Bully Breeds

Why People Ban Pit Bulls

Among the hundreds of different dog breeds, the American Pit Bull Terrier, in the eyes of many people, seems to stand out in substantial manner even though it isn’t always in a positive way. As time progress the controversy concerning the American Pit Bull Terrier has also been on the rise. Many people are taking sides on whether or not this dog can be good pet or not or if the breed is out of control. But while people are judging this breed mainly on the breed name “Pit Bull”, the dog fighting history and the bad stories that media spread around, these people should look deeper within the problem to see what causes these dogs to behave the way they do.
History has it that Pit Bulls may have ties in ancestry as far back in history as 50 A.D. The Roman were quite impressed with the fierce fighting dogs they came across while in Britain, so they began exporting the dogs to Rome for use in great arenas. At some point the British dogs were crossed with the Roman dogs and exported to all parts of the continent including France and Spain where they became renowned fighting dogs. A variety of Bull Mastiffs and Bulldogs were scattered about the continent and contributed to the creation of the Bulldog which soon found to be one of the main ingredients in the development of the Pit Bull (The Real Pit Bull).
Around 1835 or so people began to turn to a blood sport called dog fighting. People turned to the Bulldog as a likely choice since it possessed sufficient traits such as heightened dog aggression, being small in size, and having great agility for the performance in the pits where the dogs would fight. The specific trait of gameness was targeted with hopes to have a positive effect on the production of the Pit Bull. Gameness is defined as the willingness to seek a task through to end, even under penalty or serious injury (The Real Pit Bull).
The Pit Bull temperament relates to its breed history and the dog-on-dog aggression is a fact in this breed. For hundreds of years pit bulls have been bred to fight other dogs, and some pits retain their terrier like pugnacity toward other dogs, and owners must be capable of maintaining control. However, just as with other breeds and mixes, the attacks by those dogs can be traced to human error or malfeasance – the dogs involved were likely to be poorly trained and socialized or deliberately trained to attack humans. The majority of Pit Bulls have responsible owners who do not allow their pets to run loose and terrorize the neighborhood, yet these folks and their dogs suffer along with the irresponsible owners when a ban is imposed.
However many people do not know that a quality that was never bred into Pit Bulls was human aggression. Human “aggressive” dogs were undesirable as these dogs required extensive handling prior to and during their fights and most of these dogs were also family pets so human aggression was never tolerated. Any dog that bit the handler or showed any human aggression at any time, was typically killed and only human friendly lines were perpetuated and desire. The normal healthy bully breed love humans in a big way, but part of its genetic inheritance are hard-wired to scrap with other dogs. Experts’ talks about dog-on dog aggression in this breed, but they also talk about the friendliness that this breed has toward people. “[P]it bulls were bred to be devoted and submissive to humans… [t]hey were considered good family dogs…” (DeFao).
Even though raising social consciousness brought the banning of the animal biting, there are still a few people who simply could not give up their attraction to watching animals destroy each other and they moved underground. To this day, dog fighting remains an activity attractive to very few secreted away in the modern equivalent of the old tavern cellar. While being highly illegal, it still takes place all around the world. Certain people train pit bulls specifically for fighting, for sport and also because if the large amounts of money involved. A good candidate for fighting can sell for $3500. People are breeding these dogs and training them to be mean. Donna Reynolds, a member of “BAD RAP” organization, said, “[w]e know that the word on the street is that in order to get your dog tough, you beat it, starve it, lock it in the closet, deprive it – you technically drive the animal insane” (qtd. DeFao). People do not know that owners have several ways of preparing Pit Bulls to fight, such as administering steroids or putting hot pepper on the dogs’ anus to make them more vicious. Others give the dog little kittens and small dogs such as poodles to tear apart. Also owners will hang tires from trees for the dog to hang on, therefore strengthening its jaws. (The “Pit Bull” Truth). Yet, people wonder why these dogs become mean and dangerous. Pit Bulls experts say that, “Pit bulls are famous, in the circles of knowledgeable dog people, for the love and loyalty they bestow on anyone who show them a smidgen of kindness. They are smart and extremely willing to please, which is why they fight when told” (Wilson-Fuoco. “Kip’s Story”).
