Introduction: Many households in America own dogs as pets, the most popular breed is surprisingly a mix breed. The breed that is most commonly known for being a good dog is the Labrador, this is the dog that most people refer to when speaking about a good dog the dog breed that has the bad rap would be the pit bull. The pit bull is known as a viscous and heartless animal. The breed got this name from its unique reason for being bread, fighting. Pit bulls were only hated in the United States once dog fighting sprung up in urban cites. However, many people over look the second reason pit bulls were bread. In the United States during the 19th century the pit bull was bread to not only fight but to be a guard dog to farm animals. The breed …show more content…
Dog fighting then sprang up in America. As the immigrants moved west their dogs became more humane and had a more functional purpose. The dogs were trained to heard cattle, be faithful guardians, and protect the family and livestock. Pit bulls were to keep constant watch on the young children, the breed earned their place in America and played an important role in the fabrication of developing of the nation (Reflecting on pit bulls). As these dogs earned their name more and more Americans owned a pit bull. In World War I a pit bull named stubby stole the heart of America. Stubby became the unofficial mascot of the 102nd infantry division, he was credited to saving the lives of several of his human comrades (Fleig, 1996). Stubby won several medals for his bravery, he was even awarded the rank of Sargent. Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Thomas Edison, Woodrow Wilson, John Steinbeck, Helen Keller, and Fred Astaire were all proud owners of the pit bull. One of the most iconic pit bulls is Petey from the TV show Little Rascals. The American kennel club was formed in 1884, its purpose was to promote the intent of purebred dogs. The kennel club sponsored events to test the various breeds of dogs in performance. The judges looked at the dogs performance of the function for which it was breed, this became an immediate problem for the pit bull. Since the pit bulls main function for being …show more content…
A common thread in pit bull attacks is a lack of supervision and care, Bill Smith the director of the Robeson County Health Department said “None of them are ever vaccinated, which shows a lack of ownership or control by the owner.”. Melissa Longo works with Mikey's Haven 4 Pit Bulls said “ our dogs are a prime example of the fact that it's not the dogs it's the people.”. This goes to show that when the media talks about another pit bull attack the article fails to mention the owner of the dog either abused the dog or never socialized the dog as a puppy. Based on a few examples of bad ownership the entire breed has been drug down into the dirt, what the media doesn't share with the public is all of the good stories involving pit bulls. The American media has given disproportionate coverage to violent incidents that involve pit bulls, academic studies that gather data only get the data from media reports who do not measure the violence of pit bulls so much as the American media’s obsession with the topic (Romeo,
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.
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).
Pit bulls, the most dangerous dog to ever live. People like to train Pit Bulls to fight other dogs until they are either hurt or dead. The owners that train the dogs are usually the ones that make the dog turn out to be vicious and dangerous. “Each year, 1.2 million dogs are euthanized, approximately 40% of whom are Pit Bulls”(Moore). Pit Bulls don’t know better to understand which is right from wrong since they’re being raised up to fight and protect. Pit Bulls aren’t good family dogs due to the power of their strength and that they could attack at any moment.
To say “pit bull,” however, is a vague reference to several pit bull types, which are considered separate breeds by registries like the American Kennel Club (AKC). Each type has a slightly different breeding history; many began with the breeding of bulldogs with terriers to produce a loyal, compact and tenacious breed (“American Pit Bull Terrier”). The standard three pit bull types most often mentioned by name in breed-specific legislation include the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. That is not the extent of the legislation, however, which also includes dogs that “substantially conform to the breed standards established by the American Ken...
The misrepresentation of Pit Bull breeds in the media has been reflected in American culture. As these dogs were incorporated into World War I propaganda, they were perceived as symbols of courage and strength, the archetype of American dog breeds5. When, in the 1920s and 1930s, American Staffordshire Terrier “Pete the Pup” starred in the comedy Our Gang, later known as The Little Rascals, Pit Bulls were considered “nanny dogs” and family-friendly pets7. When the media focused heavily on illegal dog fighting rings and gang culture in the 1970s and 1980s, Pit Bulls were called demonic and unpredictable. Through their many roles, they have shown versatility and resilience, and lately they have suffered greatly.
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)
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 is a protector to children and the bulky build of pit bulls makes them a very easy breed to target. These opinions have severely skewed the reputation of pit bulls that were originally bred to be nanny dogs and take care of small children....
The name pit bull is used loosely to categorize many “bully breeds” of dogs. Several breeds that are often referred to as pit bulls are the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, Bull Terrier and most commonly, the American Pit Bull Terrier. When statistics on “pit bulls” are taken, people are actually comparing a group of dogs rather than individual breeds. Several communities have enacted BSL, and many have repealed this legislation because it simply does not work. Topeka, Ks.
Pit Bull-Beauty or Beast? 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.
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
Pit Bulls are not the aggressive breed that everybody makes them out to be. I can understand why there are some people who think that pit-bulls are just mean, but if you get past the looks, they are just big babies.
In this time of age people are so quick to judge someone or something just because what they have witnessed is different than what they’re used to. This is the case with the dog breed Pit bulls. Numerous people think this breed is dangerous and frightening. But what people don’t understand is that Pitbulls are some of the most sweet and gentle dogs a person could ever have. Because people judge Pitbulls based on what they have heard or seen, they do not understand the kind of dog Pit bulls truly are.
According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), the media exaggerates pit bull attacks. Even if they do not know the breed, any stocky, short-haired dog could be a pit bull. The media keeps enforcing the public that pit bulls are bad dogs. Even though the media says that all pit bulls are bad, people should still give every dog a chance.
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.
...e of their loyalty to their owners and how they did well with their job (Foster 54). During the World War I, pit bulls were asked to warn soldiers of gas attacks, found wounded men and even listened and warned soldiers of artillery rounds. Even in movies and advertisements, pit bulls were also famous in the campaigns of Levis, Buster Brown Shoes and even Wells Fargo. And even during the World War II. President Theodore Roosevelt kept a pit bull. During the World Trade Center incident of 9/11, pit bulls were asked to look for survivors.