Pit Bulls Aren’t Dangerous As The Media Makes Them Out To Be. Give Them A Chance.

image – Flickr / Roy Montgomery

When my sister told me she wanted our family to adopt a 2-year-old pit bull mix from our local shelter, I was hesitant. In fact, my whole family was.

The first time we went to the humane society to meet Peaches, I wasn’t sure how to approach her. Will she be aggressive if I try to pet her? Will she try to bite?

“If you’re going to be too scared of her, we don’t have to adopt her,” my mom said.

The thing about pit bulls is that the reputation that precedes them isn’t always accurate. I totally misjudged her. Peaches was the sweetest, most laid back dog I’d ever met.

My extended family didn’t warm up to her as quickly, though.

“I’m sure your dog is nice, until it bites your face off,” my aunt told my sister.

Now I feel it’s my mission to shed light on the unfair reputation the breed faces.

Although they are often associated with gangs, dog fighting and vicious attacks, an article on Yahoo! states that pit bulls used to be known as “nanny dogs” for their gentleness and loving personality, illustrating that mistreatment and abuse is often what causes these dogs to snap. Acting violently isn’t in their natural disposition. Peaches was a perfect example.

She would let my friend’s 2-year-old son pet and play with her, would snuggle up to anyone who sat on our couch and would even let our cats share her bed. It was hard to imagine that people could not like her solely because of what breed of dog she was.

But three years later and despite the growing popularity of shows like “Pit Bulls and Parolees” helping to change public opinion, I still encounter people who react negatively when it comes to these dogs.

Maybe it’s because of the fear that has been built up around pit bulls. Or maybe it’s the fact that stories about the softer side of this breed are hardly ever published in mainstream media while the story of a pit bull attacking someone is quickly circulated and shared.

Whenever our cat, Miley, would try to snuggle with Peaches by purring and brushing up against her, Peaches would just calmly sit there. She never barked or snapped. She would let Miley cuddle up right under her face, not even so much as nudging her to get away.

And still, shelters are flooded with pit bulls whom may never be adopted solely because of their reputation.

Shortly after Peaches passed away, my family and I adopted Frankie, a pit bull and cattle dog mix from an animal rescue in Rochester, N.Y.

The reaction I get when talking about this new addition to my family still surprises me. What should be a happy conversation tends to go a lot like this:

“That’s so exciting! What kind of puppy did you get?”

As soon as I say she’s a pit bull mix, their disposition changes and a look of shock or confusion flashes across their face. As they try to recover and pretend to be excited, I’m already frustrated.

Most of them have never met Frankie. They don’t know that she is a perfectly normal puppy that goes to weekly training classes, socializes with other dogs and loves to play. They just assume that because she is part pit bull, she must be aggressive and bad tempered.

I wish that people would take the chance to get to know this breed before jumping to this conclusion. Whether that be by visiting a local shelter to talk to the staff or getting introduced to a breed ambassador, allowing them to meet a pit bull in a controlled setting.

Maybe then they would see dogs like Peaches and Frankie for the loving, adorable pets they are—and understand what they aren’t.

Pitbulls Used to Be Considered the Perfect "Nanny Dogs" for Children -- Until the Media Turned Them Into Monsters Despite their reputation, the United Kennel Club doesn't recommended using pitbulls as guard dogs because they're too friendly with strangers.

For most of the 114 years since the American pitbull terrier was first recognized by the United Kennel Club, the breed was rightly seen as the perfect “nanny dog” for children because of its friendly nature, loyalty and stability. As the ASPCA notes, the pitbulls were “once considered especially non-aggressive to people.”

Today, as any owner of a “pitbull-type” dog* can attest, parents often recoil in horror when they spot one of these animals, pulling their children close as if to protect them from a marauding werewolf. Fanciful myths about the breed abound, and some public officials have compared their bites to those of sharks and tigers.

Since the 1980s, the media have falsely portrayed the pitbull as a bloodthirsty monster, inherently more dangerous than other strong breeds of dog. There is absolutely no factual basis for that narrative, but it's led to a vicious cycle in which people who want a badass dog to fight, or to guard property, or to intimidate rival gangs tend to choose pitbulls (or Rottweilers, another much-maligned breed). Pitbulls are the dog of choice for irresponsible breeders, dog-fighters, people who want a tough-looking dog to tie up in their yard and those who refuse to have their male dogs fixed because they think those big, swinging balls makes them look tough by proxy (86 percent of fatal canine attacks involve an unneutered male, according to the American Humane Society).

A 2009 study in the Journal of Forensic Science ($$), found that the owners of vicious dogs, regardless of the breed, had “significantly more criminal behaviors than other dog owners.” The researchers added that “vicious dog owners were higher in sensation seeking and primary psychopathy,” and concluded that “vicious dog ownership may be a simple marker of broader social deviance.” And according to the ASPCA, “Pit Bulls often attract the worst kind of dog owners.”

All of those human failings lead to poorly socialized and potentially aggressive dogs. It is because pitbulls are disproportionately favored by these kinds of owners that they're responsible for a statistically outsized share of serious attacks on humans. These incidents are then reported – and very often misreported – with breathless sensationalism by the media, and the cycle continues.

