The Owner is the Problem, Not Pit Bulls
Are Pit bulls deadly or just misunderstood? What exactly is a Pit bull? A Pit bull is not a breed, but a general term used to describe breeds of dogs with similar characteristics. The three major breeds are the American Pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, and the Staffordshire bull terrier. These dog breeds were once popular family pets owned by such famous people as Helen Keller, Fred Astaire, and President Teddy Roosevelt; now they are considered a danger to society. Responsible people, which is the majority, should be allowed to have Pit bulls as pets, instead of them being banned from pet lovers. There is solid evidence that proves this point; Pit bulls make exceptional pets, they have
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only been given a villainous name due to irresponsible owners considering the breed is not genetically aggressive to humans. To begin, a number of people may argue that Pit Bull breeds are dangerous and shouldn’t even come in contact with children, but this couldn’t be less true; the majority of Pit bulls are intelligent, friendly, loyal, affectionate, and great with children.
Sometimes seen as a negative trait, Pit bulls have a high pain tolerance, which makes them exceptional pets for families with small children that are learning how to be gentle with animals. They have the stamina to play for hours and are naturally protective of family members. At one time in the U.S, Pit Bulls were used as nursemaids because they were exceptional with young children. One famous dog that was around children all the time, Petey, from the TV Show, Our Gang, was a Pit bull. According to a report by the American Temperament Testing Society in 2002, 82 percent of the Pit bulls passed the test, which is higher than one of the most common family pets, the Golden Retriever. Unfortunately, since the 1970’s, some irresponsible owners have bred them for …show more content…
fighting. Furthermore, Pit bulls are misunderstood due to irresponsible owners that have bred and trained them to be aggressive for illegal dog fighting.
For example, the famous NFL quarterback, Michael Vick and his partners ran the Bad Newz Kennels. They bred, trained, and forced dogs to be killers in dog fighting rings. The horrors of what went on in this so call “kennel” are atrocious and is hard to believe that any of those animals made it out of there. Animal control rescued 66 dogs and 51 were pit bulls. All but one dog passed the Temperamental test. Number 86, a black pit bull puppy, named Audi, was one of the 66 dogs. Despite being chained to a tree and left outdoors with no socialization and very little food or water, Audi showed his flexible and forgiving nature. Through a loving home, proper training, and socialization with other dogs and people, Audie had a new chance at life. Whether owners abuse their dogs intentionally or not, it alters their behavior. Signs of such abuse includes starvation, lack of shelter, signs of trauma, being tied up and left alone, poor sanitation, extreme submissive or aggressive behavior, and over breeding. If you witness animal cruelty, immediately report it to the police, animal control, or a local
rescue. Lastly, Pit bulls are not genetically breed to be aggressive to humans. Uneducated people believe that Pit Bulls are genetically or physiologically different from other dogs, but this is a myth. It is a fact that in the last 20 years, the CDC has reported that dogs have attacked 3,599 people. Of these, 279 people died, 60 were killed by pit bulls. While, 40 deaths by Rottweiler’s, and 17 by German Shepherds were reported. While it appears that Pit Bulls are responsible for more deaths, the term Pit Bull refers to several similar types of dogs from three different breeds. It also includes mixes of Pit Bulls and Rottweiler’s. Any dog’s temperament can be altered due to abuse, isolation, and frankly, not being loved. But, because of Pit bulls’ reputation, it happens more, feeding the ongoing belief. They should not be discriminated against just because some of them are violent due to abuse and have a tainted reputation. According to Sue Frisch, the manager of the Dessin Animal Shelter, “Pit bulls are the least likely to be aggressive to humans. On the whole, you have to do a lot of work to make them aggressive to people.” The dog most likely to bite a human is actually a Chihuahua but because of its size it is almost impossible to kill someone. In conclusion, Pit bulls should not be banned as pets. They are an excellent family dog with responsible ownership and early socialization they can be taught to behave well around other dogs and people. Also, they are not inherently aggressive to humans unless trained to be that way. Pit bulls are not aggressive or dangerous just misunderstood. If pit bulls are banned what breed will be next?
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...
Don't judge a book by its cover. Over the years, Pit bulls have gotten a bad reputation. It is true that there have been a lot of injuries , but have there been just as many injuries from other breeds of dogs. I think that if you raised them in a loving environment, trained properly, and if the media stopped over reporting injuries, this breed of dog would be more accepted by the public. Proving that Pit bulls get the short end of the stick and could make great pets.
Perhaps the reason why pit bulls are feared by society is because we are afraid of what they are associated with. Pit bulls are often thought of as a gangster’s pet, a role in violent and illegal activities. People stereotype this breed because of the unfortunate acts of few. In contrast, society needs to understand that they are being racist towards a breed of dog. Denver’s systematic killing of pit bulls could be compared to the actions of the Nazis during the Holocaust.
One reason people are so frightened of pitbulls is for their roles in street gangs. They are often used as what law enforcement has begun to deem, Are all pit bulls subjected to the life of gangs or forced into a fighting ring? No, but it is the dogs that are and have become violent because of their mistreatment that get in the media which leads to the public fearing all pit bulls.
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.
Has society unfairly ostracized the entire breed or is the vicious reputation true? Critics claim that pit bulls attack indiscriminately and often without warning. In a study taken from U.S. and Canada press reports between 1982 and 2014, Merritt Clifton, editor of Animals 24-7, found that pit bulls were the most responsible for inflicting bodily harm (as cited by DogsBite.org). However, it should be noted that attacks involving pit bulls often are catastrophic and result in responses from police and paramedics and news media reporters. According to news reports studied by DogsBite.org for “the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014, pit bulls killed 203 Americans and accounted for 62% of the total recorded deaths” (DogsBite.org). All of the pit bull breeds possess powerful jaws, and Nicholas Dodman, author of Dogs Behaving Badly, reports “when they do chomp down, it can be a bloodbath” (as quoted by Rivenburg).
There are a lot of facts and information about pit bulls that the public does not know. The media blows things way out of proportion with this breed of dog and doing simple research can shed some light. “There are three main types of ‘pit bulls,’ they are the Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, and American Staffordshire Terriers” (Pit Bull Rescue Center). The Staffordshire bull terrier is originally from England. When it was brought over to the states it was bred with other terriers and the American Staffordshire came to be. Often times people classify dogs that look a certain way as pit bulls, when in fact they are an entirely different breed or a mix of some sort.
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)
Are pit bulls the best breed of dogs to keep around the house? Pit bulls are the majority of dog attacks that have been covered by news stations. The news coverage has made people really nervous about these animals. People are afraid to let these dogs be around their families and friends. Since then, there has been a constant argument about whether or not this breed should be allowed to be kept as a pet. No one looks at pit bulls as normal dogs anymore. They are viewed as monsters. They have a crazy amount of strength, speed, and stamina. This can be used against them or for them depending on who is debating the issue of their legality. The debate is that they could use these traits to serve their families or to hurt
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
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.
What if I told you I could SAVE you 20% in your cattle operation? Or what if I told you owning a bull was not necessary? Would you think that’s a load of BULL? It’s not. Let me tell you HOW and WHY this is possible!