Fact Check: Were Pit Bulls Really Nanny Dogs?

It’s hard to deny the bloody origins of the Pitbull when it is baked into their very name. The bull comes from Old English Bulldogs, used in the 17th century practice of “bull baiting” where a chained bull would be attacked by several dogs at a time. Bloodsports were banned in England in 1835, so breeders crossed Bulldogs with Terriers for use in fights against other dogs and rats, fights which were easier to hide from the law. These horrific battles would take place in pits, which is where the “pit” part of the name comes from.

It’s from the defenders that the often repeated claim that in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Pitbulls were called “Nanny Dogs” has emerged. One commenter on our own forums even said they were bred for this purpose, and there are whole pages set up to celebrate “The Nanny Dogs”.

Many counties and states in the USA have enacted breed-specific legislation. One of the most controversial of all was in Tijeras, New Mexico, where local legislators reacted to a terrible attack on a child by banning all Pitbulls and Pitbull cross breeds and enabling them to be killed on sight and without warning or compensation. It’s worth noting that the very victim of that attack is now one of the locals most outspoken in her defence of Pitbulls. There’s even a book about this whole nationwide struggle, Bronwen Dickey’s “Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon”.

It’s understandable that this debate is so heated and emotional. It is truly a matter of life and death, given that it often moves off newspaper letters pages and website forums into courtrooms

Increasingly, two polarized camps have battled in public and in every corner of the Internet over the reputation of the Pitbull. The first are the anti-Pitbull activists, the most extreme of whom will often distort facts in their bid to persuade the world that all Pitbulls are murderous and should be eliminated. The second are the pro-Pitbull enthusiasts, a minority of whom can also be selective with facts in their efforts to protect the good name of their beloved Pitbulls.

After spending most of the twentieth century as America’s most beloved dog, considered staunch, loyal and loveable enough to feature in both military advertising and children’s comedies, their reputation began to decline in the sixties and reached a nadir in the 80s, particularly after a controversial 1987 case when a Pitbull guarding a ma*****na crop killed a two year old toddler.