Meanwhile, advocates say that pitbulls are the most frequentlyabused, tortured, abandoned and euthanized breed of dog in the United States. Shelters across the country are overflowing with pitbull mixes. Because of their stigma, they're often difficult to adopt out; a ride to the shelter is almost always a one-way trip for pitties.

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We have tragically betrayed our children's beloved nanny-dogs, raising them irresponsibly, training them to be aggressive and then turning them into pariahs when they behave as any dog would in similar circumstances.

The Facts

According to the American Veterinary Medicine Association, “controlled studies have not identified this breed group as disproportionately dangerous.” The American Temperance Testing Society (ATTS) puts thousands of dogs – purebreds and spayed and neutered mixed-breeds – through their paces each year. The dogs are tested for skittishness, aggression and their ability to differentiate between threatening and non-threatening humans. Among all of the breeds ATTS tested – over 30,000 dogs through May 2011 -- 83 percent passed the test. How did pitbulls do? They showed an above average temperament, with 86 percent making the grade. Pitbulls are the second most tolerant breed tested by ATTS, after only golden retreivers.

Pitbulls do not have special “locking jaws” – that's pure mythology. They don't demonstrate some sort of special shaking action when they bite – all dogs display similar biting behavior. Pitbulls do not exert an unusual amount of bite-force for their size. Multiple studies have found that bite force correlates to body-weight, and tests of three breeds conducted by National Geographic found that the American pitbull terrier exerted less bite-force than German shepherds or Rottweilers.

While they have been a favorite of dog-fighters for a century, pitbulls weren't originally bred for fighting. According to the United Kennel Club, sometime in the 19th century European breeders began crossing various terriers with bulldogs in search of a breed that had the former's enthusiasm and the latter's stamina and strength. The pitbull breeds that resulted were then imported and embraced “as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions.” (UKC also notes that pitbulls “have always been noted for their love of children,” but aren't “the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers.”)

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Pitbulls are among dozens of strong, muscular breeds of canine. All are capable of doing damage to humans if they're not properly socialized and supervised. Most dogs do not, even when they've been neglected or abused. None are inherently monstrous – they are all just dogs. And we know what makes dogs of any breed more likely to be aggressive.

Karen Delise, research director for the National Canine Research Council and author of The Pitbull Placebo, has investigated hundreds of serious dogbite incidents in depth. As she explains:

My study of dog bite-related fatalities occurring over the past five decades has identified the poor ownership/management practices involved in the overwhelming majority of these incidents: owners obtaining dogs, and maintaining them as resident dogs outside of regular, positive human interaction, often for negative functions (i.e. guarding/protection, fighting, intimidation/status); owners failing to humanely contain, control and maintain their dogs (chained dogs, loose roaming dogs, cases of abuse/neglect); owners failing to knowledgably supervise interaction between children and dogs; and owners failing to spay or neuter dogs not used for competition, show, or in a responsible breeding program.

There are a tiny number of attacks that simply can't be explained. Occasionally, a well-raised, beloved pet without a history of behavioral issues will hurt a human – dogs are animals, after all – but these incidents areincredibly rare.

Pitbull Takes Its Turn As Media's Monster Dog

The pitbull is not the first dog to be seen as inherently dangerous. The media seem to feed off the idea of monster dogs -- it makes great copy.

As Karen Delise details in her book, in the 19th century, bloodhounds were believed to be inherently vicious, having a taste for human blood. “Eventually,” she writes, “these bloodhounds fell from view, and we pushed other dogs into the spotlight, including the German Shepherd dog and the Doberman Pinscher.” (Dobermans were widely believed to have abnormally small brains, turning them into mindless killers, but this, like the pitbull's “locking jaws,” was simply a myth.) Other breeds that have haunted the popular imagination in the past include mastiffs and Newfoundlands. In Canada, Siberian huskies have often played the role of killer-hound. 

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Delise, who reviewed news accounts of fatal dog attacks going back more than 100 years, also noted a shift in the way media report these incidents. Fifty years ago, she writes, dogs were “portrayed as sentient beings that reacted to pain, discomfort, or fear. Additionally, many reports of dog attacks conveyed the understanding that aggression was a natural and expected behavior of dogs in certain circumstances. Owners and/or victims were often identified in news reports as exhibiting behaviors (intentionally or unintentionally) that caused the dog to attack.”

That kind of understanding has since been replaced by an almost-singleminded focus on the breed of dogs that turn violent, stripped of any larger context.

Breed misidentification plays a significant role in the stigma attached to pitbulls. It's difficult even for experts to properly identify a breed of dog. A study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science ($$) found that "87.5% of the dogs identified by an adoption agency as having specific breeds in their ancestry did not have all of those breeds detected by DNA analysis.”

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That problem is compounded by media sensationalism. Karen Delise studied every fatal dog bite reported in the years between 2002-2005, and found that “eleven dogs involved in fatal attacks with no Pitbull characteristics were counted as Pitbulls, while their 'true' breeds were not reported, and three dogs that were clearly not Rottweilers were identified as Rottweilers." That was among a total of 47 fatal attacks (by all breeds) reported during that period.

