Misconceptions about Pit Bulls drive me nuts.
As a professional in the vet industry for 7 years, I learned a lot about this breed.
Pit Bulls get absolutely the worst rap of any dog anywhere, and it’s all due to bad owners.
I am a total Pit lover, and it hurts my heart that they are so feared.
So today, we’re going to talk about the biggest misconceptions about Pit Bulls and set the record straight.
The Biggest Misconceptions About Pit Bulls
Pit Bulls are great family pets, but so many people consider them vicious and deadly animals. And while they can be deadly, any large breed dog can be that. So let’s look at some of the most egregious Pit Bull myths.
1. Pit Bulls are Vicious
Categorically false. Pit Bulls are no more vicious than any other breed. In fact, when raised with love and socialization, they are excellent family dogs. Did you know that they are nicknamed “The Nanny Dog” because they love children so much?
All of these stories of vicious Pit Bull attacks stem from owners who have no business owning a Pit, or any dog for that matter. These people get Pit Bulls and then encourage them to be aggressive. Of course, horrible tragedies happen in those situations.
2.Pit Bulls are Made for Violence
Closely related to the vicious myth, but a little different. Pit Bulls are not made for violence – at least not today. Way back when, Pit Bulls were originally bred for fighting. That’s true. However, those tendencies have long since been minimized by breeders looking for the more desirable traits in the breed.
Pit Bulls are actually extremely friendly dogs when socialized properly. They naturally love people and have an eagerness to play with other dogs. The violence comes from owners who don’t socialize or encourage violent behavior.
3. Pit Bulls Have Locking Jaws
This is also untrue. I imagine that the lock jaw myth comes from how powerful a Pit Bull’s jaws are.
You can see the ropy muscle on their jaws, and they have an incredible bite force. BUT their jaws don’t actually lock, and they rarely use those powerful jaws for violence when trained and socialized in the same way as any other dog should be.
4. Pit Bulls are Terrible Family Animals
False, false, and false. False times infinity. This is another of the biggest misconceptions about Pit Bulls. Remember “The Nanny Dog” nickname I mentioned earlier? It’s a real thing. Pit Bulls make incredibly wonderful family pets. They are loving to the point of doting, and they tend to get along well with other dogs. They are watchful of their family, but not so protective that they’ll charge visitors. They are basically gigantic lap dogs.
5. Pit Bulls are Difficult to Train
Again, another of the big misconceptions about Pit Bulls. They are actually quite easy to train.
Pit Bulls want to please their owners. They are driven to please them because they love them so much. All it takes is the same consistency you’d use with any other dog to train a Pit Bull.
Don’t Succumb Misconceptions About Pit Bulls
Misconceptions about Pit Bulls are everywhere, and they’re all patently false.
It’s unfortunate and heartbreaking to know that such a wonderful breed gets such an incredibly bad reputation. But if more of us can educate ourselves on Pit Bulls and the real dog behind the news stories we see – which are a small percentage of the breed – we can help stop these misconceptions about Pit Bulls from spreading even further.
