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:003 American Pit Bull Terrier.jpg|thumb|American Pit Bull Terrier]]
== Identification ==
Studies have found that when people involved in dog rescue, adoption, and regulation identify the breed of a dog of mixed parentage, this identification did not always correlate with the DNA analysis of that dog.<ref name="Inconsistent identification of pit bull–type dogs by shelter staff">{{cite journal|title=Inconsistent identification of pit bull–type dogs by shelter staff|journal=The Veterinary Journal|volume=206|pages=197–202|last1=Olson|first1=K.R.|year=2015|issue=2|doi=10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.07.019|pmid=26403955|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Rethinking dog breed identification in veterinary practice">{{cite journal|title=Rethinking dog breed identification in veterinary practice|journal=[[Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association]]|volume=241|pages=1163–1166|last1=Simpson|first1=Robert John|year=2012|issue=9|doi=10.2460/javma.241.9.1163|pmid=23078561|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="A canine identity crisis: Genetic breed heritage testing of shelter dogs">{{cite journal|title=A canine identity crisis: Genetic breed heritage testing of shelter dogs|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=13|last1=Gunter|first1=Lisa M.|year=2018|issue=8|pages=e0202633|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0202633|pmid=30138476|pmc=6107223|bibcode=2018PLoSO..1302633G|doi-access=free}}</ref> Mixed-breed dogs are often labeled as pit bulls if they have certain physical characteristics, such as a square-shaped head or bulky body type.<ref name="Irrationality Unleashed: The Pitfalls of Breed-Specific Legislation">{{cite journal|url=http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/umkc78&div=32&id=&page=|title=Irrationality Unleashed: The Pitfalls of Breed-Specific Legislation|journal=UMKC Law Review|volume=78|pages=839|last1=Swann|first1=Kristen E|access-date=August 20, 2020|archive-date=March 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326163501/https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals%2Fumkc78&div=32&id=&page=|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
== Dog attack and death risk ==
{{See also|Dog bite|List of fatal dog attacks}}
[[File:Pit bull with cropped ears at SFACC.jpg|thumb|180px|A pit bull with cropped ears]]
A 2000 joint review project between researchers in the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC), [[Humane Society of the United States]] (HSUS) and [[American Veterinary Medical Association]] (AVMA) found the data indicated that [[Rottweiler]]s and pit bull–type dogs accounted for 67% of human dog bite-related fatalities in the United States between 1997 and 1998, and followed with "It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." Pit bull–type dogs were identified in approximately one-third of dog bite-related fatalities in the United States between 1981 and 1992. The review notes that studies on dog bite-related fatalities which collect information by surveying news reports are subject to potential errors, as some fatal attacks may not have been reported, a study might not find all relevant news reports, and the dog breed might be misidentified.<ref name="CDC">{{cite web |last1=Sacks |first1=Jeffrey J. |last2=Sinclair |first2=Leslie |last3=Gilchrist |first3=Julie |title=Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116130816/http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf |archive-date=November 16, 2015 |date=September 15, 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref> However, after 2000 the CDC stopped tracking dog bites, and in 2001, Julie Gilchrist, a CDC pediatrician and epidemiologist, stated that part of the reason the CDC stopped collecting dog bite data was because "making meaningful analysis [of the data][was] nearly impossible".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2017-11-15/dangerous-dog-debate|title=The dangerous dog debate &#124; American Veterinary Medical Association|date=November 2017 }}</ref>
In a 2021 review of 19 retrospective dog bite studies from U.S. Level I trauma centers, pit bulls were found to inflict a higher prevalence and severity of injuries compared with other breeds.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34100808/|pmid = 34100808|year = 2021|last1 = Reuter Muñoz|first1 = K. D.|last2 = Powell|first2 = L. E.|last3 = Andersen|first3 = E. S.|last4 = Nye|first4 = A. D.|last5 = Powers|first5 = J. M.|last6 = Rhodes|first6 = J.|last7 = Pozez|first7 = A. L.|title = Analysis of Pediatric Dog Bite Injuries at a Level 1 Trauma Center over 10 Years|journal = Annals of Plastic Surgery|volume = 86|issue = 6S Suppl 5|pages = S510–S516|doi = 10.1097/SAP.0000000000002928|s2cid = 235368825}}</ref> A 2020 literature review in ''Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery'' found that from 1971 to 2018 of all pure breed dogs in the United States, pit bull–type breeds were second, behind the [[German Shepherd]], and ahead of [[Labrador Retriever|Labrador]]s, [[Chow Chow]]s, and Rottweilers (in that order) for the most bites severe enough to require hospital treatment. The study found that the proportion of bites caused by German Shepherds decreased by 0.63 percent per year over that time interval while the proportion caused by pit bulls increased by 1.17 percent per year. The pit bull proportion of dog bites increased more slowly in [[Denver, Colorado]], where breed-specific legislation had been in place.<ref name="Bailey"/>
