Somewhere along the passage of time, even though the breed was still being used heavily in dog fighting, the “Pit Bull” nickname for the Bull Terrier slowly peeled away in spite of the vicious public reputation it earned by being thrown into fighting pits by the real vicious culprits, humans. This was most likely related to the sudden popularity of the widely adored “Spuds McKenzy”, the Bull Terrier that Anheuser-Busch decided to elect their “Guru of Good Times” for Budweiser Beer.
Too bad the American Bull Terrier and the American Bull Dog didn’t fair as well, in fact, you can even find the American Bull Terrier listed as “American Pit Bull Terrier” in certain references. Once the most popular two breeds owned by American families in the 1930′s and 1940′s, and even though the infamous “Petey” from the Little Rascals series was played by, originally, an American Bull Terrier and also portrayed by additional American Bull Terriers and a few American Bull Dogs, the nickname “Pit Bull” still haunts both breeds. That’s probably because underground dog fighting unfortunately became popular again long after Petey’s frequency on television had faded into the past, and even though all four breeds were being used in full force again, only “Spuds” breached into limelight popularity and adoration enough to take his breed’s name off the “Pit” list. Did we ever thank you for that, Budweiser? Well, THANK you.
As for the Staffordshire Bull Terriers (also known as just Staffordshire Terriers) we have our beloved Cesar Millan to thank for getting the focus off the breed’s “Pit Bull” nickname, starting with “Daddy”, that lovable Staffy that charmed the American public (and the world) as he teamed with his pack leader, Cesar, to bring balance and harmony to aggressive, dominant and fearful behavior problem dogs all over the planet, from the tiniest toy breeds to the most gigantic power breeds. Since Daddy’s passing, Staffordshire Terrier “Junior” has now taken up Daddy’s torch as Cesar continues his work. GOD BLESS YOU, CESAR!
There are few things worse for destroying a reputation than being condemned by erroneous, bad press. Although the nicknamed “Pit Bull” breeds have been thrust by the media into the public stream spoken as if it’s a single breed, adding to the confusion, and being portrayed as the dog most prone to attacking and killing humans, it is not even on the top of the statistical list for such. In fact, the name “Pit Bull” is sloppily slapped on not just the four breeds that were used most in the fighting pits but on any breed someone decides to “allege” as being a Pit Bull or a Pit Bull mix. If someone even so much as speculates a dog that bit someone may have had some Pit Bull in it, it’s not even questioned and is reported as a “Pit Bull” to the Media and in all related Official Reports. I once went to consult with a client about an aggressively behaving dog they had referred to as a “Pit Mix”. Upon arriving I saw a dog that looked like a cross between a Beagle and a Sheltie, no kidding.
According to statistics, from 1982 to 2011, 68% of the dog bites resulting in fatalities were delivered by the larger more powerful breeds of dogs; that leaves 32% of dog attack fatalities being delivered by smaller dogs. Further, it’s reported that of all the infant and toddler deaths that have occurred from 1982 to 2011 due to dog bites, a remarkable 87% were inflicted by small to medium sized dogs. So we have to ask ourselves, WHY does the mainstream media keep this out of the mainstream? As the email circulating around states, “In the 70′s they blamed Dobermans, in the 80′s they blamed German Shepherds, in the 90′s they blamed Rottweilers, now they blame “Pit Bulls…when will they blame the humans?”.
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Tags: Dogs, general, guest post, pit bull
This article is so refreshing, coming from someone who knows the bullie types of dog.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers are often in my training classes, either as puppies, with their sensible, caring owners, ready to start good start training, and learn social skills.Adult staffs come along too, maybe having been in 2 or 3 homes already! and are looking for rehabilitaion.
This type of dog, ( nicknamed the nanny dog) can be a wonderful asset to the family home, and it is advisable to commence training with them ( like any breed) In my experience the dogs that have been labled as pitbulls, have been the sweetest, friendliest dogs , and just misunderstood in the press. ANY DOG can be aggresive, and out of control, depending on the circumstances they are being brought up in. And these ” morons ” for want of a better word, dont neuter and spay their dogs, and churn puppies out of them, and so it goes on. Its very sad, and this type of dog does suffer.
THANK you, Heather. God bless you.
Hi,
Its nice to have someone defend the bull breads, I just wish the small minded and the people that use the breads for the wrong reasons would stop tarnishing there names.
They are very loyal dogs and only defend when they need to…..just like any other dog would.
I had a situation out on one of my dog walks recently, I had a staffy with me a springer spaniel and a german pointer.
All three are loving dog friendly dogs so I didn’t hesitate to walk them together….even though ild had coments about ‘the staffy lock jaw’ I knew as long as they were balenced all would be ok.
All three had been walking together for months and then one day the pointer got her season….eek. Her hormone change made her snappy causing her to start ‘fisty cuffs’ on the staffy. However the staffy didn’t bite back and gave distance to the pointer.
If though she had retaliated…..all hell would of broke loose! Not from the dogs, humans! purely because of her bread people would straight the way point the finger at her! Not fair at all.
And remember folks if bull breads do ever get into a fight push them together. There jaw strength (that we huumans bread them to have! Yet fear it?!) Locks if you pull. So push the dogs together that way there reflex to breath will make them let go for a second so you can seperate them.
Kerry
American Pit Bull Terrier is the SAME breed, as the APBT, Pitbull… Just a different call name. There is NOT a difference until you start dealing with english bullies, american bullies.. People just started calling the pit by his true name in order to get around ins, BSL etc. it is the same dog
Please do some research before writing articles like this! I know you are trying to help, but your article is riddled with inaccuracies that I recommend you correct!!
There is currently NO SUCH BREED called the “American Bull Terrier.” There is the American Pit Bull Terrier (recognized by the UKC, nicknamed the Pit Bull) and the Bull Terrier (recognized by the AKC and UKC, examples of the breed are the Target Dog and Spuds MacKenzie). The Bull Terrier is not often included in Breed Specific Legislation and doesn’t have as bad a reputation as the Pit Bull.
