The pit bull type as we know it today was established in England. A strong, athletic and tenacious dog, it was used for blood sports, such as bull baiting.

Most pit bulls descend from the British Bull and terrier, a 19th century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.

The ATTS tested 870 Pit Bulls and of those 755 passed the test, while 115 did not, giving them an 86% pass rate, which ranks them as less aggressive than numerous other breeds, including Beagles, Bull Dogs, Basset Hounds, Collies, Corgis, Chihuahuas, German Shepherds, Poodles, and Yorkshire Terriers.

Sergeant Stubby was the most decorated war dog of World War I. The unofficial mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, he was assigned to the 26th (Yankee) Division where he served for 18 months, participating in 17 battles on the Western Front. He saved his regiment from surprise mustard gas attacks, found and comforted the wounded, and allegedly once caught a German soldier by the seat of his pants, holding him there until reinforcements could arrive. He is the only dog to be nominated and promoted to sergeant through combat. Stubby's remains are in the Smithsonian Institution.

Pit bulls are known for their tenacity and refusal to release a bite, even in the face of great pain. A popular myth mischaracterized pit bulls as having "locking jaws," but the refusal to let go is a behavioral, not physiological trait.

In the 1930s, the AKC was faced with a dilemma. Whilst not wishing to condone dog fighting, there was a desire to recognize what had become a uniquely American dog breed for which over 30 years of breed records existed. The solution was to recognize Pit Bull Terriers under a different name and prohibit these dogs from being used in organized fights, and in 1935 the American Kennel Club recognized Pit Bull Terriers as Staffordshire Terriers.

In a letter dated April 7, 1907, Theodore Roosevelt wrote to his son Kermit about a Bull Terrier named Pete that had come to live with him at the White House: "We have had rather a tragedy about Pete. He has killed four squirrels. Dr. Rixey, who is a philosopher, insists that it is all right and proper as it shows that the squirrels were getting so careless that something was sure to kill them anyhow; but it makes both Mother and me rather melancholy." Unfortunately, it wasn't just squirrels that Pete loved to nip, and he was eventually exiled to the family's Sagamore Hill home "after chomping on one too many legs."

The original Pete (played by Pal, the Wonder Dog) had a natural ring almost completely around his right eye. After Pal was poisoned in 1930, trainer Harry Lucenay used one of Pal's offspring as Pete in the series. Pal's son, named Lucenay's Peter, looked very similar to the first Pete but was a mirror image, with the circle around his opposite eye.

They are ranked 94th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, which presents a ranked list of breed intelligence based on a survey of 208 dog obedience judges across North America. This places them among the group with the lowest degree of working/obedience intelligence. However, some owners argue that pit bulls simply have a stronger personality than other dogs. This means that they can be stubborn at times. If a pit bull does not comply with a command, it is not because they do not understand. They are likely just not in the mood.

Caninus was an American deathgrind band formed as a side project by Most Precious Blood guitarist Justin Brannan, Rachel Rosen, drummer Colin Thundercurry and two female Pitbull Terriers, Budgie and Basil. They were signed to War Torn Records and had three releases before the band split up.