In a 2014 literature review of dog bite studies, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) argues that breed is a poor sole predictor of dog bites.<ref name=avma2014 /> According to the AVMA, controlled studies have not identified pit bulls as disproportionately dangerous, but other studies have found that, compared with other dog breeds, pit bulls were more likely to inflict complex injuries, are more likely to attack unprovoked, and are more likely to go off property to do so.<ref name=avma2014 /><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31816277/|pmid = 31816277|year = 2020|last1 = Khan|first1 = K.|last2 = Horswell|first2 = B. B.|last3 = Samanta|first3 = D.|title = Dog-Bite Injuries to the Craniofacial Region: An Epidemiologic and Pattern-of-Injury Review at a Level 1 Trauma Center|journal = Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery |volume = 78|issue = 3|pages = 401–413|doi = 10.1016/j.joms.2019.11.002|s2cid = 209167886}}</ref> Pit bull–type dogs are more frequently identified with cases involving very severe injuries or fatalities than other breeds, but a 2007 study suggested this may relate to the popularity of the breed, noting that sled dogs, such as [[Siberian Husky|Siberian Huskies]], were involved in a majority of fatal dog attacks in some areas of Canada.<ref name=avma2014 /><ref>Raghavan M. Fatal dog attacks in Canada, 1990–2007. Can Vet J. 2008;49:577–581</ref> Bite statistics by breed are no longer tracked by the CDC,<ref>{{cite web |title=The dangerous dog debate |url=https://www.avma.org/news/javmanews/pages/171115a.aspx |access-date=July 12, 2019 |year=2017 |first1=R. Scott |last1=Nolen |archive-date=October 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019112118/https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/171115a.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> and are discouraged by the AVMA<ref name="avmabite">{{cite web |title=A community approach to dog bite prevention |periodical=[[Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association]] |volume=218 |issue=11 |date=June 1, 2001 |pages=1731–1749 |url=https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/dogbite.pdf |access-date=July 11, 2009}}</ref> and the [[American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] (ASPCA).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-breed-specific-legislation |title=ASPCA Policy and Position Statements |access-date=July 12, 2019 |archive-date=June 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616202010/https://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-breed-specific-legislation |url-status=live }}</ref>
Pit bulls were originally developed from dogs that were bred for bull baiting and dog fighting.<ref name="Bini"/> Pit bull attacks are often perceived as taking place "without warning", possibly due to the type's fighting heritage, as fighting dogs that do not signal aggression may do better in the ring.<ref name="Bini">{{cite journal |last1=Bini |first1=John K. |last2=Cohn |first2=Stephen M. |title=Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs |journal=Annals of Surgery |date=April 2011 |volume=253 |issue=4 |pages=791–797 |doi=10.1097/SLA.0b013e318211cd68 |pmid=21475022|url=https://assets.gov.ie/224373/f881b086-0803-4e92-8773-e45ef1e4db94.pdf}}</ref> However, recent research suggests that this perception may reflect a lack of knowledge of [[Dog communication|dog body-language]], and owners' over-confidence in their ability to interpret those signs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://phys.org/news/2023-06-reveals-links-dog-behavior.html | title=New research reveals links between dog attacks and misunderstanding of dog behavior }}</ref> In fighting with dogs of other breeds, pit bulls, German Shepherds, [[Great Dane]]s and Rottweilers were often the aggressor, and more than twenty percent of studied [[Akita (dog)|Akita]]s, [[Jack Russell Terrier]]s and pit bulls displayed serious aggression towards other dogs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Duffy |first1=D.L. |last2=Hsu |first2=Yuying |last3=Serpell |first3=James A. |title=Breed differences in canine aggression |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |date=18 April 2008 |volume=114 |issue=3–4 |pages=441–460 |doi=10.1016/j.applanim.2008.04.006 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159108001147 |access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref> Although there may be a connection between breed of dog and aggression towards humans, the difficulty of classifying dog attacks by specific breed after the fact has made this point controversial and debated.<ref name="WhatsName">{{cite journal |last1=Gunter |first1=Lisa M. |last2=Barber |first2=Rebecca T. |last3=Wynne |first3=Clive D.L. |title=What's in a Name? Effect of Breed Perceptions & Labeling on Attractiveness, Adoptions & Length of Stay for Pit-Bull-Type Dogs |journal=PLOS ONE |date=23 March 2016 |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=e0146857 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0146857 |pmid=27008213 |pmc=4805246 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1146857G |doi-access=free }}</ref> Violent interactions between humans and canines have been studied by the U.S. government,<ref>Hanna, TL, Selby LA. Characteristics of the human and pet populations in animal bite incidents recorded at two Air Force bases. Public Health Rep. 1981;96:580-584.</ref> notably the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC),<ref>Clarke NM. A survey of urban Canadian animal control practices : the effect of enforcement and resourcing on the reported dog bite rate, Master of Science — MSc 2009</ref> as well as academic veterinary researchers.<ref name=avma2014 /> The interpretation of these studies, breed identification and relevance<ref name="duffy">Duffy, DL., Hsu, Y. Serpell, JA. Breed differences in canine aggression. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2008;114:441–460.</ref> issues, and variable circumstances have given rise to intense controversy.<ref name="RollUnshelm1997">{{cite journal |last1=Roll |first1=A. |last2=Unshelm |first2=J. |title=Aggressive conflicts amongst dogs and factors affecting them |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |volume=52 |issue=#3–4 |year=1997 |pages=229–242 |issn=0168-1591 |doi=10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01125-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.arwob.org/info/file?file=s2148m6372.pdf |title=Pitbull Myths vs. Fact — Animal Rescuers Without Borders |access-date=December 22, 2014 |archive-date=February 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210041919/http://www.arwob.org/info/file?file=s2148m6372.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, researchers on both sides of the pit bull debate rarely disclose when they are being funded by lobbyists, leading to a risk that the scientific literature on pit bulls has been influenced by money.<ref name="Bailey">{{cite journal |last1=Bailey |first1=Chad M. |last2=Hinchcliff |first2=Katharine M. |last3=Moore |first3=Zachary |last4=Pu |first4=Lee L.Q. |title=Dog Bites in the United States from 1971 to 2018: A Systematic Review of the Peer-Reviewed Literature |journal=Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery |date=November 2020 |volume=146 |issue=5 |pages=1166–1176 |doi=10.1097/PRS.0000000000007253|pmid=33136964 |s2cid=225080998 }}</ref>{{rp|p. 1172}}