This dog was involved in a fatal attack and the media called it a pitbull...

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According to Delise, this dog was reported as a pitbull despite the fact that animal control officers told reporters that she was in fact a Labrador mix...

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This kind of misidentification creates a feedback loop, as most studies of fatal attacks rely on media reports for breed identification.

The media's role in amplifying the public's fear of pitbull-type dogs was evident in a study conducted by the National Canine Research Council in 2008. When an Arizona woman was killed by one or more dogs identified as Labrador retrievers, one local newspaper reported the story. But that same year, when a California man was killed by one or more pitbulls, the incident was reported “by at least 285 media outlets, both nationally (in 47 U.S. states) and internationally (in eight other countries). MSNBC, Forbes, USA Today, Fox News, CBS News, and ABC News all picked up the story.”

And when an infant in New Jersey was reportedly killed by a Siberian husky, around a dozen local news outlets reported the tragic incident, according to the study. But when another infant was killed by what authorities described as a pitbull in Nevada the same month, it was reported by over 200 media outlets around the world, often with the word “pitbull” in the headlines. Like shark attacks, our perception of the risk associated with these dogs has a lot to do with this kind of sensationalism.

Dog Racism

Some people are understandably offended when the demonization of pitbulls is compared with bigotry against ethnic minorities, but there's one aspect of the analogy that is just too apt to ignore.

Pitbulls are disproportionately involved in serious attacks on humans, just as African Americans are found guilty of a disproportionate number of crimes in the United States. That's simply what the raw data say.

Most people consider the claim that blacks are inherently more criminal than whites, based on that raw data, to be pretty darn racist as it ignores the social, economic and legal context of crime and instead ascribes it to some imagined genetic or cultural flaw among African Americans.

And yet, when you strip away the overt falsehoods about pitbulls – those locking jaws and shark-like bites – the raw statistics, stripped of social context, is the entirety of the case against these animals (made even worse by the unreliable nature of data based on media-reported breeds in attacks).

So when Matt Drudge hypes stories of “packs” of black youths rampaging in America's streets, he's rightly called out for race-baiting. But when sex advice columnist Dan Savage, who writes numerous posts about pitbulls behaving badly with titles like, “Pit Bulls Should be Boiled Alive like Lobsters and Fed to Their Idiot Owners,” and compares these domesticated canines with wild tigers, he's doing the exact same thing as Drudge. (Worse, Savage doesn't appear to make any effort to confirm that the dogs implicated in the stories he promotes are actually pitbulls.)

Only a Monster Could Support Breed-Specific Bans

A number of municipalities have enacted breed-specific legislation (BSL), in some cases banning “pitbull-type" dogs (and/ or Rottweilers and other large breeds), and in others requiring that they be spayed or neutered, or imposing special restrictions on their housing.

These laws have been proven ineffective for the rather obvious reason that they fundamentally misdiagnose the causes of serious dog-bites, focusing on breeds rather than the interactions of dogs and humans. There are numerous studies showing that BSL laws don't result in any decrease whatsoever in serious dog bites (see here, here and here, and a summary of several othershere).

According to the ASPCA:

There is no evidence that breed-specific laws—which are costly and difficult to enforce—make communities safer for people or companion animals. For example, Prince George’s County, MD, spends more than $250,000 annually to enforce its ban on Pit Bulls. In 2003, a study conducted by the county on the ban’s effectiveness noted that “public safety is not improved as a result of [the ban],” and that “there is no transgression committed by owner or animal that is not covered by another, non-breed specific portion of the Animal Control Code (i.e., vicious animal, nuisance animal, leash laws).”

Following a thorough study of human fatalities resulting from dog bites, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) decided not to support BSL. The CDC cited, among other problems, the inaccuracy of dog bite data and the difficulty in identifying dog breeds (especially true of mixed-breed dogs). The CDC also noted the likelihood that as certain breeds are regulated, those who exploit dogs by making them aggressive will replace them with other, unregulated breeds.

The term “breed specific legislation” is inaccurate. All sorts of dogs get caught up in the tangle of BSL laws because the definition of a “pitbull-type” dog is subjective. Denver's infamous pitbull ban, for example, defines it as “an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one (1) or more of the above breeds, or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics.”

What, exactly, are those physical traits? In the study cited above showing that adoption agencies frequently misidentify canine breeds, the authors conclude, “The discrepancies between opinions of adoption agencies and identification by DNA analysis suggest that it would be worthwhile to reevaluate the reliability of breed identification as well as the justification of current public and private policies pertaining to specific dog breeds.”

But the problems with BSL laws go way beyond their ineffectiveness at reducing serious dog-bites. All BSL laws, even those that stop short of outright bans, result in beloved family pets with no history of behavioral problems being destroyed. Simply put, these are monstrous laws.

There are better alternatives. San Francisco (which has a dumb law requiring that only “pitbull-type” dogs be neutered), has a “bad dog court.” When a complaint is filed about an allegedly vicious dog, the animal and his or her owner has a right to a hearing where they can present exculpatory evidence. The dog court can order truly dangerous animals to be euthanized, but frequently the sentences include things like mandating that owners fix a fence or muzzle their dogs in public.

