Informative Speech On Pitbull

Title of Speech- One of the World’s Most Misunderstood Breed of Dog the Pitbull Terrier

Topic- American Pitbull Terrier/Bull dog

Specific Purpose- To inform my classmates on the one of the World’s Most Misunderstood Breed of Dog the Pitbull Terrier

Central Idea- Pitbull’s as we know them are more than just a dog bred for dog fighting, and marked to be terrifying

and aggressive. They used to be known as one of the most trusted pets around children.
Introduction
Attention Getter- (video)

Relevance to audience- This video is about Pitbull rescuing its family. In this video they expressed the loyalty and concern that this dog had for its family. Yet this is something that is not often shown on the news.

Credibility- Just about 30 percent of you agreed that certain breeds are born to be aggressive, and 40 percent of you agreed that “aggressive breeds” should be banned from living in homes or apartments.
Speech Preview- My goal for today is I have gathered enough information to educate people that many dogs are not born to be aggressive and that there is a major misconception with the way people view as we call them now a Pitbull.

Link: Let’s begin with the History of the Pitbull Breed
l. The Bull dog was originally bred for Bull baiting. Bull Baiting goes back all the way to the times of the Romans.
A. Per an article from Pitbull training 101, Bull dogs were used as Bull baiting because people thought that the dogs biting the bulls ear would make the meat much more tender. However, what they thought about bull meat outcome was only a myth.
1. During the 1835 the public decided to take a stand. They managed to involve the British Parliament and got bull baiting banned. Sadly, this was not the end for bulldogs. Many breeders saw a huge potential for bulldogs. They viewed them to be profitable for dog fighting, therefore creating a whole new breed. The breed was called the Staffordshire Bull and Terrier.
2. The new breed led to the production of the Pitbull terrier. How these dogs got this name was breeders began to gamble on a new thing. This new thing was putting bulldogs into pits full of rats which was often called ratting. People would make bets on their own speculations of how many rats can the dogs kill at a certain amount of time. It was a rat pit that turned the name around from Bull and Terrier into Pitbull Terrier.
B. The UKC also known as the United Kennel Club recognized American Pitbull Terriers.

1. Sometime during the late 1800s colonist moved to America and Canada and brought their pets along with them. Once this occurred the Bull and Terrier was recognized as the American Pitbull Terrier. According to an article from Pitbull training 101, in 1898 Chauncy Bennet founded the UKC and used the American Pitbull Terrier as his first breed. However, Bennet did very little to help with how the breeds reputation was doing thus far. Bennet believed in Dog Fighting and at the beginning the UKC won three dog fights. One good thing that began to occur was that there was more requirements about the physical features of the dog as opposed to their fighting skills.

2.

During the World War 1 changes began to happen with the Pitbull’s reputation. People began to recognize them for their strength, courage, and loyalty. American Pitbull Terriers served in both WWI and WWII. Soldiers would use them to carry messages back and forth to each other. One of the most famous wartime Pitbull was Sgt. Stubby. Sgt. Stubby rescued many lives in the war field and also helped detained a German spy (Pitbull training 101). At that time Pitbull’s were pretty famous. They were used in many advertisements and television shows. Tige the Pitbull, was a mascot for Buster Brown Shoes. Another famous and adorable Pitbull was Nipper, he was featured in many advertisements for the RCA company. Unfortunately, their reputation for being loyal began to fall. They slowly began to get the reputation for being aggressive, unstable, and unpredictability. The biggest reason for that was because of the breeder’s irresponsibility with the way they were breeding these

dogs.

Link- The dangers Pitbull’s face in Shelters.
ll.

“Are Pitbull’s dangerous? Are they child-friendly? Are they dog-friendly? Are they predictable? Can they be trained? (Selina Leavitt)

A. To answer the questions above one would have to understand that every Pitbull is different. It can depend on how they were raised, their personality, and some instances their health can play a lot with their behavior as well. Unfortunately, there is a common misconception about Pitbull’s. The bad thing is that the media has often targeted these dog as dangerous and/or aggressive. Pitbull’s are a reflection of their owners. Yes, these dogs can be extremely friendly, to children and other dogs. They are very loyal and intelligent dogs, so they do have the capacity to be trained.

