5 Things Everybody Should Know About Pit Bulls

October may be full of great coffee, pumpkin festivals and favorite sweatshirts, but we wanted to take a moment and highlight October 26th -  National Pit Bull Awareness Day, an important date to all of us here at Grounds & Hounds. So, in honor of these pups, let's look at 5 things everyone should know about pibbles!

1). Pit Bulls Are Not A Breed

Contrary to popular belief, Pit Bulls are not actually a breed. In fact, they are made up of a collection of four breeds - the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog. Up to 25 breeds are mistaken for Pit Bulls and due to mistaken identity, this leads people to misreport Pit Bulls incidents and ultimately further the negative stereotype surrounding them. 

2). Most Shelter Dogs Are Pit Bulls

Sadly, 40% of our block-headed friends make up shelters across the U.S. Further, being categorized as a "pittie" will most likely mean an even longer stay at the facility and in many cases, euthanasia. 

3). Pit Bulls CAN Be Rehabilitated 

Often times, people live under the assumption that pitties who have experienced trauma cannot be rehabilitated to be great family dogs or even service pups. In one instance out of Virginia, a Pit Bull was trained to be a highly efficient drug sniffing dog! 

4). Pit Bulls Are Not Actually More Aggressive 

While some of society believes that Pit Bulls are more threatening, they couldn't be farther from the truth. In actuality, a study that came out of the University of Pennsylvania noted that pitties are no more aggressive than any other breed towards strangers or their owners. 

5). Pit Bulls Do NOT Have Locking Jaws

Finally, we'd like to take a moment to address the rampant myth surrounding the idea that Pit Bulls have "locking jaws" or that they are physically different than any other breed. In reality, they don't even have the strongest bite of all breeds. To put it simply, they have big heads and even bigger hearts. 

This October 26th, we hope you join us on National Pit Bull Awareness Day and help us to end the stigma surrounding these pups so they too can have a second chance at a bright, and adventure-filled future. Happy National Pit Bull Awareness Day from all of us at Grounds & Hounds.