Pitbulls
If i was to tell you a child was bitten in the face by a dog what breed would pop up into your head at first? It would be assumed that it was pitbull breed. In actuality pitbull dogs are one of the most lovable and caring breeds but have the highest misconception of being rather vicious and attack dogs. Like many other breeds pitbulls are breed to do something in their lives but the pitbulls are given the most media attention as their bred to be big,strong, and protective. There is a lot of good truth behind the breed of the pitbull but the things that could play into a dog or pitbull being aggressive or attacking are the treatment from the owner, history of dog/pitbull attacks, and illness.
The first topic in which can lead to
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a pitbull being aggressive or mean is that they are mistreated from their owners. Now all dogs are bred to be working dogs or do some form of work but however, they have been primarily bred as family companions and they need to be treated with compassion. A big belief of why an owner is the reason why a pitbull could be aggressive is as these owners while treat these dogs with no compassion or love like locking the dog outside on a short chain, or yelling and screaming at the dog which gives the dog great fear which can lead to an attack. Also, many owners have pitbulls for the reason of dog fighting as it has been shown that up to 40,000 people in the united states are in the dog fighting business. The main reason why people get into dog fighting is because of greed and money which means no care for the dog. An article from the ASPCA takes a deeper look into dog fighting and a quote from this article is,”For others, the attraction lies in using the animals as an extension of themselves to fight their battles for them and to demonstrate their strength and prowess. However, when a dog loses, this can cause the owner of the dog to lose not only money, but status, and may lead to brutal actions against the dog.(ASPCA 2018)” So with this info we can see that dog owners in the dog fighting business can take out their aggression on the dog if they do not win or show others their strength which then gives the dog fear which can lead to aggression to people as well. Also, an article from Psychology Today it talks about statistics of why people believe a pitbull can be aggressive and it says,”The survey found that most of the respondents (58%) believe that "dog attacks are isolated incidents caused by bad owners, not by the breed of the dog.(Corner 2016)" This shows that many people believed that it can be the owner in which who influences the dog to become aggressive or attack others. Also, owners can play into the stereotype of aggressive and strong pitbulls to show dominance over others and earn a high reputation in the dog fighting rings which definitely doesn't help others believe that pitbulls can be tame and family dogs. Overall, many parts play into the thought of aggressive pitbulls and dog attacks but bad owners do play one of the biggest role as dogs look up to their owners and see them as surpierors which can turn out bad if the owner is aggressive or abusive. It shows that people play a part in a dog's personality and that as long as you love and care and treat your dog like a family member they'll treat you with the same amount of love and respect. The next topic in which can be the reason a pitbull can be seen as aggressive or dangerous is the history of dog attacks.
Now whenever someone brings up the topics of dog attacks or a dog biting someone in the news people automatically assume it is a pitbull. Yes we can say that pitbulls do attack sometimes but they aren't the only breed that attacks people, they just get the most media coverage because of assumptions of pitbulls being the worst dog. In actuality in a article from Canine Journal it talks about dog bite statistics and brings up the top dogs with the worst PSI (pound per square inch or pound-force per square inch) and it lists in order the dogs with the strongest PSI to the lowest and the top dog was the Kangal with the PSI of 743. Now the pitbull is on the list but they are at the bottom with the PSI of 235 which is a lot lower than a Kangal PSI. So this shows if you had been bitten by a pitbull they can do a lot less damage than another dog can with their bite PSI. Another article from The Atlantic goes more into talking about the media covering dog attacks and the misidentification of dogs in which pitbull actually isn't one form of a dog is it many breeds of dog but people assume it is one breed which leads to misidentification. In this article it says,”In 2008, a pit bull attack that hospitalized a woman generated 230 articles and televised reports in national and international news. A few days before, a mix-breed dog killed a 16-month-old child. The …show more content…