The American Bulldog is NOT the same thing as a Pit Bull. American Bulldogs (recognized by the UKC) are much larger than Pit Bulls, are relatively common as pets and are not often included in Breed Specific Legislation.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, is NOT a Pit Bull. I will repeat that, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is NOT A PIT BULL!!! The Staffordshire Bull Terrier a smaller English breed of dog recognized by the AKC and UKC, it is a relative of the Pit Bull (like the Bull Terrier and American Bulldog), but they are NOT the same breed. There are few Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the US and Cesar Millan has NEVER owned one.
The breed that you were thinking of is the American Staffordshire Terrier (which used to be simply called the “Staffordshire Terrier”). The American Staffordshire Terrier is basically the AKC equivalent of the Pit Bull. Cesar Millan’s dogs may be American Staffordshire Terriers, but it is more likely that they are Pit Bulls or Pit Bull mixes as I have never heard any mention of them being AKC registered dogs.
Please check the AKC (American Kennel Club) and UKC (United Kennel Club) websites for more information about the history of these breeds and edit your article accordingly!
Please re-read what I wrote a little more carefully as well as doing some more in depth research yourself, beyond the Internet, as I did; in old and pre-Internet dated original print references and books that can be found in public libraries and other official references. Also, you’re arguing as if “I’m” calling them all Pit Bulls; I said they’re being erroneously “dubbed” as Pit Bulls, that all four breeds and any mixes of them are all being referred to as “Pit Bulls” which, I wrote, is NOT true because they are NOT Pit Bulls except by slang, loose reference. The point I am trying to make is they are not Pit Bulls, NONE of them. And, yes, that includes the American Bull Terrier which, indeed, was the name of the no longer recognized breed that, after they were dropped from recognition due to the horrible reputation humans were giving them in the fighting pits, became an “unofficial” breed of the people’s choice anyway so much so that even books and references are being made and written about them. It’s time for these breeds, ALL of them, to be taken off the “Pit” list. I am sure, however, that there are people out there who acquire these breeds of dogs in order to boast about owning a “Pit Bull” who are not going to like this article. They are part of the problem. I’m hoping you’re no among them but I say to you, research this as intensely as I did, again, not via the Internet or references written after the world wide web became commonplace. Go back into the historical documents, books and articles that can be found in hard copy references. History can be edited and re-written as is convenient to suit the general public if it is in the best political, monetary or popularity interests; it happens all the time and the Internet is an excellent avenue for doing so. You bet I’m trying to do good; this is something very dear to my heart which is why I made the time to do the research I did. And unless all of those old books and references were erroneous (I highly doubt it and I’m not about to go back to the libraries to pull the books and microfiche I scoured in order to scan and send them as proof) the American Bull Terrier was the original name of the once recognized breed now being called the American Pit Bull Terrier (however unrecognized) today. The name “Pit” needs to be lost from any and all breeds because of where it was earned; in the cruel and inhumane sport of dog fighting. All the breeds being referred to as Pit Bulls, all three official and the one unofficial, are being done a great injustice.
Thank you Melanie for this great article. I know my old “hard copy” AKC books identify the breeds under their independent names without the changes that you see today. Such as The American Bull Terrier.
I am so glad to see people making changes and bringing their puppies in for “positive” reward based good manners training and puppy socialization. My clients themselves often loop their own pets in the category of “Pit” rather than say American Bull Terrier Mix or whatever. My bull breeds that I have seen have truly been with the most responsible loving owners and the sweetest loving pups. Love to see this awful stigma get turned around and put the blame like you said, where it’s due. On the bad people that are doing the harm.
Thank you, Teri. I appreciate your comments.
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Your statistics are incorrect. I agree that “pit bull” type breeds have gotten a bad rep. However, it is very true that due to the breeding of these dogs aggressive tendencies are more frequent in them. http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf
The CDC puts pit bull type breeds on the top of all of these lists, followed by the rottweiler.
I think that pit bulls need help. I believe that the way to give them this help is to not shy away from the statistical facts, but to acknowledge them and try to think of a solution on how to change the breeding standards on the dogs. The only way to truly solve something is if you are honest with the facts. Let’s do our best to approach these issues head on.
Hi, Dom, My ststistics are only incorrect if going by any one given statistical report. You see, with all the varying statistics out there, and due to my a-retentive professional background as an accountant, cost and business operations analyst (a bean counter) I took 23 varying statistical reports, combined them and drew my percentages accordingly.