The Good News

Fortunately, attitudes are beginning to change as good humans rally around these wonderful, loyal dogs' defense. Actor Linda Blair is best known for her role in the The Exorcist, but she now devotes her time to rescuing pitbulls and other unwanted dogs. Shows like "The Dog Whisperer,” which features superstar trainer Cesar Millan, whose personal dogs (“Daddy,” and then “Junior”) were pitbulls with calm temperaments and a lot of patience with smaller dogs, and “Pit Boss” – a reality series that follows Luigi “Shorty” Rossi, a little person who rescues pitbulls that are often bigger than him – help.

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The fact that we now have an abundance of data showing that banning certain breeds of dog does nothing to decrease the number of serious dog bites helps as well. But really, public opinion is shifting because the case against pitbulls – like bloodhounds or Dobermans before them – was built on a shaky foundation of myths and media hype.

They're just dogs.

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* “Pitbull” is not a breed. It's a term for a variety of breeds, including the American pitbull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier and mixes of those dogs. “Pitbull-type dog” is basically meaningless – they're dogs with various phenotypical traits that subjectively fit the label.

What is it About Pit Bulls? Misunderstood dogs face uphill battle to change public perception -

What is it About Pit Bulls?

Misunderstood dogs face uphill battle to change public perception

By Rose Frosek | Photographed by Bethany Obrecht

- See more at: http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/what-it-about-pit-bulls/17294#sthash.5PfAeOeK.dpu

fIn truth, bully breeds are goofy, loyal, lovey dogs, by and large fantastic with children. In the UK, they were known as “nanny” dogs, and many Victorian illustrations of family life portray a sweet Pit Bull-type dog overseeing his chubby, beribboned charges.

Yes, this personable package comes wrapped in a powerhouse of a body, one that historically was bred for the cruel blood sport of dog fighting, but these dogs are anything but mean by nature. Sure, some, if left unchecked, have more of a tendency toward dog-aggression than, say, the average affable Labrador Retriever does, but if ever there was a testament to the underlying sweet nature of these dogs, it is seen in the rehabilitation stories of the Pit Bulls seized from Bad Newz Kennels, the Virginia dogfighting ring that was run by NFL quarterback Michael Vick.

Subject to some of the worst humanity has to offer, these were dogs that were caged or chained alone in the woods, tortured, and forced to fight, the torn-apart losers of the battles callously dumped in mass graves, the females tethered to rape tables. And yet, thanks to public outcry and an unprecedented ruling by the judge overseeing the Vick case, nearly $1 million was put aside for the rescue and rehabilitation of these dogs. With the help of a great many caring individuals and organizations who were unwilling to see them put down after having suffered only abuse at the hands of humans, these former dog-ring fighters have now been adopted into homes with other dogs, and are volunteering in elder-care facilities and schools to help children learn to read.

Hector, one of the Bad Newz victims, bears deep scars on his chest. He was adopted by Roo Yori, best known as the guardian of Wallace the Pit Bill, a national flying-disc champ (see the Summer 2010 issue of Modern Dog for photos of Wallace and his high-flying Frisbee grabs). Hector is now ensconced in the Yori household, where he happily shares a home with Yori, his wife, Clara, and Wallace, as well as a Rat Terrier named Scooby, Angus, a black Lab mix, and Mindy Lou, a toy Australian Shepherd. What better testament to the forgiving nature of these animals? As Jim Gorant, author of The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption (Gotham, 2010) has noted, “Generalizations and preconceptions are as unhelpful and counterproductive for Pit Bulls as they are for people.”

There is much work to do, though, to change public opinion. Many, many dogs falling into the Pit Bull camp, lumped together under this one inaccurate label, are crowding shelters, their numbers vast, the available homes few. Moved by the plight of these dogs, Brooklyn-based photographer Bethany Obrecht turned her lens to some of these animals, who hopefully faced her camera.

Sadly, most of the dogs Obrecht photographed didn’t make it, victims of an overburdened shelter system and an uninformed public. We’re hoping we can change that with a positive public relations campaign taking aim at their misrepresentation and drawing attention to the plight of legion Pit Bull-type dogs in desperate need of a home. Adopt a sweet, goofy, grinning Pit Bull today. We’re willing to bet you won’t regret it.

HSHC Pitbull Information

Breed History

Just walking down the street with a Pit Bull on the leash is an interesting way to find out how many different types of pit bulls exist — in people's minds. Some folks rush over to coo and praise; others hurry to the other side of the street to avoid close contact. Many just study the dog as it walks past – while drinking in a good long (often confused!) look at the person on the other end of the leash. This is one breed that evokes strong emotion and bigger controversy wherever it wags its tail. The range of opinion in the Pit Bull Drama varies so dramatically that the average person is often left with nothing more than confused ideas gleaned from the warnings of television news reporters.

Understanding the breed starts with learning about their beginnings on up to the roles they play in our society today. They've traveled a long road with Americans since early colonists went to the trouble of importing them along with their other family treasures. With the same courageous spirit, tenacious loyalty and die-hard devotion they provided to their owners generations ago, they continue to dutifully hold up a mirror to this American society and reflect back to us who we are as a culture of dog owners.