Pit bulls are known for their tenacity and refusal to release a bite, even in the face of great pain. A popular myth mischaracterized pit bulls as having "locking jaws."<ref name="google1">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SnmDjzD5_8cC&pg=PT56 |title=Pit Bulls For Dummies |author=D. Caroline Coile |date=April 18, 2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |access-date=March 31, 2013 |isbn=9781118069370 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201310/https://books.google.com/books?id=SnmDjzD5_8cC&pg=PT56 |url-status=live }}</ref> The refusal to let go is a behavioral, not physiological trait, and there is no locking mechanism in a pit bull's jaws.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Toledo v. Tellings'', -REVERSED-, 2006-Ohio-975, ¶25 |publisher=Court of Appeals of Ohio, Sixth Appellate District |url=http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/6/2006/2006-ohio-975.pdf |access-date=October 2, 2009 |archive-date=September 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916172053/http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/6/2006/2006-ohio-975.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Pit bull–type dogs, like other terriers, hunting and bull-baiting breeds,<ref name="aspcabite">{{cite web |title=The Truth About Pit Bulls |publisher=American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals |year=2013 |url=http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/truth-about-pit-bulls |access-date=October 22, 2013 |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022035047/http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/truth-about-pit-bulls |url-status=live }}</ref> can exhibit a bite, hold, and shake behavior and at times refuse to release.<ref name="SI 1987">{{cite magazine |first=E.M. |last=Swift |title=The pit bull: friend and killer |date=July 27, 1987 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |volume=67 |issue=#4 |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1987/07/27/115813/the-pit-bull-friend-and-killer-is-the-pit-bull-a-fine-animal-as-its-admirers-claim-or-is-it-a-vicious-dog-unfit-for-society |access-date=December 2, 2009 |archive-date=November 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122182011/http://www.si.com/vault/1987/07/27/115813/the-pit-bull-friend-and-killer-is-the-pit-bull-a-fine-animal-as-its-admirers-claim-or-is-it-a-vicious-dog-unfit-for-society |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Ross, et al">{{cite book |editor1-first=Ross D. |editor1-last=Clark |editor2-first=Joan R. |editor2-last=Stainer |editor3-first=H. David |editor3-last=Haynes |editor4-first=Ralph |editor4-last=Buckner |editor5-first=Jacob |editor5-last=Mosier |editor6-first=Art J. |editor6-last=Quinn |title=Medical & Genetic Aspects of Purebred Dogs |publisher=Veterinary Medicine Publishing |place=[[Edwardsville, KS]] |isbn=978-0-9641609-0-3 |page=27 |year=1983}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Breaking up a fight |publisher=Pit Bull Rescue Central |year=2008 |url=http://www.pbrc.net/breakfight.html |access-date=August 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104114211/http://www.pbrc.net/breakfight.html |archive-date=January 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Pit bulls also have wide skulls, well-developed facial muscles, and strong jaws,<ref name="google1" /> and some research suggests that pit bull bites are particularly serious because they tend to bite deeply and grind their molars into tissue.<ref name="Cherry2014">{{cite book |last=Cherry |first=James |title=Feigin and Cherry's textbook of pediatric infectious diseases — Animal and Human Bites, Morven S. Edwards |publisher=Elsevier/Saunders |location=Philadelphia, PA |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-4557-1177-2 |via=the [[University of Pittsburgh]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ellis|first1=Jennifer Lynn|last2=Thomason|first2=Jeffrey|last3=Kebreab|first3=Ermias|last4=Zubair|first4=Kasim|last5=France|first5=James|date=March 2009|title=Cranial dimensions and forces of biting in the domestic dog|journal=Journal of Anatomy|volume=214|issue=3|pages=362–373|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.01042.x|pmid=19245503|issn=0021-8782|pmc=2673787}}</ref> Breaking an [[ammonia]] [[ampule]] and holding it up to the dog's nose can cause the dog to release its hold.<ref name="Ross, et al" />
=== In animal shelters ===
Many people consider pit bulls undesirable, making it harder for animal shelters to adopt them out.<ref name="Return">{{cite journal |last1=Powell |first1=Lauren |last2=Reinhard |first2=Chelsea |title=Characterizing unsuccessful animal adoptions: age and breed predict the likelihood of return, reasons for return and post-return outcomes |journal=Scientific Reports |year=2021 |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=8018 |doi=10.1038/s41598-021-87649-2 |pmid=33850258 |pmc=8044234 |bibcode=2021NatSR..11.8018P }}</ref> Surveys have found that animal shelter workers intentionally misidentify pit bulls to improve their adoption rates, or to avoid euthanizing them in jurisdictions where they are banned.<ref name=Misidentify/> Animal advocates recommend that shelters stop labeling breeds to improve pit bull adoption rates.<ref name="Return"/> Pit bulls also have higher rates of unsuccessful adoptions, and are more likely than other kinds of dogs to be returned to a shelter multiple times and eventually euthanized.<ref name="Return"/> Whether pit bull adoptions fail more often than other types of dog due to breed behavioral traits, or due to public stigma, is not known, but in general the most common reasons why shelter dog adoptions fail are behavioral problems or incompatibility with the adopter's existing pets.<ref name="Return"/>
=== Breed-specific legislation ===
{{Main|Breed-specific legislation}}
Widely reported pit bull attacks have resulted in the enactment of [[breed-specific legislation]] (BSL) in several jurisdictions. In two cases, breed-specific bans have been reversed by city councils.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/02/03/aurora-may-soon-lift-ban-on-pitbulls/ |title=Aurora May Lift Citywide Ban On Pit Bulls |work=cbslocal.com |date=February 3, 2014 |access-date=October 23, 2014 |archive-date=October 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024024125/http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/02/03/aurora-may-soon-lift-ban-on-pitbulls/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kshb.com/lifestyle/pets/roeland-park-city-council-revisits-pit-bull-ban-in-place-since-the-1980s |title=Roeland Park City Council revisits pit bull ban, in place since the 1980s |author=Lexi Sutter |publisher=KSHB |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024021314/http://www.kshb.com/lifestyle/pets/roeland-park-city-council-revisits-pit-bull-ban-in-place-since-the-1980s |archive-date=October 24, 2014}}</ref>
