Vicious, demonic, mean, evil, and dangerous are just a few of the names that have been given to Pit bulls, but maybe those words should be used to describe the person at the other end of the leash. The media has categorized several different breeds under the “Pit bull” group such as the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Cane Corso, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and a few other breeds. When the average brainwashed person thinks of a Pit bull, they see a “blood-thirsty”, out of control dog.
Even though the truth is positive, the media is often responsible for the bad reputation revolving around Pit bulls. There is only one breed with both words “pit” and “bull” in it, American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT). Some how the media has managed to fit other breeds into what they call “Pit bull types”. As a result, when an incident occurs around a breed looking similar to APBT, the media jumps on the name Pit bull, which creates confusion to what a Pit bull actually is.
Most of the Pit bull stories covered by the news are negative, over half of the New York Times published articles on Pit bulls are about attacks on people and legislation restricting Pit bull ownership. It doesn’t help these dogs when the news is negatively portraying them. However, just because the media shows all these horrible stories, doesn’t mean the public is just as narrow minded. In recent studies 63 percent of the public weren’t convinced of the accusations against Pit bulls.
Pit bulls originated from the Bull baiting dog, which were bred to take down large animals such as bulls and bears. When that became illegal in the 1800’s, people started making them fight each other. Through this sport, the dogs were bred to be more athletic and agile. When they made their way over to the states, they became the ideal family dog with their loyalty and affection towards their owners. The real problems arose when people who wanted to appear intimidating started handling these dogs.
Since these breeds have been stereotyped as dangerous and vicious, they have inevitably attracted irresponsible owners. If you have a reckless owner with a powerful breed, the outcome will surely be devastating. A lot of over-breeding, and ignorant owners can be attributed to the incidents revolving around Pit bulls. People who are involved in illegal dog fighting choose Pit bulls because of their strength and athleticism, along with their endless desire to please their owners.
One common misconception involving Pit bulls is the “locked-jaw” myth. The truth is the jaw structure of a Pit bull is no different than any other breed. Unfortunately, this fact may be too boring for the media to get the ratings they desperately need. Another popular myth is that Pit bulls cannot feel pain. This may seem true because of the high pain tolerance Pit bulls have, which can also be attributed to their “people-pleasing” personality, but is just another media-packed myth.
Behaviorally, there are numerous misconceptions about these breeds. It has been portrayed in the media that Pit bulls are born aggressive. There is a common belief that these breeds can turn on their owner, when truly they have been bred otherwise. When these animals were being bred to fight, owners needed to be able to pull them apart without the dog turning on the handlers themselves. Consequently, dogs that were aggressive towards humans were terminated. When a dog acts aggressively, it’s most likely sick, not handled correctly, or lacking socialization.
The facts are pretty positive in contrast to the myths. In tests done by the American Temperament Test Society, Pit bulls were generally less aggressive when put in situations that were meant to provoke a negative reaction. Along with these tests, they did better than breeds such as Poodles and Beagles.
Even though Pit bulls are passing temperament tests, there are still strict Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), which restricts or bans certain breeds entirely in some areas. This legislation is more like discrimination, giving these dogs a bad reputation and leaving them in shelters waiting to be euthanized. Pit bulls aren’t the only dogs being discriminated against, BSL has also affected Dalmatians, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, and Doberman Pinschers. Despite unfair restrictions, according to the ASPCA, many states like New York and Illinois prohibit BSL, and track and regulate dangerous dogs individually regardless of breed.
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