Many times we see that the Pit Bull problem relates to the use of these dogs in dog fighting. It is tragic that some bully breed dogs have been the subject at extremely unfavorable publicity recently. Obviously there are some vicious animals to be found in every breed and are accepted as just that – vicious animals. With pit bulls this is different and hysteria has driven some people to a point of a vendetta against the breed. This is most unfair since the average Pit Bull is calm, reliable, and a most dependable companion. In the mind of the public the fact that the Pit Bull’s ancestors were developed as fighting dogs automatically makes them vicious dogs. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact that one dog will fight another dog does not make that dog harmful to humans. Quite the contrary: As in the majority of cases it is the humans who are responsible for and have encouraged the fighting tendencies in their dogs; and generally speaking, though they be killed, mutilated, or painfully injured, these dogs will perform as required to gain their master’s approval. These beautiful dogs are taught to be that way. They are starved into submission and do what they have to do to survive. As far as the public is concerned, only the dogs are blamed, never the poor ownership or lack of proper care and concern on the part of the people which is more often the real culprit when such tragedies occur.
There is a Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) that affects dogs based on appearance only, and has nothing to do with the dog temperament. This law wants to ban all pit bulls breeds. There is also another organization called PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), that support breed–specific legislation said that: “Dogs originally bred for the dubious ‘sports’ of dog fighting, including American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers, should be eliminated. It would be for their own goods, PETA says” (Wilson_Fuoco. Pit bulls are another PETA target). But those organizations do not stop dog attacks or bites. It dose not stop irresponsible owners. It dose not educate anyone about proper dog care. The punishment is doled out mostly on responsible owners and good dogs. Law-abiding owners are the ones who end up shelling out money to pay for special licenses, extra insurance policies and high fences, and they are the ones whose hearts are ripped out when their sweet dog is arbitrarily deemed “dangerous” and euthanized.
The BSL law is affected in many cities and states, and many communities already outlawed this breed. Many shelters do not take Pit Bulls when others according to the Wilson-Fuoco article “Pit’s Story, “euthanized every Pit Bull and Rottweiler that comes through their doors.” This is what happen with the dogs that were “rescued” from they previous abusive environment. This dogs live lives of brutality and unspeakable cruelty at the hands of those who gamble on their deaths, while betrayal and death await them if they are “rescued.” Those dogs despite having had the bond of man and dog betrayed, they still look at humans with love and - God knows why – trust.
Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) prohibits this breed of dogs based on its reputation, same as most of the people. Breed-specific Legislation is a regulation of the right to own or, in many cases, not own a dog, mostly based on the breed or “type,” not your responsibility as an owner. This is most unfair since the statistics published by the American Temperament Test Society (A.T.T.S.) as of June 6, 2006 show that the Pit Bull bread pass the aggression and friendliness test at 83.5%. That is higher than, for example, the American Water Spaniel that passed this test at only 80.0%, German shorthaired pointer test at only 75.9%, or the Collie that passed this test at only 79.0%. The president of the A.T.T.S., Carl Herkstroeter said: “We have tested somewhere around a thousand pit-bull-type dogs and of the number that was tested I have disqualified one pit bull because of aggressive tendencies. They have done extremely well. They have good temperament. They are very good with children.” (qtd. In M. Gladwell).
People do not know that this breed emerged from past history as one of the most reliable, trustworthy and loyal of all dogs. Today the Pit Bull is used for many purposes. He is an excellent family pet, companion and watch dog, and by just appearing on the scene he will deter most intruders. This dog combines power with grace and agility. He is a beautiful dog of strength and power, fearless and determined: while at the same time intelligent, loyal, gentle, loving and devoted. First and foremost, this breed is never happier than when they are with the humans they love. They make fabulous house dogs, being quiet, neat, and destructive. Endless stories have been told about the occasions on which the staff has saved “his” youngster from accident, danger, and from vicious dogs of other breeds. A baby with Pit Bull terrier along side crib or carriage in not likely to be disturbed-nor, for that matter, is my home with one of those dogs on the premises. Despite the breed’s self-reliance and rugged appearance, these dogs are babies at heart, thoroughly enjoying all the comfort of home, petting, and lots of human companionship. Today the American Pit Bull Terrier has also evolved into a wonderful working and companion dog used for many purposes other than those it originally performed. Pit Bulls are employed as police/armed service dogs, search and rescue workers, therapy animals and livestock pets. They also serve as helpmates to handicapped owners and friends to children. (DeFao.For Pits’ Sake).
