“Mans best friend:” A phrase used when speaking about a dog. Children grow up hearing about the heroics of the Rough Collie, Lassie and the athletics of the Golden Retriever, Air Bud, but do they hear about the cuddliness of the Pit Bull? The answer is most likely, no. The views on the Pit Bull breed have been negatively effected by mass media. This breed is commonly misidentified and ridiculed for being aggressive and dangerous. Pit Bulls were once trusted by families but have recently been bred and used for a disgusting sport which has lead to a great number of them being put down daily. How can anyone blame a dog for what it was taught to do? No dog is born “bad” or “aggressive.” Because dogs live to please their owners, that is what they do. It’s not the dog. It’s the owner. …show more content…
For example, the Border Collie was bred to gather herds of sheep and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever was bred to hunt and retrieve ducks. The ASPCA states that is it hard to define a Pit Bull as one specific breed. (ASPCA Policy and Position Statements). Pit Bulls’ breeding purpose dates back to the mid 1600’s (Foster, 26). Like many other breeds, Pit Bulls were bred for sport due to their tenacity and athleticism. Originating in England, Ireland and Scotland, bully breed were bred for hog and bull hunting, and unfortunately, bull-baiting (Foster, 26). According to Webster’s Dictionary, bull-baiting is a sport where the dogs are set to pin a bull by seizing it by the
Pit bulls are believed to have originated in the late 1700’s, when the terriers, typically small dogs bred to catch vermin, were crossbred with bulldogs, a stockier dog whose duty was to catch stray cattle. This produced a dog with a high prey drive with a medium-sized, stocky build and powerful jaws. Contrary to popular belief, the dogs were originally used in the sport of bull-baiting, where dogs would attack the cattle - not other dogs. Since the sport was executed in a pit, the dogs were dubbed ‘pit bulls’ and that name has stuck since. When the sport was banned in 1835, the people who relied on these dogs for an income turned the dogs against each other.
...ports Illustrated cover photo of a pit bull (Pit Bull Rescue Central, "Breed Information”). Dog fighting made a comeback during the 1980s and the pit bull became the favorite macho dog for dog fighters. The dogs were trained to kill or be killed. Pit bulls were also the preferred guard dog for gangs, thugs and criminals. Since the supporters and detractors of pit bulls hold such disparate opinions regarding the ferocity of the breeds, it is only hoped that further discussion and education will help resolve the sad fate that awaits these unfortunate animals. Simply placing all the blame on the breeds will not solve the problems of dog fighting, overbreeding, aggressive training, and excessive euthanizations. Lastly, the biased, sensationalistic publicity of horrific dog attacks which has destroyed the reputation of the once beloved All American Dog must cease.
Many people associate a negative connotation with the dog breed “pit bull.” These dogs are thought to be dangerous and problematic. However, much of this can be attributed to the mass amounts of negative media attention that pit bull breeds receive as opposed to other breeds of dogs that can be just as dangerous. For example, The National Canine Research Council did a four-day study on dog-bite repo...
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...
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there is a “great deal of confusion associated with the label ‘Pit Bull,’” as it does not refer to a single breed of dog, but rather to a group of breeds with similar characteristics1. These characteristics include short hair, a wide skull and shoulders, muscle definition, stocky build and a deep jawline, the combination of which create a dog that manages to strike fear into a perfect stranger. The term ‘Pit Bull’ is derived from the bulldog, which was originally bred as a hunting dog for large game, but has since developed into a “loyal companion rather than a working dog.”1 Their history as “gripping dogs” for hunters follows them into modern society, as many of these dogs have been inhumanely pitted against one another as well as other animals for sport and for human entertainment1. It is because of these illegal fighting rings that ‘Pit Bull’ type breeds have become the subje...
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)
Pit bulls, like any other dog, grow into their temperament. 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 to be a protector to children and the bulky build of pit bulls makes them a very easy breed to target. These opinions ...
Regardless of the history of the pit bull breed, and the lack of knowledge in the field of animal genetics, many people still agree with breed specific legislation (BSL), more commonly in the form of pit bull breed bans. However, there are those who still believe genetics play a small role in the aggressive nature of the Pit Bull. These individuals contend that because breeders once bred and used these dogs for fighting, that the whole breed still poses a significant danger to the public and, therefore are not suitable as pets in today’s society (Preis, 2014).
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.
Since then, there has been a constant argument about whether or not this breed should be allowed to be kept as a pet. No one looks at pit bulls as normal dogs anymore. They are viewed as monsters. They have a crazy amount of strength, speed, and stamina. This can be used against them or for them depending on who is debating the issue of their legality.
There is no such breed as a "pit bull". "Pit bull" applies to mainly 3 breeds but is very often used to describe any medium-sized short-haired dog with a square muzzle.
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.
Pit bulls are Good Pets Don't judge a book by its cover. Over the years, pit bulls have gotten a bad reputation. It is true that there have been a lot of injuries, but have there been just as many injuries from other breeds of dogs. I think that if you raised them in a loving environment, trained them properly, and if the media stopped reporting injuries, this breed of dog would be more accepted by the public. Proving that pit bulls get the short end of the stick and can make great pets.
The American Pit Bull is considered as a genuine breed because there are various breeds of pit bull that could have been mixed with other dogs. Pit bulls were raised for baiting larger animals during the hunting seasons. With the faithfulness of t...
I don't believe Pitt bulls are born to be mean. In every litter of pups that any breed of dog has there is one out of the litter that has a dominate side to it as well as one that is shy. Pit bulls are no different than the other breeds. Their master determines the behavior and aggressiveness, just as any other breed of dog's behavior. Pit bulls are gentle dogs if trained and raised properly. They like to be lap dogs as well as receive and give attention to their masters.