The term Pit Bull is loosely used as a generic term used to describe dogs with similar physical characteristics. [1] There are over twenty breeds which tend to be characterized as pit bulls. [2] These include the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier,American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, American Bully, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Presa Canario, Cane Corso, or any mix thereof. Any dog that is mixed with a "Bull breed"[citation needed] may also be called a "Pit Bull" including those that are descended from the English Bulldog, French Bulldog, and Boston Terrier.
The morphological (physical) variation amongst "bully breed" dogs makes it difficult for anyone, even experts, to visually identify them as distinct from "non-pit bulls",[3][4][5] While mixed breed dogs are often labeled as "pit bulls" if they have certain physical characteristics such as a square shaped head or bulky body type,[6] visual identification of mixed breed dogs is not recommended by the scholarly community.