Find the Pit Bull

Revised: November 03. 2013; 17:51 GMT
Revised: January 13, 2014; 18:33 GMT
Revised: May 16, 2014; 15:17 GMT
Revised: May 11, 2015; 12:33 GMT

Introducing the SRUV version of the ubiquitous Find the Pit Bull test.

Previous versions of the test were meant to obfuscate; SRUV will clarify. We present only five images, each very distinct; you find the real pit bull.

A. Red Nose Stubby

B. Blue Nose Stubby

C. Medium Brindle

D. Tall Brindle

E. Generic Fawn

Which is the real pit bull?

Answer: All of the above, knucklehead. (The generic fawn is a traditional fighting pit bull. This strain shows possible crossbreeding with the Blackmouth cur and/or perhaps other breeds.

Airedales, King Charles Spaniels, Skye Terriers --  in fact with every breed of dog -- conformity to established breed standards is the defining characteristic. Each member of a breed is similar in appearance to other members of its own group.

But champion pit bulls present a vast array of colors, shapes, and sizes. The reason they vary? Pit bulls are not so much a standard conformation as they are a set of abstract skills. Champion pit bulls have been bred for centuries not for conformation but for intangible qualities such as gameness. Their championships are not won in the show ring.

Despite that ambiguity, the average Joe on the street would quickly identify each of the above dogs as a pit bull. In fact, the United Kennel Club agrees, and registers dogs similar to each of those above as American Pit Bull Terriers.

Pit bull advocates have posted numerous "Pick the Pit" or "Find the Pit Bull" tests on the web. Posters have become popular sale items. The objective of these tests is to hide a presumed pit bull among 15 - 25 similar images, making it nearly impossible to single out one true pit bull, and thereby confuse the public. It's a pointless exercise. The UKC registers a broad spectrum of types, and calls all of them registered American Pit Bull Terriers.

The strategy of disguising one dog among 15 - 25 similar images, many of which have been crossbred to form the Breed of Obsession, is dishonest, and is intended to sew confusion.

* * * * *

Definitions:

SRUV uses the definition of "pit bull" as found in the Omaha Municipal Code Section 6-163. As pit bulls are increasingly crossed with exotic mastiffs, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and other breeds, the vernacular definition of "pit bull" must be made even more inclusive.

Sources cited by news media sometimes refer to "Animal Advocates" or sometimes "Experts." In many cases these words are used to refer to single-purpose pit bull advocates who have never advocated for any other breeds or species of animals. Media would be more accurate to refer to these pit bull advocates as advocates of fighting breeds.

Similarly, in many cases pit bull advocates refer to themselves as "dog lovers" or "canine advocates" and media often accepts this usage. The majority of these pit bull advocates are single-purpose advocates of fighting breeds.

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.
View or download the current PDF

2014 Year-end report of dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; January 3, 2015
32 years of logging fatal & disfiguring dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; September 27, 2014
How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014?
   Animals 24-7; January 27, 2015

This page may also include information from Dogsbite &Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks

2014 Dog Bite Related Fatalities on Daxton's Friends

Index of canine fatalities on Daxton's Friends

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