local paper reported it twice.(Hare,Woods 2016)” This quote shows that the media covers pitbulls attacks way more than an other animal attack no matter how bad either attacks are. Since the media reports pitbull attacks a lot more than other breed attacks it plays into the beliefs of pitbulls being the most aggressives breeds which then can lead into more pitbulls in dog shelters or being put down or being used for dog fighting. So overall, with the history of dog attacks and the media's coverage it definitely plays into the reasons of why people will see pitbulls as strong and aggressive. Yes a pitbull or a another breed can attack someone but they only attack in fear and in overprotection so as long as the owner truly loves and teaches the dogs properly dog attacks will lessen. The final topic in which can be the reason a pitbull can be aggressive is an illness. Not a lot of people assume an illness with a dog being aggressive or attacking someone. In actuality a lot of dogs with in illness may be experiencing pain or other effects which cause forms of aggression. In an article from the Pet place it talks about illnesses in dogs that can aggression and it says,” If a dog is born with a neurological problem or develops one (through injury or illness), its perception and judgment may be affected, causing inappropriate behavior.(Dodman 2015)” This quote shows that brain injuries can cause an animal to have aggression so it can be that the animal may have a form of brain injury like brain tumors or epilepsy. So yes a dog or pitbull can be aggressive towards someone or other dogs but there can be an underlying physical illness that can affect the dog.. In another article from K9 aggression which also talks about underlying illness that can cause dog aggression when it says,”Underlying medical problems such as painful muscles, joints, and teeth, an uncomfortable gastrointestinal system or neurological problems can all cause behavior changes. (K9 aggression 2018)” The quote shows that if a dog or pitbull does have a underlying illness that people cant see which can cause pain and cause the dog to be sensitive to touch. When a dog is in pain or sensitive to touch they can become aggressive to show that it hurts or to not touch them. So there could be pitbull attacks in which the pitbull has an underlying illness which causes pain and then leads to a bad reaction of aggression. Overall, Dogs and or pitbulls can become aggressive or attack others from having a illness causing discomfort or pain. So yes a pitbull can attack but they can sometimes be doing it out of fear or pain which just causes a reaction of protecting themselves or being so afraid of the pain or discomfort. Before people go and assume a dog or pitbull attacks someone over just pure aggression or just because of the breed they need to see that some dogs can have illnesses that cause a form of the aggression. In conclusion, it seems that pitbulls will always have a stigma of being aggressive and dangerous until people see that it isn’t the breed that causes the aggression. And with this essay it talked about how the breed of pitbulls isn’t the reason they can be aggressive or mean it can be the treatment from the owner, history of dog/pitbull attacks, and illness. Overall, the world has a lot to learn about pitbulls and other breeds and their forms of aggression and that its not the breed it's the people around the animals and the media that leads to the bad stigmas. As long as pitbulls are truly loved and cared for and shown that their part of the family they'll see that aggression is not necessary. So yes a dog can become aggressive but with the right help and the right love they can overcome themselves and become a truly lovely family dog. Work Cited Page W.
(2017, January 29). Should Pit Bulls be Banned. Retrieved February 08, 2018, from http://www.hidingthetruth.com/should-pit-bulls-be-banned/
Used to help understand pit bull stigma in media.
Enos, S. K. (2014, June 26). The Problem With People, Not Pit bulls. Retrieved February 08, 2018, from http://time.com/2927759/the-problem-with-people-not-pit-bulls/
Had info on statistics on dog bites.
Bender, A. (2017, October 23). 5 Reasons a Dog May Act Aggressive. Retrieved February 08, 2018, from https://www.thespruce.com/top-causes-of-aggression-in-dogs-1117877
Helped to understand illness in dogs.
K. (2016, October 31). MEDICAL ISSUES OVERVIEW. Retrieved February 08, 2018, from https://k9aggression.com/medical-issues-overview/?v=7516fd43adaa
Helped look into the medical issues that cause aggression.
Dodman, N. (2015, August 25). Medical Causes of Aggression In Dogs. Retrieved February 08, 2018,from https://www.petplace.com/article/dogs/pet-behavior-training/medical-causes-of-aggression-in-dogs/
Gave illnesses with aggression issues.
Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods. (2016, September 19). Pit Bulls Are Chiller Than Chihuahuas. Retrieved February 08, 2018, from
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/09/pit-bulls-are-chiller-than-chihuahuas/500558/ Showed how sweet pit bulls can be compared to other breeds. Wilson, S. L. (2017, December 21). Dog Bite Statistics. Retrieved February 08, 2018, from https://www.caninejournal.com/dog-bite-statistics/ Showed PSI of dogs. Coren, S. (2016, March 22). In Dog Attacks Is the Problem Bad Dogs or Bad Owners? Retrieved February 08, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201603/in-dog-attacks-is-the-problem-bad-dogs-or-bad-owners Talked about owners abuse.
On June 20, Charlotte Alter posted an article on TIME website titled, “The Problem with Pit Bulls”. In her article she starts with an event that happened to a three year old little girl that was attacked by three Pit Bulls. The little girl and her family were in KFC and one of the employees asked her to leave because her face was “disrupting their customers”. Half of the little girl’s face is now paralyzed and she has also lost her vision in one of her eyes because of the three Pit Bulls that attacked her. Her grandfather killed the three Pit bulls that attacked her; however her grandfather is now facing charges of child-endangerment. KFC was so generous to donated money to the family to help with her medical bills. But yet the rant is more
Pit bull terriers have a long track record of attacks against people and animals. A 1987 study of a particularly savage attack against a child was documented by four doctors in the hopes...
Pit bulls, like any other dog, grow into their temperament. The way the dog is raised rounds out their character and general temperament. According to the “American Temperament Test Society: Pit bulls pass temperament tests 84.1% of the time, which ranks them slightly better than golden retrievers (83.8%) and cocker spaniels (81.7%), and well above miniature schnauzers (78.6%),” (The Biting Truth). Myths have generated atrocious attitudes towards this breed for years. The nature of the dog to be a protector to children and the bulky build of pit bulls makes them a very easy breed to target. These opinions ...
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there is a “great deal of confusion associated with the label ‘Pit Bull,’” as it does not refer to a single breed of dog, but rather to a group of breeds with similar characteristics1. These characteristics include short hair, a wide skull and shoulders, muscle definition, stocky build and a deep jawline, the combination of which create a dog that manages to strike fear into a perfect stranger. The term ‘Pit Bull’ is derived from the bulldog, which was originally bred as a hunting dog for large game, but has since developed into a “loyal companion rather than a working dog.”1 Their history as “gripping dogs” for hunters follows them into modern society, as many of these dogs have been inhumanely pitted against one another as well as other animals for sport and for human entertainment1. It is because of these illegal fighting rings that ‘Pit Bull’ type breeds have become the subje...
Many people associate a negative connotation with the dog breed “pit bull.” These dogs are thought to be dangerous and problematic. However, much of this can be attributed to the mass amounts of negative media attention that pit bull breeds receive as opposed to other breeds of dogs that can be just as dangerous. For example, The National Canine Research Council did a four-day study on dog-bite repo...
The media says that it was a pitbull attack even if it was a different dog breed. How is that fair to the Pit Bulls that didn't do anything and are being blamed for this? It's not, so why are we letting this happen. Pit Bulls may be banned because of people that don't know what they're talking about. We hear every time that a pitbull attacks but not when any other dog attacks it is not heard on the news. News reporters think that they can change the story and just say what they want to say happened so we never know if the story is true or not. All in all the media is not doing the right thing by only reporting pitbull
After World War I, there was an increase in bite reports by German Shepherd Dogs, a breed used by the Nazis. Pit bulls are the most recent breed of dog to be misjudged. In this paper, we reviewed the following questions about BSL: who is affected, why are they targeted, does BSL work, and is the media to blame? Pit bulls are targeted in this ineffective solution to dog attacks.
Most of the dogs on this list are common household pets, like the Labrador retriever, and are normally non-aggressive and very friendly. Many times these dogs show no sign of aggression and pose no threat to society. Perspective One Breed-specific laws were put in place with the expectation to help prevent dog bites and attacks. The State and Federal government both came to the conclusion that this is a positive way to promote safety from dog attacks. “Both state and federal courts consistently uphold the constitutionality of breed-specific pit bull laws.... ...