Created in England

The dog that we now recognize as the pit bull was originally bred in the British Isles early 100's to 'bait' bulls. These matches were held for the entertainment of the struggling classes; a source of relief from the tedious and brutal way of life suffered by many commoners during that time. In 1835 bull baiting was deemed inhumane and became illegal, and dog fighting became a popular replacement. The best fighters were celebrated and held up as heroes for their courage and fortitude during battle. At the same time, a very strong bite inhibition towards humans was encouraged through selective breeding so handlers could lean over into the fighting pits and pull their battling dogs apart without worrying about receiving a redirected bite. Partially because of these breeding efforts to which culled out "man biters", Pit Bulls became well known for   their loving devotion and trustworthy nature with humans.

History in America

Immigrants brought their dogs across the ocean along with their families and prized possessions. They soon became a fixture in a developing nation. In early America, the dogs were valued for much more than their fighting abilities. They were entrusted to protect homesteads from predators and worked as vital helpers on family farms. Homesteaders depended on their abilities to help in hunts and as hog catchers (hence, the common title "catch dogs"). They were constant companions to the young children who were entrusted in their care. Pit Bulls earned their place as an important part of the fabric of a developing nation.

The Pit Bull was also a favorite dog among politicians, scholars, celebrities. Helen Keller, Theodore Roosevelt, and the "Our Gang" Little Rascals all had APBTS. Many reading this website may have grandparents and great grandparents who kept a favorite Pit Bull as a pet. Today, this tradition continues with tens of thousands of Americans who love and cherish their family Pit Bulls.

So How Did We Get from There to Here?

Although we've changed enough as a culture to create laws which protect our admirable clown from organized dog fighting, ironically the darkest hour of this breed's story has only come about in the past 20 years. While huge numbers of Pit Bulls in this country are cherished family pets, many not so fortunate suffer the consequences of a nation with multi-layered social and economic problems. The historic fighting ability of this All American breed began to be exploited on a larger scale in the 1980's. Pit bulls were soon associated with poverty, crime, and newspaper headlines of back alley dog fighting rings. And, for the first time in the breed's history, we started hearing disturbing accounts of bites and attacks on humans by poorly socialized and badly bred APBTs, APBT mixes and other breed dogs that were mislabeled as APBTs. The press went wild, the public panicked, and the reputation of the entire breed was dragged down with sensationalistic headlines and a few rotten examples of "Pit Bull Imposters" owned by shady and irresponsible owners.

To add to the sadness, a frenzy of backyard breeding of Pit Bulls in our urban cities began to add to the burgeoning population of unwanted dogs in the 80's — a trend which continues today. The economic incentive of a 50 dollar price for unpapered pit bull puppies has filled our newspapers with ads for "Pit Pups for Sale". Those seeking a status symbol or controversial fashion statement are irresistibly drawn to having a pit bull of their own. But just as fashions change, so do the minds of many 'casual pit bull owners’. The pattern of Pit Bulls purchased for breeding, later discarded and then duly euthanized by our overcrowded shelters has erupted into a disturbing 'business as usual' cycle with no discernable end in sight. With a negative reputation as "mean and vicious" animals, chances of salvation for most unwanted Pit Bulls are depressingly slim.

So, just as we struggle as a nation to understand how to deal with the social and economic ills that affect our cities, we are also left with the sticky puzzle of what to do about our once favorite breed of dog that is so feared and so loved at the same time. Once again, the APBT breed reflects back to us who we are: a culture of incredible contrasts and conflicting beliefs.

Source: www.BADRAP.org

Breed Characteristics

This page discusses the most notable traits of pit-bull-type dogs, including their great love for people and their potential for dog aggression. You will learn that pit bulls make wonderful and loyal family companions. Like all dogs, they require intelligent, responsible, and dedicated ownership. Because of the breed’s undeserved negative media image, pit bull owners have to be even more careful and responsible than the average dog owner. They must also be aware of the myths (urban legends, really) surrounding their dogs. Owners must be well educated about bully breeds, because they will likely face comments from friends, families, and neighbors. Unfortunately, some people obtain pit bulls for the wrong reasons—to boost their own image, for dog fighting, or for backyard breeding—which makes life difficult for responsible owners. The good news is that pit bulls are now more popular than ever, and each good owner has an opportunity to reshape the breed’s image in positive ways. When you adopt a pit bull, you adopt the most energetic, intelligent, and loyal friend you’ll ever have, but you also take up a responsibility to represent the entire breed.

