Form & Function Creates Type - Yes, They are Pit Bulls

With the latest pit-bull related fatality in Cape Town, I have been contacted by numerous people asking for my thoughts about various statements and posts on the subject. I have written a few articles about Pit Bulls over the last 10 years, including an educational article that I wrote for the Pit Bull Federation last year. However, I wanted to add a few things in light of what has been said by various organizations and parties about this specific incident and the giant elephant in the room which I feel is ignored time and again in an attempt to excuse attacks of this nature.

It seems that a relative of the deceased has commented on social media alleging that the dogs in this case were badly treated and encouraged to be human aggressive. As a result of this a huge emphasis has been placed on the responsibility of the owner/s for what happened and much said about how this is a case of a problem owner and not a problem dog.

While it is inexcusable for any dog to be neglected, abused or incited to be aggressive, the sad reality is that a huge number of dogs are treated appallingly in this country (and around the world), but that they do not maul or kill people as a result. There is one specific type of dog that is responsible for most fatal dog attacks. No other breed or type comes even close. Pit Bull type dogs are estimated to be responsible for at least 66-70% of human fatalities – this means they are twice as likely to kill someone as every other type of dog on the planet added together and at least 6 - 7 times more likely than any other breed recorded in human fatalities, despite the fact that they only account for about 6-10% of the dog population worldwide. Those figures are staggering.

But I can already hear the next argument: How do you know these dogs are actually pit bulls? Did you test them genetically? These dogs are not registered American Pit Bull Terriers (APBT)?

There is a lot of debate about what a pit bull is. Enthusiasts of the APBT will claim that only dogs registered as such are true pit bulls and that all other dogs are mixed breeds that simply look a bit like pit bulls but could be made up of many other breeds. The rationale is that it is these mixed breeds that kill people and not real pit bull terriers.

But here’s the thing, like most other types/breeds of dogs we have today, “Pit Bulls” were genetically selected for a specific form and function. They were “designed” to attack bulls and hold onto their faces, often resulting in the bull’s death. They were then used for dog fighting: grabbing, shaking, ripping and killing another large animal. Initially it was this behavioural ability that was selected for, and as we understand from the evolutionary process of “natural selection”, form follows function: if you select for a particular behaviour or ability, a form that supports that behaviour and ability will start to emerge. Later, there would have been more specific selection for particular physical traits and finally a “breed standard” amongst registered dogs, but the evolution of this dog (like most other breeds) was based on their ability and not a strict set of aesthetic norms.

A good breed to help understand this concept is the border collie. Sheep farmers didn’t wake up one day and decide to design an agile, slim, black and white dog, with pricked, but floppy-tipped ears and a white tipped tail of medium size and mid-length hair. They simply selected dogs that had a propensity for rehearsing “EYE-STALK-CHASE” behaviours relentlessly, because this behaviour pattern worked like a charm to move and control herds of sheep. But again, with continuous selection pressure for specific behaviour characteristics, similar physical characteristics emerged and we ended up with a dog that one would call a “border collie” today. Border collies have been around for well over a century, but do you know when the border collie was registered as a breed in South Africa? Only in 1980. Most “border collies” in this country are not registered with the Kennel Union. Most are working dogs who may or may not be registered with the South African Sheepdog Association. These dogs do not have to conform to a strict set of physical criteria – they are working dogs and it is their ability, not their precise conformation, that is important. As a result, while all border collies have general physical and behavioural characteristics that make them clearly recognizable, there is also much variation in size, coat colour, ear carriage and coat length. However, would anyone truly argue that they are not all border collies? Of course not.

Yet this is exactly what people are arguing about Pit Bulls. We need to understand that apart from the minute gene pool of registered APBT’s, the majority of “Pit Bulls” are dogs who have been selected for a function and a form which supports that function. They are a specific type of dog selected to have a strong “GRAB-SHAKE-KILL” pattern of behaviour and a propensity to direct this behaviour towards large animals and other dogs. The blocky head, exaggerated musculature and general physical conformation that supports that function is what we now recognise as a “Pit Bull”. Most are not registered dogs. Most are a very obvious type of dog, rather than a tiny selection of specimens from a registered breed.

We cannot ignore the fact that it is not “Labrador type dogs” (or poodle types or German Shepherd types or insert any other breed) that are responsible for the majority of deaths by dog attack. It is not a figment of the imagination that by far, the majority of dogs involved in human fatalities look like Pit Bulls. Because they are indeed “Pit Bull type dogs” regardless of their exact pedigree or genetic lineage. They are a “type” that has been selected for a form and function – a function that sadly still goes on to this day (dog fighting is not a thing of the past).

The denial and the excuses have to stop. We have to face what this type of dog was designed to do and how that design has created an animal that presents a disproportionate risk to other dogs and yes, humans as well, because of the physical, behavioural and emotional characteristics we selected for. I am so tired of hearing that “Proper Pit Bulls” were selected to be totally non-aggressive towards people. This is not about sociability or tractability, it is about a lethal behaviour pattern being selected for in a dog with enormous strength – in the best circumstances this behaviour pattern will likely not be directed at a human being, but in less-than-ideal circumstances, the risk is real.

Many other terriers have the exact same behaviour pattern, but it is focused on small animals and they do not generally have the ability to inflict severe damage on other dogs and people. Other breeds may weigh more than pit bulls and have bigger teeth and stronger jaws, but on the other hand they DO NOT have the exaggerated “GRAB-SHAKE-KILL” motor pattern and as a result, it is far rarer for them to end up killing people. This is not a “Power Breed” problem. It is a pit bull problem – it is the precisely chosen behavioural AND physical characteristics that create the risk with these dogs. This was our design and now we live with the consequences.

Yes, responsible dog ownership is something that needs to be encouraged. Absolutely, abuse, neglect and bad training and handling practices must be called out and even prosecuted. But this doesn’t change the fact that regardless of their circumstances, all dogs simply do not pose the same level of risk. People are fond of quoting statistics about dog bites which indicate that more people are bitten by Labradors and small breed dogs than pit bulls. Yes, they are. But there is a HUGE difference between a dog bite and a dog fatality or near fatality. ALL dogs can use aggression if the need arises and all dogs are capable of biting, but all dogs do NOT kill people on a regular basis when they do so. It is completely disingenuous to compare a nip or single bite and release with mauling and killing.

And please, we have to stop romanticising these dogs. Even well-meaning rhetoric that cautions about the reality of owning a pit bull often ends with statements about how “incredible”, “phenomenal” or “amazing” the breed is IF you are the unicorn owner responsible enough to have one. Please understand – everyone thinks they are special – especially the most out of touch with reality. This “they are awesome, but you have to be a special person to have one” actually attracts the worst in dog guardians. People who overestimate their ability and underestimate the risk.

Things are not getting better. These dogs are only becoming more popular. The message has to change.