As for your point about breeding standards; EXCELLENT point and one deserving an article in and of itself! Cudos for bringing that to light. In my field of dog behavior problem help I find that no matter what the breed or mix of breeds, there are those which have a higher percentage of being higher or lower energy, higher or lower dominance levels and/or with higher or lower prey drive; which would definitely suggest that genetics are somewhat hitched to these traits for selective breeding. That said, it is not the rule because there are always individual dogs that defy selective breeding. Using just a few breeds for examples, of all the Golden Retrievers out there I’ve helped with behavior issues or simply worked with to task train or care for, I would guess to say 8 out of 10 are super high energy, low dominance level and high prey drive… which, if you’re going to use them for Search and Rescue makes them excellent! The high energy means they’re going to stay on the trail and be rather relentless about not giving up, the low dominance with strong prey drive means they can more easily be directed to pursue their objective (lost person or animal) without the goal of capturing, conquering or consuming. Back to the point, of the Goldens (nickname not breed name, lol) I have encountered in my profession, my guestimation would be that 80% of them are extremely high energy and 20% moderate to even very low energy levels, which would sugeest that higher energy dogs were carefully selected when the breeders were hard at work formulating them. Of the Basset Hounds I’ve encountered, 80% of them have been extremely low energy and 20% were moderate to high energy (lol, I thought I was dreaming when I had to go rehabilitate a Basset who was so high enegy he could barely hold still and who was biting people regularly). So, yes, Dom, GOOD point. Of the breeds I have worked with that were bred for fighting I would venture to say that 7 out of 10 have been extremely high energy with moderate to high dominance levels and prey drives which, when those traits are the case with them or ANY breeds, makes them more difficult for the inexperienced to channel the energy and temper the dominance and drive. Add to that that many of the folks I have personally encountered that own the breeds bred for fighting keep them chained up or crated for 8-10 hours a day and then either take them on a short little walk or no walk at all. All of thr large more powerful breeds are dangerous time bombs waiting to go off when they are high energy, high dominance and high prey drive animals not being regularly, sufficiently exercised, tempered and trained. But, again, back to your point, YES, I believe that the fighting ring circle breeders definitely were picking the males and females of the highest energy levels, prey drives and dominance levels to breed in order to increase the percentages of the pups being able to be most easily encouraged and directed to be aggressive with one another. Thank God this type of breeding only increased liklihoods and higher percentages and are not the rule or we wouldn’t have the moderate to low energy dogs, with moderate to low prey drives and moderate to low dominance needs in them to begin the task of trying to breed those traits into lower percentages of occurance. Oh, Dom, but if we could only get the breeders to begin making that their goal. Perhaps you could write an article of this sort to help set it into motion? Obviously those type of changes take time and not everyone will listen or hear you but if it can change just one group of breeders, it can ripple into time; iow, it would matter. Everything matters. Thank you for your point. Warmly, Melanie
I, too, have read the books. It isn’t easy to tell others to read books, though, so that is why I linked to websites with the information I was citing. I appreciate the fact that you have researched this topic, however, your article is still riddled with inaccuracies. Your information about the Pit Bull is somewhat correct, but it is outdated. At the moment there is NO SUCH BREED as the American Bull Terrier. It was the suggested name for the Pit Bull (and probably should have become the breed’s name), but it didn’t stick. The American Pit Bull Terrier IS a recognized breed, it was recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1898. Whether or not you agree with the name, it IS the name of the breed at present.
Pete the Pup in the “Our Gang” series (later known as “The Little Rascals”) was played by a registered American Pit Bull Terrier named Pal the Wonder Dog. His pedigree is available here: http://www.fiapbtpedigree.com/imprimir_ficha.php?idm=en&criterio=326891 Later his son, Lucenay’s Peter, also a registered American Pit Bull Terrier went on to play “Pete the Pup.” It was in the 1994 remake of The Little Rascals that Pete the Pup was played by an American Bulldog.
The American Bulldog wasn’t even created as a breed until the 60′s or 70′s, so it was definitely NOT one of the “most popular two breeds owned by American families in the 1930′s and 1940′s.” The American Bulldog may have some Pit Bull lineage in it, but it is not considered a Pit Bull today. American Bulldogs can be A LOT bigger than Pit Bulls and are not often included in BSL (at least not in the US). The breed was recognized by the UKC in 1999.
Your information in the article about the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is ABSOLUTELY incorrect. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a close relative of the Pit Bull and American Staffordshire Terrier, but it is NOT the same breed. The Stafford was developed separately after the Bull and Terrier dogs that became the Pit Bull came to the US from England, many of the dogs that stayed behind were developed into the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Eventually, the SBT made its way to the US and it was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1975. The biggest difference between the Stafford and the Pit Bull is the size. Staffords are smaller topping out at 16″ tall and 38 pounds. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier has become more popular in the US since then, but it is still no where near as popular or well known as the APBT/AmStaff. And Cesar Millan’s dogs Daddy and Junior are NOT Staffords, they are/were Pit Bulls. If you want a great book about the history of the Stafford, check out Staffordshire Bull Terrier in History & Sport by Mike Homan. It can be hard to get your hands on a copy, but if do, it’s well worth it!
The breed that you were actually referring to in your article, is the American Staffordshire Terrier NOT the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The AmStaff is, basically, the AKC recognized version of the American Pit Bull Terrier. The AKC wouldn’t recognize the APBT. So, the name was changed to the Staffordshire Terrier and it was recognized by the AKC in 1936. Later the breed name was again changed to the American Staffordshire Terrier in order to further differentiate it from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. No breed other than the APBT was used in the establishment of the AmStaff, so many still consider the AmStaff to be the same breed as the Pit Bull.
The Bull Terrier is not NOT AT ALL the same breed as the Pit Bull. The breed was developed by James Hinks by crossing Pit Bulls with the Dalmatian, Pointer and white English Terrier. It is similar in build and close in size to the Pit Bull, but its head, being egg-shaped, is the feature that sets it apart from similar breeds. The breed was recognized by the AKC in 1885. The Bull Terrier is not often included in BSL.
Again, however well researched your article is, it is not 100% accurate and should be edited to reflect the facts.
You obviously have tunnel vision and are NOT reading my article. Let me make this crystal clear: I AM SAYING THAT ALL OF THE BREEDS I MENTIONED ARE BEING ERRONEOUSLY LABELLED “PIT BULLS” BY THE GENERAL POPULATION. I AM SAYING THAT NONE OF THEM ARE PIT BULLS, NONE OF THEM!!! AND I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR LINKS STATE OR DON’T STATE, THERE WERE SEVERAL DOGS THAT PLAYED THE ROLE OF PETEY ACCORDING TO THE REFERENCE I READ AND IT ALSO STATED THAT ONE OR MORE OF THOSE DOGS WAS AN AMERICAN BULLDOG WHETHER IT WAS RECOGNIZED YET OR NOT BY THE AKC OR THE UKS IS ABSOLUTELY IRRELEVANT. AS FOR THE AMERICAN BULL TERRIER, IT USED TO BE WITHOUT THE PIT. I don’t understand you or why you feel the need to argue! It’s ridiculous! The cold fact is, these four breeds and any dogs that people even slightly suspect have any of those four breeds in them, even dogs that slightly possess any of their features are all being erroneously dubbed as Pit Bulls. Whether you like it or not and whether the AKC and the UKC want to list the dogs differently according to variances or not, Staffys are Staffys, whether American or Bull. I don’t care how many references list American Bull Terriers as American Pit Bull Terriers, the “Pit” addition to the name was added from their poularity in the fighting pits. You can keep rambling on and on all you want to try to discredit the information I based my article on and to try to pull the focus away from the real point and heart of this matter due to some seemingly irresistable human ego impulse but I refuse to allow your banter make me take time away from my precious time rehabilitating dogs, many that have been horribly abused by humans prior to being rescued, to make it a mission to prove to “YOU” what references my information came from. These breeds, mixes of these breeds and even dogs that are “thought” to be mixes of any of these breeds are being lumped together and called on official dog bit reports “Pit Bulls”. My central point is that Staffys, American Bulldogs, American Bull Terriers and Bull Terriers, mixes with these breeds in them and mixes thought to have any of these breeds in them are being called “Pit Bulls”. If they were human I would equate it to a form of negative genderism or racism. The name “Pit Bull” is a disparaging and offensive slang name that ignorance is keeping alive and well. You’re SO missing the point and again, it is absolutely irrelevant how many links you can find and post to support your aim to discredit some of the info I found and based my article on. There’s always other links out there to say the opposite. But you’re not listening anyway. Ramble on. I’m through posting replies to you. You aren’t even making any sense, rhyme or reason to why you’re writing what you’re writing.
