What Does Everyone Have Against Pit Bulls?
Recently, I got caught up in an argument on a forum regarding Pit Bulls and their behavior. I am using this post today to vent some of my frustration and anger, and I am hoping you can help me understand where the bad feelings towards Pit Bulls started and why they continue to this day. I want to open people’s eyes and change feelings about Pit Bulls!
Let me first start by telling you what started the whole thing. There was a post made by someone with the title “Pit Bulls do turn on you and this time I have proof”. It piqued my interest and so I read her entry. Basically, she was at a vet’s office and saw a mother come in with her 4 year old son - he had been attacked by their Pit Bull. The mother said the boy was just playing with his toys and the dog “just snapped” - that she had never before shown any signs of aggression. The person who wrote the post believes it is the breed of the dog that was to blame, and has nothing to do with how the dog was raised.
Being a lover of all animals, this post deeply troubled me. I just couldn’t understand how one incident got this person to be completely against Pit Bulls…..it just made no sense and I had to reply and stick up for the badly publicized Pit Bull.
The following was my reply to her post:
I don’t understand how some people can say how the dog was raised has nothing to do with how it acts. If a Chihuahua were to attack a child, that doesn’t get nearly the publicity if a Pit Bull were to attack. It depends on the household, and how the dog is treated in the family. Some dogs have a dominant personality and always want to be the “pack leader”. This goes back to ancient times when dogs were not domesticated and lived in packs.
It is possible that in the case of the four year old boy getting attacked by the Pit Bull, that the dog saw the little boy as lower in the chain so to speak. When you own a dog knowing that it has a dominant personality, you have to make sure that you are able to properly train the dog to follow your command at all times. If you slack at all, or spoil the dog in any way, they will see themselves as being dominant over you. When this happens, the risk for an attack or bite increases - dogs cannot speak, so if they see behavior that they do not agree with, or do not think is good for the “pack” they will correct you by barking or biting.
I just hope that people can open their eyes and understand that not all Pit Bulls are a ticking time bomb, just waiting to attack. The best example I can come up with is Cesar Millan better known as “The Dog Whisperer” - he has many Pit Bulls most of whom have been rehabilitated. If you have ill feelings towards Pit Bulls, or you think that all of them will attack at some point, watch an episode of his show, or even better: read his book! Knowledge is power, and before you rush to judgment about a specific breed, take time to do your research.
Please watch the below video, it shows Cesar Millan’s beloved Pit Bull - Daddy!
Now, I would absolutely love to hear your comments on this subject! I know the popularity of the Pit Bull has drastically declined in recent years, and I would love to understand where people are coming from when they pass laws banning Pit Bulls in certain cities, or spread negative comments about the breed. Aren’t we better than this as a society? Does this type of mind set work in the real world?
Please comment on this post, whether you have a positive or negative comment I would love to hear it. I would like to develop a better understanding of this breed. I am really encouraging people who have POSITIVE stories, pictures, etc. to share about their Pit Bull - let’s educate others about Pit Bulls!
Send pictures of your Pit Bull to: dsheffler@petstrong.com
Thanks for reading! As always your participation in comments and discussions are encouraged and greatly appreciated!!
December 14th, 2007 at 02:35 pm
Excellent article!!
December 17th, 2007 at 05:46 pm
Hi,
Congrats for your blog, very nice!
Why don’t you create a pet profile on www.pet-files.com ? You can publish photos, videos and a lot of info (my profile: http://www.pet-files.com/marco80/mescal). And you can create a slideshow with your photo that you can easily embed into this blog! Hope you appreciate the idea.
- Marco
December 18th, 2007 at 02:48 pm
this is a great article!!! I love pit bulls, they really are nice dogs most of the time!!!
hey you should check out these really cute dog videos!! lol they make me laugh!!
http://www.worldwidefido.com/
January 8th, 2008 at 09:12 pm
I love dooogs! I think that they are the most wonderful creatures. I live in a house with a family who owned a pit bull. That pit bull was raised with love and tenderness. That dog was everything to the entire family. I had fears about pit bulls from horror stories I had heard. But when I came to live with them, the pit bull was just the sweetest, loving dog. I started to change my mind about pit bulls. The entire household treated him like a precious baby. One day, after he was around 5 years old, he was barking at the postman, and so his very sweet and loving Mommy told him in a stern voice to “Stop”. He turned around and bit her twice on the arm. The pit bull’s mother was asking me to help get him off her but he finally let her go. So, when the entire household learned that he bit his Mommy, the first thing they asked was: Did you do anything to make him attack you?” It was right then, when I saw how he attacked the “Mommy” that the dog was dangerous. So, I told them to get rid of the dog, because a dog should never turn on its master. They would not listen to me! So, the pitbull still sleeps with the Mommy and is kissed and petted, etc! One day, someone came to the door. The pit bull started barking. The pit bulls “best friend” told him to go to the backyard. Looking through a glass door, I saw with my own eyes hoe that dog lunged at the 25 year old young man and snapped his arm with his jaw and he would not let go. In front of a few people, he kept attacking until blood was all over. The young man’s arm had to be amputated.
So, these victims of a pit bull are just like you ignoramuses who refuse to believe the fact that pit bulls are a breed apart from other dogs! It is in their genes to be violent.
Read the website I included and you will understand what kind of dogs they are. Why should a father have a pit bull for a pet around a newly born infant when he can have a golden retriever as a loyal, loving dog?
Owners of pit bulls are in denial. They should be eradicated from the face of the earth. There are many other breeds that you can own and love. GET RID OF YOUR PIT BULL BECAUSE THEY CAN SNAP AT ANY MOMENT.
January 19th, 2008 at 03:30 am
I have read all the posts on here. I agree with D sheffer who wrote the first article that pit bulls have a terrible rap. I have fostered manyd dogs yes including labs, golden retrievers etc. But the most loving breed on earth has been the pit bull in my eyes. I have a pit bull and she is the apple of her father’s and my eye. I feel very angry at the earlier post from Longlai. Thats like saying why dont we eradicate any group of people on earth that have caused trouble? No doubt pit bulls are the strongest breed. Probably not a good idea to mix a pit bull with other dogs unless they have grown up with the dog. However this is all the owners issue too. I feel even more sad b/c does anyone realize how many of these poor animals get left behind at shelters b/c everyone else picks up the other breeds? Also do you know how many thugs specifically pick up pits just to make them fight and make them vicious? Remember all boxers or fighting champions didnt just wake up and have big muscles to start fighting? They were groomed that way. Yes pit bulls can kill someone or something but raised in the right way they are the best dog in the world. If you have a pit bull he/she should be on a tight leash and for his/her protection should be trained.
My pit bulls snuggles into a ball with me on my lap and watches tv every night. She has never once gone potty in the house and she licks my face when Im sad.
I wish people were less judgmental and more open minded.