"Pitbull" redirects here. For the musician, see Pitbull (rapper). For other uses, see Pitbull (disambiguation).
Dog breed
Pit bull
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.
Origin
United States
Dog (domestic dog)
Pit bull is an umbrella term for several types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. 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,[1][2][3] while the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not considered a pit bull.[1][4][5] 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.[6][7][8]
Pit bull-type dogs have a controversial reputation as pets internationally, due to their history in dog fighting,[9] the number of high-profile attacks documented in the media over decades, and their proclivity to latching 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.[10] Numerous advocacy organizations have been created in defense of the pit bull, usually led by pit bull owners. While some studies have argued that the type is 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.[11][12]: p. 18, 49 Some insurance companies will not cover pit bulls (along with Rottweilers and wolf hybrids) because these particular dogs cause a disproportionate rate of bite incidents.[13] 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.[14][15]
Pit bull-type dogs are extensively used in the United States for dogfighting, a practice that has continued despite being outlawed.[7][16] Several nations and jurisdictions restrict the ownership of pit bull-type dogs through breed-specific legislation.[1][4] 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.[12]: loc 762
^ abcCite error: The named reference Hoffman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Oxford was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Webster was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference Olson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Allen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Fogle was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference Morris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Beaufoy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"The Most Feared Dogs May Also Be the Most Misunderstood". National Geographic News. July 3, 2016. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
^Glazebrook, Louise (April 13, 2016). "What makes an animal dangerous? The nature v nurture debate in dogs". BBC Newsbeat. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
^"The Problem With Pit Bulls". Time. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
^ abCoile, D. Caroline (2021). Pit Bulls for Dummies (2nd ed., Kindle ed.). John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-1119720904.
^Gephardt, Bill. Some dog breeds too risky for insurance companies. Archived September 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine KSL.com, May 8, 2013
^Essig, Garth F.; Sheehan, Cameron (February 2019). "Dog bite injuries to the face: Is there risk with breed ownership? A systematic review with meta-analysis". International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 117: 182–188. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2018.11.028. PMID 30579079. S2CID 57740754. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
^Taylor, Jeffrey Q.; Krieger, Rachel (January 13, 2023). "Pediatric Dog Bites to the Face May Have Been Less Severe During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Cohort Study". Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 81 (5): 575–582. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2022.12.018. PMC 9838755. PMID 36646135.
^Cite error: The named reference Kalouf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Pitbull is an umbrella term for several types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered...
The American PitBull Terrier (APBT) is a dog breed recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), but not...
Pit-dog", "Brindle Bull", and "Bull-and-Terrier". Similar crosses also had aliases such as half-and-halfs and half-breds. Blood sports such as bull-baiting...
term pitbull terrier was sometimes applied, though later applied when naming the American PitBull Terrier, a modern standardised breed. The term "pit bull"...
Semana (in Spanish). July 2, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023. "Daughter's pitbull mauls mother to death in Vietnam". Tuoi Tre News. May 18, 2023. Retrieved...
allows American Staffordshire Terriers to be registered under the American PitBull Terrier breed. The height of an American Staffordshire Terrier is 18–19 in...
2008. Breeder Retriever. "Bull Terrier Temperament". Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. "ADBA American PitBull Terrier Puppy Socialization"...
pitbull, mixed breed, German shepherd, terrier, and Rottweiler. Tracking by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) determined that pit bull...
amount of space was required for the pit where a dog fight took place, as compared to the ring needed for bull- or bear-baiting, authorities had a difficult...
often found in the other varieties, and arguably display clearer American PitBull Terrier/American Staffordshire Terrier lineage.[better source needed] Outside...
co-main event feature of the Andy Ruiz vs Luis Ortiz fight, the Mexican Pitbull (Cruz) and southpaw featherweight Eduardo Ramirez-- who was coming up in...
September 2023. Vella, Lauren (November 15, 2019). "NBC signs Mueller 'pitbull' prosecutor Andrew Weissman as legal analyst". The Hill. United States...
breed of dog, called the bull and terrier, was a precursor to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier and American PitBull Terrier and accelerated...
Animal Farm Foundation (AFF) is a pitbull and anti-BSL (anti-breed-specific legislation) animal advocacy group set up by heiress Jane Berkey as a 501(c)(3)...
smaller students like Sweetie. Arnold the PitBull (voiced by Rob Paulsen) is a white, muscular, male pitbull with a pair of black sunglasses, parodying...
called American Bulldogs and would later be renamed The Pitbulls and Mad Bull Busters. The team competed in many promotions including New Japan Pro-Wrestling...
an American PitBull Terrier integral to Millan's work and his television series, The Dog Whisperer. Millan later selected another pitbull puppy, Junior...
program, and focuses on a fiercely independent stray kitten and an abused pitbull, who form an unlikely friendship. The short premiered at El Capitan Theatre...
advocate of pitbull ownership and is a spokesperson for the Animal Farm Foundation, which rescues and promotes the equal treatment of pitbulls. He has three...
John Colby strain of pitbull types. Over time, the focus changed to the registration and promotion of purebred American PitBull Terriers, a breed that...
rottweilers". HeraldScotland. 13 September 1989. Retrieved 4 October 2022. "Pitbull killed boy, 7". The Independent. 16 March 1994. Retrieved 25 June 2019...