This is my third time writing this comment, so please excuse my brevity!
Actually, ResearchisyourFriend is correct about the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Even if you don’t correct any of your other misinformation, you should really correct your misuse of the breed name Staffordshire Bull Terrier when you meant American Staffordshire Terrier or American Pit Bull Terrier. CM’s dogs were not,are not Staffy Bulls they were,are Pit Bulls. He has never claimed otherwise. The fact that Staffy Bulls and American Staffordshires have similar names and breed histories, does not mean they are the same breed! Labrador and Golden Retrievers are similar dogs with similar names, but no one considers them to be the same breed! I understand the point of your article, but you should really correct the misinformation about the Staffy Bull breed. At the moment, the Staffy Bull is safe from the Dangerous Dog Act in the United Kindom, but if lawmakers thought, as you do, that the Staffy Bull was the same breed as the American Staffordshire or Pit Bull, Staffy Bulls would be banned and killed. I understand that you are trying to be helpful with this article, but you might want to read through the information that ResearchisyourFriend has provided as it is correct and, I am sorry to have to say it, but most of the information in your article is not.
You guys are unbelievable. My info is correct, the breed and call names being used out there are correct and, you guys are really beginning to sound ridiculous let alone that you truly are missing the point; they’re ALL being mis-labelled Pit Bulls, all of them and YES, the general public and officials do refer the all the strains and conformation breedings of Staffys out there as Pit Bulls; which is my point; they are NOT Pit Bulls, none of them are Pit Bulls.
I have read your article and understand your main idea. Yes many breeds are mistakenly called Pit Bulls, but that doesn’t mean that they ARE Pit Bulls. Your main point that there is no such breed as a Pit Bull is incorrect, because the American Pit Bull Terrier is a recognized breed and has been since the late 1800′s. Also, if you had actually read my comment, you would know that I acknowledged that the breed was briefly known as the American Bull Terrier, that is not, however, a recognized breed today. And NO a “Staffy” is not a “Staffy” if you are talking about the two distinct breeds with “Staffordshire” in their name. The American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier are completely different breeds with different breed histories, different breed standards and different appearances. Please reread my comments, as they are well researched and you have clearly not comprehended the information in them, at all.
I love this article Ms. Blair and I trust that all the facts are accurate. It is amazing to me how some people want to be, shall we say, so important, and want to be “right” about whatever, all the time. I understand that you are trying to bring an end to the injustice that has been put upon these poor, unfortunate dogs in our society. Why can’t some people see that and help instead of trying to prove people wrong? I feel so very sorry for this person.
Thank you, Irene. Bless your heart!
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Melanie,
Stop replying to this person, who doesn’t even have the balls to put a real name down. It is taking away from the value of the article you have written when this person is arguing over stupid semantics that you should feel no need to argue about or validate.
Thank you for a well written and thought out article. Though I would still never own one of these breeds due to the misinformation out there about them, I appreciate that there are those of us who feel they are over-blamed in the media.
Thank you, Jill!
You’re unbelievable. If you understood my article you wouldn’t be arguing the point. And, if people in the UK decided to interject the word Pit into the name American Bull Terrier (which America herself won’t even recognize) and list the poor dogs in a registry as such then their part of the problem as well. But that still doesn’t make them a “Pit Bull” a breed. As for your continuing rantings about Staffys, have a read, my anonymous critic, not that it will do any good. As I said before, for everything written out there’s bound to be opposite statements written here and there but you can base your conclusions on your references and I’ll base mine on mine. You will not find this on the Internet but surely someone has to have at least bits and pieces of it, in part or in whole out there in cyberspace no matter how much they may have edited it or changed it:
A History of the Staffordshire Breeds
To correctly give the origin and history of the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (they are one in the same except for selective conformation breeding) it is necessary to comment briefly on two other types of dogs, namely bulldogs and terriers.
Until the early part of the 19th century (in spite of it having become illegal); what was known as “the Bulldog” was bred with great care for the purpose of baiting bulls. Bulldogs of that day took 2 distinctive conformations, one small, muscular, stubby and powerful with protruding, wide jaws much like the present day English Bulldog and the other built more like the present day American Bulldog. It is believed, in fact, that the American Bulldog is a direct descendent of these bull baiting. Although there were several canine body types being selectively brought in and bred for bull baiting, from immense and powerful to small and powerful, images from as late as 1870 represent most bull baiting dogs as being medium sized, agile and with long, straight legs; his front legs in particular. In some cases he was even possessed of a powerful muzzle and long rat tails were not uncommon. In short, the primary bull baiter dogs of those days looked more like a cross between the present-day American Bulldog and the American Staffordshire Terrier; they were strongly built yet streamlined.
