Myths..........

i am going to take a moment to try to dispell some common myths. myths about Pit Bulls. if you have any to add, or have heard something that sounded like it was too crazy to be true (about any breed) please let me know, and maybe we can straighten some of them out.

myth 1- Pit Bulls have "locking jaws"-
this is not true. a pit bull does not "lock" it's jaws. they are very determined animals, and it may appear they are "locked on" to an object (toy, stick etc) or in the case where they get into a scrap with another dog, the other dog. you do not have to take my word for it though, here is a quote from an expert on dogs (i discovered his work while looking into a breed of dog called the New Guinea Singing Dog) Dr. Brisbin: "The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of "locking mechanism" unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier.

keep checking back for more myths. it is 10am, well past my bedtime.

myth2-MYTH: Pit Bulls brains swell/never stop growing.
i first remembering hearing this one about the Doberman, and has since been said about pit bulls. The concept of an animal's brain swelling or growing too large and somehow causing the animal to "go crazy" is silly at best. Their brains grow at the same rate as any other dog, and stop growing when it reaches it's full size. If an animal's brain were to grow too big for its head, the animal would die rather quickly.

myth 3-MYTH: Pit Bulls are all mean or vicious.
This is so far from the truth. Pit Bulls, like any dog can be abused/trained to be mean, or suffer a genetic defect predisposing them to abnormal behavior. A proper pit bull temperment is one that loves all people, confident in himself, will not back down from a challenge from another dog (unless told to back off by his owner) see my website for an explanation as to how this people friendly dog came to be- www.freewebs.com/northerndiamondkennels
The American Temperament Test Society states that Pit Bulls had a passing rate of 85.3%, American Staffordshire Terriers-83.9% and Staffordhhire Bull terriers 88% -- compared to only 77% of the general dog population. compare that to some "good" breeds of dogs- German Shepherds-83.7%, Golden Retriever-84.6%, Beagle-81%, Collie-79.4% Any signs of unprovoked agression or panic during the temperment testing result in failure of the test. All breeds are tested the same and held to the same standards. The achievement of Pit Bulls in this study disproves that they are inherently aggressive to people. (Please visit http://www.atts.org/ for more information)