It’s unfortunate that one of the original purposes of the pit bull was dog fighting, but it is a fact that cannot be denied or ignored. Even more unfortunate is the fact that they are still chosen for this purpose, even though it is illegal in all fifty states and, in certain instances, as the Michael Vick case illustrates, a federal crime. Adopting a pit bull, loving it, and training it as a breed ambassador are the most important things any of us civilians can do to combat people like Vick. PBRC does not wish to overemphasize the fighting aspect of the breed’s history, a history that does not negate their various positive traits or their scientifically proven gentleness toward humans. But we do acknowledge the importance of respecting the breed’s history. This is not to suggest that pit bulls are “different” or “unique” in a way that makes them dangerous. Those who claim that pit bulls are “different” fail to understand that all dog breeds are, in some way, different from each other. That’s what makes them dog breeds! (Besides, many breeds were historically bred to fight other animals. Pit bulls are not unique in this sense.) To put it simply, no matter what kind of dog you have, understanding its breed is the first step toward being a good dog owner. By nature, pit bulls are intelligent, fun loving, and affectionate. It’s our job to help them fulfill that potential.

Pit bulls are wonderful, loving animals that deserve the chance to have a good life.

Pit bulls have superior physical and mental characteristics that make them excellent partners for responsible, active, and caring owners. These same outstanding qualities can, however, make them a little difficult to handle for people who don't have a lot of experience with dog ownership or for those who don't understand the breed well. Luckily, pit bulls are intelligent, very responsive to training, and, above all, eager to please. Therefore, pit bulls should be enrolled in obedience classes as soon as they are up-to-date on their shots. (Pit bulls are more susceptible to parvovirus, so it is important that they receive all their vaccinations before coming into contact with other dogs or entering areas of high canine traffic.) A well-behaved pit bull is the best ambassador for the breed. As we’ve already noted, this is the easiest way to fight breed prejudice and misconception.

Pit bulls are quite resilient and can do well in an urban environment, provided they have enough exercise and other positive outlets for their energy. Many pit bulls are easygoing couch potatoes, but like all terriers, they can also be somewhat rambunctious until they mature. Maturity can come relatively late with this breed (two to three years old in some cases). Pit bulls remain playful throughout their lifespan (nine to fifteen years) and have a great sense of humor. True clowns at heart, these dogs will make you laugh like no other.

Today, pit bulls are respected and dearly loved by those who know them for what they truly are and not the monsters the media has created.

Pit bulls still loyally serve society in many roles:

• Search and rescue (Christina Ridge and Doc appear to the left)
• Therapy dogs visiting hospitals and senior communities
• Working in law enforcement as narcotics and bomb detection dogs
• Educational dogs teaching children about canine safety
• Service dogs

Source:  PBRC.net

Pit Bulls and People

Perhaps the most important characteristic of pit bulls is their amazing love of people. Many people are surprised by the loving personality of these dogs the first time they meet one. Pit bulls are remarkably affectionate and truly enjoy human attention. They are wonderful cuddlers and love nothing more than a belly rub. In fact, most pit bulls think they are lap dogs!

As Dunbar (1999) writes, "Today, a properly bred pit bull is so exuberantly happy upon meeting her owner's friends (or even friendly strangers) that new owners sometimes worry that their dog is too sweet and fun-loving to protect their home and family… A multi-talented companion, the well-trained pit bull is suited for a variety of exciting activities. He excels at obedience, agility and weight-pulling competitions, events which showcase intelligence, trainability and strength. In addition, the pit bull's pleasant nature makes him an ideal candidate for therapy work with people."

Traits like human aggression, severe shyness, and instability are not typically found in the APBT breed, nor are they acceptable. Dogs with these traits are not good representatives of the breed and should not be placed into adoptive homes.

Those who wish to label these breeds as “dangerous” are often quick to insist that the dog fighting aspect of their history somehow means that they are inclined to “fight” humans. This is simply wrong. A central fact of pit bulls’ history is that their lineage actually makes them less inclined to be aggressive toward humans. For over 160 years, they have been systematically bred away from human aggressiveness. As Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers) explains in an article published in The New Yorker in 2006: Pit bulls were not bred to fight humans. On the contrary: a dog that went after spectators, or its handler, or the trainer, or any of the other people involved in making a dog fighting dog a good dogfighter was usually put down.

So while human aggressive pit bulls were actively culled from bloodlines, traits such as gentleness, temperamental stability, and the desire to be handled by humans were emphasized. These qualities are the foundation of the “pit bull” breeds. It explains why footage of pit bulls being rescued from horrific circumstances usually features skinny, scarred-up dogs with wagging tails and happy tongues joyfully greeting law enforcement officers.

What is “essential pit bullness”? It’s difficult to express the personality of any breed in words, but for pit bulls it comes down to a certain joie-de-vivre and a magnetic attraction to humans. First, pit bulls have a constant desire to be close to humans, even if that means lying by your feet as you use the computer; they are not overly independent dogs and want nothing more than to be active members of your “family.” Second, pit bulls are outgoing, eager to meet new people, and generally trusting of strangers. Finally, this innate desire for human contact and outgoing nature adds up to the ultimate “people dog”: pit bulls are truly in their element when snuggling on the couch, hopping in the bed on a cold morning, getting rubbed on the belly or scratched behind the ears, showing off a trick, going for a car ride with their family, or playing a fun game.

Contrary to myths propagated by the media, human aggression occurs in all dog breeds. Canines can exhibit many kinds of aggression: human-, dog-, territory-, and food-aggression, to name a few. These are independent behaviors. For example, feral dogs can be good with other dogs but highly aggressive toward humans. By the same token, a dog with dog aggression isn't by default also human aggressive. Pit bulls test well above average in temperament evaluations.

