Pit Bull

Pit bull is the common name for a type of dog. Formal breeds often considered of the pit bull type include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Indian Pit Bull and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The American Bulldog and Bull Terrier (standard andminiature) are also sometimes included. 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. After the use of dogs in blood sportswas 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, although some owners still bred and used them for illegal dog fighting. This practice continues to this day, but is illegal in many nations.

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". 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.