Loading ...Pit Bull Misperception — Talk Back
A LONG time ago I wrote a post on the misperception of pit bulls. It seems that I have ruffled some feathers recently. Please take a look at the original post, and then these comments I posted below and tell me what you think.
Original Post: “The Misperception of Pit Bulls.”
Comments:
It appears that you are likening pit bulls to inanimate objects, which they are most certainly not.
As said in other posts, pit bulls are very emotional and loving dogs. But not all emotions are good. If a dog is very emotional, it can be very loving at times, or very angry or scared at others.
Pit bulls can act on their own. You don’t see guns chasing cats or cars. Cars don’t get aggressive and attack you when you walk by someone’s yard.
You also said, “. . . no one should blame a good dog ruined by the hands of ignorant people.” That is true, however, not all dogs are ‘good.’ While guns and cars all act the same way (or rather, not at all), dogs have different personalities and emotions.
You CAN train SOME dogs to not bite or act aggressive if it is frightened or threatened.
You CAN’T train ANY dog to never be frightened or angry.
”He will become mean because he’s afraid. It’s amazing what an abusive environment does to a dog-any dog. ”
This is a true statement. Depending on their environment, a dog will react and behave accordingly.
“Ultimately the irresponsible owner is the catalyst for any attack the dog may make. ”
This statement, however, is not true. Any dog, with any owner, responsible or not, can suddenly become aggressive or violence. Especially a mother dog with a litter of puppies.
A dog’s instincts are much more powerful than a humans, and instincts are a VERY deciding factor in how even a well trained dog will act.
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It is commonly known and well-researched that dogs become a product of the atmosphere they were raised in. If you raise them to be mean, they’ll be mean. If not, then they should obey.
Tell me what you think about this person’s comments please…I’m curious to know how others feel about my statements, which align with those of animal welfare organizations across the country. Thanks for participating in these discussions.
Oh my gosh – this totally touches a nerve with me! When I adopted my Staffie mix Emmett, MANY people presented me with news clippings and headlines of “pit bull” related killings. (In many cases the dog wasn’t even a bully breed – ugh!)
Emmett is the sweetest boy you could ever hope to meet. But despite his wagging tail and smiling face, I encountered so many prejudices, and I would get so riled up defending him and bully breeds. It’s difficult to change someone’s mind when they’re so sure of something. So I decided to give up trying to tell people how wonderful Emmett is and how great bullies are. Instead, we’re showing them – I’ve trained Emmett and gotten him registered as a Delta Society therapy dog. He’s going to be taking the Canine Good Citizen test in December. I am working very hard to rack up as many honors and credentials, taking classes, and getting certifications because those things are far more powerful than me saying he’s a great dog.
This is the long-winded way of saying that, unfortunately, there are many more people who share this fellow’s point of view. I think the only way to combat these prejudices is for bully lovers to be ambassadors for the breed and to show why they’re so wonderful! (One of my faves: Teach your bully to “wave hi” to anyone who’s gawking.)
the funniest thing, that yeah, the media don’t cover, is that most commonly dog bites come from the smaller breeds of dogs…
stats are everywhere on the internet, but are inaccurate because (1) most people don’t know what kind of dog they are looking at and (2) it’s the assumed “pitbull” attacks that are reported.
John Woestendiek of The Baltimore Sun did his own unofficial survey talking to people working in dog related fields. Believe me, it’s not the pitbull these professionals fear…
http://www.thedogplace.org/Articles/Family-Dog/0901-Most-AgressiveDogs.htm
I think that you have several big issues converging, when it comes to pitbull terriers (or any other maligned breed of dog).
Most people do not understand canine behaviour. Dogs are not four-legged people in furry suits! All dog attacks make perfect sense when the details are known, & the case is viewed with a full understanding of dog behaviour…which most of the people who make laws–and write editorials–are sorely lacking.
The “common factor” in dog attacks has much less to do with breed, than with other more critical issues which are totally preventable by RESPONSIBLE owners.
Unfortunately, some breeds (and most especially pitbulls) draw a disproportionate amount of unsavory owners. These are the people who DO NOT CONTAIN THEIR DOG, and therefore allow it the opportunity to bite in the first place. A dog behind a secure fence will never get the chance to harm an innocent bystander, regardless of his temperament. Problem solved.
