Peaceful Pit Bulls

It's probably safe to say that the most controversial dog breed that exists is the American Staffordshire Terrier, aka the Pit Bull.

Over the years, the breed has received a bad rap from being kings of the dog fighting world. But is that their fault or humans? I'd put money on it being the fault of humans any day.

Out of 21 people surveyed, 11 said that Pit Bulls are misrepresented and shouldn't be punished for reputation alone; eight said it depended on the situation, and only two people saw the breed as a complete threat.

Yahoo Answers user "Nighty" says, "I think Pit Bulls are only as dangerous as their owner makes them. By nature I feel they are not inherently vicious dogs. They simply have been bred to be fierce."

The majority of people surveyed obviously seem to accept Pit Bulls as a tolerable member of dog society. Then why are they banned from so many counties and cities throughout the U.S.? Perhaps I got the rare end of people surveyed or possibly one idiot with a lot of power and money had an issue with Pits and got their way by having the breed restricted or banned. Some cities and counties have made Pit Bulls illegal to own or breed altogether.

Kathleen Abt, a kennel assistant at the Clermont County Humane Society of Ohio, says, "Punish the deed not the breed...I see so many well-behaved Pits come into the shelter, usually strays. And only the owner can claim them out. Since Ohio law says any Pit Bull or bully breed is not adoptable.

*According to www.animallawcoalition.com a bill to completely ban Pit Bulls from Ohio failed.*

If laws are passed to ban these animals it can make the situation worse. More dogs are being euthanized, more money is being spent to do so, and outlawing the ownership of the breed doesn't always mean an improvement in safety. Other breeds are going to fill the gap and become replacements for Pit Bulls, especially when it comes to idiots wanting money for fighting dogs.

"Poppy," a member of Yahoo Answers, says, "Banning almost never works. It just makes things happen under the radar, therefore, making things more dangerous."

Pit Bulls are being targeted unjustly. Many breeds such as the Chow Chow or the well-known "bully breeds" such as Bull Terriers and Bull Dogs also have a high potential to be dangerous if not raised properly. That's what a great deal of this controversy comes down to - raising a dog. If you're socializing a puppy from its earliest days with humans and dogs, taking him to the dog park and training classes, more likely than not you're going to have a good chance at raising a well-mannered and friendly dog. It's when dogs get neglected, aren't fed regularly, are rewarded for aggressive behavior and even left to self-mutilate in a cage that things can go very wrong. Even to a lesser extent, not socializing a puppy and allowing them to terrorize at a young age can turn them into a nightmare. That's with any breed. Although Pit Bulls are often rescued from the worst of circumstances, such as in the Michael Vick case, they still have a chance of turning around. In the Vick case alone, a majority of the 53 Pit Bulls he used for fighting were able to be adopted out to families or turned into therapy dogs. THERAPY DOGS. Think about that for a second. That must mean there's a glimmer of hope.

When it comes to personalty, I take nurture over nature in the case of Pit Bulls. Many people would agree. Others would say they're personality (aka aggressive tendencies) comes from nature. Okay, but let me put this thought in your head. Have you ever seen an "angel child" with the rudest parents ever, or a church-going family with teenagers who drink and do drugs? I know I have. In my experience with Pit Bulls, I've only met the sweethearts of the breed, but I'm not ignorant in knowing that isn't always the case. The breed has one flaw that makes them different from all other breeds, when it comes to nature versus nurture, and that's their extremely strong jaw. This is the trait that makes them born killers if trained to do so. Most people don't even know the breed well enough to know this fact about them or they mistake them as having a locking jaw. People believe what they hear. So if word on the street says Pit Bulls are mean then they must be. Right? Ha! Educate yourself people.

Ponkigal, a Yahoo Answers user, says, "Although I've never owned this breed, they're already banned from different states because of their aggressiveness, and most of them have been trained to attack or kill. I don't believe this breed is a born killer, but most are taught as such."

Not to knock this person, but not a single U.S. state has banned Pit Bulls. Yes, cities and counties, but not an entire state. Bills have been proposed, but because of lovers of the breed, they haven't been passed.

Pit Bulls, like many breeds, are extremely loyal dogs, meaning they will do pretty much anything for their owner. This has to be taken very seriously when it comes to raising a puppy. They can be raised to fight and kill, raised to protect, or raised to love and snuggle. From the very extreme ends, they will do what they are taught and praised for.

When it comes to breeding and raising a Pit, Ponkigal says, "I think they [cities, counties] should have some kind of enforcement to make sure that those who own Pits have enough experience to be able to handle a strong breed and does not intend to engage the dog in criminal activities."

I like this idea, but it would be extremely hard to put into effect. People are always going around the law.

"The public has given this breed a bad name. And guess what? It's our fault when there is a bad Pit Bull. It's because someone started slacking," says Abt.

I can't sum it up any better than that. Pit Bulls got stuck with a bad reputation, when the majority of the time, the dog's mistakes and faults are due to human failures to raise a dog to public standards. The best we can do is open people's eyes to see the good side.

For more information on the breed, here's a list of websites.
ASPCA Info
The No Kill Nation
Pawsitive Pit Bulls