Some researchers believe it may have been the white English Terrier or the Black-and-Tan Terrier that was crossed with an English Bulldog (not then registered as such) to create the Staffordshire Terrier. Still others speculate that other terriers, perhaps even a select mix of several of them, including the Fox Terrier of the early 1800s (closer to the size of a greyhound at that time) were used. One thing for certain, the breeders who were attempting to perfect a dog that would combine the spirit and agility of the terrier with the courage and tenacity of the Bulldog were successful in creating a magnificent conformation worthy of being named. And, so, it was the cross between the English Bulldog’s ancestors and the carefully formulated hybrid terrier that resulted in the Staffordshire Terrier, which was originally called the Bull-and-Terrier Dog, the Half and Half, and, also, the Pit Dog and the Pit Bullterrier. Later, England registered it as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Overseas, in America, it was eventually registered as the Staffordshire Terrier. England quickly took to making their Staffys different by selectively breeding the more compact, muscular dogs while America took to selectively breeding the larger more formidable sized Staffys. All in all, America’s and England’s Staffordshires are from the same stock and ancestry.
When Staffordshires found their way into America’s spotlight in the late 1800’s, they were first called Pit Dogs, then Pit Bull Terriers. Some Staffordshires were then selectively bred with hybrid terriers to give them a little more height and just enough extra leanness to make them more agile in dog-to-dog fighting pits. Those dogs were proudly dubbed American Bull Terriers by the general populous of the fighting circles who then went on to begin calling them American Pit Bull Terriers although they would not be recognized as a formal breed. The Staffordshire was also sometimes referred to as Yankee Terriers.
In 1936, Staffordshires that had not been bred with additional terrier lines to become American Bull Terriers were accepted for registration in the AKC Stud Book as Staffordshire Terriers. The name of the breed was then revised effective, January 1, 1972 to American Staffordshire Terrier. Since American breeders had selectively bred them to become heavier in weight than the Staffordshires of England (called Staffordshire Bull Terriers in their registry) the name change in America’s registry was to distinguish them as separate breeds in spite of the fact that they were of the very same ancestry and bloodlines.
In mentioning the various former street and slang names of Staffordshires, it is not the intention to tag him as a fighting machine, or to praise the fact that he once bore the nicknames Pit Dog and Pit Bull Terrier by being used so frequently in the fighting pits. These are discussed in order to present the most accurate origin and history of the breed.
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But you know what? None of that is even the point. You have gone so far away from what my article is meant to address it just blows my mind. I can’t help but begin to suspect that you may be one of the humans who enjoys the words Pit Bull being stamped on a dog, who kind of gets off on the bad-a euphamism. But at the expense of the reputation destroyer it has become? The words Pit Bull are being so carelessly and erroneously slapped onto the breeds I referred to that it has become a death sentence to them in both direct and indirect ways. But you go on arguing that there “is” a such thing as a Pit Bull “breed” even though there is not… argue away. Clearly trying to justify your original attack on my article is more important to you than the mis-labeling going on out there for these poor dogs. Crimany, even Boxer mixes and Cane Corsos and Corso mixes are being erroneously called Pit Bulls and I wasn’t kissing when I said one of my clients called their aggressive dog a Pit Bull mix and I went out to find a dog that looked like a cross between a Sheltie and a Beagle. But you go on ahead and argue some moe and stay off the track, arguing that there “is too” such a thing as a Pit Bull Breed and that English Staffys and American Staffys aren’t the same, etc., blah, and, WHO CARES? The point is Staffys, whether English or American, are being ignorantly and erroneously called “Pit Bulls” by the greater populous out there! The point is, all the breeds I mentioned are being ignoranty dubbed Pit Bulls on Police and Hospital reports and BANNED because people are calling them Pit Bulls. They’re not getting adopted because of it, people aren’t able to place them because of it, they’re not allowed in many dwellings and public places because of it, they’re being directly and indirectly euthanized because of it and the list goes on. My article was written to TRY to clear the confusion and get that euphemism removed… but, wow, like I said, you blow my mind. Whew. What a world of screwed up humans, so busy grouping and categorizing and labelling things that they can’t see the forest for the trees.
Yes. I understand your main point and I do agree that people throw the term Pit Bull around like it is meaningless these days! It happens A LOT here in the US. Even some supposed “pit bull advocacy” groups do it. One such advocacy group, Animal Farm Foundation, defines “pit bull” as “an ever expanding group that includes whatever an animal control officer, shelter worker, dog trainer, politician, dog owner, police officer or newspaper says it is.” To me, all that does is enable politicians and members of the media to make the number of “pit bull attacks” seem even larger than it truly is. Which, of course, leads to more dead dogs as a result of BSL. I do not agree with this kind of erroneous labeling of dogs as “pit bulls” and I think it has to stop, like, yesterday. However, that doesn’t mean that I am going to deny the existence of the Pit Bull breed entirely!
I don’t understand why you won’t acknowledge that the American Pit Bull Terrier IS a registered and recognized breed today. Should it probably have been called the American Bull Terrier? Yes! But it wasn’t! The breed was recognized by the UKC in the late 1800′s as the American Pit Bull Terrier and they are still registered (by the thousands) in that registry and under that name today. They aren’t bad dogs just because they have the word “pit” in their name. Pit Bulls (also called APBTs) are great dogs just like their AKC counterparts the AmStaff.
And yes, I understand that AmStaffs and Staffords (and APBTs) have similar breed histories. The thing is, though, that years and years of selective breeding separated by an ocean have made the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier two very distinct breeds. The fact that you are arguing that they are the same breed shows me that you have not met many examples of each breed. If you had, you would certainly agree that they are not the same dog! Yyou can check the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club’s description of each breed. Pit Bull Rescue Central also has a great reference about the differences between the APBT, AmStaff, Stafford and the new fad “breed” in the US called the American Bully here: http://www.pbrc.net/faq.html The website linked in my name also has a brief description of each breed and it’s differences. If you would prefer to view it in book form, however, I recommend the book “Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds,” the American Staffordshire Terrier is on page 160 and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is on page 206. They really are very different breeds today, especially the conformation/show bred ones that compete in dog shows.