Source: PBRC.net

Pit Bulls and Other Dogs

Never trust a dog not to fight. That means any dog! Dog aggression is not a breed-specific behavior. Dogs of any breed can exhibit intolerance toward other dogs.

Dogs may fight over hierarchic status, food, toys, or rawhides. External stimulus or excitement can also trigger a fight. Remember that any canine can fight, regardless of breed. If you frequent a dog park, you’ve surely seen a fight occur among a pack of dogs for reasons not discernible to humans. Owners should separate their dogs if they cannot closely supervise them. For pit bull owners, the stakes are always higher. While they may not instigate a fight, they won’t back down from a challenge. Inevitably, no matter who “started it,” no matter what the circumstances, the pit bull will always be blamed. Each incident in which a pit bull gets blamed jeopardizes our right to own these great dogs. Keep your dog out of trouble!

That said, many pit bulls get along great with other pets and may live happily with other dogs without incident. We simply cannot assume that this is true for all of them. We also cannot take for granted that pit bulls who get along with other pets today will do so tomorrow. The same goes for all other breeds, and none of this should suggest that, in the language of popular myth, pit bulls are more likely to “snap” or “turn”. It only means that their attitude toward other dogs may change as they mature. Pit bull owners must show common sense by ensuring that they don't set their dogs up to fail by putting them in inappropriate situations. It is every dog owner’s responsibility to ensure that they are managing their dog’s needs and looking out for their dog’s safety at all times.

Source: PBRC.net

Fear versus. Fact

Fear:
Pit Bulls have “locking jaws.”

Fact:
“We found that the American Pit Bull Terriers did not have any unique mechanism that would allow these dogs to lock their jaws. There were no mechanical or morphological differences . . .”
Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin, University of Georgia

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Fear:
Pit Bulls have massive biting power measuring in 1,000s of pounds of pressure per square inch. (PSI)

Fact:
On average, dogs bite with 320 lbs of pressure per square inch. The bite pressure of a German Shepherd, an American Pit Bull Terrier and a Rottweiler were tested. The American Pit Bull Terrier had the least amount of bite pressure of the three dogs tested.
Dr. Brady Barr, National Geographic

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Fear:
Pit Bulls just "snap" and attack without warning.

Fact:
“Pit Bulls signal like other dogs.”
The Institute of Animal Welfare and Behavior of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany temperament tested over 1,000 dogs.

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Fear:
Pit Bulls are “ticking time bombs” that turn on their owners.

Fact
“No single, neutered household pet pit bull has ever killed anyone.”
Karen Delise, LVT, independent scholar, and Author.

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Fear:
While there are some pit bulls with good temperaments, they are the exception not the rule.

Fact:
The American Temperament Test shows pit bulls consistently score above the average for all breeds tested, year in and year out!
The American Temperament Test Society, www.atts.org

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Fear:
Pit Bulls are more dangerous than other dogs.

Fact:
“A dog is only as dangerous as its owner allows it to be.”
Diane Jessup, Founder of LawDogsUSA, Author, retired Animal Control Officer.

Source: WWW.ANIMALFARMFOUNDATION.ORG

The Pit Bull Paparazzi

The media has played a major role in today’s depiction of pit bulls as a dangerous, unpredictable dog. The reality is, most dog bites are not reported nor do their stories make into the headlines giving the community a false sense of security with other breeds while creating an unfair perception of pit bulls.

A study by the National Canine Research Council reveals biased reporting by the media,its devastating consequences for dogs and the toll it takes on public safety.

Consider how the media reported four incidents that happened between August 18th and August 21st:

• August 18, 2007 – A Labrador mix attacked a 70-year-old man sending him to the hospitalin critical condition. Police officers arrived at the scene and the dog was shot after charging the officers. This incident was reported in one article and only in the local paper.
   
• August 19, 2007 – A 16-month old child received fatal head and neck injuries after being attacked by a mixed breed dog. This attack was reported two times by the local paper only.
   
• August 20, 2007 – A 6-year-old boy was hospitalized after having his ear torn off and receiving severe bites to the head by a medium-sized mixed breed dog.This attack was reported in one article and only in the local paper.
   
• August 21, 2007 – A 59-year-old woman was attacked in her home by two Pit bulls and was hospitalized with severe injuries. This attack was reported in over two hundred and thirty articles in national and international newspapers, as well as major television news networks, including CNN, MSNBC and FOX.

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“Clearly a fatal dog attack by an unremarkable breed is not as newsworthy as a non-fatal attack by a pit bull” says Karen Delise, researcher for the National Canine Research Council.

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People routinely cite media coverage as “proof” that pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs. Costly and ineffective public policy decisions are being made on the basis of such “proof”. While this biased reporting is not only lethal to an entire population of dogs; sensationalized media coverage endangers the public by misleading them about the real factors in canine aggression.

www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com

Source: National Canine Research Council

The Truth About Pit Bull Temperament

The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) is a national not-for-profit organization (registered in the state of Missouri) for the promotion of uniform temperament evaluation of purebred and spayed/neutered mixed-breed dogs. They conduct temperament testing of hundreds of dogs each year. A detailed listing of breed scores and test sample sizes may be found at www.atts.org.

