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The pit bull is a term that describes several types of dog including three recognized breeds. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries pit bulls were considered to be an ideal family pet, as was cinematically displayed in Our Gang. From the 1940s to the 1980s, the breed lapsed into obscurity and was little known to the public until a series of well-publicized attacks on humans by aggressive members of the breed occurred. This has led to laws being passed in some jurisdictions, placing restrictions on the ownership of pit bulls.

The three recognized breeds are:

• The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) - Recognized by the ADBA and UKC
• The American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff or AST) - Recognized by the AKC
• The Staffordshire Bull Terrier (StaffyBull or SBT) - Recognized by the AKC

Pit bulls may be a mix of one or more of these breeds, a mix of one of these breeds and any other breed, or pure bred.

Characteristics

Pit bulls are medium sized, various colors and have short fur that requires little grooming. They have an emotional temperament and are noted for their attachment to their masters as well as for their courage. Although they are short, they have extremely high muscle density and are generally capable of executing a standing four foot vertical jump. Pit bulls have been bred to have an extremely low sensitivity to pain (if any sensitivity at all).

Pit bulls, like many other breeds, are defensive towards their territory. Some members of the breed display an inherent distrust of any animals (including humans) not perceived as being part of their pack, and a propensity to attack any such animals who venture into their territory.

Pit bulls can make very good pets, but great care must be taken should one choose to care for one. They are not recommended as a first time dog for anyone. They require training and socialization. Proponents of pit bulls state that, if properly trained and socialized, they are good with children and have been reported by many owners as being "lap dogs." Opponents of pit bulls state that these claims are reckless, and that pit bulls are too dangerous to allow them to be around children.

The American Canine Temperament Testing Association rates Pit bulls as having a 95% passing rate on temperament tests, as opposed to 77% for all breeds in general.

Pit Fights

Pit bulls were originally bred for pit fighting. In Elizabethan England, there was a popular form of entertainment called bullbaiting, where certain bulldogs would be trained to attack a bull's legs, while others would be trained to attack its head. Onlookers would place bets on which dogs would subdue the bull first. Bullbaiting was eventually outlawed as cruel, so the dog owners began simply fighting their bulldogs against each other in pits. The match ended when one animal was dead or could no longer fight, and people place bets on which dog will win.

The dogs bred for this purpose became known as "pit bulls". The breed and practice of pit fighting later spread to the Americas. Though pit fighting is now illegal in most places, private underground pit fights do still occur.

Legal issues

Many jurisdictions have outlawed possession of pit bulls, either the pit bull breed specifically, or in addition to other large breeds. Some people feel that pit bulls as a breed are inherently a great public danger and thus should be banned; others maintain that pit bull attacks are directly attributable to irresponsible owners, rather than to any inherent property of the breed itself.

Pit bull proponents claim that the aggressive personality traits present in some pit bulls (and many other dogs) can be subdued through proper training and owner supervision of the pit bull. There have been a number of incidents where careless owners have allowed their pit bull to attack and sometimes kill people. Especially when the victims were children, many areas have passed anti-pit bull laws in response.