Your blurb about Cesar Millan and his dogs is entirely false. As I said before, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a relatively uncommon breed here in the US, especially when compared to the popularity of the APBT and the AmStaff. Cesar Millan’s dogs Daddy and Junior AREN’T Staffordshire Bull Terriers! Cesar Millan has never claimed his dogs were Staffords and you can tell just by looking at them that they are not. Millan’s dogs could be AmStaffs, but I have not heard of them being registered dogs, so it is more likely that they AmStaff or APBT mixes. I don’t understand why you won’t just change your article to reflect that fact. It wouldn’t diminish your article in any way to correct your mistake.
Just so you know where I am coming from, I live in the US and am a Staffordshire Bull Terrier owner, a Pit Bull Advocate, a former Pit Bull owner, a member of the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America (the breed club for the American Staffordshire Terrier) and a dog history buff. Ultimately, I think that we agree on the main idea of your article. However, I think it is very important to get facts straight when writing an article on such an important topic and many of your facts are a little off in this article.
P.S.) To Anyone besides the anonymous person who dubbed themself “ResearchisyourFriend”, please forgive my numerous typos, above; I was typing as fast as I could (I’m not a good typist) because I was very weary, tired and needed to go to bed. Some of that weariness came from one of the dogs I worked with yesterday being an American Bull Terrier-Staffy-Lab mix which has been marked on a county report as a “Pit Bull” and as “a menace” because it “barked ferociously with intent to bite” at a neighbor who was deliberately agitating and teasing it through it’s own fence. So labelled, you see, this dog will not get the chance that say, a German Shepherd or Beagle would get if it snaps the dog-taunting neighbor or anyone else who reports it for that matter. It will be euthanized by the county if it even so much as once snaps anyone enough to bruise them. I have instructed the owner to, firstmost, protect their erroneously dubbed “Pit Bull” by never allowing it in its own backyard alone while we are working on “bomb-proofing” it from any and all humans and other animals; a technique used by myself and many behaviorists and trainers of exposing dogs to various stimuli over and over with the goal of desensitizing them to anything and everything on the way of movement, activities around them and sounds, iow, to “ignore” would-be taunters.
So, please do not mistake my refusal to further comment or counter our anonymous “ResearchisyourFriend’s” banterings due to not being able to justify my research. I simply know it is pointless, like reasoning with a wall, and a waste of precious energy and time to keep engaging a person who clearly insists “Pit Bull” is a breed when it is not and who clearly insists on trying to smokescreen people away from the point of the article in order to appease references they are taking as the gospel, perhaps because they have publicly endorsed them in some way and are too embarrassed to admit that they could be erroneous. I don’t know. Due to the fact that most of my references were extracted from hard copy resources, I had to physically type the above info I dug up on the Staffordshire history and I’m simply just not going to do that further. So, further comments from me to this person’s posts are hereby considered closed.
You can attack me all you want, but everything I have written is fact backed by plenty of sources, and you have yet to name a single one of your sources! I have read plenty of books on the subject including Colby’s Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier, Celebrating the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier in History & Sport, and several others, all of which are either primary sources or cite primary sources material.
I understand your main point, I really do, I just don’t think you need to bend the facts in order to prove your point! I do agree that people throw the term Pit Bull around like it is meaningless these days! It happens A LOT here in the US. Even some supposed “pit bull advocacy” groups do it. One such advocacy group, Animal Farm Foundation, defines “pit bull” as “an ever expanding group that includes whatever an animal control officer, shelter worker, dog trainer, politician, dog owner, police officer or newspaper says it is.” To me, all that does is enable politicians and members of the media to make the number of “pit bull attacks” seem even larger than it truly is. Which, of course, leads to more dead dogs as a result of BSL. I do not agree with this kind of erroneous labeling of dogs as “pit bulls” and I think it has to stop, like, yesterday. However, that doesn’t mean that I am going to deny the existence of the Pit Bull breed entirely!
I don’t understand why you won’t acknowledge that the American Pit Bull Terrier IS a registered and recognized breed today. Should it probably have been called the American Bull Terrier? Yes! But it wasn’t! The breed was recognized by the UKC in the late 1800′s as the American Pit Bull Terrier and they are still registered (by the thousands) in that registry and under that name today. They aren’t bad dogs just because they have the word “pit” in their name. Pit Bulls (also called APBTs) are great dogs just like their AKC counterparts the AmStaff.
And yes, I understand that AmStaffs and Staffords (and APBTs) have similar breed histories. The thing is, though, that years and years of selective breeding separated by an ocean have made the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier two very distinct breeds. The fact that you are arguing that they are the same breed shows me that you have not met many examples of each breed. If you had, you would certainly agree that they are not the same dog! Yyou can check the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club’s description of each breed. Pit Bull Rescue Central also has a great reference about the differences between the APBT, AmStaff, Stafford and the new fad “breed” in the US called the American Bully here: http://www.pbrc.net/faq.html The website linked in my name also has a brief description of each breed and it’s differences. If you would prefer to view it in book form, however, I recommend the book “Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds,” the American Staffordshire Terrier is on page 160 and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is on page 206. They really are very different breeds today, especially the conformation/show bred ones that compete in dog shows.
Your blurb about Cesar Millan and his dogs is entirely false. As I said before, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a relatively uncommon breed here in the US, especially when compared to the popularity of the APBT and the AmStaff. Cesar Millan’s dogs Daddy and Junior AREN’T Staffordshire Bull Terriers! Cesar Millan has never claimed his dogs were Staffords and you can tell just by looking at them that they are not. Millan’s dogs could be AmStaffs, but I have not heard of them being registered dogs, so it is more likely that they AmStaff or APBT mixes. I don’t understand why you won’t just change your article to reflect that fact. It wouldn’t diminish your article in any way to correct your mistake.
Just so you know where I am coming from, I live in the US and am a Staffordshire Bull Terrier owner, a Pit Bull Advocate, a former Pit Bull owner, a member of the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America (the breed club for the American Staffordshire Terrier) and a dog history buff. Ultimately, I think that we agree on the main idea of your article. However, I think it is very important to get facts straight when writing an article on such an important topic and many of your facts are a little off in this article.