Breed-specific legislation has been largely found to be ineffective at reducing the number of dog attacks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Breed-Specific_Legislation-download-_8-18-14.pdf |publisher=The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior |title=Position Statement on Breed-Specific Legislation |access-date=August 15, 2020 |archive-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527062101/https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Breed-Specific_Legislation-download-_8-18-14.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Research has indicated that there is resistance by those who work in the adoption industry, applying a sharper distinction before allowing a dog to be labeled as a pit bull, as well as objections from veterinarians.<ref name="news.vin.com">{{cite journal|url=http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=19920|title=Australian officials to kill pit bulls, other 'dangerous' breeds|first=Angie|last=DeRosa|date=September 29, 2011|website=Vin.com|access-date=October 23, 2014|archive-date=March 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319194133/http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=19920|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giaxUm4pZRc | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/giaxUm4pZRc| archive-date=2021-10-30|title=Pit Bulls being sold as Staffy crosses by the RSPCA, Australia |date=March 14, 2012 |via=YouTube |work=[[ABC News (Australian TV channel)|ABC News]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=Misidentify>{{cite web |url=http://newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/news/press-release/pit-bulls-in-animal-shelters |title=When it comes to pit bulls, animal shelter workers intentionally misidentify |work=[[Taylor & Francis]] |access-date=October 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904071314/http://newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/news/press-release/pit-bulls-in-animal-shelters |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |url-status=dead |date=September 2014}}</ref>
Many of the jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls apply their restriction to the modern American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and any other dog that has the substantial physical characteristics and appearance of those breeds, such as the Canadian province of [[Ontario]].<ref name="Government of Ontario, Canada">{{cite web |url=http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d16_e.htm |title=An Act to amend the Dog Owners' Liability Act to increase public safety in relation to dogs, including pit bulls, and to make related amendments to the Animals for Research Act |publisher=Government of Ontario, Canada |date=August 29, 2005 |access-date=July 5, 2010 |archive-date=July 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702074542/http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d16_e.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Denver]], Colorado lifted its longstanding ban on the breed in 2021 following a referendum that voted to repeal the ban.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swanson |first=Conrad |date=2020-11-04 |title=Denver election results for 2J: Voters repeal city's pit bull ban |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2020/11/03/denver-election-results-2j-pit-bull/ |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=The Denver Post |language=en-US}}</ref>
However, a few jurisdictions, such as [[Singapore]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ava.gov.sg/docs/default-source/tools-and-resources/resources-for-businesses/summaryofab_doglicensingcontrol_rules_15nov2010 |title=List of Scheduled Dogs |publisher=Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore |date=November 15, 2010 |access-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-date=August 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150827031216/http://www.ava.gov.sg/docs/default-source/tools-and-resources/resources-for-businesses/summaryofab_doglicensingcontrol_rules_15nov2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> also classify the modern American Bulldog as a "pit bull–type dog".
Courts in the United States<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/0/2007/2007-ohio-3724.pdf |title=''Toledo v. Tellings'', 114 Ohio St.3d 278, 2007-Ohio-3724. |publisher=Supreme Court of Ohio |access-date=June 29, 2009 |archive-date=May 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512062527/https://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/0/2007/2007-Ohio-3724.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/021908pzor.pdf |title=Certeriorari — Summary Dispositions (Order List: 552 U.S.) |publisher=United States Supreme Court |date=February 19, 2008 |access-date=August 3, 2009 |archive-date=June 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607043850/http://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/021908pzor.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> and Canada<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2008/2008onca718/2008onca718.pdf |title=''Cochrane v. Ontario (Attorney General)'', 2008 ONCA 718 |publisher=Ontario Court of Appeal |date=October 24, 2008 |access-date=July 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904071314/http://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2008/2008onca718/2008onca718.pdf |archive-date=September 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Who let the dogs out">{{cite web |url=http://www.law.ualberta.ca/centres/ccs/news/?id=310#_edn8 |title=Who let the dogs out? |publisher=Center for Constitutional Studies, University of Alberta, Canada |date=June 12, 2009 |access-date=July 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614160617/http://www.law.ualberta.ca/centres/ccs/news/?id=310#_edn8 |archive-date=June 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> have ruled that expert identification, when using published breed standards, is sufficient for the enforcement of breed-specific legislation.
