Pet Care Tips

We wanted to share some cool Pit Bull facts and also debunking many of the myths that surround our country’s most misunderstood dog breed. As far as we’re concerned, “Love is the Pits!” and we’re inviting all you Pit Bull lovers to send in photos of your Pit showin’ some love. Email your photos (with your name and the name of your dog(s)) to communication@SAhumane.org and we’ll be sharing some on our Facebook to show everyone why “Love is the Pits!”

Read more - Myths and Facts About Pit Bulls

To start us off, DID YOU KNOW?

In the early 1900’s, Pit Bulls were so popular (in fact, they were the number 1 family dog) they were named as the USA mascot for WW1 & WWII

Not only were Pit Bulls representative of our strong and loyal soldiers, but they even served in the war! Most notable is Sergeant Stubby (described as a Bull Terrier/Boster Terrier mix), the most decorated war dog of WWI and the only dog promoted to sergeant through combat. Once a stray who spent his days befriending soldiers, Sgt. Stubby served 18 months on the Western Front where he was in eighteen battles, saved his 102nd Infantry regiment from gas attacks, saved many wounded, and even singlehandedly caught a German spy! War Hero, family dog, or best friend, we love our dogs!

Thanks to pitbullextreme.com, ywgrossman.com, defendpitbulls.com, & Wooftalk Blog for photos.

Hungry for more info on Pit Bulls & Pit Bull mixes? Well here is a little food for thought!

The American Temperament Test Society is a non-profit organization that performs temperament testing on various breeds of dogs. Tests are designed to measure a dog’s ability to interact with humans, human situations, and the environment.

“The ATTS test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness, as well as the dog’s instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat. The test is designed for the betterment of all breeds of dogs and takes into consideration each breed’s inherent tendencies” (ATTS.org).

American Pit Bull Terriers have a 87.4% pass rate compared to:

Standard Poodle 87.2%
Golden Retriever 85.6%
Border Collie 82.4%
Greyhound 79.7%
Beagle 79.7%
Pomeranian 77.8%
Shih Tzu 77.6%
Standard Schnauzer 71.1%
Chihuahua 69.6%

The average passing rate for all breeds is 83.7%.
And just in case you were wondering, mixed breed dogs have a 86.3% pass rate.

We encourage everyone to spend lots of time with their future pet and draw conclusions on their temperament based on their individual personality, not their breed. Just as every person is unique, so is every dog, cat, and other pet.

The numbers from ATTS.org are from March 2018.

To learn more about the American Temperament Test Society, Inc., the tests they perform, and to view all breed statistics, visit ATTS.org.