Sometimes the dogs tormented the bull for hours. These dogs were bred to be vicious fighters and gentle with people. Technically, the name, pit bull, does not refer to a specific breed. Neither the AKC nor the UKC advocates dog fighting, and they refuse to register dogs bred or owned by people convicted of dog fighting. This, combined with the efforts of breeders to create a game but trustworthy companion, has resulted in dogs that are no longer bred to fight.
Breeders test their gameness in weight-pulling contests.
Other pit bulls compete in obedience and agility trials, and many have become gifted therapy dogs. The list of proposed banned breeds can sometimes be extensive and contain breeds based only on their names. Some communities have banned the Russian and Irish wolfhounds under the mistaken belief that they were part wolf. Most targeted breeds are large dogs, many weighing over 100 pounds. Among the smallest are the pit bulls, which tend to weigh 40 to 70 pounds.