Pit Bull People Part 2: Pit Bulls are like Porn

A pit bull is like porn. I know it when I see it. 

Think this sounds ridiculous? Same, on the surface. But it's almost a direct quote from the executive director of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. The exact quote is:

“I’ve often said to people that pit bulls are like art or porn: You know it when you see it, you can’t define it, and to each of us it means something different.”

So basically, even the accomplished head of this professional animal organization can't define what a pit bull is.

Photo by Bridget Davey Photography

It's a nebulous term that gets thrown around and becomes, incorrectly, all encompassing. It's used in statements like "all pit bulls are inherently dangerous" and "all pit bulls are the sweetest, gentlest dogs." But if we can't even define what a pit bull is, how can we make claims that they are all anything? 

Let's discuss. 

Let's start with the basics. What technically is meant by "pit bull"?

Pit bull is usually a catch-all term to describe dogs with big blocky heads and short coats. 

Bronwen Dickey (author of Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon which is finally next up on my reading list) says: 

Photo by Bridget Davey Photography

"The term 'pit bull' is a shortened version of the general term 'pit bulldog,' which was used throughout the 19th century. They were smallish, stocky, smooth-coated dogs, some of whom were used in dog fighting, while plenty of others lived low-key lives as farm dogs and family pets."

"Like 'hound,' 'pit bull' is a 'type.' Within that type, there are four distinct pedigree breeds: the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier and the American bully."

Other dogs that often get classified as "pit bulls" are American bulldogs and Dogo Argentinos. But lots of dogs have stocky heads and short hair, and mutts are almost always unreliably classified as pit bull mixes if they're short haired or have pointy ears. 

I found the image above on google. I can't say for sure how accurate it is or vouch for the source, but it seems pretty close to me (from my rudimentary research and knowledge). If anyone has a better sourced image, please send it my way. 

So how do you know if a dog is a pit bull?

"Multiple studies on breed identification have shown that often the dogs visually identified as pit bulls don't have those breeds in their DNA. That means a large number of dogs labeled 'pit bulls' are really just mutts." 

The IAABC just did an interesting "citizen science" study in conjunction with a bunch of universities including Harvard, MIT, and U Mass to see how well people can guess breeds just from photos of dogs. The answer is almost universally "not particularly well." 

My former foster Marnie, a "coonhound" mix. Is there pit in her? Who cares?

"Overall accuracy of all participants averaged at 25% correct for all guesses made. Dog professionals surpassed that accuracy by only a narrow margin, averaging at 28% correct guesses for all guesses made."  Check out more about the study and take the test for yourself here.

I took the Mutt Mix test as well. I correctly guessed all three breeds for 0 dogs, two out of three breeds for 3 dogs, and one out of three breeds for 18 dogs. I'm pretty sure I scored around average (though math is not my thing). I also spent the last 3 years "assigning" breeds to photos of dogs and puppies coming from shelters to private rescues in NYC. If I, with all that experience, did so poorly on this test what does that tell us?

To me this says a few things about pit bulls:

(this is my main conclusion, so if you've zoned out, pay attention to this part)

1. It is pretty damn hard to identify dog breeds, especially and including pit bulls, just by looking at them. 
2. Animal shelter workers or volunteers might be able to guess better, but not by much. And their guesses should not be taken as bible because they're just that- guesses made by random people like me who just love dogs. 
3. A dog's external traits are not reflective of a dog's genetic make up. And if we can't figure out what a dog's genetic make up is by looking at it, how can we assume to predict it's behavior based on it's looks? 
4. Dogs are individuals. Instead of talking about breed, I think adopters, shelters, and rescues should talk about a dog's individual personality and temperament to make a good match.

And there you have it. A brief and not at all all-encompassing summary of the debate around "what is a pit bull"?

I hope we can all agree that there is no reliable way to visually identify a pit bull. To me, this makes any statement about "all pit bulls" inherently absurd and utterly incorrect. 

 

So why does this matter, and what do I think is the best way to advocate for pit bulls?

I'm flattered you asked.

Former foster Sharky. Photo by Erin Stanton of Susie's Senior Dogs

I think we can do our beloved "breed" the most service by just acting like it's a normal dog. If we immediately go on the defensive and say "pit bulls are the sweetest" or "pit bulls are the best dogs" or "pit bulls are so much less likely to bite than chihuahuas," it only serves to reinforce that pit bulls are somehow different from all other types of dogs. My best recommendation is just to calmly explain that pit bull is not a real breed, it's just another type of dog, and all dogs are inviduals. 

It's also up to us as Pit Bull People, as their owners and advocates, to set our dogs up for success, no matter what that means to your individual dog. 

For the sake of the rest of these blog posts, I'll use the term "Pit bull" but now we all officially know that that's not even technically correct. #NotAllPitbulls