Debates often center on whether apparent aggressive tendencies are the result of poor dog ownership or natural behaviors of the breed.<ref name=":0" />
In England, Wales and Scotland, the [[Dangerous Dogs Act 1991|Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991]] prohibits the ownership of American Pit Bull Terriers, along with three other breeds; the Act also bans the breeding, sale and exchange of these dogs.<ref name="UK law">{{cite web |author=Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |title=Dangerous Dogs Law: Guidance for Enforcers |date=March 2009 |url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/dogs-guide-enforcers.pdf |access-date=May 20, 2011 |author-link=Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |archive-date=July 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704193406/http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/dogs-guide-enforcers.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Similar legislation exists in Australia.<ref name="news.vin.com" /> Under Irish law, American Pit Bull Terriers must be led by someone at least 16 years of age, kept on a short strong lead, be muzzled, and wear a collar bearing the name and address of their owner in public at all times.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/animal_welfare_and_control/control_of_dogs.html|title=Control and ownership of dogs|website=citizensinformation.ie|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510114404/https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/animal_welfare_and_control/control_of_dogs.html|archive-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref> In Germany the importation of pit bulls is banned.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Customs online - Dangerous dogs - Dangerous dogs|url=https://www.zoll.de/EN/Private-individuals/Travel/Entering-Germany/Restrictions/Dangerous-dogs/dangerous-dogs.html|access-date=2020-07-24|website=www.zoll.de|archive-date=July 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728152318/https://www.zoll.de/EN/Private-individuals/Travel/Entering-Germany/Restrictions/Dangerous-dogs/dangerous-dogs.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Despite being a banned breed, in 2023 there were 3,316 registered pit bull–type dogs in England and [[Wales]], an increase over the 2,323 that were registered ten years earlier. The dogs are permitted under a system of exemptions that are contingent on owners complying with special rules, such as muzzling them in public and having liability insurance.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Danny |last2=Green |first2=Ruth |title=Thousands of banned dogs living at home with owners |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67217993 |access-date=8 February 2024 |agency=BBC}}</ref>
Seventeen U.S. States prohibit local governments from enacting breed-specific ordinances: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://worldcat.org/arcviewer/7/CZL/2013/01/18/H1358520818001/viewer/file2.htm
| title = STATES THAT PROHIBIT BREED SPECIFIC ORDINANCES
| last = Kaminski
| first = Janet
| date = January 14, 2013
| website = cga.cgt.gov/olr
| publisher = Connecticut General Assembly Office of Legislative Research
| access-date = 21 November 2024
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url = https://stopbsl.org/lawmaking/state-laws/
| title = State Laws
| website = stopbsl.org
| date = February 6, 2011
| access-date = 21 November 2024
}}</ref>
== Commercial restrictions ==
=== Liability insurance ===
Dog owners in the United States can be held [[Legal liability|legally liable]] for injuries inflicted or caused by their dogs. In general, owners are considered liable if they were unreasonably careless in handling or restraining the dog, or if they knew beforehand that the dog had a tendency to cause injury (e.g., bite); however, dog owners are automatically considered liable if local laws hold an owner [[Strict liability|strictly liable]] for all damage caused by their dog, regardless of carelessness or foreknowledge of a dog's tendencies. Homeowners and renters insurance policies typically provide liability coverage from US$100,000–300,000 for injuries inflicted by dogs;<ref name="Insurance Information Institute">{{cite web |title=Dog Bite Liability |publisher=[[Insurance Information Institute]] |date=September 2009 |url=http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/dogbite/ |access-date=September 24, 2009 |archive-date=June 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615052434/http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/dogbite/ |url-status=live }}</ref> however, some insurance companies limit their exposure to dog bite liability claims by putting restrictions on dog owners that they insure. These restrictions include refusing to cover dog bites under the insurance policy, increasing insurance rates for homeowners with specific breeds, requiring owners of specific breeds to take special training or have their dogs pass the American Kennel Club [[Canine Good Citizen]] test,<ref>{{cite web |title=Homeowners Insurance Available to Breeds Previously Excluded with CGC Certification |publisher=[[American Kennel Club]] |date=October 1, 2004 |url=http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2408 |access-date=February 4, 2009 |archive-date=September 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914051327/http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2408 |url-status=live }}</ref> requiring owners to restrict their dogs with muzzles, chains, or enclosures, and refusing to write policies for homeowners or renters who have specific breeds of dogs.<ref name="Insurance Information Institute" />
Owners of rental properties may also be held liable if they knew an aggressive dog was living on their property and they did nothing to ensure the safety of other tenants at the property; as a result, many rental properties forbid pit bull–type dogs and any other breeds if the rental property's insurance will not cover damage inflicted by that type of dog.{{cn|date=April 2024}} The dog breeds most often not covered by insurance companies include pit bull–type dogs, Rottweilers, German Shepherd Dogs, [[Dobermann|Doberman Pinscher]]s, Akitas ([[Akita Inu]] and [[American Akita]]s), and [[Chow Chow]]s.<ref>{{cite web |first=Brian |last=Sodergren |title=Insurance companies unfairly target specific dog breeds |publisher=[[Humane Society of the United States]] |url=http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/insurance_companies_unfairly_target_specific_dog_breeds.html |access-date=August 12, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707221314/http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/insurance_companies_unfairly_target_specific_dog_breeds.html |archive-date=July 7, 2009}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=October 2021}}