I think you’re the one who is scared, since you are no longer posting any of my well researched, well thought out comments…
Of course that comment you will post! Let’s try posting this comment again:
Look, you can attack me all you want, but everything I have written is fact. You have yet to name a single one of your sources! I have read plenty of books on the subject including Colby’s Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier, Celebrating the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier in History & Sport, and several others, all of which are either primary sources or cite primary sources material.
I understand your main point, I really do, I just don’t think you need to bend the facts in order to prove your point! I do agree that people throw the term Pit Bull around like it is meaningless these days! It happens A LOT here in the US. Even some supposed “pit bull advocacy” groups do it. One such advocacy group, Animal Farm Foundation, defines “pit bull” as “an ever expanding group that includes whatever an animal control officer, shelter worker, dog trainer, politician, dog owner, police officer or newspaper says it is.” To me, all that does is enable politicians and members of the media to make the number of “pit bull attacks” seem even larger than it truly is. Which, of course, leads to more dead dogs as a result of BSL. I do not agree with this kind of erroneous labeling of dogs as “pit bulls” and I think it has to stop. However, that doesn’t mean that I am going to deny the existence of the Pit Bull breed entirely!
I don’t understand why you won’t acknowledge that the American Pit Bull Terrier IS a registered and recognized breed today. Should it probably have been called the American Bull Terrier? Yes! But it wasn’t! The breed was recognized by the UKC in the late 1800′s as the American Pit Bull Terrier and they are still registered (by the thousands) in that registry and under that name today. They aren’t bad dogs just because they have the word “pit” in their name. Pit Bulls (also called APBTs) are great dogs just like their AKC counterparts the AmStaff.
And yes, I understand that AmStaffs and Staffords (and APBTs) have similar breed histories. The thing is, though, that years and years of selective breeding separated by an ocean have made the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier two very distinct breeds. The fact that you are arguing that they are the same breed shows me that you have not met many examples of each breed. If you had, you would certainly agree that they are not the same dog! Pit Bull Rescue Central has a great reference about the differences between the APBT, AmStaff, Stafford and the new fad “breed” in the US called the American Bully here: http://www.pbrc.net/faq.html The website linked in my name also has a brief description of each breed and it’s differences. If you would prefer to view it in book form, however, I recommend the book “Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds,” the American Staffordshire Terrier is on page 160 and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is on page 206. They really are very different breeds today, especially the conformation/show bred ones that compete in dog shows.
Just so you know where I am coming from, I live in the US and am a Staffordshire Bull Terrier owner, a Pit Bull Advocate, a former Pit Bull owner, a member of the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America (the breed club for the American Staffordshire Terrier) and a dog history buff. Ultimately, I think that we agree on the main idea of your article. However, I think it is very important to get facts straight when writing an article on such an important topic and many of your facts are a little off in this article.
Wow, to hear the argument. I thank you for the article. I had my first American Bull Terrier back in 1983. He was a wonderful dog. I have tried for years to tell people that the word “pit” was a nickname added in there because of the people that trained them to fight in ‘pits’. American Kennel Club refuses to register American Bull Terriers because of the nickname, however they will register the American Staffordshire Terrier, which was my second one. It’s too bad people cannot learn the difference. It’s as bad as labeling a child retarded. Labels stick and do no one any good.
So… there’s no such thing as the American Staffordshire Terrier? Well, its good to know that my breed, doesn’t exist. Someone ought to tell the AKC.
English Staffy’s are not the same as American Staffy’s are not the same as American Pit Bull Terriers are not the same as Bull Terriers… people who don’t know will argue, but breeders and clubs can tell you the difference. The genetic difference of all dogs is negligible, so lets not talk about the stock of a breed that was created 100+ years ago (I’m talking about Amstaffs). Even Chihuahuas are 98% wolf.
I absolutely did not say American Staffordshire Terriers do not exist nor did I even suggest it. When I say, “Staffordshire Terrier” it is meant to encompass both registries, The American Staffy (USA) and the Staffy Bull (UK) are one in the same in ancestry, just selective conformation breeding (as is explained in AKC’s breed history). Lord, the next thing I know, a country that has them registered as Hickorami Staffordshire Terrier is going to pipe up. If I listed all of the world’s registry names, prior registry names, unofficial pedigree names, breeder dubbed names, fighting ring circle dubbed names, unofficial names and common nicknames of the breeds being labelled Pit Bull it would have been as long as the article. The point is, your precious canine child, your American Staffordshire Terrier, your Staffy, is being categorized as a Pit Bull by the general public. I’m trying to set the record straight about that to help get these breeds, mixes of these breeds and breeds that even slightly resemble them taken off the public’s general erroneous labelling of them as “Pit Bulls”. Where I live, dogs that people sloppily label Pit Bull don’t get the same number of chances before being condemned to die because of that euphamism. There’s a thousand more reasons for the air to be cleared for them but that’s the naim one that inspired me to write the article.
Oh! Minor stupid breed discrepancies aside, great article!
Education is the first step to overcoming the negative media stereotypes surrounding these awesome working dogs.
Thank you, dear!
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Hi Melanie Just wanted to say well done with the article and coping so well with some ridiculous comments against you. For me this article is about the prejudice towards certain breeds of dogs when in fact the problem is ignorant or aggressive humans.
AMEN, Jay! Thank you.
I appreciate your main point, that Pit Bull has negative associations and many breeds are misidentified as Pit Bulls. I think you could strengthen your point by not insisting that there is no such thing; since the Pit Bull has a registry dating back over a hundred years they do exist.
Bully Breeds have an undeservedly bad rap. I personally think we should educate people that the APBT is most often a trustworthy dog devoted to their people and naturally protective of children. Otherwise we end up preaching to the choir
Okay, I see you do appreciate public perception…”Mel’s specialty is working with and successfully rehabilitating dogs with moderate to sever behavior problems, from the tiniest toy breeds to the most powerful Pitt Bulls.”
