UK, Do You Know What a Pit Bull Is?
One of the more misunderstood breed types in the United Kingdom, the Pit Bull is on the banned breeds list in accordance with the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. But the question is, do you know what one is, what they look like or anything about them other than the media hype?
What Is a Pit bull in the UK in 2008?
The use of the term “pit bull” is one that over the last 18 months has become increasingly commonplace yet many people will freely use the term without knowing exactly what it is that they are referring too. So what exactly is a “pit bull” in the United Kingdom in 2008?
Breed or type?
First and foremost in the UK it is illegal to own any dog that is a type of dog known as a”pit bull type”. The breed American Pit Bull Terrier has never been recognised here so by the Government so, instead of banning a breed that they didn’t believe existed, they banned all dogs that looked like them. They attempted to ban a type of dog.
Definition
When the first cases of dogs charged with being illegal pit bull terriers went before the courts a huge problem became apparent. The courts had to decide, beyond reasonable doubt, that a dog was indeed a dog that fitted the “type”. Several Home Office Circulars followed issuing advice but it was decided by the High court in 1993 that a dog was a “type known as a pit bull terrier” if it had a substantial number of characteristics of an American Pit Bull Terrier. In order to decide this they need to know what an American Pit bull Terrier should look like. It was then decided in 1993 to use the breed standard as drawn up by the American Dog Breeders Association at that time. In recent years the ADBA have changed the standard a number of times however the first standard is the one referred to in UK courts today. The High Court also stated that a dog could be of the “type known as the pit bull terrier” regardless of its parentage and that behaviour was relevant but not conclusive.
Identification
Under Section One of the DDA a dog becomes a pit bull type if it has a substantial number or most of the characteristics of an American Pit Bull Terrier as described by the ADBA standard. Substantial or most is normally a dog that scores more than 60 percent. Once an accusation has been made it is up to the defence to prove otherwise, not the prosecution to prove the dog is a pit bull type. The standard sets out 100 points to consider when looking at the perfect APBT. Out of those 100 points only 10 points can be given in respect of the dogs attitude/behaviour. The way a dog is scored falls down to interpretation. For example a number of points can be given for a dog with a muscular build.
Any dog is capable of having a muscular build of varying degrees and each person will have a different idea on how well muscled a dog is therefore leaving several people giving different scores on the same dog. The standard also suggests the tail should rest at the hock however some will give points for a tail that rests just above or below. There is also a lot of debate over various points of the standard and how it is to be interpreted.
As all dogs, even litter mates are never identical one dog may score more or less than its sibling. This often leads to dogs with the same parentage being split into “pit bull type” and not “pit bull type” Sometimes simply by being a little taller, having a slightly shorter muzzle and a tail being a little too long can make the distinction between illegal or legal.
Other breeds or cross breeds can and have been, deemed pit bull type. When looking at any dog stated as being another breed, it often falls to which standard scores the most points. If a Stafford for example doesn’t fit the Kennel Club breed standard for a Stafford quite as well as it does the ADBA standard for an APBT then its quite possible a court will find the dog to be pit bull type.
In the court.
Court is often a bizarre experience for an onlooker. Expert witness’s will take the stand in hearings that often take two or more days to hear fully and discuss each point in turn. The very serious topic of dangerous dogs is stripped down to the bare bones, quite literally. The experts will state whether in their opinion the shape of the eyes is correct, whether the coat is a single coat or not. They will argue over whether a tail is pump handled when relaxed.
They will all produce pictures to try and prove their point. Interpretation of each point will be argued. The dog will be weighed and measured and all will be noted and scored. The Judge will then have to decide if the defence have proved beyond reasonable doubt that the dog isn’t a prohibited type. It is not up to the prosecution in Section One cases, to prove the dog is a pit bull type to obtain a guilty verdict.
So there we have it. That’s what a pit bull type aka “dangerous dog” is in the UK legal system today. Its any dog that a judge believes scores enough points, mainly in conformation, on a breed standard that is no longer used in that exact form as a standard for that breed.
