18.0. Why Does The “Pit Bull” “Breed” Exist?
Why Is It So Popular?

Simply, I Believe, MONEY!

The so-called “Pit Bulls” are dogs that have no reproducible bloodlines because the bloodlines are unknown. See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-12-myth-american-pit-bull-terrier-pit-bull-and-american-bully-are-breeds/. Consequently, any dog that even remotely looks like the public’s idea of a “Pit Bull” can be called a “Pit Bull”, and the vast majority of the public will not know the difference and will accept that label.  See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/ and    http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-2-can-you-identify-the-pit-bulls/.

Add promotion, hype, puffing and/or advertising to a product or animal, and you have a marketable commodity, like Air Jordan sneakers that some people have killed to get, and others pay huge amounts of money. So to, designer anything, i.e., clothes, hand bags, watches, dogs, etc. The greater the amount of propaganda, hype, puffing and promotion you add to the mix, the more desirable the product becomes. The more desirable the product becomes, the greater the demand for the product. The greater the demand for the product, the higher the price. It is irrelevant that the product is a “knock-off” or “fake”. People will still pay through their noses for it if they believe the propaganda, hype, puffing and promotion.

Add a piece of paper, i.e., a certificate, that states it is something special, i.e., registered or certified, and the price goes even higher. It doesn’t matter that the registration states that the product is a registered “Pit Bull” when in fact it is a Chihuahua or mutt. If the person paying for the item doesn’t know what a “Pit Bull”, Chihuahua or mutt looks like, and really believes he is getting a “Pit Bull”, then as far as he is concerned he has a “Pit Bull”, that is what he will tell everyone and thereby continue to promote the fallacy.

While flipping channels in late 2014, I stopped on a show that had women guessing which item was real, i.e., very expensive, and which was not real, i.e., not expensive. They had a couple of pairs of women’s high heel shoes that looked exactly the same. One was by a designer whose name I had never heard before and cost $675. The other was not a designer shoe and cost $99.

Several weeks later, I saw Sarah Jessica Parker hype her new line of women’s shoes on a “news” program. The high heels cost from $285 to $695. A woman who was dressed like she could not afford a dress from Target, except on a lay-a-way plan, was saying that she was going to save her money so that she could get a pair.

My wife, like many women, owns more high heel shoes than she will ever wear, but if she ever came home with a pair that cost a lot of money she definitely would be in the news, i.e., the report would be that an old man murdered his wife who paid a lot of money for a pair of high heel shoes. :o)

I have used the example that if you have a glass full of Stars and Stripes or Big K (Kroger) cola and ten million people taste the cola and state that it is a Coke, is it a Coke or is it still a Stars and Stripes or Big K cola that filled the glass? In this case, it makes no difference what the person is drinking if he or she believes it is a Coke and is willing to pay for a Coke. For the seller, it is a windfall because he can sell the “Coke” for more than the Stars and Stripes or Big K and thereby make a bigger profit.

The situation with dogs is similar. A “Pit Bull” or “Bully” or whatever name you put on a mutt can be sold to an uninformed buyer for more than the buyer would pay for a mutt if you call it a “Pit Bull” or “Bully” or something else.

In the case of the colas, you have 2 or more items that have very specific formulas or recipes, i.e., “bloodlines”, and could be scientifically distinguished. In the case of “Pit Bulls”, the exact bloodlines or formulas or recipes of the “Pit Bull” are unknown and thus, cannot be verified. So, if you don’t even know what a “Pit Bull” is supposed to be, how do you know whether you are buying a “Pit Bull”?

As for the many “Pit Bull kennel clubs and/or registries”, I believe one could go online and find an application that had been filled out, use the information from that application to fill out a new application, send in the new application along with the applicable registration fee and get your mutt registered as a “Pit Bull”.

