Pit bulls once had a nickname most people today would not expect: "nanny dog." In the early 1900s, pit bulls were common family pets in the U.S. They were pictured in ads, photographed with kids, and even sent to war as loyal mascots. The ASPCA notes that pit bulls "have long been popular family pets, noted for their gentleness, affection and loyalty." That reputation held for decades. Then, in the 1980s, dogfighting rings grew, and news coverage of a few violent owners reshaped how the whole breed was seen. Breed bans followed soon after. The dogs did not change. The story about them did. Here is the real pit bull history, and what the research says today.
In this article
- Where Did the "Nanny Dog" Nickname Really Come From?
- Were Pit Bulls Really America's Favorite Family Dog?
- What Actually Changed in the 1980s?
- Did Pit Bulls Change, or Did the Coverage Change?
- Are Today's Breed Bans Based on Real Data?
- How You Can Help Rewrite the Story Today
- Frequently asked questions
Where Did the "Nanny Dog" Nickname Really Come From?
The term "nanny dog" is older than most people think, and it wasn't only used for pit bulls. In England in the late 1800s and early 1900s, people used "nanny dog" and "nursemaid dog" for several breeds known for being gentle and watchful around kids. That list included the English Bulldog and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Pit bulls picked up the same nickname around this time, mostly through old photos, family stories, and ads that showed them next to children. Dog historians have not found the term widely used in official breed records or newspapers from that era. That doesn't mean the reputation was fake. It means "nanny dog" was more of a popular nickname than an official title. It stuck because it matched what people actually saw: a breed that was, by most accounts, patient and protective with kids.
The exact wording matters less than the pattern behind it. Pit bulls earned a reputation as trustworthy family dogs long before anyone feared them.
Were Pit Bulls Really America's Favorite Family Dog?
By most measures, yes. The ASPCA states plainly that pit bulls "have long been popular family pets, noted for their gentleness, affection and loyalty." Even pit bulls bred for fighting were rarely aggressive toward people. Any dog that acted out toward its handler was removed from breeding.
Pit bulls also had real star power. Pete the Pup was the dog with a ring around his eye in the Our Gang and Little Rascals films. He starred in those movies through the 1920s and 1930s. Pete was a registered American Pit Bull Terrier. Sergeant Stubby was one of the most decorated dogs of World War One. He was a bull terrier-type stray who served 18 months with the 102nd Infantry. No one ever fully confirmed his exact breed. But today, most people describe him as a pit bull-type dog.
Pit bulls also showed up often in family photos and old ads in the early 1900s. That soft, trustworthy image stuck around for decades, long before anyone connected the breed with danger.
What Actually Changed in the 1980s?
The breed didn't change. The 1980s did.
Dogfighting rings grew during this decade. Pit bulls were the breed most often bred and trained for it, because of their strength and drive. The ASPCA notes that pit bull ownership also rose among gang members in the late 1980s, right around the time the first breed-specific laws appeared.
At the same time, news coverage of dog attacks started singling out pit bulls more than other breeds in similar incidents. A small number of violent, careless owners got outsized attention from the press. That attention stuck to the whole breed, not just the people training the dogs to fight. Within a few years, the same dog once nicknamed for its gentleness was being called dangerous by nature in the headlines.
Did Pit Bulls Change, or Did the Coverage Change?
The test scores say the coverage changed, not the dogs.
The American Temperament Test Society has tested thousands of dogs across breeds using the same exam each time. It checks how a dog reacts to strangers, sudden sounds, and new situations. Pit bull-type dogs have scored well on this test again and again. They land among the higher-ranked breeds, ahead of several breeds people assume are always friendly.
That lines up with what the ASPCA has long said. A dog's behavior comes from a mix of genes, upbringing, training, and time around people. It doesn't come from a breed name alone. Even dogs once bred for fighting were bred to stay calm around people. A handler could not safely work with a dog that turned on them.
Want the myth-by-myth version, with numbers on bite force, shelter wait times, and breed bans? We've broken it all down in our post on 7 pit bull myths, debunked.
Are Today's Breed Bans Based on Real Data?
Not according to the groups that study this closest.
More than 700 U.S. cities have passed breed-specific laws, according to the ASPCA. These laws restrict or ban dogs based on how they look, not how they act. Cities started passing them in the same years the pit bull's reputation flipped in the 1980s.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at dog bite data and came out against breed bans. Bite reports are often wrong, and it's hard to correctly guess a dog's breed just by looking at it. Eighteen U.S. states have gone the other way. They banned breed-based laws entirely and instead built rules around what each dog and owner actually does.
| Pit Bulls | Early 1900s | Post-1980s |
|---|---|---|
| Public reputation | Nicknamed a "nanny dog," seen as gentle and loyal | Widely assumed to be dangerous by default |
| Media coverage | Featured in ads, family photos, and war reporting | Individual dog attacks made national headlines |
| Legislation | No breed-specific laws existed | 700+ U.S. cities restrict or ban the breed |
| Pop culture roles | War hero, movie star, advertising mascot | Rarely cast as a family pet in mainstream media |
How You Can Help Rewrite the Story Today
Pit bulls still wait the longest in shelters of almost any breed. That's mostly because of a reputation built in the 1980s, not because of anything about the dogs themselves.
All The Fauna gives 20% of every order toward funding dog rescues, including the ones working hardest to get pit bulls and pit bull mixes adopted. Wearing the gear is one small way to help fund the next dog's shelter stay, vet care, and eventual home.
20% of every order funds dog rescues working to get pit bulls adopted.
20% of every order funds dog rescues working to get pit bulls adopted.
Frequently asked questions
Were pit bulls really called nanny dogs?
The nickname is real and widely repeated, but it wasn't an official title. In the early 1900s, "nanny dog" and "nursemaid dog" were used for several gentle breeds, pit bulls included, based on old photos, family stories, and ads. Historians haven't found it heavily used in official records from that era, but the reputation it points to, a calm, loyal family dog, is well documented.
What happened in the 1980s to change pit bulls' reputation?
Dogfighting rings grew, and pit bulls were the breed most often used in them. Media coverage of violent incidents involving a small number of owners got outsized attention, and pit bull ownership also rose among gang members. Breed-specific laws began appearing around this same time.
Do pit bulls test differently than other breeds for temperament?
The American Temperament Test Society runs the same standard exam on dogs across breeds. Pit bull-type dogs keep scoring well on it, landing among the higher-ranked breeds. That puts them ahead of several breeds people assume are always friendly.
Are pit bulls banned in the U.S.?
More than 700 U.S. cities have breed-specific laws that restrict or ban pit bulls, according to the ASPCA. No state bans them outright, and 18 states have banned breed-specific laws entirely, favoring rules based on an individual dog's behavior instead.
Who are some famous pit bulls from history?
Sergeant Stubby served as a decorated U.S. Army mascot in World War One. Pete the Pup starred in the Our Gang and Little Rascals film series in the 1920s and 1930s. Both helped shape the breed's early reputation as loyal and dependable.
Every Order Helps Rewrite a Pit Bull's Story
20% of every order goes toward funding dog rescues working to get pit bulls adopted.
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