The "Pit Bull Problem"

[Pit Chick]

Originally posted by schteve_d
I hate to sound naive here but I have heard many times over the years that the breed had a known and recurring problem due to over/irrisponsible breeding whereby the brain grew too large for the cranial cavity causing the sweetest pit bull to attack or exhibit other strange and uncharacteristic behaviors. The other thing I have heard is the one I'm sure most have heard is about their jaws locking while attacking. Is there any truth to these?

I've heard the one about the brian growing too big also, but it was about Doberman Pinchers. It is a complete myth people came up with to try and explain their own irresponsibility. If you train a dog to attack and one day it does, are you going to take the blame? Of course not, so it's easier to some how blame the dog. The locking jaws myth makes me laugh outloud. I heard it explained this way, "if Pit Bulls had a special mechanism in their jaws that allows them to lock, they would have to be classified as a different species". They, like several other terriers, have a drive and determination to never give up. They can hold on to things for long periods of time because their "terrier" instinct tells them in the heat of battle "if I let go, I could die". Pit Bulls are a trend right now and it too will pass.