In 2013, [[Farmers Insurance]] notified policyholders in California that it would no longer cover bites by pit bulls, Rottweilers and [[Wolfdog|wolf-dog hybrid]]s. A spokeswoman for Farmers said that those groups account for more than a quarter of the agency's dog bite claims.<ref name=Gephardt/>
=== Air carrier restrictions ===
The following table has a sampling of air carrier embargoes on pit bulls.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Airline
! Reason
! Details
|-
| [[Air France]]
| Safety
| Category 1 dogs, as defined by the [[French Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry]], are not permitted for transport in the cabin, or as baggage or cargo. These so-called "attack dogs" do not belong to a particular breed, but are similar in morphology to the following: Staffordshire Bull Terriers or American Staffordshire Terriers (pit bulls), Mastiffs and Tosas.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.airfrance.us/US/en/common/guidevoyageur/pratique/animal_interdiction_airfrance.htm |title=Animals prohibited from traveling — Air France airline |publisher=Air France |access-date=July 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726081323/https://www.airfrance.us/US/en/common/guidevoyageur/pratique/animal_interdiction_airfrance.htm |archive-date=July 26, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Delta Air Lines]]
| Safety
| "We have determined that untrained, pit bull–type dogs posing as both service and support animals are a potential safety risk", the airline said.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase-delta-pit-bulls-20180622-story.html |title=Delta bans pit bulls as emotional support animals, citing dog attacks |date=June 22, 2018 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=July 26, 2018 |archive-date=July 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718090250/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase-delta-pit-bulls-20180622-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}
== Notable pit bulls ==
* [[Sallie Ann Jarrett]], the mascot of the [[11th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment]] during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name="Dickey" />{{rp|39}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Robinett |first1=Kristy |title=Tails from the Afterlife: Stories of Signs, Messages & Inspiration from your Animal Companions |date=2018 |publisher=[[Llewellyn Worldwide]] |isbn=978-0-7387-5571-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OHpKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15 |access-date=14 August 2020 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201310/https://books.google.com/books?id=OHpKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Nipper]], a mongrel at times referred to as a pit bull, though commonly seen as a non pit bull–type terrier, is the dog in [[Francis Barraud]]'s 1898 painting ''[[His Master's Voice]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Richterman |first1=Anita |title=Problem Line: [ALL EDITIONS 1] - ProQuest |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/277876182/39D440B0AF42421FPQ |access-date=11 September 2022 |work=[[Newsday]] - via ProQuest |date=1 September 1987 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Franklin |first1=Deirdre |last2=Lombardi |first2=Linda |title=The Pit Bull Life: A Dog Lover's Companion |date=22 November 2016 |publisher=[[The Countryman Press]] |isbn=978-1-58157-504-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ImTfCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT8 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Pet Projects">{{cite book |last1=Young |first1=Elizabeth |title=Pet Projects: Animal Fiction and Taxidermy in the Nineteenth-Century Archive |date=17 December 2019 |publisher=[[Penn State Press]] |isbn=978-0-271-08511-1 |pages=61–62, 236 |doi=10.1515/9780271085111-004 |s2cid=242686493 |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780271085111-004/html |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Sergeant Stubby]], a dog of disputed breed who served for the 102nd Infantry, [[26th Infantry Division (United States)|26th (Yankee) Division]] during [[World War I]], has been called a pit bull.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goodavage |authorlink=Maria Goodavage |first1=Maria |title=Soldier dogs : the untold story of America's canine heroes |date=2012 |publisher=Penguin |location=New York |isbn=9781101577103 |pages=15 |edition=First New American Library |url=https://archive.org/details/soldierdogsuntol0000good/page/14/mode/2up?q=Stubby |access-date=14 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kershaw |first1=Sarah |title=Here's a short history of the American war dog starring 'Sergeant Stubby,' a canine hero who served during WWI |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/07/03/heres-a-short-history-of-the-american-war-dog-starring-sergeant-stubby-a-canine-hero-who-served-during-wwi/ |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |access-date=14 August 2020 |language=en |archive-date=August 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150805073731/http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/07/03/heres-a-short-history-of-the-american-war-dog-starring-sergeant-stubby-a-canine-hero-who-served-during-wwi/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="With Dogs at the Edge of Life">{{cite book |last1=Dayan |first1=Colin |author1-link=Colin Dayan |title=With Dogs at the Edge of Life |date=2016 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-16712-3 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/daya16712 |chapter=Chapter Six. Fable for the End of a Breed|doi=10.7312/daya16712 |jstor=10.7312/daya16712 }}</ref>{{rp|88}}