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In one of the orgiinal defra things it sayed a pitbull ment a terrier X with a larger breed such as a mastiff
and Ive had people tell me my friends 33kg dog cannot be a pitbull as she is not heavy enough
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well i have a staff an it is very difficult to tell the difference with a pitbull.and also emma pitbulls on average should not even weigh 33kg should be around 25-30kg ish
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It’s sad and pretty ridiculous that a dog can be sentenced to death for looking vicous, regardless of it’s history, how well it is trained or its temprament. The guidelines are out of date as the definitions have become clearer over the years, unfortunately, the UK still uses the outdated first set.
It’s like sentencing a man for life for looking like a murderer. Will all men with beards be tried as terrorists now?
Should be a petition against this as (in my opinion) a pitbull is just as likely to bite/attack someone as any other dog.
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Damien Reply:
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Show us the statistics or is all of what you write just your opinion?
How many yorshire terriers have attacked and caused injury to a pitbull for instance? How many pitbulls have attacked a yorkshire terrier and children?
Do tell.
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Hayley Cumner Reply:
August 30th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
My next door neighbour has 4 Yorkshire Terriers and they are nasty pieces of work. I have been bitten several times by them and they even attacked my cat!
You need to stop looking at statistics and start looking at reality my friend…
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emma H Reply:
September 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I totally agree.. We all know that many terriers, such as yorkshire terriers (as an example used above) are extremely nasty dogs, commonly known as ankle biters).. But the difference is that if a yorkshire terrier bites you, it may hurt, but you get over it..whereas if a pitbull bites you, your likely to lose an arm :-S I totally agree that its how you bring your dog up.. But on the other hand, i know that dogs have underlying instincts.. Its a no win situation,every individual dog is different, and you cant tar them all with the same brush..
i have a cross, i have been told its a staffy X american bull dog.. but ive not seen the parents and she looks, to me, identical to a pitbull. she weighs 4 and a half stone.. But hasnt got a bad bone in her body.. I have brought her up with much love, and have socialized her so much..
so in my opinion, it all depends on how you bring your dog up, and what sort of life they have…
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If a puppy pitbull from the same liter is bigger then another does that mean he’s going to be a bigger adult or no?
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it is not the dog it is the aseholes that bring them up to be that nastie i have seen pitbulls with kids and there was no trubble not at all.hear very frendly and i know for afact that you can still own apit in this contrey as it is near imposible even for a vet to say the d.n.a is far to simller to say for one way oranother.I SAY SHOOT THE ONER NOT THE DOG
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Damien Reply:
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Taking kids out of the equasion, far too often i have seen pitbulls attack and cause injury to other dogs for no apparent reason.
pitbulls need to be banned!
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Alison Green Reply:
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
Damien, pit bulls are banned. Its not working is it? Ever wondered why that is? Out of the recent fatalitys only one has been due to a so called pit bull type which is simplya dog that measures up.
If you want to keep looking at certain breeds or types then you can keep looking for more deaths. If you dont want to see more deaths you need to tackle the core problem, not the scapegoat.
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Cohen Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is like the Nuremberg Laws of 1936. An entry race is blamed and sent into the gas chambers.
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kyle Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Damien
What’s going through your head mate what your saying is completely stupid, Talk about tarring all with the same brush have you ever thought that maybe there is something else behind all the so called pit bull attacks you read about aka useless idiot owner’s who don’t put any rules on their dogs kick and punch them don’t give them any exercise keep them couped up in a little cage and bring them bring them up to attack anything that moves.
how do you would feel? it would be exactly the same with any other breed and by making them illegal Guess what? you drive it underground and the problem gets worse its just not in front of your face Pit Bulls now what next Oh yeah Staffordshire bull terriers because they are horrible violent dogs aren’t they NO!!!!!!!
Its all the little chav idiots who think they are Hard because the got and big angry staff on the end of a chain who the kicked and wound up to the point of breaking.
get a grip man do you believe everything you read in the papers and that our useless goverment tells us (eg yes we need to put another 2p on fuel to save the enviroment and be more green Once again NO!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE LINING THEYRE POCKETS)
Sorry for going abit off track there but just think
Ps. have you ever seen the Pit Bull called Daddy that Ceasar Millian own’s he should be banned because he would attack anything and rip off your arm would he? I DON’T THINK SO!!!!
