So, what are pit bulls? Are they a breed? Are they a style of dog? Are they an urban myth? What? Hopefully, I can explain a tiny bit about them on this site, and lead you to decide for yourself that they were given a bad name by a few bad owners.

The pit bull is typically people loving, intelligent and fun.It is not a designated breed, but rather a group of breeds that fall into the same catgory. Brreds that have been considered as "pit bulls" are the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Stafordshire Terrier, and Stafordshire Bull Terrier. As if that confusion weren't enough, the CDC, which released a "study" about pit bulls, in which they included the above breeds as well as Presa Canarios, Cane Corsos, Spanish Alanos, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Bandogs, Dogues Basileros, Dogo Argentino, Guatemalan Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, Boxers, Bull Mastiffs, Bull Terriers, English Bulldogs, and even Labradores, Akitas, Rottweilers, and Chow Chows in the category of the dreaded "pit bull".

To be completely accurate, there is no "pit bull" breed that has been recognized by ANY of the dog organizations. All of the above dogs have been recognized by the AKC, the ADBA, and numerous other organizations. The CDC lumps together at least 20 and as many as 35 different breeds of dog to show their "pit bull statistics".

On average, Pit Bull Terriers tend to be very confident and outgoing dogs. PBTs tend to be very dependent on their humans and crave love and attention. On average, pit bulls tend to be very confident and outgoing dogs.  They tend to be very dependent on their humans and crave love and attention. They also tend to be very confident and outgoing dogs. Young Pit Bull Terriers (up to about two years old) can be bulls in a china shop. When they romp and jump, they do so with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people. It often surprises people to learn that this extremely muscular dog with the impressive, confident presence is so easygoing.

A well-bred American Pit Bull Terrier is a dependable, good-natured, loyal companion. Athletic and agile, with finely tuned reflexes, he must have moderate daily exercise to maintain his splendid muscle tone. Companionship is even more important, and extensive ongoing socialization is paramount. His attitude toward strangers varies from exuberant face kissing to polite reserve, and guarding instincts vary from high to nil, with some lines being much stronger tempered than others.  Pit Bull Terriers can be stubborn, yet they respond well to confident owners who know how to establish and enforce rules of expected behavior.