What You Need to Know Before Adopting

There are no breeds of dog that are right for everybody and Pit Bulls are no exception. The media hysteria surrounding Pit Bulls has made them controversial. Lovers of the breed point to their numerous good qualities. So, what's the truth?

Breed History

Pit Bulls originated in England in the 19th Century, bred from selected Bulldogs and Terriers to produce a dog for the dubious sport of dog fighting, the Staffordshire Terrier.

The American type, sometimes called the American Staffordshire and sometimes called the American Pit Bull Terrier, is a larger dog, longer in the leg and with a blockier head than its English cousin.

Don't confuse these breeds with yet another related dog, the Bullterrier.

Extensive socialization is therefore an absolute must to stand the best chance of a dog-friendly dog.

The original Pit Bulls were bred for fighting qualities: a fearless willingness to fight on in spite of injury ("gameness"), high pain tolerance, a low threshold for aggression towards other dogs, a high threshold for aggression towards humans, formidable strength, a muscular build and great agility. Dogs without these qualities were culled from the gene pool. Today, dog fighting is outlawed in both Great Britain and North America and very few Pit Bulls are selectively bred for these traits. The result is that, depending on which genetic "cards" an individual dog is dealt, most dogs still have the look and some combination of the original behavioral qualities to a greater or lesser degree.

Socializaton Issues

Although Pit Bull attacks on humans are headline-makers, it is probably safe to say that randomly bred or fighting line Pit Bulls who are properly raised are not at elevated risk for aggression to humans. It is also safe to say that Pit Bulls, on the whole, are at elevated risk of aggression directed at other dogs. This is not to say that every Pit Bull will become dog aggressive. Far from it: they are simply at greater risk compared to most other breeds of dog. Scores of Pit Bulls and Pit Bull crosses are ridiculously dog-friendly or have dog-dog issues that are within the normal range seen by trainers, and are modifiable.

The potential for dog-dog issues is one thing to bear in mind when considering adopting a Pit Bull.

Extensive socialization is therefore an absolute must to stand the best chance of a dog-friendly dog. Well-socialized Pit Bulls will also frequently have an extremely intense dog play-style that is well-known to Pit Bull owners. This can be overwhelming for some dogs, both physically and psychologically, so it's a good idea to be sensitive to this and supervise all play in order to set limits.

The potential for dog-dog issues is one thing to bear in mind when considering adopting a Pit Bull. There are a few other things to know: they are prodigious pullers-on-leash, tend to be immaculately clean, can be impressive escape artists, are very bright and easily bored, can have very strong predatory drive, are often REALLY gregarious with people, are superlative Frisbee dogs and bond very strongly with their owners. This last point can sometimes put them at risk for developing separation anxiety, without carefully orchestrated alone-training.

It is a myth that Pit Bulls are genetically programmed to be a menace to kids or babies. There is no doubt they have attracted more than their fair share of terrible owners and backyard breeders, who not only neglected to do the right things, but deliberately did many wrong things. For this reason, it is imperative when considering adopting a Pit Bull, to consider the source and upbringing. At The San Francisco SPCA, we rigorously screen all Pit Bulls before putting them up for adoption. When we screen them, it is the threshold for aggression with people and degree of socialization to both people and dogs that we are most interested in. Only individuals who exhibit the characteristic Pit Bull sweetness with people are accepted into the program.

If you would like more help deciding whether a Pit Bull is right for you, please speak to someone from The SF/SPCA Behavior and Training Department.