Pit bull is a term that is used to describe several breeds in the molosser breed group. Jurisdictions in Ontario, Canada and Denver, Colorado use this term when refering to American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, or any other dogs that resemble substantial physical appearance of this dog. A few jurisdictions such as Singapore and Franklin County, Ohio classify the modern American Bulldog as a ”pit bull-type dog”, while in the United Kingdom the term is only used for American pit bull terrier. All of these three breeds have a similar history, with origins that have roots in both bulldog and variety of terriers. They can also refer to dogs that were known as ”bull terriers” before the development of the modern Bull terrier in the early 20th century.
American Pit Bull Terrier
The American Pit Bull Terrier is the product of interbreeding between terriers and bulldogs to produce a dog that combined the gamneness of the terrier with strenght and athleticism of the bulldog. The dogs were first bred in England, Ireland and Scotland. They first arrived in the United States with immigrants from these countries. In the United States, these dogs were used as a catch dogs for cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock and also as a family companions. Some were selectively bred for their fighting prowess. In the early century in the United States they began to replace the bull terrier as the ”dog of choice” for dog fighting. Today, American Pit Bull Terriers are used successfully for companion dogs, police dogs and therapy dogs, however terriers in general have a higher tendency towards dog aggression and American pit bull terriers are majority of dogs that are used for illegal dog fighting in the United States. Law enforcement organizations report that these dogs are used for nefarious purposes such as guarding illegal narcotics operations, use against the police, and as weapons.
