In a 2013 study of 256 fatalities in the United States from 2000–2009, the AVMA determined that valid breed determination was possible for only 17.6% of cases. In a 2014 literature review of dog bite studies, the American Veterinary Medical Association states that breed is a poor sole predictor of dog bites and that controlled studies show no increased risk in pit bulls, and has previously noted fundamental problems with tracking breed in dog bite related fatalities. The interpretation of these studies, breed identification and relevance issues, and variable circumstances have given rise to intense controversy. Violent interactions between humans and canines have been studied by the US government, notably the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as academic veterinary researchers. In addition, law enforcement organisations report these dogs are used for other nefarious purposes, such as guarding illegal narcotics operations, use against police, and as attack dogs. Pit bulls also constitute the majority of dogs used for illegal dog fighting in America. Pit bulls successfully fill the role of companion dogs, police dogs, and therapy dogs. Some have been selectively bred for their fighting prowess. In the early 20th century pit bulls were used as catch dogs in America for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, and drive livestock, and as family companions. For decades afterwards, dog fighting clandestinely took place in small areas of Britain and America. Dog fighting was used as both a blood sport (often involving gambling) and a way to continue to test the quality of their stock. Since dogfights were cheaper to organize and far easier to conceal from the law than bull or bear baits, blood sport proponents turned to pitting their dogs against each other instead. These blood sports were officially eliminated in 1835 as Britain began to introduce animal welfare laws. In the United Kingdom, these dogs were used in blood sports such as bull-baiting and bear-baiting. Pit bulls were created by breeding bulldogs and terriers together to produce a dog that combined the gameness and agility of the terrier with the strength of the bulldog.
While mixed breed dogs are often labeled as "pit bulls" if they have certain physical characteristics such as a square shaped head or bulky body type, visual identification of mixed breed dogs is not recommended by the scholarly community. The term pit bull is often used loosely to describe dogs with similar physical characteristics, and the morphological (physical) variation amongst "bully breed" dogs makes it difficult for anyone, even experts, to visually identify them as distinct from "non-pit bulls". Despite dog fighting now being illegal in the United States, it still exists as an underground activity, and pit bulls are a common breed of choice.
After the use of dogs in blood sports was banned, such dogs were used as catch dogs in the United States for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt and drive livestock, and as family companions. Many of these breeds were originally developed as fighting dogs from cross breeding bull-baiting dogs (used to hold the faces and heads of larger animals such as bulls) and terriers.
The American Bulldog is also sometimes included. Formal breeds often considered in North America to be of the pit bull type include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Pit bull is the common name for a type of dog. Clockwise from top left: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
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