Are Pit Bulls Easy to Identify?

Actually, no. Everyone has a different idea of what a pit bull is and should look like.

LOVE-A-BULL considers the following breeds, and dogs that are mixes of these breeds, to be “pit bulls” or “pit bull mixes”: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

However, the only way to know whether a dog is one of these breeds is to run a DNA test on the dog–and today’s DNA tests aren’t exactly cheap. For this reason, most people identify “pit bulls” based on individual visual assessments. These assessments are subjective, meaning they are influenced by a person’s preconceived notions about what a particular type of dog should look like.

What do you think a pit bull should look like?

Find the American Pit Bull Terrier
All of the dogs shown below are purebred representatives of their breed. Only one is a purebred pit bull (American Pit Bull Terrier). Answers are at the bottom of the image; you can click to enlarge. Good luck!

 

Identify the Mixed Breed
Identifying mixed-breed dogs of any type can be extremely difficult. Can you tell the difference between a Lab mix and another type of dog? Can you tell which one is a Pit Bull mix or not at all?

 

From the National Canine Research Council.

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