Of course, all of the kennel clubs have a disclaimer similar to the American Dog Breeders Association that effectively states, at http://www.adbadog.com/p_pdetails.asp?fsid=6&pg=6,

“It is our responsibility to protect and preserve the APBT in its original form. We do this in a number of ways: Register the dogs and guarantee purebred status. This is dependent on the honesty of our breeders and the paperwork they submit to the office;”

and

at http://www.adbadog.com/p_pdetails.asp?fsid=7&pg=7, the ADBA states,

“Having an animal “REGISTERED” with an organization is a stamp of approval from that organization that the breeder has fulfilled the requirements in record keeping, transferring ownership’s, etc. and the pedigree can be deemed accurate. If a registration organization is strictly “in it for the money” and has NO requirements and any dog rescued from the pound, stolen or “looks like a Pit Bull” on visual inspection can be registered for a fee, then having a “REGISTERED” dog with that organization means nothing.”

and

at http://www.adbadog.com/p_pdetails.asp?fpid=59&pg=59, the ADBA states,

“A dog with LPP [Limited Performance Program] status is verified as a purebred dog of a breed being recognized by the ADBA registry, as is reasonably possible using a visual inspection…..”

and

“Once your dog has been accepted for LPP status an identification card will be issued showing a photo of your dog, a LPP number and ownership information.”

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Would someone who saw the above card know that the dog was NOT a legitimate registered “breed”?

Previously in this document, results of studies in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States were presented with their results. See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/. In the pages that follow you will learn that the researchers who have done studies, veterinary associations, domestic and foreign associations for the prevention of cruelty to animals, humane societies, etc. all agree that it is not possible to determine precisely the breed of the types of dogs targeted by breed-specific legislation by appearance or by DNA analysis.  See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/.

So, how is it that the American Dog Breeders Association as well as the Continental Kennel Club that follows or any registry can determine a dog’s “breed” and its “purebred” status from photographs and register the dogs as “purebreds”?

Once an owner has the identification card, how is a subsequent purchaser supposed to know that even though the card has a “registration number” and the name of the registry, there is no objective proof that the dog is “purebred” or “registered” as a purebred?

At https://ckcusa.com/media/36268/registration-rules-09102013-single.pdf, the Continental Kennel Club (“CKC” – not to be confused with the Canadian Kennel Club) states,

“9. All purebred dogs registered with CONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB must be ‘of proper breed type’, which is in addition to purebred status. In cases where the breed type of a CKC-registered dog is in question, CKC will recognize and act on the results of Photo Enhancement Analysis (PEA) testing to determine if the dog in question is of proper breed type.”

AT http://www.continentalkennelclub.com/registration/paw-registration-information.aspx, the Continental Kennel Club (“CKC” – not to be confused with the Canadian Kennel Club) states,

“The PAW EVALUATION & REGISTRATION PROGRAM was developed to apply for official CKC Registration of a purebred adult canine, for which the original registration papers were lost or ancestry is undocumented. To be eligible for registration with the Continental Kennel Club, the applicant canine must be purebred and of proper breed type.  

Submitting a PAW Registration Application does NOT guarantee that the applicant canine will be accepted for registration with Continental Kennel Club. Upon receipt of the PAW Registration Application, the CKC Breed Committee will evaluate specific photographs of the canine to determine if the canine is eligible for CKC registration.

1. The current owner of the applicant canine must complete and submit the PAW Registration Application to apply for registration with CKC Inc.

2. The applicant canine MUST be purebred; the WITNESS SECTION of the PAW Registration Application must be completed by two witnesses (aside from the owner) attesting to the purebred status of the dog.

3. The owner of the applicant canine must supply the required photographs for an evaluation to determine if the dog is of proper breed type.

4. The applicant canine must be one year of age or older at the time the photographs are taken and application is submitted.

5. The photographs submitted for evaluation of breed type MUST satisfy ALL PAW Registration Photograph Guidelines & Requirements (outlined in the PAW Registration Packet)

Use the links below for more information and instructions to apply for PAW REGISTRATION. The PAW Registration Application is available upon request. To obtain an application, please contact a CKC Representative by phone or email.”

