[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Maximo

This website that someone linked earlier claims they do have a locking jaw, in the "myth" section: Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to June 25, 2010 - By Merritt Clifton - DogsBite.org

I don't hate any breed, but I think it is absurd for pit bull advocates to portray them as the gentlest and least dangerous dogs in the world and then point fingers at chihuahuas. If people can't be realistic about a particular dog breed, then I don't think they should have those dogs.

The man who was killed recently in his home by his two pits in my town, there are many conspiracy theories floating around about him too. Pit bull advocates claim the coroner is lying, the police are incompetent, and all kinds of silly things.

Thank you, here's what it says:

Myth #7: Pit bulls do not have a locking jaw
Pro-pit bull groups continuously attempt to debunk the pit bull "locking jaw" expression that is often used by the media and the public. A pit bull's jaw may not physically lock, but due to selective breeding for a specific bite style -- to hold on and to shake indefinitely -- we consistently hear in news reports that the dog "would not let go." DogsBite.org has recorded numerous tools used to try to get a pit bull to release its grip including: shotguns, hammers, pitchforks and pipes.

The Myth page is very interesting. Pit Bull Myths - Dangerous Dogs - DogsBite.org


Wikipedia says:

There is no evidence for the existence of a physiological "locking mechanism" in the teeth or jaw structure of normal pit bull-type dogs,[36] although a dog's jaws can be locked in a closed position by surgically correctable jaw abnormalities.[37] Despite the lack of a physiological "jaw locking" mechanism, pit bull-type dogs often exhibit "bite, hold, and shake" behavior and refuse to release when biting;[20][28][38] methods to force pit bull-type dogs to release their grip include breaking an ammonia ampule and holding it up to the dog's nose,[28] or using a "break stick" to lever the dog's jaws open if it bites a person or animal.[18][39 Pit bull - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here's one we've all heard:

Myth #1: It's the owner not the breed
The outdated debate, "It's the owner, not the breed," has caused the pit bull problem to grow into a 30-year old problem.1 Designed to protect pit bull breeders and owners, the slogan ignores the genetic history of the breed and blames these horrific maulings -- inflicted by the pit bull's genetic "hold and shake" bite style -- on environmental factors. While environment plays a role in a pit bull's behavior, it is genetics that leaves pit bull victims with permanent and disfiguring injury.
The pit bull's genetic traits are not in dispute. Many U.S. courts agree that pit bulls pose a significant danger to society and can be regulated accordingly. Some of the genetic traits courts have identified include: unpredictability of aggression, tenacity ("gameness" the refusal to give up a fight), high pain tolerance and the pit bull's "hold and shake" bite style.2 According to forensic medical studies, similar injuries have only been found elsewhere on victims of shark attacks.3

Perpetuators of this myth also cannot account for the many instances in which pit bull owners and family members are victimized by their pet dogs. From 2005 to 2009, pit bulls killed 82 Americans, about one citizen every 22 days. 44% (36) of these attacks involved a family member and the family pit bull.4 As demonstrated by the 2009 fatal pit bull mauling of Carter Delaney, who had been the dogs' caretaker, the genetic trait of "pit bull dog-aggression" caused his horrific death.

Couldn't find these links a couple of years ago, it sounds like the pro pit bull people have been working hard to pass out bad information instead of trying to come up with some type of solution and this goes back to my original statement that they are in denial. If you are a lover of the breed, quit denying that there is a problem and start looking for solutions.