7 Myths About Pitbulls

Pitbulls as a breed are both popular and highly misunderstood at the same time. From the myth of Pitbulls being naturally aggressive to not being able to feel pain, many more of such myths are debunked below.

Pitbulls Are An Aggressive Breed By Birth

Just like any other breed of dog, Pitbulls are not born naturally aggressive. They generally become aggressive due to a lack of affection, training, and socialization. You can test dogs’ temperament through a series of challenges, and one such major organization is the American Temperament Test Society (ATTS). They test and measure different aspects of temperament such as shyness, aggressiveness, friendliness, stability by making the dogs go through various situations, like introducing them to strangers. People believe Pitbulls to be naturally aggressive or threatening, even vicious. While in reality, they have a passing rate of 82% or higher, the average general population’s score is around 77%.

Pets that showed panic or unprovoked aggression in various situations were automatically failed, and Pitbulls showed impressive results in such tests.

Pitbulls Will Turn On You

As evident by the results of their temperament tests, Pitbulls are a breed on whom you can rely on. They are family-friendly breeds that love to be around someone and pass the assessment on their personalities.

Pitbulls Have Locking Jaws

Another myth that is widespread about Pitbulls is that they have locking jaws. You might even hear someone claim that it is necessary to keep a bar with you when you’re around your Pitbull to break their locked jaws. There is no research or evidence to back this claim.

The conformation and the shape of a Pitbull’s jaw are precisely the same as those of any other dog. In contrast, their jaw is wider than many other dog breeds, such as golden retrievers, and they have more highly developed muscles in their jaw, but they don’t have a locking jaw.

Pitbulls Possess The Biting Strength Of A Crocodile

 Although you may have heard a number of anecdotal stories on the biting strength sported by a Pitbull, there is little evidence backing the biting force of dogs, as it is incredibly challenging to simulate the maximum biting force while biting, such as during an attack. There are also other factors to consider, making a massive difference in a dog’s bite’s strength. Factors such as the size of their jaw or of the dog itself, how familiar they are with the animal or object they are biting, the condition of their teeth, and whether they have past training or not. As those dogs who have undergone bite training can bite harder compared to other dogs.

Though the bite of a Pitbull is estimated at around 300 pounds per square inch, the strongest bite force exerted by a dog is a Kangal at about 700 pounds per square inch, and the bite force of a crocodile is at 3700 pounds per square inch.  

Pitbulls That Are Aggressive To Other Dogs Will Be Aggressive To People Too

There is no evidence or link between the aggression shown by a dog towards other dogs and towards people. In most such cases, they haven’t been adequately socialized. Otherwise, Pitbulls are great around people. Pitbulls are also a breed that is capable of taking on aggression with other dogs, which makes it essential to socialize them for them to be able to get along with other dogs, particularly with smaller dogs and animals. 

Pitbulls Attack People More Than Any Other Dog Breeds

Pitbulls, as well as Pitbull mixes, are associated with more attacks than possibly any other dog breed. Other dog breeds that are also generally implicated include German shepherd and rottweiler. In the U.S, over a 13-year period, 66% of the total dog bite casualties are reported to have been caused by a Pitbull; that’s not to say that other breeds can’t be mistakenly taken as a Pitbull. In some incidents, it can be other dogs that were believed to be Pitbulls. Many of these dogs that attack others unprovoked are untrained and poorly socialized. In addition, the temperament tests have shown that pit bulls generally perform and have a higher chance of passing such tests than other dog breeds.

A Pitbull’s Brain Can Swell, Making Them Go Crazy

Another myth about certain large dog breeds is that their brains can swell, making them go crazy, resulting in them attacking others. You may have heard this about Pitbulls and Doberman pinschers. Once the brain is developed, it won’t get any bigger unless your pet dog is suffering from a medical condition causing your dog’s brain to swell.

Pitbulls Don’t Feel Pain

This myth is as ridiculous as it sounds; while pit bulls are bred to have a higher tolerance to pain than other dogs, they certainly do feel pain. And more often than not, the pain inflicted on them makes them turn on an abuser.

Conclusion

A lot of myths are spread around about pit bulls, but when you sit down and think about them for a moment, you’ll realize most of them are downright silly. Pitbulls can be the best friend you could ever ask for and are generally super family-oriented.