Pit Bull Awareness Month: 6 Myths That Need to Retire

October is Pit Bull Awareness Month, and National Pit Bull Awareness Day lands later this month too. These dogs have a reputation that doesn't match the dogs most people meet. Let's fix that with facts.

First, a quick vocabulary lesson. Pit bull isn't one breed. It's a name people use for a group of dogs, like the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, plus mixes and dogs who just look the part. In shelters, a dog's breed label is often a guess based on looks, and studies have found that those guesses often don't match DNA test results. A lot of the dogs called pit bulls are many things at once.

Here are six myths that need to retire.

Myth 1: They have locking jaws

No dog has a special lock in the jaw. Pit bull type dogs have the same jaw structure as other dogs. This one's an old story that just won't go away.

Myth 2: They're aggressive by nature

Many animal behavior experts and vet groups say breed is a poor way to predict how a dog will act. What matters more is how a dog was raised, trained, handled, and cared for, plus the dog's own personality. Any dog can bite, and any dog with children should be supervised. That rule doesn't change by breed.

Myth 3: They can't be trained

Pit bull type dogs respond to the same reward-based training that works for any dog. Many love to learn, love to please, and love a good treat. Teach with patience, keep sessions short, and celebrate the wins.

Myth 4: They're all the same

Put a pit bull type dog next to another one, and you may meet a couch potato and a zoomie machine. Every dog is an individual. Their personality matters more than their label.

Myth 5: They can't live with other pets

Some dogs of every breed don't enjoy other dogs, and some do. Introductions should go slowly, with a calm setup and a plan, for any dog. A dog's history and personality tell you more than a breed name does.

Myth 6: They're easy to rehome

This one's sadly the opposite of true. A study of nearly 16,700 dogs at two shelters in the Pacific Northwest found that pit bull type dogs stayed longer and were more likely to be euthanized than other dogs. Many apartments and insurance companies also limit these dogs, which makes finding a home even harder.

If you rent and want to adopt, ask about pet rules first. Get the answers in writing.

How to be a great pit bull parent (or any dog parent)

• Use reward-based training. Treats, praise, and play teach faster than fear or force.
• Socialize early and slowly. Short, calm meetings with new people, dogs, and places.
• Try the Canine Good Citizen program. It's a ten skill test from the American Kennel Club, and any dog can earn it, including mixed breeds. It shows the world what a well-mannered dog looks like.
• Keep ID current. A tag and a registered microchip bring lost dogs home.

The training reward

Training is repetition. Sit, reward. Down, reward. Look at me, reward. A good session can mean dozens of rewards in a few minutes, so the treat has to be tiny and light.

Turkey Poppers are made for this job. They're freeze-dried, and each one has less than 5 calories. That means you can reward every good try without worrying about the treat count adding up.

A few tips make training treats work harder.

• Keep them in your pocket or a treat pouch. Fast rewards teach fast, because your dog links the treat to the exact moment they got it right.
• Reward the second they do it. A treat a few seconds late teaches the wrong lesson.
• Keep sessions short. Five to ten minutes of happy work beats a long, tiring one.
• End on a win. Finish with something your dog does well, then give a big happy praise.

Featured Dog Treats

See all Dog Treats →

"A dog isn't a label. A dog is a whole day of tail wags."

with love, Ava