Pit Bulls: Aggressive or Submissive
For the past years, newspapers and social media described events of pit bulls attacking people. Among these, they describe the dog as a savage, wild, dangerous and most notably, deadly. However, these are all opinion based with no credible sources to refer back to. These “dangerous” dogs have the common misconception of being violent. But they are not, pit bulls are not the horrible creatures they are deemed as, for that is not in their genes but are among the friendliest and misunderstood dogs in the world.
Pit bulls have the most common misinterpretation for only being used for illegal activities such as dog fighting, because of their athletic and stocky body. However, before dogfighting was ever popular,
…show more content…
butchers and hunters used the dogs for herding bulls and chasing wild boar, states Nylabone. Pit bulls were not genetically made to maul other dogs but to serve their owners purposefully. In fact the National Center of Biotechnology Information, released a study that proved dog bite-related fatalities were caused by “preventable factors” in which “breed was not one of these.” Pit bull’s violent tendencies have nothing to do with them being bred to attack but that of their environment and owner who has taught them to be aggressive. These specific types of game dogs, who are different breeds of dogs trained at an early age to be aggressive and sustain fatal injuries, are not born to be violent.
The favorite candidate for a game dog is a pit bulls because they have the body type to inflict maximum damage since of their purpose to herd large animals. The Pit bull terriers are considered vicious animals due to their background and being raised in unhealthy conditions and negative environment. As a matter of fact, a report by the Journal of Forensic Sciences, “revealed vicious dog owners reported significantly more criminal behaviors than other dog owners. Pit bulls can not choose who they get adopted to or purchased by. Like humans, they are a product of their environment …show more content…
(Enos). Pit bulls did not always start with a bad reputation. Hellen Keller is known to have a pit bull named Sir Thomas accompanying her. Also in the beloved movie, The Little Rascals, Petey, an American Pitbull Terrier is seen lying down passively and fetching the kid’s tools obediently. This may be due to that in England, pitbulls were used as nannies for their loyalty and friendly nature (Holland). However in the 19th century, breeders did start mixing dog breeds to create a more stout, strong, faster pit bull we all know today. But this does not change the fact that they have the highest temperament percentage, according to the American Temperament Test Society with an 86.8%. Chihuahuas trail them by a full 17% , chow chows have a 71.4%, and Border Collies stay at 79.4%. Despite negative labelling, Pit bulls have played loveable and prominent roles in family life and in entertainment. Many would argue that pit bulls are the most dangerous dogs because of their locking jaw.
This is an absolute myth, says Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin, Ph.D., the senior research scientist in the University of Georgia. “Their jaw structure […] is no different than that of any [other] breed of dog.” he says. Another false misconception of pit bulls are that they have the strongest bite force of all the canines. Demonstrated in 2005 by Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic, a domesticated American Pit Bull Terrier has a pressure of 235. They rank third, following the Rottweiler at 328 and the German Shepherd with a bite force of
238. Unfortunately, these fallacies have convinced whole counties to ban pit bulls. According to Dogsbite.org, a website dedicated to reducing dog bites state only one county in California has banned them: La Verne. However Venezuela, France, Germany and the UK have definitively banned them, says Petlog.org. Although these countries and towns have seen a decrease of dog bites, they have also been disrupting family and service life. A pit bull raised with love, medical care, and necessities have often become service dogs for children and the sick, and have participated in search and rescues. In Ohio’s Amherst Village Exempt Schools, a pit bull called Alex, has won the Crystal Apple Award for her service with special-needs kids. Pit bulls are widely known to be aggressive towards humans and other dogs but, they are not. They are not violent because it is simply not in their genetic code and traits. Instead they were bred to serve their owners and protect their children. Soon they became were recognized for their loyalty, that they became known as nannies. However over the years they now are thought of as violent and vicious creatures but people don’t consider their background and how the owners treated them. It is a misconception that needs to be addressed so people won’t be afraid of the lovable, loyal and friendly dogs they are.
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...
According to Source 4, the ASPCA claims that "News outlets constantly tell animal control officers that they will not cover a dog attack unless the situation involves a Pitbull". With the media not reporting all dog-related injuries, regardless of the breed, the public thinks that pit bulls aren't the only dogs that cause injury. All this is doing is making pit bulls seem like horribly vicious dogs, but in reality, other dogs are the same way, while the media may be trying to help "good dogs'' keep their good reputation. But all they are doing is worsening one breeds reputation and that’s not alright. In conclusion, not all pit bulls are vicious.