Dogs also need training, socialisation, and proper care to reach their potential as *good* dogs. Again, too large a percentage of modern owners can’t be bothered to do right by their dogs–so ALL dogs (and many victims) suffer the consequences.
Another problem with pitbulls is that well-meaning but under-educated people want to argue that “it’s all in how you raise them” and “they’re just like any other dog”. News Flash: NO dog is “just like any other dog”. They are individuals. Breeds as a whole have typical traits that they are (or were) bred for–individual dogs may be exceptions, but IN GENERAL pitbulls are…terriers. Yes, terriers. It means they have a tendency to be dog-aggressive, prey-driven, and very determined (makes them great at getting out of the fence, and hard to stop if things get out of hand). The potential for dog-aggression was *built into the breed* for a reason, like it or not, and pretending it doesn’t exist does only harm…a LOT of harm.
PITBULLS DO NOT BELONG RUNNING LOOSE. They don’t belong at the dog park. They don’t belong unsupervised with other dogs or small pets. Any good, experienced pitbull owner will tell you this. The ones who do are wonderful with other animals after maturity (2-3 years old) are the EXCEPTION, not the rule…so owners need to act accordingly. If this were always the case, you would rarely see pitbull attacks…and there would not be such a cry for Breed Specific Legislation against them (which, btw, I am strongly opposed to).
Granted, no dog belongs running loose–but the consequences are often much worse for APBT’s and their owners need to step up to the plate and be *exceptional*, model dog owners because of it. With great power, comes great responsibility–and pitbulls are very powerful dogs.
APBT’s also have another social problem–their image. One only needs to look at all of the breeders’ websites–with tough-looking characters and rap music, dogs living on chains, spiked collars and “badass” catch phrases and graphics. Think about the message this is sending…where are the pictures of dogs lying in their owners’ laps, watching TV? On anti-BSL pages, sures, but not on the breeders’ sites. They are promoted and sold to undesirables as the ultimate mean dog–these people have no idea (or desire) on how to create a loving family pet, and the breeders sure aren’ going to screen them, or educate them.
Today’s APBT is not the dog of old, the one who would never harm a human under even the most dire circumstances. This new crop of breeders have no grasp of the difference between a “game” dog and one with just plain “crappy temperament”. Dogs who offered aggression to a human were culled (usually shot on the spot) in the old days…harsh, yes, but today these dogs are not only praised, but BRED! There is no room in the world for a dog this powerful, with a tendency towards attacking humans. A great many pitbulls are still extremely nice dogs–almost bulletproof, excellent with children, one of the best family dogs you could ask for. Many more have ordinary temperaments and turn out fine with good handling, albeit somewhat iffy for the clueless. But…the bad ones are out there now, and they require an extremely experienced, diligent handler–or euthanasia. Sometimes they get neither…so we get headlines.
It’s a complicated issue…how to prevent dog attacks is an essay in itself. (The answers are out there. If people would get over their emotions, educate themselves, and start looking at logic and behaviour, we could implement the solutions.)
In the meantime, no amount of cute photos of pitbulls (or any other maligned breed) will save them. OUR focus as animal advocates should be on protecting the innocent–this means working together on a solid strategy to prevent victims of poorly managed pitbulls, so that the breed itself and all of the GREAT examples of it, do not becomes the victims of BSL.
A dog’s aggressiveness is brought on by how it is raised — I dont care what kind of dog it is. I have been a warden for 20 yrs and the WORST dogs come from the most violent of owners. Its a very well known pattern in urban areas especially,
This was interesting to read — I have never owned a pit bull, but have owned and rescued many dogs and I agree with your statements and with the observations of the comments shared here. I made this point to my neighbor recently — that Pit bulls are not inherently bad or aggressive dogs, but suffer from a bad reputation and a disproportionate share of bad/irresponsible owners — and she just wouldn’t agree at all and insisted that pit bulls are problem dogs. We actually got into a small argument about it and had to drop the topic. It made me mad!
solo
i own a apbt, and agree with most of what you say, but come on, “with great power comes great responsibility”. you cant fool me solo i know you’re really spiderman!