In 18 August, 2011, the source of this event is from Herald Sun. A four-year-old lovely child named Ayen Chol was mauled and killed by a pit bull cross while she was playing in her home. The vicious pit bull escaped from a neighbour’s yard and mauled Ayen in a sudden attack. The dog rushed inside the house and set upon Ayen and some other children who were watching television. Ayen’s mom tried to beat the dog away from the children with a table, but she failed. Then the dog turned on Ayen and the vicious injuries caused Ayen’s death. Dr Cam Day, who is the RSPCA’s Queensland pit bull expert, has claimed that American pit bull terriers are ‘head, shoulder, feet and everything else above other breeds’ in terms of their capacity to injure and maim. If the government doesn’t ban pit bulls, these tragedies would continue to happen and children’s lives would be threatened all the
“Dog Bite: Fact Sheet.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 1 Apr. 2008. Web. 13
Currently, pit bulls have been reported by the media with very horrific and disturbing news of having attacked a child or being shot by a police due to aggression while some are reported to have been abused or neglected by its owners (Forderer and Unkelbach 534). And because the reports keep coming with heated discussions, more and more people have forged a frightening image of pit bulls even to the extreme of refusing to take care of such breed. Pit bull advocates claim that the dogs get a bad reputation considering that people should learn the dogs are not inherently aggressive. What the pit bull advocates would like to point is that the owners of the pit bulls should be considered guilty for mishandling of their own dogs. There are owners of pit bulls that even encourage the dog to be aggressive in order to fight and protect them in a wrong manner and wrong degree of training (Forderer and Unkelbach 536). Pit bull advocates claimed that a well socialized and well trained pit bull would be very intelligent and could be one of the gentle dogs imaginable.
b. “Many people have a difficult time properly identifying a true Pit Bull, so added to the statistics are those dogs that have been misidentified. Considering these factors, the actual number of attacks attributable to American Pit Bull Terriers is considerably lower than represented,” according to the real pit bull. i. Do you think a 4 pound Pomeranian dog would hurt anybody? ii. Stated in the Dog Bite Law, “The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family 's Pomeranian dog.” a. The American Temperament Test is a test that measures a dog strong avoidance, unprovoked aggression, and panic without recovery. “American Pit Bull Terriers passed the test at a rate of 85.3%,” according to Pitbulls.org. They have the highest test scores, and they out beat the golden retriever “family dog” by 7.7%. iii. I identify the justice of my rival’s claim, but I disagree with my rival’s 100 percent about pit bulls having the highest attacks. c. Now you can see how my rival made a mistake because they didn’t evaluate and understood the facts as clearly as they
...ociated Press published an article “Pit Bulls are A Danger to Society,” yet this year, the same publisher issued an article “Attitudes and Laws Against the Pit Bull Soften – The Big Story” in which the Pit bull advocates hail the changes as recognition that breed-specific laws discriminate against dogs that are not inherently aggressive or dangerous should not be discriminated against or victimized. The debate puts millions of pit bull owners up against a relatively small group of activists against the breed and challenges the notion that Pit Bulls that are well-cared for had any history of aggressive behavior in the first place, closing the argument by again stating what the Canadian Encyclopedia explained, that their actions were just a park of the cycle of favorites and least favorites that has always been and always will be in the history of ownership of dogs.
Even though pit bulls are the majority of dog attacks anybody hears about, they are loyal and caring dogs. All they want is the love and approval of their owners. They will do anything that they are told to do. Their strength, stamina, and speed fuel the passion they have for their owners. Pit bulls are not vicious by nature; they are good guard dogs fueled by the love for their family; and, they are definitely loyal friends. They have a lower temperament than many other well-known breeds; therefore, they are not vicious by nature at all. They are very strong guard dogs. Pit bulls are known to be a scary breed, so people stay away from them. They have an amazing amount of speed and stamina that they can use to chase predators away, too. Pit bulls are the best friends anyone could ask for. They are loyal and loving creatures that just want to please their family. They are good dogs to train to be around children. If the children are a part of the dog’s family, then the dog will protect the child at all costs. Pit bulls are a good breed to have as a family
The study found that the dogs possessed excellent social skills and the ability to communicate competently and to solve conflicts (132-137). These studies help to prove the group of breeds that fall into the pit bull classification do not have a genetic predisposition to violence and actually have a great temperament. The first study even shows that they have a better temperament than the average breed. It is the bad owners that give the pit bull a bad name.