petstoday

Modern pit bull owners are everything from sweet old ladies to violent criminals…responsible pet owners to dog fighters. Why? Because despite not being an official breed, pit bulls are one of the most popular dogs worldwide. The three most commonly associated breeds termed as “pit bulls” are the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Other breeds sometimes flagged as pit bulls by the media and ignorant onlookers are English Bull Terriers, Dogo Argentinos, American Bulldogs, Alapaha Blueblood Bulldogs, and various other square headed, stocky bodied breeds.

Pit bulls are a product of the once tenacious bulldog and the still commonly tenacious terrier (most likely some kind of white, medium-sized rat terrier). These dogs were originally used in the bloody sport of bull and bear baiting, which was outlawed in 1835 as part of the Cruelty to Animals Act, so dogfighters (sometimes calling themselves “dog men”) began looking to fighting dogs against each other.

Dog fighting has since become illegal in North America and the UK, but is widely practiced in other countries. Despite being illegal in the United States, it is still common practice and because fights are usually held in rural or abandoned areas, dog fighting is hard for law officials to track down.

MYTH: Because of their violent past, pit bulls are inherently vicious.

The pit bull is a medium-sized dog, normally between fifty and eighty pounds in weight, and pound for pound are as strong as some dogs twice their size and capable of doing a lot of damage. Dog men breed what is called “gameness” into their stock, which is the willingness to attack and maim other dogs and animals.

Despite everything, most pit bulls are usually friendly and benevolent with people, even being known to wag their tails and submit after they’ve been pulled from a fighting ring. This natural friendliness to people is a trait that’s been bred into pit bulls since the 18th century. During fights, pit bulls are handled frequently in and out of the ring, and a dog that might potentially redirect its aggression onto a human is undesirable. Some dog men even take their competitor’s dogs before a fight and wash out the dog’s coats if it is suspected that the handler has put some kind of poison or other substance into his dog’s fur to better his odds of winning.

MYTH: Even pit bulls not used for fighting, but ones that are raised in family homes, can suddenly turn on people.

This is a common myth and one that isn’t unique to the pit bull, when you don’t include the background of dog fighting. German Shepherds were once thought of as unstable and aggressive dogs in the 1950’s and 60’s, but today are normally renowned for being courageous and noble in the line of duty. Dobermans were the next targeted breed, and nowadays are known for their intelligence and sensitive nature. Rottweilers soon followed, and are still considered a nasty breed in some circles, but are known by many for their loyalty to their families and their outgoing, goofy nature.

It is said that pit bulls are the most abused breed of dog, and often that is true; some are chained in yards as an accessory or status symbol and are forgotten, left to starve or die from exposure. Others are left to guard a junkyard where they recieve little or no attention and develop an unnatural distrust of people. Others are deliberately tortured by street punks, possibly as gang initiation. The ones who give up in the fighting pit but do not die at the jaws of another dog are drowned, electrocuted, slammed repeatedly into the ground until they die, or hung, simply because they were not winners.

When a pit bull attacks a person, the how’s and why’s are not always clear. Some believe that when a pit bull reaches a certain age, its brain swells, causing the dog to become unnaturally violent. Others believe that all pit bulls are just ticking time bombs, always on the verge of exploding, or are equal in danger to a loaded gun left within reach of a child. But none of these things are true; what IS true, however, is that every dog is capable of biting.

Pit bulls are not genetically engineered monsters or weapons–they’re normal dogs with the potential of having normal dog problems. Every dog has what is called a bite threshold and almost every dog is capable of reaching it. The difference, however, between a Lab biting a human and a pit bull is pit bull attacks usually inflict much more damage and are therefor more eye catching to the media and public.

Dog-to-dog aggression is a potential problem in pit bulls and something to be watched. What that means is, due to their history as being bred as a fighting dog, some pit bulls can inherently be aggressive toward other dogs and animals. This trait comes from their terrier side, as even four pound Yorkshire Terriers can be extremely dog aggressive. Animal aggression is not unique to the pit bull, nor is it unique to terriers or certain breeds of dog. Every dog has the potential to be dog or animal aggressive, just as every dog has the potential to bite.

It is important to socialize your pit bulls with other dogs and animals as early as possible.

It is common belief that a dog that exhibits animal aggression can redirect its aggression onto a human. As previously mentioned, pit bulls that were human aggressive were undesirable as fighting dogs and normally culled. Due to ill breeding practices in modern society, some pit bulls are born with a natural distrust of humans. These are the dogs usually seen on news programs and in the paper as having seriously maimed or killed someone. Litter by litter, neglected dog by neglected dog, humans are corrupting the pit bull’s usually jovial nature and turning them into a status symbol with the capability of killing.That doesn’t neccessarily mean that every ill-bred pit bull is going to attack someone. Many often don’t. Some, as was the case with the Vick dogs, can rebound superbly from trauma they suffer; only two dogs in the Michael Vick case were euthanized, and only one was because of aggression. Others develop anxiety rather than aggression, running and tucking their tails whenever a human approaches; a supposedly fearless dog that is showing just that–fear.