This produced a dog with a high prey drive with a medium-sized, stocky build and powerful jaws. Contrary to popular belief, the dogs were originally used in the sport of bull-baiting, where dogs would attack the cattle - not other dogs. Since the sport was executed in a pit, the dogs were dubbed ‘pit bull’ and that name has stuck since. When the sport was banned in 1835, the people who relied on these dogs for an income turned the dogs against each other. Their family friendly reputation changed, “around 1976, when animal-fighting venues were added to the Animal Welfare Act, according to Donald Cleary of the National Canine Research Council. Pits--often trained as combatants--came to be seen as dangerous. Throughout the next two decades, stories about vicious pits mauling innocent children appeared in news outlets across the country” (Tullis 3). Interestingly enough, pit bulls were not always the breed under fire by society. In the 1800’s, bite reports by bloodhounds, which were often used to hunt down escaped slaves, flooded the Northeastern newspapers. After World War ll, there was an increase of bite reports by German Shepherd Dogs, a breed used by the Nazis. Pit bulls are the most recent breed of dog to be misjudged. People began to fear pit bulls, this fear
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
When most people today see a pitbull they see it as a monster who could snap at any moment. Something that they should protect themselves and their family from; but that is not necessarily true. Is any one man or woman exactly like the last? A human being’s personality along with their capacity for violence is molded by their past and how they were treated growing up; pit bulls are no different. In today’s society pitbulls are unfairly discriminated against because they are favored among street gangs and dog fighting rings, leaving a staggering number of loyal and loving dogs homeless or mistreated.
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.
...ports Illustrated cover photo of a pit bull (Pit Bull Rescue Central, "Breed Information”). Dog fighting made a comeback during the 1980s and the pit bull became the favorite macho dog for dog fighters. The dogs were trained to kill or be killed. Pit bulls were also the preferred guard dog for gangs, thugs and criminals. Since the supporters and detractors of pit bulls hold such disparate opinions regarding the ferocity of the breeds, it is only hoped that further discussion and education will help resolve the sad fate that awaits these unfortunate animals. Simply placing all the blame on the breeds will not solve the problems of dog fighting, overbreeding, aggressive training, and excessive euthanizations. Lastly, the biased, sensationalistic publicity of horrific dog attacks which has destroyed the reputation of the once beloved All American Dog must cease.
“If somebody is too stupid to understand the fundamental immorality of dog fighting, you’re never going to be able to explain it to him” (Kevin Hench). Most people think that pit bulls have locking jaws. This is false however; no dog breed in the whole world has locking jaws. Dogs are not always aggressive how they are raised and trained determines the behavior of a dog. Dogs have tendencies to be aggressive only if not trained properly. The discrimination against pit bulls is wrong and uncalled for. Pit bulls are not the only culprits of attacks and death to humans. Dog fighting and stray pits are the fault of the people who own them. It is man kind’s job to take care of and be responsible for their dogs. Why should the dogs be punished for the actions of their owners? Pit bulls especially take the blame more than any other breed. This is an excellent breed if trained correctly. Pit bulls make excellent family pets to own because of the facts, traits, and the standards and guidelines for breeding and training associated with these breeds.
Pit Bulls are without a doubt my favorite dog, I adore them. Pit Bulls are very well tempered, loyal, and resilient animals. Bred for big game hunting, Pit Bulls are strong, fierce animals and people who have the wrong intentions for ownership should never own them. I am a strong believer that a potential pet owner should do lots of research before getting any type of animal, without exception. Owners should do as much research before getting a dog as they do in planning for a new home or any other new family member. One of the main things to really think about and understand is your intentions for your selection of an animal with the breeding of the Pit Bull. If you choose a dog with the wrong intentions, specifically a Pit Bull, you will get a dog that behaves aggressively and is dangerous. This owner behavior is what has caused the current plight of the Pit Bull today, where laws have been passed in thirteen states and hundreds of municipalities, as well as every U. S. Military base, banning the ownership of the breed and forcing shelters to euphonize Pit Bulls within 24 hours. These laws are unjust and cruel, and victimize the breed based on the owners’ behavior. I also argue that the blame for the epidemic proportions that the laws have reached is 100% the fault of owners who purposely acquired the Pit Bull with the intention to abuse and fight the dogs, and that these owners are the ones who should be punished, not the dogs. (Davis)
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
It is the bad owners that give the pit bull a bad name. Contrary to that popular belief, dangerous animal behavior is the function of inherently dangerous dog owners, not inherently dangerous dogs. One fact that supports this is that pit bulls are the dogs most often shot during drug raids(TELLINGS v. Toledo). Besides the pit bulls that are owned by drug dealers for status symbols and protection, many pit bulls are owned by people that breed them for fighting. These poor dogs have a very slim chance of living a normal and happy life. This is not the fault of the dog, but the fault of the owners that should not have the dog, or should care for them better. The dogs that are forced to fight and are conditioned to defend themselves or die. When these dogs get loose, everything is a threat to them and they defend themselves in the name of survival. If golden retrievers were bred and raised with the sole purpose of fighting to the death, they would be just as dangerous as pit bulls. On the contrary, if all pit bulls were bred and treated as family dogs, they would have the same reputation as golden retrievers, if not better as the statistics found in the temperament test above
Pit bulls have been known as “the pet” for drug dealers, and other bad people. They have been known to be “the pet” for those people because of the fact that they attack people and other animals. Bruce Goodwin once said,” You can say all you want about these other breeds, but ‘pit bulls’ are the choice for drug dealers and other bad folks for a reason.” If you want to keep people safe, a ban on pit bulls is the best idea.