You and people like you are unbelievable. Clearly, I do not appreciate the public perception, nevertheless, if I want to help the breeds being labelled Pit Bulls from being euthanized, I must use the euphamism to be contacted. Unless you are a Behaviorist you have no idea how many Dog Trainers and Behaviorists will not, and I mean absolutely WILL NOT, work with the fighting breed dogs, i.e., dogs that people, shelters, rescues and people who’s dogs have only one chance left before being euthanized are being simply called Pit Bulls. They’re calling me because I’m putting it out there that way for those that don’t know any better than to call them as such; I’m saving these branded dogs lives by listing their current euphamism so that I will be called instead of their keepers and owners giving up hope of finding a Behaviorist that will work with them. I don’t get rich on this; I rehab most of the so called “Pit Bulls” I’m called to help FREE OF CHARGE and have a LONG list of clients who will attest to that fact. I do a FREE consult and often never have to return after that. When I do need to return, the maximum amount of sessions it has taken to date to complete the rehab has been three 1-hour sessions. Top that with the fact that I charge a third of the fee that other area professionals charge (who won’t go to dogs labelled Pit Bulls). You people are all about trying to discredit and tear others apart that are trying to do good in this world. As I said, no good deed goes unpunished. Further, I have learned that wherever I shine the light and love God puts in my heart to shine, His compassion, His hope into this world there are dark people tripping over themselves to try to snuff it out as quickly as possible. Humans, although there are many good ones in this world (thank God), there are far too many that are so aggressively selfish, so viciously negative and hateful that I’m surprised we still exist.
P.S.) To anyone else reading this, it’s amazing how “Chris” conveniently left out the balance of the statement from my web site which goes on to say, “although she would like to see that nickname removed from the breeds it haunts.” But why am I not surprized about the omission? lol
Melanie, you are taking this way too personally. Whether by accident or intent you edited out my previous comment which put my second comment in context. In my previous comment I said that the average person considers an APBT a Pit Bull — my second comment — the only printed one — means, OH, I see you recognize that because you use the common term on your site.
That in no way slams you or what you are doing.
Not everyone who points out that there is a registration that recognizes a breed called American Pit Bull Terrier is trying to paint you with a negative brush.
Why are you assuming I’m your enemy? We share a common interest and goal we just have slightly different approaches.
Chris, I don’t control the blog, dogwalkerscity does and so I have no way of not including, editing or deleting any comments, even my own, once they are posted; only they can do that. Therefore, no, I was not aware of the other post you are referring to. That explained, the comment they did post from you in and of itself states that “you see” that I am “appreciative” of the public perception of the fighting breed dogs being called “Pit Bulls” and yet you omitted the balance of what it goes on to say about me wishing the name would be dropped? This is why there was no other way to take it but negatively; gentle sarcasm suggesting a bit of hypocrisy.
I’d just like to say that here at Dog Walkers City we are completely impartial when it comes to publishing comments on subjects of this matter. We have a lot of comments to approve every day and a lot of spam, some of which automatically gets picked up by a spam filter, which can sometimes be in error. We try our best to approve all relevant comments quickly and efficiently. If your comment hasn’t been approved please be patient, as it usually will be in the end.
Can I please also ask our members and readers to keep their comments amicable, especially when they are commenting on a subject that they are passionate about, and even more so when they are directing comments at another person. We are a friendly community and comments that become spiteful or personal will not be tolerated.
That being said, thanks to all that have made this such an interesting debate! Keep the comments coming!
The Dog Walkers City Team.
Screw the comments! Great article! Very true. I always say we own American Pit Bull Terriers. Sometimes as far as adding Blue Nose to rid my self of the word pit bull. If I say lots of other wires maybe people wont notice. It sucks for us responsable owners who suffer from the press mislabeling a mutt running the street that bites someone!
Amen, Amy. Well said.
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I have to use the term Pit Bull (begrudgingly) in the field because so many clients call me to help them rehabilitate rescues from fighting circles. Each client I help, however, I ask to please help the cause of removing the scarlet letters “PB” from their pooches when referring to them down the road. Many, I have to rehabilitate from reacting with severe aggression to anything that makes them unsure (practically everything) so battered and tortured were they and conditioned to attack to stop the torments. Yet many I help are not reacting with aggression when they darn well should be; these were more often than not the “bait dogs”, those the disgusting human offenders tied up, muzzled and baited the more dominant dogs into attacking. Most of the surviving rescued bait dogs I have helped are in severe modes of panicing at every sound and movement, repetitiously cowering, running and hiding with severe shudders, rolling over on their backs pleadingly when you approach them, and even drooling from fear. The good news is, they can be helped and it doesn’t take that long!
Bless your heart for understanding where I’m coming from. Again, if I listed all the nicknames, street names and call names being used out there both officially and unofficially for the breeds I referred to it would have been an article in itself, lol. “Blue Nose”, lol, I forgot about that one! It’s a nice name.
Thanks for the article. The battle against ignorance will take some time to win and the more of this type of article, the better, IMHO. Part of the strength of the message is lost through breed name inaccuracies.
I stopped reading the thread above after some sound suggestions made by “ResearchisyourFriend” seemed to have been dismissed.
Please don’t be discouraged, but please do correct your article. Breed term accuracy is not just a matter of semantics.
For instance, to say “Staffordshire Bull Terriers (also known as just Staffordshire Terriers)”, is not just incorrect, but truly counterproductive. “Staffordshire Terriers” are “American Staffordshire Terriers”
The fact that they are clearly separate breeds is not in dispute I hope as even the most basic of searches will confirm.
This is important because in some European breed specific legislation, “Staffordshire Terriers” (meaning American Staffordshire Terriers) are classed as dangerous, but “Staffordshire Bull Terriers” are not. Clarification of this distinction was won after concerted lobbying by Staffy lovers. Though it’s unfortunate for Amstaffs since they are great dogs too, Staffies are in the clear. It was one victory along the way to common sense.
If we in this community also muddle the breed names, we do a disservice to those who have fought for clarity.
Please take this message in the constructive spirit with which it is written.
Thank you. If only the author could understand that…
The American Pitbull Terrier IS a breed! They have been since 1898! The United Kennel Club was the first registry to recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier. UKC founder C. Z. Bennett assigned UKC registration number 1 to his own APBT, Bennett’s Ring, in 1898.