Is it true that pit bulls lock their teeth when they bite?

Question

And is it true that they are really arrgesive al the time?

Answer 1

Dispelling some myths about Pit Bulls:

-Is it true that Pit Bulls can lock their jaw?
The infamous locking jaw is a myth. The American Pit Bull Terrier and related breeds are physiologically no different from any other breed of dog. All dogs are from the same species and none have locking jaws. Dr. I Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states, "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of 'pounds per square inch' can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data." Furthermore, Dr. Brisbin states, "The few studies which have been conducted of 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 morphology, is no different than that of any 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 American Pit Bull Terrier.",,,,,IT IS A DUMB MYTH ASK ANY VET THIS QUESTION

Answer 2

Do they lock their jaws when they bite? NO. But they do have a powerful bite and hold and sometimes have to be pried off which can be said of other breeds. The Pit Bull dog though, has the strongest pressure bite though when it comes to dog breeds.

Pit Bulls are being used as service dogs including drug search dogs, and dogs that are friendly and tour facilities for people who are disabled. They used to be called "Nanny Dogs" because they were gentle and yet very protective of children. Of course they are not aggressive all the time. In fact when they use to be fought in the pits they were bred to be aggressive towards other animals but not to humans because it was the humans that handled them and had to intervene at times and they did not want to get bitten.
Unfortunately because of their high tolerance for pain and their strong bite, the wrong kind of people are attracted to the breed and use them for the most horrible things. There is a top drug searching dog named "Popsicle" who was rescued from a freezer, left to die there, who was a "bait dog" with severe wounds. She was rehabilitated and is a sweetheart of a dog.
I hope you will read through this. This breed is incredible and it is the wrong approach to ban the breed rather than to come down upon and fine the people that fight them and brutalize them.
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pospress.html

Answer 3

NO, they do not lock their jaws OR teeth. They are very strong dogs. Dogs do not *lock* their jaws, they just have a lot of strength in that area of their body.

I have 3 Jack Russell Terriers that can bite onto a sock and hold on forever as you hold it in the air above the ground!

I owned a pit bull 13 years ago and she was *THE* sweetest, most loving dog I ever owned. We had a rabbit that the dog would *cuddle* with.......she would lounge on the couch with my 9 month old son.......if someone rang the door bell she would bark and sound VERY intimidating, until they came in, then she would either run and hide or lick them to death if she knew them!

Answer 4

Pit bulls do NOT have locking jaws; the pit bull’s jaw is identical to any other dog of a similar size. They’re vicious killing machines, right? Uh huh – they might lick you to death.

There is an extravagant amount of bad information out there about Pits and. Did you know that the American Temperament Test Society rates their temperaments at above average and at about the same level as Golden Retrievers?? Here’s how they stack up along with some other popular breeds:

Average Rating of all Breeds in this study: 81.0%
Cardigan Welsh Corgi 76.8%
Shih Tzu 76.9%
Old English Sheepdog 77.8%
Beagle 78.2%
Cocker Spaniel 81.5%
Rottweiler 82.3%
Golden Retriever 83.2%
American Pit Bull Terrier 83.4%
Mixed Breed 85.1%

In the ATT test, a dog is put through a series of confrontational situations. Any sign of panic or aggression leads to failure of the test. The achievement of pit bulls an in this study disproves once and for all the old tired belief that they are inherently aggressive to people. (Thanks to Bad Rap Pit Rescue for this resource)

To be fair, these dogs aren’t for everyone - no one breed is universally appropriate for every person. Pits and , like every dog and dog owner, should go through at least basic obedience training together. Pits and require a lot of activity, a lot of love and attention, and an owner who understands dogs or is willing to learn. They are loving, loyal and gorgeous dogs. Don’t believe the hype!

Answer 5

They don't lock their teeth, they lock their jaws. They were bred that way back when they were actually used to fight bulls, they were supposed to latch on to the bull and never let go until the bull died. It can be difficult to pry a pit's mouth open if he's determined to keep it closed, and sometimes it can lock up without him trying.

They are NOT, however, aggressive dogs by nature. Pits are made aggressive by irresponsible owners. Normally they are very sweet, loving dogs, and great family pets. I'm a groomer, and I have been bitten more times by spoiled toy dogs like poodles and shih tzus than anything; I have NEVER been bitten by a pit bull, rottweiler, doberman, or any other 'mean' breed. With proper training and discipline, any dog can be sweet.

Answer 6

no, no, no..... don't listen to the hype, the do not "lock", they just have extremely strong jaws (hence the wide face, or big "smile") they just are not very easy to pry open, kinda like a croc would be... and no pitbull is "naturally" aggressive.... nor is it born in them if their parents were... it is all in how they are raised... my bully Rebel, i got him when he was about 1 1/2 yrs old, he had never met me, & he had been mistreated, i walked right up to him, clipped a leash on him, & loaded him up in the truck, he rode the whole way to his new home, stretched out in my lap, kissing my neck..... TOTAL sweetheart, thru & thru!!! my chihuahuas are meaner than he is

Answer 7

http://www.dogwatch.net/myths/lock_jaw.html

http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html

http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm

Locking jaws is just a myth according to research. They have the same structure as any other dog. And the breed is not bad, it's bad up bringing. My sister's pit is a loving lap dog, at least she thinks she's a lap dog!

Answer 8

Agressiveness depends on their genes and upbringing. And yes it it true a pit can lock its jaw when they bite but not neccessarily everytime they bite.

Answer 9

yes, definately they can and often do lock their jaw bones so as not to loose grip on whatever they are biting onto. you cansee this if you play with your pit with a nice thick rope and swing it around . he will lock onto it and swing and shake his head in a dominant horseplay like way.it is part of what gives them the unfortunate stigmata they now seem to have. all pits are not mean and you should always get to know any dog before making that judgement.

Answer 10

No, and no... Lock jaws on pitbulls is just a myth. They just have a really strong and powerful bite and hold. But their jaws don't 'lock'...
And no, they're not always aggressive. They're just like any other breed and it depends on how you treat them and what kind of environment they're in... =)