At http://www.continentalkennelclub.com/media/36267/paw-registration-application.pdf,

“The Picture and Witness Evaluation Program (PAW Program) was de­veloped by CKC to evaluate non-registered purebred dogs for possible inclusion into CKC’s purebred dog registry. In order for CKC to con­sider a dog for its PAW Program, the owner of the dog and two wit­nesses of age (18 years or older) must affirm that the applicant dog is purebred and ‘of proper breed type’ as defined by CKC’s Registration Rules, Policies, Guidelines, and Procedures. NOTE: CKC charges a non-refundable evaluation fee of $50.00 per application.

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Applicant canines that pass the PAW Registration Evaluation are accepted for registration by the Continental Kennel Club Inc. Canines will receive an official CKC Certificate of Registration displaying his/her photograph and a wallet-sized Photo ID Card.

If the applicant dog passes and is accepted into the PAW Program, then it will be registered in CKC’s purebred dog registry and a Certificate of Registration will be issued to the owner.”

Note that since I originally got information from their website, the website was changed, but most of the information is the same, except that the Certificate of Registration has the photo of a different dog, and the preceding statement that is underlined and in bold print has been deleted.

Previously in this document there were citations on visual identification of the breed of a dog by the various societies, associations, agencies, etc. and the following statements come from those cited documents.

1. “Visual determination of dog breed is known to be unreliable”; See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/.

2. “…correct breed identification by bystanders, pet owners, police, medical workers and animal control personnel is notoriously unreliable.” See  http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/.

3. “identification of a dog’s breed may be subjective (even experts may disagree on the breed of a particular dog), dog bites related to fatalities may be differentially ascribed to breeds with a reputation for aggression.” See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/.

4. “dogs commonly identified as “Pit Bulls” are quite often a mix of multiple breeds, so breed identification by appearance alone is now considered to be inaccurate and misleading.” See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/.

5. “In only a quarter of these dogs was at least one of the breeds proposed by the adoption agencies also detected as a predominant breed by DNA analysis.” See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/.

6. “Visual determination of dog breed is known to not always be reliable.” See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/.

7. “reliable verification of the breed of dog was only possible in 18% of incidents.” See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/.

8. “It is not possible to determine precisely the breed of the types of dogs targeted by breed-specific legislation by appearance or by DNA analysis.” See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-2-can-you-identify-the-pit-bulls/.

So how can this registry identify any animal as “purebred” from photographs?

At https://ckcusa.com/media/143084/non-purebred-canine-application-web.pdf, the Continental Kennel Club states,

“Complete this Non-Purebred Canine Registration Application to apply for registration of mixed-breed, adult canine for which the original registration records have been lost or ancestry is undocumented. The owner of the applicant dog and two witnesses of legal age, must verify the information provided. In addition, three photographs of the dog must be submitted with this application, which meet the requirements and guidelines on opposite side of application. Not valid in Canada.”

The “Service Section” of the “Non-Purebred Canine Registration Application” states the “Registration Options” and states, “must choose one”. It appears that all of the choices will result in the issuance of a “registration certificate” for the animal.

Doesn’t this mean that the dog will be a “registered dog” even though there is no documentation to support the pedigree?

Isn’t the point of having a “registered” dog knowing where the animal came from, i.e., pedigree?

How is this different from getting a dog from a pound, shelter, off the street, etc.?

Beginning on January 1, 2000, the American Kennel Club (“AKC”) started their DNA profiling so the “parentage” of the dog could be established scientifically.

At http://www.akc.org/dna/dna_faqs.cfm,the American Kennel Club (“AKC”) states,

“Can DNA testing determine the breed of a dog?

No. DNA profiling can determine parentage and genetic identity, but not the breed.”