In 2008, Pit Bulls scored better on temperament testing than the following breeds:

• Border Collies
• Basset Hounds
• Beagles
• Boxers
• Cocker Spaniels
• Collies
• Dobermans
• German Shepherds
• Golden Retrievers
• Great Danes
• Greyhounds
• Rottweilers
• Saint Bernards
• Vizslas
• Weimaraners

Believe the facts…not the hype!

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)

Breed specific legislation is exactly what sounds like…regulation of your right to own or, in many cases, not own a dog based solely on the breed or "type" of dog, not your responsibility as an owner. The result of BSL is the systematic killing of all dogs, regardless of temperament or age, who even look like a pit bull. With over 25 other breeds who have similar “bully” characteristics such as a big head, broad chest and muscular stature, many dogs are often mistaken for Pit Bulls who are not which means they too will face euthanization.

In cities where BSL has been implemented, personal pets owned without issue or incident regardless of age or circumstance were required to be relinquished and euthanized. This discriminatory practice affects the responsible pet owners who are not the source of the problem or reports we see in the media. The criminals and irresponsible pet owners who harbor unimmunized, unaltered dogs who spend their lives chained out in yards or running at large are not going to follow a BSL ordinance either.

BSL punishes responsible pet owners and sets forth only to kill innocent family pets who have committed no crimes.

Even in counties where there are no breed specific ordinances, policies still exist that mandate the unnecessary killing of these dogs in animal control agencies due to a lack of education, ineffective screening and temperament testing procedures, and poorly enforced dangerous dog laws.

Breed specific ordinances are typically implemented as knee jerk reactions to a dog bite occurrence. BSL is not a sufficient long term solution for the following reasons:

1. Dog problems are generally problems with owner responsibility and are not limited to breeds. When breeds are singled out as dangerous or vicious, responsibility is removed from the dog owner which is where it belongs. Irresponsible people are also less likely to follow the law – and as a result, everyone has to suffer.

2. By limiting the ability of citizens to own certain breeds, responsible law abiding citizens will shy away from those breeds. These are the types of owners that communities need to encourage, not drive away.

3. Communities that have instituted such bans often find that the irresponsible owners and the criminals who use dogs for illegal purposes simply switch to another breed.

4. Breeds and mixes are hard to identify and often dogs are mis-labeled and destroyed based on paranoia and prejudice and also punishes those that are good canine citizens. Many breeds function as assistance dogs for handicapped owners, search and rescue dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, police dogs, etc. and drives them out of the community.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA and several state veterinary medical associations oppose breed-specific legislation for just this reason.

5. The dog most restricted is the "pit bull." A pit bull is a type of dog, not a recognized breed. The “Pit Bull” is only a generic name that encapsulates the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Bull Terrier.

6. Passage of laws that are only enforced through complaints cause two problems:
1) they create disrespect for the law if authorities require compliance only upon complaint, and 2) they provide ammunition for neighborhood feuds.

Suggested alternatives to breed bans include:

1. Stronger enforcement of existing dangerous dog laws. If they are not already in place, lobby for protection from untrained and unsupervised dogs of any breed or mix. This is a broad-based effort that protects all citizens as any dog can bite and be a nuisance when owned by an irresponsible owner. Those who would deliberately train a dog to act aggressively towards people or other animals, or to use dogs in the commission of a felony or misdemeanor should face additional penalties.

2. Encourage local animal rescue and welfare agencies to provide responsible dog ownership seminars and canine safety education. The American Kennel Club has a free education program created for elementary school children.

3. Protect the rights of all citizens with nuisance ordinances such as anti-barking, pooper scooper regulations, leash laws, tethering laws, and mandatory spay/neuter for all breeds unless proper breeder’s permits have been obtained.*

Source: PBRC.net, atts.org, *HSHC

Dog Bite Statistics

Media reports would have you believe that dog bites are on the rise. The reality is the number of dog bites reported has consistently declined in the state of Indiana over the last 20 years.

http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites/state-by-state-information/IN

Some factors that have been proven to contribute to the likelihood of a dog bite include:

• A chained dog is 2.8 times more likely to bite than an unchained dog.
• Canines not spayed or neutered are three times more likely to bite than sterilized ones.
• The list of breeds most involved in both bite injuries and fatalities changes from year to year and from one area of the country to another, depending on the popularity of the breed. The Pit Bull Terrier has consistently increased in popularity over the last 20 years thereby statistically increasing the number of reported bite cases for this breed.
   

Source: National Canine Research Council, Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Worth Checking Out

Think you know what a Pit Bull looks like? Take the test…only one dog featured is actually a Pit Bull Terrier. Now, imagine the number of dogs who can be mislabeled and eventually euthanized because of inaccurate breed identification.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Thank you to:

www.BADRAP.org
www.pbrc.net
www.atts.org
www.animalfarmfoundation.org
www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com

Questions? Email us at hshc@hamiltonhumane.com.