So why do the majorities of people think that these dogs are mean, and why people want to prohibits this breed of dogs? First this is due to bad stories that media spread around, and because of that, many people think that Pit Bulls attack more people than any other breed, but statistics done by A.T.T.S., actually show otherwise. More popular breeds that are generally considered to be “nice dogs” top the majority of the list. It may seem to the general public who is constantly bombarded with disturbing reports on pit bull attacks that this is the only breed that harms humans with any great regularity. However, the fact remains that Pit Bulls are hot news items. Dogs of all breeds and mixes bite and attack people all the time, but it is mainly the Pit Bull bites that get sensationalized. A report about the local Golden Retriever that attacks and maims a chilled isn’t considered newsworthy. No one wants to believe that any dog - even the fuzzy, cute, popular ones – is capable of biting. It’s much easier to blow up and sensationalize a story about dog when it’s a member of a breed whose reputation precedes it.
Second, many of the cases reported can be directly linked to the quality of breeding the “problem Pit Bull” has received. Problem pit bulls are a direct result of improper breeding and owners who don’t understand how to handle these incredible animals. If they were taught properly and trained in a loving environment that aggression is bad, then you would have an enjoyable and friendly pet on your hands. People are breeding these dogs and training them to be mean. Dr. James Harries said that, “It’s people problem, not a dog problem… any type of dog could be made vicious by mistreatment” (qtd. In DeFao. Saving Pit Bulls).
As an owner of a Pit Bull, I would like to say that when you have a pit bull or any other breed of dog as a pet, you have to be very responsible, and direct all your pet’s training and emotion in a positive manner. One of the most important responsibilities you have, when you own a pit bull, is to make sure your dog gets adequate exercise in order to work off that famous bully dog energy. Remember that a busy dog is a happy dog. There are quite a bit of responsibilities in owning a pit bull and it is highly recommended that you study the breed in depth before you choose your pet. This is important for your own purpose. You need to know for yourself if you can handle a task of raising and training the dog properly. Other than that, the pit bull is a wonderful breed of dog to own, their positive virtues are too many to put into words – you need to be “owned” by one to see what I mean! They are gentle, loving, and very attentive. They are also very good with children.
It needs to be remembered that these dogs aren’t born mean and vicious. People need to examine the two-legged animal at the other end of the leash. Why not punish the deed and not the breed?
American Pit Bull Terrier breeders are making every effort to assure that their dogs and puppies are falling only into the proper hands. Obviously the breeder and the responsible owners share the same opinion that too many on the incidents blamed so bitterly on the Pit Bulls are, in reality, man-made – the fault of the people who should be assuming responsibility for their dogs.
As we can see, there are a number of features that allow this breed of dog to stand out among many others. While these dogs do continue to be prominent, there is still much controversy pertaining to this breed. While the reputation is improving slowly, there are still many biased people that do not truly know about pit bulls. There are, like in any breed, always bad dogs. But in this breed, there are mainly bad owners. People need to understand that banning pit bulls would be like banning cars because people get harmed in car accidents. Who is responsible, the car, the driver or maybe the manufacturer? All cars can be deadly in the wrong hands or if built with defective parts. It’s the same things with dogs. Pit Bulls are no more responsible for the way they are bred, raised or trained, than the cars are responsible for the way they are designed, built and driven. Banning this breed will not resolve the problem. Instead, by taking the time to understand and learn about this incredible breed, we could dispel the root of the problem. There are many people that do have knowledge and have great love for this breed. With the many positive ways Pit Bulls are standing out today, hopefully in the near future we can get rid of the drama and the controversy surrounding this wonderful breed. The only way to combat the ban is to educate!