Myth: pit bulls have locking jaws

There are a lot of myths about pit bulls, but one of the most common is that they have locking jaws, namely a mechanism inside their jaws that locks when they bite their victim. Of course, this is a false rumor. This stereotype arose because the pit bulls have a lot of muscles in the jaw area and a very well developed skull, plus a special biting style. To be more specific, pit bulls tend to shake the prey without releasing it, instead of biting and grabbing it again. 

However, people who own a pit bull know that they should be aware of the break stick, namely that they have to know when and how to use a break stick. It is used when a pit bull bites something and it’s inserted behind the back teeth and then twisted until they open their jaws. In general, police officers who work with pit bulls use this technique. 

Myth: they are raised to fight

It seems that in the 19th century England, people bred pit bulls with other dog breeds, such as bulldogs and other terriers to create strong dogs. However, because of their strong body, people used to organize shows in which a lot of dog breeds had to fight a bear for the amusement of a crowd. 

This “sport” that involved animal cruelty was banned after a few years, but people continued to organize dog fights because they believed that these shows were entertaining and they could make money from them at the same time. So, people preferred the ancestors of pit bulls to fight and that’s why individuals today still believe that pit bulls are fighting dogs. 

Just like any other being, both humans and animals do what they are taught to do. Animal and human behavior is learned. So if you know how to raise your dog, they will definitely be good dogs. In other words, any dog breed can fight if they are raised that way, so it doesn’t mean that pit bulls are different from other dogs.