When someone says, Pit Bull, what’s the first image that comes to mind, a sweet, smiley dog or a scary, violent one? If it’s sweet and smiley, then I applaud you, but unfortunately it’s usually the latter. When I first started educating myself on bully breeds I was happily surprised to discover that there are many ways we can remind ourselves, and others, as to what “Pit Bull” really stands for.

What’s in a name? The name associated with bully breeds tends to be over generalized into one category, “Pit Bulls”, this term is slang and while used by many, the term comes with years of negative stereotyping and discrimination attached to it. So why don’t we start to put more emphasis on accurate breed classification? The UKC (United Kennel Club) and AKC (American Kennel Club) both recognize the breeds, American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier, and the history of these breeds are anything but violent. So maybe if we began to look at the origin of these animals, not beginning as fighting dogs but dogs that were brought to the US to be child guardians/Nanny dogs, we can begin to remind people that there’s no evidence showing that fighting other dogs or attacking humans is in their DNA. IN FACT, they make horrible guard dogs due to their loving and friendly nature towards strangers, my dog Fox, is a testament to this.

This seems so simple so why is it not already happening? Many owners who have dogs that are bully breeds tend to classify their dogs as “Pit Bulls”, I did when I first got Fox. The last thing on my mind was, what’s this mutt made up of? I didn’t care, he was a sweet loving pup and that’s all that mattered to me. But as he got bigger I started to realize that people were scared of him, they would run across the street as we walked to grab a coffee, they would grab their children or dogs and hold them close, even take their dogs from the park or comment, “we can’t go in with dogs like that”. I was enraged! Had they seen his sweet face? Had they even given him a chance? But these are the issues that many bully breed owners face.

So what actions can you take? When you get a your’ pup or grown dog from a rescue or shelter you should receive paperwork including their specific DNA. If it simply says, “Pit Bull”, ask for percentages, as Pit Bull is not a pure breed. Your vet will also run a test for you or you can purchase a DNA kit, costing around $68- $79. Understanding your dogs DNA will not only help you identify any allergies or medical conditions they might be predisposed to, but can also keep your dog safe from BSL laws (if your dog is less than 50% purebred American Pit Bull Terrier, they are exempt). Isn’t it mind boggling that a breed recognized by a well standing association like the UKC and AKC, is legally discriminated against by over 700 cities, and 14 states in the US? The point of this is to understand that while discrimination and stereotyping is dangerous and absolutely wrong, it happens all to often and in order to make sure you and your pet are safe, it is important to take small steps, like understanding your dogs DNA and background, towards changing the way people treat and speak about this breed. Take the time to understand them wholly, as they do for you. It is not the dogs that are a danger it’s the people who wrongfully persecute them. 

This blog post was written by Rachel Kuhn from The Pitbull Project; Thepitbullprojectquest.com