Here, you have a rare dog that not only gets lumped in with 'pit bull' deaths, but scores one or two death a year listed by its actual breed.
In 1936, the American Kennel Club (AKC) formally recognized the pit bull breed, but only under the name Staffordshire terrier. This was done to distance the breed from its continued use in dogfighting. Thus, the dog breed that descended from bull baiting and dogfighting, the pit bull terrier, began being registered under two names.2
By 1936, the United Kennel Club (UKC) had already recognized the American pit bull terrier for nearly 40-years. Hence, the original AKC registered Staffordshire terriers all came from UKC stock including champion fighting bloodlines.3 Cross-registering pit bulls at both registries under different names continues today.4
Prior to the UKC’s formal recognition of the breed in 1898,5 and in some regions until decades after, the pit bull breed was called a variety names including: pit dog, bull terrier, bull pit terrier, pit terrier, pit bull terrier, simply “bulldog,” and according to the AKC’s American Staffordshire page, American bull terrier and Yankee terrier.
In 1972, the AKC renamed the breed to American Staffordshire terrier to distinguish it from the Staffordshire bull terrier — a dog breed also included in the pit bull class of dogs. Today, shelters often use the American Staffordshire name when adopting out pit bulls to the public to mask the breed’s less palatable name, pit bull terrier.6
Which breeds would you eliminate to eliminate the 'pit bull' problem?
Here, you have a rare dog that not only gets lumped in with 'pit bull' deaths, but scores one or two death a year listed by its actual breed.