The Great American Pit Bull Terrier

When it comes to the American Pit bull Terrier everyone seems to have their own ideas about what is true and what is not. Many people will argue till their blue in the face about certain things that they have no idea about. Here is some common myths about this breed.

• Pit bulls have locking jaws. I hate to break it to all the haters but this is FALSE! This is probably the biggest myth of them all. There is no difference in the mechanics of their jaws and any other breeds. They are indeed stronger then most and actually have been breed to not let go. This was considered a virtue of a Pit bull. Its more like a stubbornness or even a gameness but there is nothing in their jaws that causes them to lock. Dont believe me? Ask a vet and they will tell you.

• Pit Bulls are not trustworthy around children. Well the thing with this is every dog no matter what should be supervised when around a child. From large to small good or great. Dogs are pack animals and in a pack dogs will nip dogs below them in a pack to keep them in line. The problem usually arises when your dog does not view the child as a leader or does not understand his place in a pack. Pit Bulls are in general great with kids as they have a high tolerance for pain and getting their paws stepped on or similar does not usually bother them the way it would a different breed.

• Pit Bulls are born mean. Dogs like people can be born mean, or more aggressive then others but most of the time when you see a "mean" dog its a product of its environment. A family that gets a puppy and loves it and raises it right should have no problems but like any breed there will always be an exception to that rule. In general they are loyal and loving and eager to please and are truely clowns. Other things that could play a role in aggressive dogs could also be medical, for example a Thyroid problem can make dog aggressive.

• My Pit Bull attacked other animals am I next? NO. That does not mean anything at all. In fact human aggression is very different from animal aggression. Many Pits dont like other animals because they have a strong prey drive and they were breed to fight. They were also bred not to turn on their handlers when they broke up a fight because the handlers couldnt risk getting attacked by their dog when seperating them from another dog.