1. In just about 75% of shelters will automatically euthanize a Pitbull the minute that it steps foot into the facility. They can come from a bad home or have never had a chance to live their life as a normal dog would and they often do not get a chance to be adopted.

2. Some shelters have been over populated with Pitbull’s and Pitbull mixes. Just Pitbull’s can make up almost 60 percent of dog shelters population. Most of these dogs are considered unadoptable and therefore

euthanized.

B. “What do that mean in numbers?” (Selina Leavitt)

1. That awful truth about these number is that 90 percent of Pitbull’s that enter a shelter are euthanized. Which mean that about 1 in only 600 Pitbull’s will have a chance in a forever home. There are often times that once they have been adopted. The shelter they were previously at do not care for them properly. There are dogs that can be sick internally and once you take them home is when you beginning to realize what is wrong with them.

2. In the Article from Pitbull Panic it states that, The SPCA sheltered 4082 Pitbull’s in 2002, over the years this number has increased. These means that owners are over breeding not taking the necessary measures of spaying or neutering and simply dumping the dogs out on the streets.

Link- General Information: Facts and Myths
Ill. Pitbull Terrier, a therapy dog, and/or a nanny dog.

A. As mentioned prior, Pitbull’s were favorited for dog fighting centuries ago. However, the UKC states that during the 19th century European Breeders began breeding different types of terriers with bull dogs. They were looking for a dog that had stamina and strength. These special breeds were embraced upon and were considered great family companions.

1. They share an immense love for children. They had its pros and cons. Although, they loved kids, they did not make good guard dogs because of their friendly personality they would often be friendly with even strangers.

2. An article from Alertnet states, “Pitbull’s do not have special “locking jaws”- that’s pure mythology. They don’t demonstrate some sort of special shaking action when they bite- all dogs display similar biting behavior. Pitbull’s do not exert an unusual amount of bite-force for their size. Multiple studies have found that force correlates to body-weight, and test of three breeds conducted by National Geographic found that the American Pitbull terrier exerted less bite-force than German Shepherds or Rottweilers.”

B. BSL also known as Breed-specific legislation

1. BSL is a law that restricts Pitbull’s types and some other large breed of dog have restrictions to housing.

2. According to an Article from Science Direct (The Veterinary Journal) they state, “…dog owners, animal shelters, insurance companies, veterinarians, and the public frequently use the term ‘pit bull’ casually and in official documents, as though it describes a single, recognized breed. The lack of a universally accepted definition of ‘pit bull’ and reliance upon the opinion of observers complicate identification of dogs targeted for regulatory control by ‘breed bans’ (Hoffman et al., 2014). Most, but not all, breed-specific ordinances in the US include with the term ‘pit bull’ the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, and Staffordshire bull terrier, along with dogs that, based upon their appearance, are deemed to resemble these breeds.”

3. DNA analysis have been used to the breed of each individual dogs that are targeted in breed restriction cases.

4. Pitbull’s have been tested to have a high tolerance to pain. They can take being rough handled around children. According to Pitbull Panic, the American Temperament Test Society actually ranked Pitbull’s 4th highest out of all breeds for good reliable temperament. This makes Pitbull’s good as a therapy dog. They have actually been used in programs by animal Welfare Organizations.

Link- From Bulldog to Staffordshire Terrier to American Pitbull Terrier
Conclusion Summary Statement- To conclude I have spoken to you all about the History of a Pitbull Terrier, the dangers of living in a shelter, and facts and myths. I hope that I have provided you all with a good amount of details about the Pitbull Terrier.

Audience Response Statement- My response to the audience is that I hope you have gained some knowledge from this speech.

Wow Statement- “ Not everyone needs a Pitbull but every Pitbull needs someone” - Anonymous