And yet, the fact still remains that even pit bulls in loving, caring homes sometimes attack. There isn’t always a reliable answer as to why. My personal reasoning is that as a large, strong and willful type of dog, they are not always the breeds of choice for the average or inexperienced dog owner. Even dogs that do not exhibit aggression can still exhibit dominance, and avoiding the issue of dominance can be dangerous. Many of the family pit bulls that attack are undersocialized, underexercised and understimulated. These dogs are bright and active, needing mental stimulation, socialization and exercise on a daily basis.

Most dog attacks are directed toward children under the age of 12:

• Many breeds of dogs possess what is called “prey drive”, which is the desire to chase and catch a fast moving object, such as a ball, frisbee or small animal. Some pit bulls have extremely high prey drive and others don’t. It is instinct more than aggression, but is often viewed as the latter.
• Children, from a dogs’ perspective, are rude. Children are loud and obnoxious. They like to bend down and put their face to that of a dog’s, which can be seen as a threat. They hit, pull tails, and grab at a dog’s toys or food.
• Some children deliberately tease dogs, forcing the dog past its bite threshold.
• Children scream, squeal and squeak, which sounds similar to the sounds of small prey animals.

How you can prevent this from happening:

• Teach your children proper manners around dogs and supervise them at all times when they are around a dog, even if it is the family dog.
• Learn the signs of a dog that is beginning to exhibit stress; bodily tensing, lip licking, averting eyes, ears turning to the back or sides, shaking, tail tucking, low body posture, hackles raised.
• Don’t let your child approach strange dogs without the owner of the dog’s permission.
• Exercise your dog daily–a tired dog is a good dog.
• Provide mental stimulation, such as a game of hide-and-seek or a Buster cube toy, for your dog to prevent boredom.
• Socialize your dog to all manners of men, women, children, dogs, cats, horses, other animals, strollers, carts, men with beards, people wearing hats, walkers, canes, mail men, and anything that might be strange or frightening to a dog.
• Find a professional obedience instructor or find a book or website on dog training, preferably positive reinforcement dog training, and train your dog on a daily basis.

MYTH: Pit bulls have to be trained or forced to fight.

With some pit bulls, this is true. Most, however, possess enough “gameness” to have a natural aggression toward dogs, other pit bulls especially. It is pertinant that you socialize your pit bull to other animals, and know the warning signs of aggression:

MYTH: Pit bulls were bred with hyenas to give them powerful locking jaws.

This isn’t a common myth, but one absurd enough to be here. This is really two myths in one, but let’s first address the hyena part.

Hyenas are members of their own genus Hyaenidae. Domestic dogs are members of the genus Canidae. The two species therefor cannot innerbreed.

The other half of the myth isn’t true either. There isn’t a special mechanism or device that causes a pit bull’s jaws (or a hyena’s, for that matter) to “lock” and “not let go”. For centuries, pit bulls have been bred either by bull/bear baiters, dog fighters or game hunters to have tenacity enough NOT to let go. Of course, with some good ol’ obedience training, they can be trained to “drop things” on command.

MYTH: A pit bull who has been fought can never be trusted as a pet.

While I believe that any dog is capable of being fully rehabilitated in the right hands, it is usually better to err on the side of caution rather than place a potentially unstable dog in a home with other pets or children. A pit bull who is docile one minute and attacks and kills the neighbor’s beagle the next is only poisoning the breed’s reputation as a whole. Some dogs from fighting backgrounds can be fully rehabilitated when they are in the right hands, such as the Vick dogs. So it isn’t ALWAYS true that they can’t be rehomed after being compiscated from a fighting ring, but it’s not always the best decision.

The best candidates for rehabilitation are puppies that have been seized with adult dogs.

Pit bull owners often don’t help the case of the dogs. Denying that a dog doesn’t have the potential to bite a person is like saying humans don’t have the potential to stab someone. Anything with teeth can bite, but it is important that pit bull owners realize that they have to help in upkeeping their dog’s reputation by doing more than saying, “He would NEVER bite anyone”. Until you give your dog obedience training, socialization and adequate exercise, you literally aren’t doing ANYTHING to prevent your dog from biting.

MYTH: Pit bulls are large, hulking dogs with huge muscles and massive heads.

Not always. Most of the heavy bodied pit bulls you see are mixed with mastiffs or other types of large dogs. Many pit bulls are lean and athletic, but well muscled. They can also be as small as 35-40 pounds, as is the case of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, England’s “nanny dog”. Larger pit bulls are usually in the 50-60 pound range.

Resources:

http://www.badrap.org/
http://www.pbrc.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull
http://www.pitbulllovers.com/
http://www.bulldogbreeds.com

A pit bull in the right environment can be a loving and devoted dog.

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Pit bulls are undoubtedly one of my favorite type of dogs. I’ve long admired their strength, physical beauty, intelligence and loyalty to their owners–so loyal, in fact, that it is sometimes their undoing. Writing about and educating people on the subject of pit bulls and BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) is one of my favorite things to do. Expect more articles in the future.

— Susan Shipman, 2008

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