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stupid people need to be banned, it’s the owners not the dogs
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i have been involved with lots of bull terriers and have seen jack russels and other yapping lap dogs bite people for no good reason. the bull terriers if treated properly are very good with children. they may react to other dogs true, but in my experience they seem to select certain dogs, just as not all humans can get along with each other. but if controlled properly they make very good pets, very loving animals if given the chance………. and a dog type should not be persecuted for the few bad owners out there. i love my staffy pit cross and he loves everyone x x x be good to your dogs x
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I think it is rediculous that a type of breed TYPE not BREED a type of breed has been banned. The government should find out more about the breed before taking such a rash action.
With EVERY dog whether it is a pitbull, great dane, chiwawa or whatever, if the dog has a problem it comes from the onwers. It is the owners that aren’t trained not the dog. The dog only learns from what the owner teaches, it is not the dogs fault.
and just for the record, chiwawa’s are known to be the most snappy and unpredicable dog breeds. Not that I’m saying all of them are bad though. I have met some lovely and adorable ones but again it’s the owners.
Isn’t the government meant to be understanding? or close minded?
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Thank you for clarifying this important information. So, the BSL Law in the UK sounds very unlawful to me. I wonder if the government could get away with this it if were people they were condemning? It would seem a case against any dog is inherently flawed from the outset because opinions differ and there is no clear and legal definition of what a pit bull should look like, which makes each case against such dogs appear to be based on discriminatory evidence. The pathetic 10 per cent of total score reserved for the individual dog’s temperament is absolutely ludicrous since that should be the most vital and important part of any prosecution, shouldn’t it? The DDA and BSL law would be a joke if it didn’t cost lives and ruin families. A complete repeal is the only way to save innocent dogs and spare their families trauma and distress. I’m ashamed to live in a country that believes it is above the rest in terms of animal protection when actually we are falling way behind and killing healthy, friendly dogs and the public is unprotected from the criminal activity associated with fighting dogs and drug related offences that involve keeping dogs as weapons. The UK can and must do better.
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The thing people need to remember iss all dogs are essentially wild animals, all breeds are bred from the grey wolf and any ‘type’ of dog can become aggressive if it has not received the correct level of training. Pitbull (type) dogs have always had a reputation for being aggressive as they were used for fighting after bull-bating (their previous use) was banned. I would argue that although some may be pre-disposed to dog aggression, it is very rare for a pitbull (type) show any human aggression, this has never been tolerated in the breed and is a serious fault. BSL is a law that was passed in a hurry as the governments way of being seen to react to a situation, you cannot ban a breed of animal, let alone a ‘type’. I would suggest that these dogs should be owned by experienced handlers who can ensure early socialisation and behavioural training, these owners should have to take a test, exactly as you do to show you can handle a car, in order to be able to keep this breed. People could then be granted with a licence allowing them to own ‘dangerous dogs’, by making the breed illegal the government has given the breed even more kudos with the people who breed this dog to fight. I live in leeds, united kingdom and frequently come into contact with people who own pitbull ‘type’ dogs, very rarely do they come across as ‘responsible’ dog owners. STOP BSL
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Hello, this is an absolute first for me but am so disscusted by the narrow minded views on the Pittbull! I am 25, male and a professional in what I do. I own a Pittbull, illegally I may add but accidentle. I rescued my boy from an Asian family in Bradford where I’m sure fighting took place, in hind sight I should have reported this but to be honest I wanted out as soon as I could with my new dog in toe!
Now don’t get me wrong, this dog was strong, untrained in anyway and aggressive as hell towards other dogs!! It took me around 6 months, time, money, 3 dog training schools and the patients of a saint to turn this dog around but I did it and now have a calm well rounded dog who achieved his bronze award and absolutely excells in all that he does!! He was fastest at agility in his group of so called ‘proper’ dogs. He has now been put into working dog trials for the first time and was better than half that had been doing it for weeks and even months! He is 95% there around other dogs which is the best he can be. Even my grandads champion collie took the odd dislike to other dogs.
What I have shown and proven is that it is the owner that determine how a dog acts in most if not all cases!
