5. Pit Bulls Are Not as Intelligent as Other Breeds

Some people believe a Pit Bull lacks the intelligence of other large breeds such as Labradors. Pit bulls are actually quite easy to train. The Pit’s willingness to learn and desire to please their owners makes it easy for them to pick up even the most advanced tricks quickly. Pit Bulls are also great climbers- many can climb trees- and love puzzle toys and hide and go seek type games.

4. Pit Bulls Have a Stronger Bite PSI Than Other Breeds

Many people believe that a Pit Bull has fiercely strong pounds per square inch of bite pressure, up to 10,000 PSI, meaning that Pit Bull could bite harder than any other breed. National Geographic completed a control study of animal bites using several different species. Crocodiles made the top of the list, with a 2,500 PSI, while dogs made the bottom of the list, with an average 320 PSI. The study used three large breeds of dogs, a German Sheppard, a Rottweiler and a Pit Bull. The Pit Bull was found to have the least bite pressure of the three, according to the American Humane Association.

3. Pit Bulls Attack Without Warning

Pit Bulls, like any other type of dog, typically attack vary rarely and always with provocation. All dogs give off warning signs, such as stiffening their bodies, before attacking any other creature. With proper training, good socialization and owner responsibility, a pit bull is just as unlikely to attack another dog or a person as any other breed of dog.

2. Pit Bulls Do Not Feel Pain

Many breeders will tell you that a Pit Bull has a high pain tolerance, or simply does not feel pain. In fact, all breeds of dogs share the same nervous system. This system allows them to feel pain similar to what any human would feel. The misconception that a pit bull does not feel pain comes from the breed’s tendency to under react in physically stressful situations. Pit bulls were originally bred for a high level of “gameness,” meaning they will continue to try completing a task despite physical discomfort.  While many people feel a pit bull not stopping to whine or cry out during stressful training or hunting sessions is a sign of a lack of pain, it is actually a sign of the breed’s desire to complete a task and please their owners.

1. Pit Bulls Bite More Than Any Other Breed

Media hype is largely responsible for this misconception. News reports of a single Pit Bull bite often make the numbers of Pit Bull attacks on humans largely inflated. In fact, the United States currently has no system in place that tracts the number of dog bites or attacks by any breed. According to the American Humane Association, the Center for Disease Control did a study on dog attacks in the United States for the years 1979 through 1998. The study proved inconclusive, mostly due to the difficulty of assigning a breed of dog for every attack and the large number of attacks in the home that go unreported.