At http://www.adbadog.com/p_pdetails.asp?fpid=10&pg=10, the American Dog Breeders Association (“ADBA”) states,

“Although DNA will not tell you the breed of a dog, it can verify from which parents a particular dog was born.”

and

“ADVANTAGES OF DNA ANALYSIS AND CERTIFICATION

Each genetic profile is unique to each individual dog and provides a positive identification of the dog. DNA Certification enhances the value of the pedigree as a breeding tool by providing scientific verification of parentage. It can also safeguard a breeder’s reputation by offering certified parentage of all litters.”

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Note that the DNA profiling was done by MMI Genomics, Inc. (lower right corner of the above certificate).

According to those who have studied the subject of identifying dogs by their appearance, the consensus is that identification based on appearance is unreliable even when done by persons who are supposed to know like veterinarians, shelter and pound workers, etc., i.e., the “experts”. If the “experts’” identification is unreliable, how valid is identification by the public or non-experts? See http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-1-breed-identification/ and http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/16-5-2-can-you-identify-the-pit-bulls/.

In addition, DNA analysis can only determine the parentage, i.e., the sire and dam of a dog, if the sire and dam’s DNA profile is available.

Consequently, the breed of the dog is strictly based on what the seller is claiming, and the rules when buying anything is Caveat Emptor, i.e., let the buyer beware!

If a purchaser finds out that they bought a dog that was registered and supposed to be purebred, but it isn’t, whose fault is it? The kennel clubs have the disclaimer that they are relying on the information provided by the owner. If the fault is not the kennel club’s: is it the fault of the breeder? Whose fault is it? What is the consumer’s recourse?

It would seem that if a consumer is paying a higher price for something that is claimed to be one particular thing, but if it isn’t, as a practical matter, the consumer is probably going to be taking the loss.

Dogs are considered property under the law. If someone paid $1,000 for a “Pit Bull”, and it later turns out that the dog is a mutt, what are the consumer’s damages? In this case, it would be a maximum of $1,000, but the consumer would have to return the dog to the seller.

However, it would be difficult if not impossible to establish what that particular mutt was worth. Some might say it was worth nothing. Other might say it was worth the $1,000 paid for it. However, it would be up to the consumer to prove that the dog was worth less than $1,000 and that would only entitle the consumer to the difference between what he paid and what the dog was worth.

Proving that the dog was worth less than $1,000 would probably require expert witnesses, who are very expensive, and the cost of attorneys, expert witnesses, etc. would probably be prohibitive. Consequently, the downside to the people selling dogs that are represented to be one thing, but are actually something else is virtually non-existent.

On the other hand, if the consumer doesn’t know what he is doing, it could be costly.

The other issue that needs to be considered is how the seller defines the breed of dog he is selling because if the seller defines a mutt to be a “Pit Bull”, then it is up to the purchaser to know what the seller is calling a “Pit Bull”. Since it appears that each registry has their own definition of a “Pit Bull”, and there is not just one particular dog being called a “Pit Bull”, it would seem that the buyer is stuck with whatever he got.

Nevertheless, once the dog or puppies are “Registered Pit Bulls”, the seller is in a position to sell them for a higher price than a mutt.

At http://www.americanpurebred.com/Home.htm, the American Purebred Registry (“APR”) states,

“Prior registration is not necessary. We will start a foundation pedigree with the information you provide, returning the prestige and recognition that registration offers and the respect your pet deserves.”

At http://www.americanpurebred.com/Reg_info.htm, the APR states,

“We hope that registration will make your pet more valuable to you. In the eyes of the public this certainly seems to be a factor in pricing them for sale.”

The fact that they are mutts won’t make any difference if the purchasers are willing to accept that they are “Pit Bulls” and pay for them.

As for the ADBA, UKC and all the other registries I doubt that they care. They got your money for the registration and the annual fees you pay to keep the dogs “registered” which is their apparent primary objective. In spite of all of this, the dogs are still mutts, and it doesn’t matter how they are labeled.

