The dazzling variety of pit bulls

While I was walking Boomer and Hazel the other day, a man sitting in a parked car rolled down his window to admire Boomer. “That’s a pure-bred pit bull,” he called out. “That’s a champion, pure-bred pit bull.”

“I got him at the shelter,” I replied.

“I don’t know what they told you there, but that’s a champion, pure-bred pit bull.”

Boomer the homebody

During this exchange, Boomer was looking for the nearest exit, while Hazel did her special wagging, wiggling, “Please let me climb into your car and smother you with kisses” dance. She did not care that the man apparently found only Boomer to be a “pure-bred champion.” She just wanted to meet him. Boomer, on the other hand, desperately wanted to be ignored.

Boomer and Hazel are almost exactly the same height and shape, with the only difference being that Boomer is thicker all over and about ten pounds heavier. They are a lovely pair, both young, shiny, and athletic, one blue nose, one red nose. Both are sweet, loving family dogs. In the face of novelty, however, they diverge radically. Hazel’s response to new people is “You’re a human?! Oh my god, I love humans! Let me kiss you. Just hold still, you’ll love it.” On their joint walks, Boomer really cramps her style, because his response to new people is “Humans? They can be dangerous. Just keep walking and maybe they won’t notice us.”

Hazel the social butterfly

This exchange, and the dogs’ radically different responses to it, is a reminder of the huge diversity in dogs that are called “pit bulls.” At the shelter, both Boomer and Hazel were labeled “pit bull terrier mixes.” Also in that category are a huge number of other dogs (half or more of all dogs at many public shelters throughout the country), with an enormous range not only in personality but in size, shape, color, coat, and virtually every trait that would normally be used to lump dogs together into the same breed.

Here’s what is defined as a pit bull in Miami-Dade (where you really don’t want to be a pit bull): “American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or any other dog that substantially conforms to any of these breeds' characteristics.” This language is typical of breed-discriminatory legislation – sometimes a few other breeds, especially Bull Terriers, are added to the list. Rarely are the “characteristics” specified, leaving the determination of breed up to police and other officials who almost never have any training in breed identification. When traits are listed, they are so vague as to encompass many dogs other than pit bulls – muscular bodies, strong jaws, brindle coloring. When DNA testing for breed is done on dogs identified by appearance as pit bulls, the majority turn out to be mixes with little if any connection to the breeds legally identified as pit bulls.

Being a pit bull is like being pornography in the eyes of Chief Justice Potter Stewart: “I know it when I see it.”

But do we? These three dogs, radically different in appearance, size, and temperament, are all legally "pit bulls."

38-pound Georgia was rescued from a fighting ring

Three times Georgia's size, Siege is a purebred American Pit Bull Terrier.

48-pound Tozi was called an American Staffordshire Terrier mix at the shelter.

Even more diversity was evident among the dogs on our recent Pit Walk through downtown Gainesville. The walk was a huge success in many ways – the turnout was great, the people had fun, the dogs had fun, dogs and people alike were well behaved, and everyone, canine and human alike, got the chance to meet many new people and show them how friendly “pit bulls” can be. (Boomer stayed home where he feels safe.) Among the walkers were adoptables Tootsie, Greta, Indigo, Petra, Meatloaf, and Reuben.

We were even joined by some honorary pit bulls, including a Chihuahua mix and these lovely, easy-going rescued Rottweilers, who, in many places would join pit bulls on the "dangerous dog" list.