{"id":2495,"date":"2022-02-09T14:13:31","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T14:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitbulltribe.com\/?p=2495"},"modified":"2022-02-09T14:13:33","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T14:13:33","slug":"why-are-american-pitbulls-considered-dangerous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitbulltribe.com\/why-are-american-pitbulls-considered-dangerous\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Are American Pitbulls Considered Dangerous?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) has a bad reputation \u2014 dangerous, easily angered, prone to attack without warning \u2014 but why<\/em>, exactly, is this tenacious, companionable breed seemingly always under fire?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Pitbulls are considered dangerous due to their brutal history as bull-baiting dogs. They\u2019re also commonly misidentified in the media, particularly in news stories regarding dog-related incidents. Irresponsible owners and breeding also give these misunderstood dogs a bad rap.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I\u2019ll outline the reasons why so many people consider the American Pit Bull Terrier and other pitbull-type breeds to be dangerous. I\u2019ll bust through the myths to get to the facts. Read on to learn more about this intelligent, powerful, and friendly <\/em>breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Pitbulls Were Bull-Baiting Dogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why people consider the American Pit Bull Terrier and other pitbull-type breeds to be dangerous likely has a lot to do with their history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Pit Bull Terrier has a brutal past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Descended from bull-baiting dogs on the British Isles, humans bred and trained these powerful dogs to bite and hold bulls and other large animals. Eventually, the practice of bull-baiting evolved into bullfighting, where dogs were forced into pits to fight large, powerful bulls. Spectators wagered bets on which animal would win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, this was a cruel, savage sport. Fortunately, it was outlawed in 1835 \u2014 but that wasn\u2019t the end of the cruelty the American Pit Bull Terrier was subjected to. People instead turned to fighting their dogs against other dogs in dog fighting rings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selective Breeding for Dogfighting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As dogfighting became more popular \u2014 and lucrative, for those wagering \u2014 dogfighting enthusiasts took their best bull-baiting dogs (who were often slow yet powerful) and bred them with faster, agile terriers to create the ideal fighting dog. This process continued for decades to develop champion fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the process still goes on today in underground dogfighting<\/a> and breeding rings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The media is quick to jump on these stories that showcase the pitbull-type breeds in a negative light \u2014 and the general public often takes the information at face value even though many times the breed is misidentified (which I\u2019ll discuss later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Pitbulls Get Along with Other Dogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As I\u2019ve recently mentioned, the American Pit Bull Terrier was originally bred to fight animals larger than itself, and eventually, its own canine counterparts. Despite this, many pitbull-type breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, are known to live in peace with other dogs and animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Pit Bull Terrier and other pitbull-type breeds can get along with other dogs and pets. Due to their history, however, some may be more likely to be aggressive, unfriendly, or aloof toward their canine counterparts. Each dog is an individual, so this doesn’t apply to pit bulls as a whole.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Pitbulls Aggressive Towards Humans?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Back in the early days of bull-baiting, bullfighting, and dogfighting, any dog that showed combative behavior with humans was \u201cculled,\u201d or put to death \u2014 this was a trait that dog breeders did not <\/em>want to be passed on to future fighters, considering that humans still had to handle the dogs inside and outside of the ring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pitbull-type breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, were not originally bred to show aggression toward humans. Although they were bred as fearless fighters, it was rare for these canines to show hostility towards people. Today, pitbull-type breeds are often bred for companionship.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most pitbull-type breeds are known for their affectionate nature and gentleness. This is a far car from their ruthless predecessors that were trained to fight to the death. It\u2019s believed that pit bulls eventually moved on to become farm dogs, later moving indoors with the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was when the pit bulls moved into the house that their people-loving personalities shined through, earning them the nickname of \u201cnanny dogs,\u201d thanks to their gentle nature and protective instincts around children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Pitbulls Are Often Misidentified<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"pitbull<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The general public tends to believe that pit bulls are a dog breed, but that is not the case. In fact, the term \u201cpitbull\u201d is an umbrella term used to describe several different bully breeds, with the American Pit Bull Terrier being the original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three other breeds that are commonly lumped into the \u201cpit bull\u201d category<\/a>, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n