16.1. Myth – “Pit Bulls” Have Locking Jaws
The jaws of the “Pit Bull” are functionally the same as the jaws of any other breed, and this has been proven via expert examination.
The few studies that have been conducted on the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of “Pit Bulls” show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional structural features is no different than that of any other breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of locking mechanism unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the “Pit Bull”, says Dr. I. Lerh Brisbin of the University of Georgia.
According to Dr. Howard Evans, Professor Emeritus, College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University and author of the textbook, ANATOMY OF THE DOG, (the world’s definitive work on the anatomy of the dog), he states that in a conversation with Dr. Alexander de Lahunta (the foremost dog neurologist in the United States) and Dr. Katherine A. Houpt (a leading dog behaviorist) about a jaw locking mechanism in “Pit Bulls” or any other dog, they both say, that there is no such thing as jaw locking in any breed.
All agree that the power of the bite is proportional to the size of the jaws and the jaw muscles. There is no anatomical structure that could be a locking mechanism in any dog.
Dr. Al W. Stinson, D.V.M., Director of Legislative Affairs, Michigan Association for Pure Bred Dogs, and the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation, and a Member of the Board of Directors of the American Dog Owners Association and a Professor Emeritus from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, agrees completely with their conclusion.
