For all those who want know some helpful facts, here you go:
(sorry kinda long...)
FACTS
1) Pit bulls do NOT have locking jaws. No dog of any breed has ever been found to possess a mechanism in their jaw which would allow them to "lock" their top and bottom jaw together. There is no such thing as a locking jaw!
2) Pit bulls WILL let go after they have bitten down. Dogs bite for many reasons. The enormous majority of dog bites (from any breed) are nothing more than a nip or snap - a warning. Some dogs clamp down hard on prey objects - hence the popularity of tug toys, stuffed animals, and rope toys. Similarly, pit bulls were once bred and taught to cling to a bull's nose despite thrashing, tossing, and gouging. They love to hold on to things! But they are also extremely obedient. A properly raised pit bull will yield to his owner's command.
3) Pit bulls are NOT genetically bred to kill people! From the very beginning, pit bulls have been bred to be as human-friendly as possible. It would not make any sense for bull baiters or dog fighters to own a human-aggressive dog! Even these inhumane individuals have to handle their dogs, often in the heat of a fight. Responsible dog breeders understand that dogs are for companionship and love, not for illicit activities like dogfighting and attacking people! Most pit bulldog breeders understand the wonderful qualities that pit bulls have. They are interested in breeding quality dogs with excellent temperaments.
4) Pit bulls are good for plenty of things besides dogfighting. Pit bulls have excelled in many working-dog sports such as agility, search-and-rescue, tracking, weight pulling, carting, Shutzhund, hunting, obedience, therapy, and more! They also very loving, loyal, gentle, and attentive, making them ideal pet dogs.
5) Pit bulls are NOT always aggressive. It is the OWNER that ultimately decides how his or her dog will act in certain situations. Pit bulls are naturally very friendly towards strangers, but they will become aggressive if their owner teaches them or forces them to be that way.
6) Pit bulls CAN be trained and controlled. The pit bulldog is a highly trainable breed. They are intelligent, obedient dogs. They love to please their owner. They are very pack-oriented and do very well under strong, fair leadership. When properly trained and socialized from a young age, the pet pit bull will accept their owner's control without challenge or question.
7) Pit bulls are just as predictable as any other dog. Most people who say that a dog is "unpredictable" simply don't understand dogs. They believe the stories of people who were "just petting the dog, and suddenly it went crazy and bit me!" In the overwhelming majority of these cases, the victim simply doesn't understand or has missed canine warning signs. For more information on dog behavior and aggression, I recommend "The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson.
8) Truly "unpredictable" dogs are very rare. Some of these dogs have a mental disorder or disease that causes their unpredictable behavior.
9) Pit bulls can feel pain. They are not superdogs. They are just like any other dog.
10) The taste of blood has nothing to do with a dog's behavior. Imagine you're a person that doesn't know anything about dogs, so you fail to notice that your dog is displaying subtle warning signs of impending aggression. One day, the dog has finally had enough, and bites you. The bite successfully gets you to back off. Next time the dog feels threatened, he bites again. It worked the first time, after all. Subsequent bites have nothing to do with the "taste of blood". In reality, the dog is simply employing a proven successful strategy for dealing with things that are scary or threatening.
11) There is no accurate way to determine and rank the pressure of a dog's bite. Although there have been studies to attempt to answer this question, the PSI tends to vary greatly depending on who you talk to. In real life a dog's bite strength is determined by a wide variety of factors. While these include the dog's size and individual jaw strength, the severity of a bite is primarily determined by the dog's intent (i.e. aggression, fear, warning snap, playful nip), the victim's behavior (twisting or yanking the body part being bitten can increase the damage), the dog's training, and so on.
12) Interestingly, recent attempts to measure a dog's jaw strength have indicated that pit bulls have much lower bite pressure than some other breeds. For more details, check out
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Pit...banlegends.htm
13) There are NO "rare" pit bull coat or nose colors. Historically, pit bulls have been bred for performance and temperament, not appearance. This means that pit bulls come in all different colors, shapes, and sizes. "Blue" coats (which are really just diluted black or grey coats) are in fact a fad color right now, and greedy breeders are churning out "blue" dogs to make money off the fad, without concern for temperament or health. Similarly, "red nosed" pit bulls are very common. White pit bulls are often deaf. For more details about "rare" pit bulls, visit:
http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html (bottom of page)
14) Potential pit bull owners who are looking to obtain a pit bull would be wise to steer clear of breeders who are breeding specifically for certain colors. Such breeders are in it for the money and could care less about the health or temperament of their dogs. Heck, why not adopt a pit bull rather than support backyard breeders and puppy mills? You can find purebred pit bulls of all colors waiting desperately for a home in shelters and rescue groups across the country.
15) No scientific studies have determined the actual pit bull population in the U.S. Random percentages seem to come out of thin air and are frequently bounced around in media reports without any legitimate source to back up such an assertion. I have heard population estimates ranging from 1% to 8% or more. Still more problematic is the disagreement as to what a "pit bull" really is - and whether "pit mixes" should be included. Pit bulls are undeniably a very popular and prolific breed-type. In some places, such as Oakland, CA, report that more "pit bulls" are registered with the city than any other breed. A few studies estimate that U.S. shelter "pit bull" populations reach 33% on average, and up to 50% or more in larger cities. The prevalence of pit bulls in shelters indicates not only an overpopulation problem, but also that a significant number of pit bulls are owned by irresponsible owners and breeders when compared to other breeds and breed-types. Unfortunately, however, without a very thorough and careful demographic study of "pit bulls" and their owners - something which has yet to be accomplished on a nationwide scale and may very well prove impossible - any pit bull population estimate is little more than a vague guessing game.