Have you ever heard anyone say that pit bulls are bad-tempered dogs that should be kept away from people? If you have, I wouldn’t be surprised; they are often given a bad reputation and are treated unfairly. But I also highly doubt that someone would outright say that. Still, even if no one has directly said that to you, the effects of their reputation are showing in more than just words.
Contrary to what you might think, Pit bulls are not a breed of dog, but instead an umbrella term for six specific breeds: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bully, Bull Terrier, and American Bulldog. Many pit bulls are a mix of these specific breeds, which causes them to have similar physical characteristics. Still, what garnered them this horrible reputation?
It started in 1987, when a sports article released a section on pit bulls, claiming them to be unsafe around humans, and were promoted to be fighting dogs. Before the article, barely anyone had paid attention to pit bulls, and they were like any other dog. But after that article was released, people started steering clear of them, and since that article was likely their only point of view on pit bulls, no one tried to object.
Pit bulls were likely chosen to be fighting dogs because they are naturally muscular and look “meaner” than other dogs. And this event ended up snowballing into everyone disliking them, and even now, there are many laws in place that are against pit bulls.
But in reality, they aren’t naturally aggressive. Like any other dog, once they are trained to fight or defend, they can come off as mean and aggressive, when in reality, it’s what they were taught to do. In fact, according to the American Temperament Test Society (ATTS), pit bulls scored in the top 23% for good temperament, oftentimes even higher than golden retrievers.
Not only that, but many are service dogs that help people with disabilities or who need comfort, showing just how big their hearts can be. So maybe people need to see them as individuals rather than a generic species; every dog is different, and the same goes for pit bulls, too. Where some may be social and outgoing, others may be shy and reserved, but either way, very few pit bulls are born naturally aggressive. Each one has its own story to share, and once you hear it, maybe you’ll see that they don’t live up to their reputation.
Instead, people only look at news headlines, or they only believe what they hear. Laws and restrictions are a real example of how this has affected them. In Russia, all pit bulls must have an adult handler and need a muzzle or leash when they are being walked. Not only that, but owners need to put up signs that warn others of the pit bull. This is stated by the Federal Law “On the Responsible Treatment of Animals” (No. 498-FZ), signed in late 2018.
As of 2026, over 30 countries and many cities or provinces have enacted bans or restrictions against them, all based on a simple misunderstanding. So, what can we do to change the minds of those who have firm beliefs concerning pit bulls?
You can start simple, from spreading the word to posting about it; it all helps! Even just making a poster can inform many of the true nature of pit bulls. More ways to help could be to start a club or organization that works towards spreading the word, supporting those organizations that fight for pit bulls, or even writing emails or letters to repeal the laws. Any small action can have a ripple effect. So while pit bulls may not be able to say thank you,
