The American Pit Bull Terrier began its accepted formation in the mid to late 1800s and was first recognized as a breed under registration in 1898. Before this time in history, both bully/molosser and terrier ancestral breeds were common in various forms but lacked breed recognition due to the undeveloped Registration industry at the time.

One of the typical terriers regularly accepted as a breed at the time was one known as the White Terrier, which is now extinct. This terrier is a common ancestor also in the foundation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed.

The White' Terrier was often bred with larger rangier bull types to bring their size down for the initial purpose of ratting. Ratting was a gambling sport that often took place in holes or Pits dug in the center of pubs where a certain number of rats were released and then a dog released in the Pit for a certain period of time. At the end of the allotted time, the number of rats killed was added up, and the dog with the most kills was the winner. This sport was perpetuated due in part to Bull baiting being made illegal. Most pubs had limited space, and thus the Bully breeds that took part in the sport needed to be bred down in size for this new sporting and gambling activity. Adding terrier to the mix was a natural conclusion as terriers were known for their natural inclination for small game hunting. This is where the American Pit Bull Terrier got the name Pit added to its name. Many uneducated or miseducated people on the Pit Bull make the mistake that the breed got its name first from fighting other dogs.

The American Pit Bull Terrier ( APBT ), or Pit Bull for short, is one of the most misunderstood dog breeds in the world. Due to the ignorance and bias of many politicians, the misguided interest of many in the so-called humane community, and the internal politics of some registries, the claim is often made that the Pit Bull is not a breed but a type that many breeds and mixes fall under. This idea could be no further from the truth and has caused more harm to the breed than just about any of the other myths that surround it.

This is a false belief because the American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the oldest recognized breeds in history and has been recognized a purebred since 1898, which is longer than most other breeds have been officially recognized and registered as such.

This myth is dangerous to the breed as it allows wayward, self-interested politicians to develop what is known as breed-specific legislation ( BSL ), which defines the breed in a way that includes all types of bully mixes. This false definition of the American Pit Bull Terrier thus gives the breed unfair blame in dog bite reports and statistics. Under this liberal definition, when another dog with even a modicum of bully traits then bites someone, bias and ignorant individuals perpetuate the lie to promote breed-specific legislation.

Unfortunately, many in the humane care community have adopted this idea as a way to try and avoid the stigma of BSL and thus classify what they know to be purebred Pit Bulls as not so in an attempt to have a better chance at their adoption. In this myopic view, however, they have not realized that they have gotten in bed with the enemy per se and are thus helping to perpetuate BSL through false reporting of bites and thus acting as a catalyst of the breed's unfair stigma it often has by an otherwise ignorant public.

This majestic breed has, however had a significant influence on the development of many of the newer era bully breed types, most notably being the American Staffordshire Terrier (which is just another name for the same breed). Other breeds which have evolved from the American Pit Bull Terrier are the American Bully, American Bulldog, Catahoula Bulldog, Alapha Blue Blood Bulldog, and several others. While this should speak to the high esteem many have of the breed, this also can add to the confusion and to the less educated can seem to validate the idea of it not being its own breed, but a type instead.

Statistically, the American Pit Bull Terrier is the most popular purebred dog globally, with an estimated 6 million at any one time in existence. At this number, it is over 10 times more popular than the second most popular breed, the Labrador Retriever. Because many people are not aware of different registries beyond the American Kennel Club, the Labrador Retriever is often misquoted as being the most popular breed. The truth is it is only the most popular breed in the AKC.

It is important to recognize the sheer numbers of Pit Bulls out there as without an estimate of the true size of the population, it is unfair to show relatable dog bite data. Without proper data, statistics are skewed by misidentification of the Pit Bull as a type and not a breed in and of itself. Based on the numbers alone of it being over ten times more popular, honest statistics should show that if bite percentages are proportional, it should also theoretically be responsible for over 10 times the amount of dog bite reports. This obviously is not the case. Even with the "type" misclassification, however, such reports do not come anywhere near such a level, but in fact, the opposite shows to be true. Based on the estimated population divided by the number of bite reports, the American Pit Bull Terrier proves to be one of the most trustworthy breeds in existence. This, however, should not give owners a false sense of confidence as the breed is often the product of its upbringing and can reflect the nature of both its responsible and irresponsible owners alike.