On January 1, 2000, the American Kennel Club (“AKC”) started their DNA profiling so the “parentage” of the dog could be established scientifically. This creates a new marketing tool to sell mutts as “Pit Bulls”.

In 2013, the UKC started their DNA profiling: however, if they are getting profiles of “Pit Bull” DNA, they are getting profiles taken from mutts that may later be compared to and matched to other mutts (“Pit Bulls”) profiles, and they will match, but they are still mutts that are now being called “Pit Bulls”. It would be interesting to know who is doing these DNA profiles.

The patent for dog DNA profiles is owned by Wisdom Panel, a division of Mars, Incorporated. Consequently, DNA profiles will be done using their technology, and they do NOT have a profile for “Pit Bulls” or “American Bullys”.

The preceding “Certificate of DNA Analysis” indicated that the profiling was done by MMI Geonomics, Inc.

At http://www.dog-dna.com/terms.php note that MMI Geonomics, Inc. is using the Wisdom Panel technology and the “Identifiable Breeds” do NOT include the American Pit Bull Terriers, Amercian Bullys or Pit Bulls.

So, how are these DNA profiles being done?

Note that as at March 10, 2017, the preceding link has been broken and I have been unable to locate a substitute. However, the UKC now claims to have DNA profiling done by the University of California, Davis. At https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/dog.php#AmericanPitBull, it is stated

“For breed specific tests click breed below:
Akita | Alaskan Husky | Alaskan Klee Kai | Alaskan Malamute | American Hairless Terrier | American Pitbull Terrier | American Staffordshire Terrier | Basenji | Beagle | Biewer | Biewer Terrier | Biewer Yorkshire Terrier | Black Russian Terrier | Border Collie | Biewer | Dachshund | Doberman Pinscher | Golden Retriever | Great Dane | Havanese | Irish Setter | Irish Red & White Setter | Italian Greyhound | Kooikerhondje | Labrador Retriever | Miniature Poodle |Pug | Samoyed | Sloughi | Standard Poodle Weimaraner| West Highland White Terrier”.

If you click “American Pitbull Terrier” or “American Staffordshire Terrier”, you will be taken to https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/dog.php#AmericanPitBull where it is stated,

“American Staffordshire, American Pit Bull TerrierCone Rod Dystrophy 1 & 2 Hyperuricosuria (HUU)

$50 per animal single test $80 per animal both tests same animal Additional $5 discount on 3 or more dogs

Interdental/GUM brushes supplied by owner Cytology Brush-supplied by VGL”

It appears that the University of California, Davis is using the American Staffordshire Terrier DNA profiling technology for so-called “American Pit Bull Terriers”, i.e., appears that University of California, Davis and the UKC are both calling American Staffordshire Terriers “American Pit Bull Terriers” in spite of the fact that in March 2015 the American Dog Breeders Association declared at http://pitbullsfactormyth.net/11-2-american-dog-breeders-association-adba/ that

“The American Staffordshire Terrier will now be recognized as a separate breed. Any dog registered in the American Kennel Club (AKC) as an American Staffordshire Terrier (AST) will be registered as such with the ADBA.”

The American Kennel Club has recognized the American Staffordshire Terrier as a distinct breed since 1936.

It would seem that with a DNA profile the UKC and its customers can then claim that the breeds are pure and verified with DNA just like the AKC, and the ABKC can then certify them, for a fee, as being Pit Bulls or American Bullys or whatever they want to call them. All of which can be included as additional selling points, and the basis for higher prices to uninformed consumers.

Therefore, it would appear that the provision of DNA profiles by the University of California, Davis and the UKC for “Pit Bulls” is fraudulent if anyone relied upon it to their detriment since it is a material misrepresentation of a fact.

The following are a few examples of the pervasiveness of these phenomena and the costs to uninformed consumers. Hundreds, if not thousands, of additional examples can be found on the Internet, Craigslist, ebay, etc. with little or no difficulty.

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