The Term "Pit Bull" Is Not a Breed

Historically, "pit bull" was an informal and slang term that was used to describe any dog that was used for the cruel sport of bull-baiting - using dogs (of any breed) to seize tethered animals such as bulls within an enclosed area called a "pit" (thus the term "pit bull"). While many different breeds and mixes were used for this "sport", dogs that resemble today's bully breeds were commonly used and it was not a sport limited to today's "pitbull-type" breeds. In other words, "pit bull" was more of a term used to describe any dog that was used for bull-baiting and less of a term used to describe a specific breed or type of dog (technically, if a Husky had been used for baiting a bull in a "pit" it would have been considered a "pit bull" back then). Furthermore, baiting is not an inherent trait for any breed, it's an activity that must be taught and honed, no different than training a dog to sit or fetch.

Modern Usage of the "Pit bull" Name

Today, the term "pit bull" is a generic term used to loosely describe a type (or category) of dog based only on its physical appearance (not on genetics or lineage) resembling any medium-sized dog with physical traits from any of the numerous "bully-type" (or bulldog-type) breeds. While the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is the only formal breed with the term "pit bull" in its name, over 20 unique breeds and even more mixed breeds share the same or similar physical characteristics that are common to dogs in the pitbull-type category. In fact, a recent comprehensive study on canine DNA determined that 98% of dogs labeled as pitbull-type dogs are not purebred; furthermore, the study also determined that the majority (62%) of dogs labeled as "pitbull-type" dogs have less than 50% DNA from any pitbull-type ancestry and are therefore by definition mixed breed dogs. Consequently, when a dog is labeled or visually identified as a "pit bull", it is much more likely a mixed breed dog (by DNA) than a purebred dog with ancestry from any of the modern pitbull-type breeds listed below.

AKC/UKC Pitbull-Type Breeds

There are four breeds that are commonly classified as the modern pitbull-type breeds by AKC/UKC breed standards - most are members of the Terrier Group of dog breeds. The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is the tallest and most athletic of the four pitbull-type breeds. The American Staffordshire Terrier is slightly shorter and stockier than the APBT. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is easily the smallest of the four. The American Bully (not to be confused with the American Bulldog) is the most unique of the group as it's the most stout and closely resembles the classic Bulldog breed.

American Pit Bull
​Terrier

​Weight: 30-60 lbs
Height: 17-21 inches

American Staffordshire
​Terrier

​Weight: 40-70 lbs
Height: 17-19 inches

Staffordshire Bull
​Terrier

Weight: 24-38 lbs
Height: 14-16 inches

American
​Bully

Weight: 30-55 lbs
Height: 16-20 inches

History of Pitbull-Type Dogs

Pitbull-type dogs are a crossbreed between a bulldog and a terrier originally bred in England in the early 19th century (then called "Bull and Terriers") to be working dogs on farms to herd, protect, and manage livestock. While their early history is complex and includes herding cattle and protecting homesteads, it also unfortunately includes the cruel sports of bull-baiting and dog fighting. However, these cruel "sports" were not specific to today's pitbull-type breeds - many different breeds were subjected to these activities which are now illegal almost everywhere. During the 20th century, pitbull-type dogs quickly became one of America's most popular family dogs to the extent that they became national mascots and were used on recruitment posters for World Wars 1 & 2 and were proudly called "America's dog". More recently, their popularity has continued to grow to an estimated 20% of the total dog population in the U.S. (all pitbull-type dogs and mixes combined) and are successful as service dogs, as therapy dogs, as K9 police dogs, as family pets, and consistently achieve excellent temperament scores.
pit bull military mascot poster
World War 1 Military Mascot Poster

The PitBull Unicorn

The fact is that there is no such thing as a "pit bull" - it is the equivalent of a unicorn in the world of canine DNA. While the four breeds listed above do actually exist (with unique DNA signatures) and have achieved excellent temperament scores making them outstanding canine citizens, the vast majority of pitbull-type dogs are in fact mixed breed dogs. However, we believe that a dog's breed label is for the most part irrelevant - whether a dog is labeled a "pitbull", an "American Pit Bull Terrier", a "bully", or simply a "mixed breed dog" really doesn't matter because of the fact that all dogs are individuals. Instead, we'd argue that there's really only one label that accurately describes our "pitbull-type" family members - and that label is: "a great dog".
Updated: March 12, 2020