This group (which we’ll cover below) includes all of the “pit bulls” as well as eight other blocky-headed pooches. A wider umbrella term - “bully breed” - is applied to these breeds and about eight others.Four dog breeds are commonly lumped together and called “pit bulls.” This includes the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire bull terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and the American bulldog.The Need-To-Know Stuff: Types of Pit Bulls We’ll dig into this issue below, explain what a pit bull is and isn’t, and give you the scoop on these cool - and unfortunately maligned - doggos. This is particularly unfortunate, as pit bulls and bully breeds are the victims of countless myths, misunderstandings, and negative media coverage. So, they all tend to get painted with the same unflattering and broad brush. In fact, many people lump about a dozen different breeds under the moniker “bully breeds.” This includes the American pit bull terrier and it’s closest cousins, as well as breeds as distantly related as the Dogo Argentino and more. The term itself is nondescript, borrowed from the name of the American pit bull terrier, though it is often applied to all boxy-headed doggos, no matter their breed makeup. Of the countless breeds out there, few see as much misidentification as the pit bull. So, why do so many people call all boxy-headed dogs “pit bulls?”
You wouldn’t call all flat-faced breeds “pugs” just because of their squished muzzles, right?