It is widely known that Pit Bulls are considered a dangerous, aggressive breed of dog. They are banned in a majority of apartment complexes and homeowners can have difficulty obtaining homeowners insurance if they disclose the ownership of a Pit Bull. If they don’t disclose it, however, if they were to make an insurance claim or the insurance company found out, they would be dropped quicker than you could say ‘Pit Bull’. Many dog parks and public parks have also placed a ban on these dogs. For as much as they are shunned, it seems like I hear stories in the news all the time about another attack and they are as popular as ever. What makes these dogs so dangerous? Well, many people breed Pit Bulls to be fighting dogs. Although dog fighting is illegal *cough, cough Michael Vick*, it is still a pretty common activity. Any Google search you perform will find you multitudes of stories of Pit Bulls mauling kids to death and discoveries of dog fighting rings. The search will also uncover stories from the other point of view, that Pit Bulls just have a bad rap.
I’m not sure where I stand on the issue, but I think any breed of dog can be a dangerous dog if the owners do not train it properly. In my experience, the two Pit Bulls that I’ve ever been in close contact with were very loving. The only reason I felt safe (and I use that term loosely) is because the owners are close friends in both instances and we knew how they handled their dogs. The first Pit Bull, Otis, was a very sweet dog who loved my little Roxie. He let Roxie jump all over him and pined for her attention whenever they were around. The owners got Otis as a puppy at 8 weeks old and had properly trained him. The second dog I know, Maui, was a rescue. The owners got her when she was a little over a year old. I’ve been around her and she is a sweet, giant lap dog. In this instance, I am hesitant to bring my dogs around Maui, because she has been known to show aggression towards other dogs. Although I feel comfortable around these two Pit Bulls, I would not feel comfortable around others. Pits are known to snap in an instant and are very strong dogs. I hear stories often of Pit Bulls escaping out of their back yard and sinking their teeth into an innocent victim walking down the street. Once these dogs are in attack mode, there is no way to get them to back down other than to shoot them.
While I’m hesitant to label all Pit Bulls as aggressive, I do understand the general public opinion that they are. Too often we hear of violent attacks from this breed of dog. The only thing I caution is that any dog can be aggressive, so you shouldn’t assume a dog is nice based on the breed stereotype. The opinion of Pit Bulls will not change as long as they are used as fighting dogs and the discontinuation of encouraged aggressive behavior happens. Until then, keep a cautious eye out when you’re roaming the neighborhood.
Pit bulls do get a bad rap from society. However, as you argue, they do not need to be this way. When I was young, a neighbor behind me had one. It was one of the nicest dogs I have known. It would play with the neighborhood kids all day without incident. While, it would be weary of unknown adults, it never got aggressive about them, just apprehensive with a watchful eye from a distance. Once it realized that everyone else accepted a stranger, then it would look for attention from the newcomer. I am willing to bet that the dog would eventually hold a flashlight for a burglar.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I would actually like to see covered is discussion on awareness programs for these dogs. I would also like to hear your thoughts on the Pit Boss. I have mixed emotions about the show myself and am interested in seeing if my thoughts parallel others on the issue.
I look forward to more controversial dog issues.
I do think that the bad rap that "Pit Bulls" get are from the press. I'm a dog lover and an owner of a Standard Poodle (who if you aren't familiar are the largest size Poodle, mine is 60 pounds). When I was a little kid we did have a German Shepherd, and as a personal story, he did once attack a Pit Bull and it ran...so I think the idea that they "don't back down" is also a contribution to their bad rap. There is a lot of mythology around the Pit Bull as well...such as the assertion that they "lock their jaws" which is physically impossible...they just are bred to not readjust their bite. This could be argued to make them dangerous.
ReplyDeleteAny dog can be dangerous as a result of bad breeding, from Rottweilers, to Pit Bulls, to German Shepherd, to even Poodles...people laugh when I say Poodle, but they are actually hunting dogs and have been used as guard dogs..and trust me if my dog ever chose to bite someone, he could do some serious damage...but he is well bred and well socialized...That's the key...
I also read a statistic once that more people end up in emergency rooms as the result of bites from small dogs than any other...we just don't read about it in the newspapers because the damage is not as huge and it is not deadly.
Good post..as a dog lover, I look forward to reading more of your posts. :)
Perhaps the debate over pit bulls is another version of the nature/nurture binary. If pit bulls are bread for certain characteristics, it is probably that they have those aggressive characteristics more than other dogs. Breeds have selectively developed characteristics don't they? But dogs get trained. And presumably you can train most dogs to a wide range of behaviors and personalities. My guess is that to a large extent, the pit bull or any other dog, reflects the personality of its owner and the training and cues the owner passes on to the dog. I grew up with big dogs. I have a pretty big (60lbs.) dog. But as someone with a small child, I give all unknown dogs from big aggressive breeds a careful and wide berth: pit bulls, dobermans, rotweilers.
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