There should be severe punishment to the owner of aggressive dogs. These dogs are athletes of the dog world. Finely tuned to never give up with huge determination, courage and loyalty! Another example: I forgot my keys one day and had a smaller person climb through a gap in a window for him to be greeted by my Pittbull, wagging his tail!! So I got an English Bull terrier bitch to be the guard dog for the home!! Not a banned breed……The dangerous dog act is a JOKE!!!! Is clear for all dog lovers to see….
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I think the Dangerous Dog Act is stupid, i am 17 and hear from my parents and sister that the pitbull is a nauturally aggressive dog who will attck anything it can!!! how stupid!
i love the breed, i think they are the most georgous dogs i have seen, the way they present themselves and they seem so friendly towards people, even the ones you seee on TV who have been used for fighting none of them are aggressive towards people, its the way they have been bought up, this can also be done towards other dogs.
with the correct upbringing and and owners i belive they are the best dogs to own, like the dog whisperer guy, he has a few and all are perfect, its just the way he bought them up.
people just dont have the correct knowledge of the breeds, they only listen to the bad stuff, not the good!
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Regardless of breed, if your dog is aggressive in public and reported, the police turn up on your doorstep. If they think the dog looks like a pit-type, they will immediately call a dog-handler and take your dog away, and then, the case starts, theres no buts, if, hangons, this is how they do it, what they dont realise is that this can have a serious mental effect on your dog being couped up in a cage with strangers…
but… if your dog looks nothing like a pit-type, they come in, ask loads of questions, hear your side and if the dogs licking them and loving them and happy then its an open case which usually takes a lot longer to go court etc…
Now, if your dog bites someone outside in the public, and even in your house, or your property, even if the dog bites an intruder – they will take your dog away…. so then i ask, what is the point of a security dog in the UK today? I own a large mastiff, if someone jumps into my garden and I am not present, the dog will go ape to protect the property and will definitely attack the intruder… and the attack can be very disastrous, and then what? yup, they put my dog to sleep for being naturally protective of his masters home and i probably get a huge fine and depending on how the court sees me, might even put me in the lockup or community service for a few months.
The ancient “dogs are your best friend and your protector” is meaningless in court today, the courts dont do anything to upset the media, if you get let off, they think it sends the wrong message thus they will nearly always put your dog to sleep for biting…. but if you have a labrador or collie… its a slap on the wrists and a fine, why? because the jaw of a labrador/collie will give a nasty bite, but nothing like a mastiff or mastiff derivative which is 5-6 times more powerful.
You are NOT allowed to hurt the person intruding your personal space, you have to call the police, after he’s stolen everything and after he’s either raped your wife or your daughter or even after he’s hurt you, and then the police find him and he gets a 5 year sentence? and gets let out after 1 for good behaviour or prison crowding….
this is reality… so then the clever man would say if your dog seriously hurts an intruder – finish the job and get rid of the body???? I’m sure this happens a lot… too many people go missing and never get found again….
The UK court needs to permit the innocent protect themselves primarily, and then deal with the abuse of that self-protection law secondly… not the other way round.
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Pit bull terrier’s, are beautiful cute very playful active intelligent high energy power full breed.A breed willing to please owners pack leader’s.
p.s i love them grrrrrr!!!!!!lol’s
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My friends got a Staff/Pitt and it is the most well trained dog I know. She is cute and dolice and does whatever her owner says. Why exactly did Pittbulls get banned in the UK?
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I’m back again with no clearer view of what exactly should be done about this law. The reason being that all I see is young lads showing off their pittbulls or young lads saying to me when out walking ‘i’m going to get a dog like that!’
These lads could look after a dog, walk, feed etc but not be in full control of 1 outside the home. I have a pittbull and an exeptional bull terrier. Both dogs cost over £100 a months to insure and feed. An expense no young lad will put into a dog but on tracksuits and low slung jeans! I get up 5am everyday and take my dogs over the fields and again when I get home from work. The point I really would like to make is that any dog will thrieve in the environment I provide, I just chose to have bull breeds over somethng more accepted by society. I have spent endless amounts of time and money on my dogs and have near perfection with them! I walk them not them walk me like most dog walkers I see! I got accused of being a drug dealer at my local park area due to the dogs I own and drive a 25k car and I’m young! That is typical of narrow minded views that many people have about these dogs!
My dogs have never harmed anyone!
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