* [[Pete the Pup]], a character from the movie series ''[[The Little Rascals]]'', was played by pit bull–type dogs.<ref name="Dickey">{{cite book |last1=Dickey |first1=Bronwen |author-link1=Bronwen Dickey |title=Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon |date=2016 |publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-307-96177-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KNBfCgAAQBAJ |access-date=14 August 2020 |language=en |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201312/https://books.google.com/books?id=KNBfCgAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|85–86}}
* Twenty-first century dogs include [[Star (dog)|Star]], who, while protecting her owner, was shot by police in a video that went viral,<ref name="With Dogs at the Edge of Life" />{{rp|7}}<ref name="NYC street dog, shot in the face">{{cite news |last1=Ursch |first1=Blake |title=NYC street dog, shot in the face, had long journey to loving home |url=https://omaha.com/eedition/sunrise/articles/nyc-street-dog-shot-in-the-face-had-long-journey-to-loving-home/article_bca69ecc-e2f5-507f-8b35-ccfe41bc9327.html |access-date=29 June 2023 |work=[[Omaha World-Herald]] |date=29 July 2016 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Daddy (dog)|Daddy]], dog trainer [[Cesar Millan]]'s right-hand dog, who was known for his mellow temperament and his ability to interact calmly with ill-mannered dogs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/business/11dog.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Whispering to Rottweilers, and to C.E.O.'s|date=October 10, 2009|access-date=2021-02-11|last1=Wallace|first1=Amy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/2010/02/unleashed_rip_to_cesar_millans.html|publisher=Michigan Live|title=Unleashed: RIP to Cesar Millan's beloved companion 'Daddy' the pit bull|date=February 23, 2010|access-date=2021-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/pets/farewell-friend-cesar-millan-says-goodbye-to-daddy/|publisher=People|title=Farewell, Friend: Cesar Millan Says Goodbye to Daddy|access-date=2021-02-11}}</ref>
[[File:11th PA Infantry monument.jpg|thumb|center|[[Sallie Ann Jarrett]], the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] mascot of the [[11th Pennsylvania Infantry]]; detail of monument at [[Gettysburg National Military Park]]]]
==As a symbol==
[[File:WW1 poster featuring a pit bull.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|[[Propaganda in World War I|World War I propaganda]] poster]]
Owning dogs like pit bulls and Rottweilers can be seen as a [[Status dog|symbol of power]] or status symbol.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nicoll |first1=Kate |title=Soul Friends: Finding Healing with Animals |date=2005 |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |isbn=978-0-9766603-6-1 |pages=8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JluN-HH-8SMC&pg=PA8 |access-date=10 August 2020 |language=en |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201326/https://books.google.com/books?id=JluN-HH-8SMC&pg=PA8 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{r|Kalouf}} Pit bulls have been cultural symbols in "urban ghettos" and a part of [[Hip hop (culture)|hip hop culture]].<ref name="THE BLACK MAN’S DOG">{{cite web |last1=Linder |first1=Ann |title=THE BLACK MAN'S DOG: THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION |url=https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/32171-25-1-third-articlepdf |page=56 |publisher=[[Animal Law Review]] |access-date=13 April 2023 |date=2018 |issn=1088-8802}}</ref><ref name="The I in Team">{{cite book |last1=Tarver |first1=Erin C. |title=The I in Team: Sports Fandom and the Reproduction of Identity |date=26 June 2017 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-47027-6 |page=166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jHgkDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA166 |language=en}}</ref> According to the [[Anti-Defamation League]], pit bulls have been adopted as a hate symbol by racist [[skinhead]]s.<ref name="ADL on Pit bull">{{cite web |title=Pit Bull |url=https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/pit-bull |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713144753/https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/pit-bull |archive-date=July 13, 2020 |access-date=10 August 2020 |website=[[Anti-Defamation League]] |language=en}}</ref> The [[White supremacist]] group [[Keystone State Skinheads]] have used a specific graphic of a pit bull as their logo.<ref name="ADL on Pit bull" />
Pit bulls have appeared in American [[Propaganda in World War I|World War I propaganda]].<ref name="With Dogs at the Edge of Life" />{{rp|88}}<ref name="Coile2" />{{rp|15}}<ref name="It’s time to stop demonizing">{{cite news |last1=Lauerman |first1=Kerry |author1-link=Kerry Lauerman |title=It's time to stop demonizing pit bulls |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/05/20/pit-bull-rescue-mission-restoring-a-bad-dogs-good-name/ |access-date=29 June 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=28 October 2021}}</ref>
Pit bulls have appeared in the logos of [[Brown Shoe Company]] and [[Lagunitas Brewing Company]].<ref name="Beauty and the Beast">{{cite book |last1=Arluke |first1=Arnold |author1-link=Arnold Arluke |last2=Bogdan |first2=Robert |title=Beauty and the Beast: Human-Animal Relations as Revealed in Real Photo Postcards, 1905–1935 |date=5 November 2010 |publisher=[[Syracuse University Press]] |isbn=978-0-8156-5091-1 |page=239 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2AWrDvRvNh4C |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Liu |first1=Cynthia |title=Lagunitas Brewing Co. says pit bull label proving no dog |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Lagunitas-Brewing-Co-says-pit-bull-label-proving-2722843.php |access-date=13 April 2023 |work=[[SFGate]] |date=24 September 2004}}</ref> The above-mentioned Nipper appeared in the logo of [[RCA]] and [[HMV]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Text-Only NPR.org : Friend Or Fiend? 'Pit Bull' Explores The History Of America's Most Feared Dog |url=https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=477350069 |website=text.npr.org |publisher=[[NPR]] |access-date=10 August 2020 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201326/https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=477350069 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Nipper at The Museum of Technology">{{cite web |title=NIPPER' ADVERTISING TRADE MARK FOR HMV, 1940's |url=http://www.museumoftechnology.org.uk/objects/_expand.php?key=135 |website=[[The Museum of Technology]] |publisher= |access-date=5 July 2023}}</ref>