Other myths often falsely perpetuated on the breed are that it has a locking jaw and has historically been bred to fight.

While it is undeniable that the breed has proven itself in the arena many times over, the truth is that even when dogfighting was legal that less than 10% were ever used for such tasks. Even the most notable dog man in history, John Colby said that less than 10% would ever meet the criteria needed for being used for such tasks. So, while it is true that SOME have historically bred the breed to fight, it is a misrepresentation to blanket the entire breed with this stigma. If this is the criteria in which we judge things - where the minority taints the perception of the majority - that is equivalent to saying humans have historically been bred to be rapists, murderers, and child molesters. Those who perpetuate this ideology are either ignorant to the facts, are seeking to perpetuate such myths for their own personal gain, are dogfighters themselves, or are using the idea as a crutch against their own personal insecurities to support a false bravado. For the well-being of the breed, anyone interested in acquiring a Pit Bull should avoid at all costs those who irresponsibly misrepresent the breed in such a way. The truth is the breed has historically been bred – based on its majority use – to be a farming, hunting, guarding, and family dog.

The American Pit Bull Terrier is known for its drive, determination, loyalty, and game nature. These can all be great qualities in a dog, but like many things in life, some have chosen to use the best qualities for the worst purposes.

Over the past years, the breed standard in some registries has undergone much change. These changes are made in response to their own personal bias, as a means of cover-up of their own irresponsible activities and the internal politics of the industry itself. Unfortunately the actions of such registries perpetuate an unclear standard and support the actions of those who promote breed-specific legislation. At the American Bully Association ( ABA ), we believe that the first standard of a breed, which a registry develops, should remain the original standard of the breed without change or modification. We believe if a standard cannot be trusted and is subject to change on a whim, then it really is not a standard at all.

Deafness has been reported in the purebred Merle Pit Bull as well as other breeds that contain the Merle gene. In most cases, this can be attributed to specimens that are primarily white, as this is an indication of the lack of melanin that also contributes to the auditory development of a dog. Other significant factors that lead to deafness are the lack of genetic diversity perpetuated by irresponsible or ignorant inbreeding. It is important to understand the effects genetics have when breeding, especially when it comes to Merle genetics.

While the Merle genetic trait at one time was reported to have been found, this has later proven to be false, and as of yet, there still remains no test that can accurately identify it. Because of the known links to deafness that high levels of white and inbreeding have, however, those who do choose to breed Merle should take precautions and breed in such a way the limits inbreeding effect and breed darker specimens to ensure higher levels of melanin. When properly bred, this and other breeds that are affected by Merle's genetics have not proven to have any higher risk of deafness or other negative health impacts than any other breed. As of this time, all associated negative impacts discussed in possible relation to Merle are merely conjecture.

It is also often theorized that breeding Merle to Merle can cause an increased risk of negative health impact. Specimens that have been bred this way and do show negative health effects have not been properly researched enough to determine if it has been the Merle to Merle breeding. Other factors such as high degrees of inbreeding or high levels of white, which are known to be more directly attributed to the negative health impacts, are often dismissed in favor of personal bias. In our own research, when inbreeding has been limited and primary whites excluded in breeding, then there has been no increase in the level of deafness or other negative health effects often theorized about Merle breeding. Some believe it is unethical to breed in such a manner. Still, others claim that they have achieved great success in such breeding when they controlled other factors such as ensuring proper genetic diversity and breeding only darker colors. While no conclusive well-reviewed evidence has been developed against such breeding, anyone considering such should take great care and first take their time to understand the Merle trait in greater detail. If one does decide to move forward with such breeding, they should seek to eliminate or reduce other risk factors as much as possible. In the end, this is a breeder beware scenario as a bad litter can lead to the need to cull pups in order for them not to add to an unwanted pet population.

A standard is a goby and in and of itself does not prove purity. There are always going to be examples of dogs that are outliers that are just beyond the fringe of the standard itself. This does not make them any less pure and should not alone be considered a reason to disallow their registration or even showing.