In 2005, two American lawyers used a pit bull logo and the phone number 1-800-PIT-BULL in a television advertisement to convey that they were "especially fierce litigators". The [[Supreme Court of Florida]] ruled that this use was in breach of [[Florida Bar]] advertising rules.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sandefur |first1=Timothy |title=The Right to Earn a Living: Economic Freedom and the Law |date=2010 |publisher=[[Cato Institute]] |isbn=978-1-935308-34-8 |pages=203 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILCoQm73UQAC&pg=PA203 |access-date=10 August 2020 |language=en |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201327/https://books.google.com/books?id=ILCoQm73UQAC&pg=PA203 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Blankenship |first1=Gary |title=Court disciplines lawyers for '1-800 PIT BULL' TV ad |url=https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/court-disciplines-lawyers-for-1-800-pit-bull-tv-ad/ |publisher=[[The Florida Bar]] |access-date=10 August 2020 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201328/https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/court-disciplines-lawyers-for-1-800-pit-bull-tv-ad/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== See also ==
* {{Portal inline|Dogs}}
== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=Allen>{{cite web|last=Allen|first=Jenna|url=https://www.voxmagazine.com/magazine/bark-vs-bite-a-look-at-the-stigma-surrounding-pit/article_0836811e-42f1-5aec-8bb2-e0d97cbb61a8.html|title=Bark vs. bite: A look at the stigma surrounding pit bulls|website=Vox Magazine|date=August 31, 2017 |access-date=May 9, 2019|archive-date=May 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508132418/https://www.voxmagazine.com/magazine/bark-vs-bite-a-look-at-the-stigma-surrounding-pit/article_0836811e-42f1-5aec-8bb2-e0d97cbb61a8.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=avma2014>{{cite web |url=https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Pages/The-Role-of-Breed-in-Dog-Bite-Risk-and-Prevention.aspx |publisher=[[American Veterinary Medical Association]] |title=Dog Bite Risk and Prevention: The Role of Breed |date=April 17, 2012 |access-date=October 21, 2014 |archive-date=December 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230053811/https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Pages/The-Role-of-Breed-in-Dog-Bite-Risk-and-Prevention.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Beaufoy>James Beaufoy, ''Staffordshire Bull Terriers: a practical guide for owners and breeders'', Ramsbury, Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd., 2016, {{ISBN|9781785000973}}.</ref>
<ref name=Fogle>{{cite book |last=Fogle |first=Bruce |author-link=Bruce Fogle|date=2009 |title=The encyclopedia of the dog |location=New York |publisher=DK Publishing |page=172 & 181 |isbn=978-0-7566-6004-8 }}</ref>
<ref name=Hoffman>{{cite journal |last1=Hoffman |first1=Christy L. |last2=Harrison |first2=Natalie |last3=Wolff |first3=London |last4=Westgarth |first4=Carri |title=Is that dog a pit bull? A cross-country comparison of perceptions of shelter workers regarding breed identification |journal=Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science |year=2014 |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=322–339 |doi=10.1080/10888705.2014.895904 |pmid=24673506 |pmc=4160292 }}</ref>
<ref name=Kalouf>{{cite journal |last1=Kalof |first1=Linda |last2=Taylor |first2=Carl |date=2007 |title=The discourse of dog fighting |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241648689 |journal=Humanity & Society |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=319–333 |doi=10.1177/016059760703100403 |s2cid=144066670 |access-date=August 14, 2020 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201324/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Linda_Kalof/publication/241648689_The_Discourse_of_Dog_Fighting/links/54c2954e0cf256ed5a8ee0a3/The-Discourse-of-Dog-Fighting.pdf?origin=publication_detail |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Morris>{{cite book |last=Morris |first=Desmond |author-link=Desmond Morris |date=2001 |title=Dogs: the ultimate dictionary of over 1,000 dog breeds |location=North Pomfret, VT|publisher=Trafalgar Square Publishing |pages=346–347 & 363–365 |isbn=1-57076-219-8}}</ref>
<ref name=Olson>{{cite journal |last1=Olson |first1=K. R. |last2=Levy |first2=J. K. |last3=Norby |first3=B. |last4=Crandall |first4=J. E. |last5=Broadhurst |first5=S. |last6=Jacks |first6=S. |last7=Barton |first7=R. C. |last8=Zimmerman |first8=M. S. |date=November 2015 |title=Inconsistent identification of pit bull–type dogs by shelter staff |journal=The Veterinary Journal |volume=206 |issue=2 |pages=197–202 |doi=10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.07.019 |pmid=26403955 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name=Oxford>{{cite web |url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/pit_bull |title=pit bull |date=2020 |website=Oxford Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=August 14, 2020 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820201344/https://www.lexico.com/definition/pit_bull |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name=Webster>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pit%20bull |title=pit bull |date=2020 |website=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Inc |access-date=August 14, 2020 |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090752/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pit%20bull |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Wilcox>{{cite book |last1=Wilcox |first1=Bonnie |last2=Walkowicz |first2=Chris |date=1995 |title=Atlas of dog breeds of the world |location=Neptune City, N.J. |publisher=TFH Publications |pages=117–121 }}</ref>
}}
{{Terriers}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Catch dogs]]
[[Category:Dog breeds originating in England]]
[[Category:Dog breeds originating in the United States]]
[[Category:Dog fighting breeds]]
[[Category:Dog types]]