Victoria Wilcher was only 3 years old at the time when her grandfather’s three pit bulls attacked her. Now half her face is paralyzed and she has lost the use of one of her eyes. Per research by Merritt Clifton, the editor of Animals 24-7, an animal-news organization, “Pit bulls make up only 6% of the dog population, but they’re responsible for 68% of dog attacks and 52% of dog related deaths since 1982.” (Thomas, 2014) However, in Florida, a pit bull named Lucy saved her family from an abusive ex-boyfriend who broke into her home when she was away at hospital.
Pit bulls are born mean, human aggressive and are born killers. They are fighting dogs and are used to sell drugs. Owners of pit bull face this type of scrutiny, they cannot go certain places without judgement. But are pit bulls everything people think they are? The short answer is no, in fact these are all myths and common misconceptions that
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Dr. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia, a specialist on dog breed behavior, wrote of pit bulls, "The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of "locking mechanism" unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."(qtd in White, 2016, para. 3) . Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic conducted a study to measure the force of a pit bulls bite against a German Shepard and a Rottweiler, he concluded that, Rottweiler bites at 328 pounds of force, German Shepherd exhibits 238 pounds of force in its bite and finally an APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) bites at 235 pounds of force. (qtd in White, 2016, para.
Pit bulls have not always been viewed as the vicious killer. For instance, in the 1970s the concern was over German Shepherds, and in the 1980s, Doberman pinschers were considered as public and government concern (Dana M). Which just goes to show that people get concerned, but move on when they realize there is nothing to be concerned about. Pit bulls were actually considered to be the family dog in the 1900s, and were even nicknamed the “nanny dogs for children” because of the breed’s friendly and loyal nature (Holland). Pit-bulls even appeared up in popular motion pictures such as “our gang” and, “buster brown” (Bastian). In the 80s is where pit bulls started to get a bad rap because of their association with dog fighting, gangs, and drug dealers (Bastian). Which caused a change in
One myth is that pit bulls have locking jaws but really it is that they have really strong jaw muscles. There are many dogs that have a stronger bite even the german shepherd has a stronger bite. Another myth is they are born to fight, that is not true they get trained that way, All puppies have the playful and fighting side but that is the way they have fun most all puppies will grow out off it. One misconception is that they when after found and scared or a dog fighter they will stay that way and never be sweet or fun and playful. Studies were done on 50 pit bulls that had been abused or dog fighter that all but one were able to go with a family nice a
A pit bull’s jaw force is 235 psi of pressure, while the average domestic dog is 320 psi
Pit bulls have just the same old mouths as every other kind of dog and not even the strongest around. That bigger and wider skulled dogs have stronger bites. (BadRap) That not all pit bulls have big, wide skulls pit bulls come in a huge variety of sizes, especially compared to the world of dogs at large. Another myth is that pit bulls are trained to fight many studies show that the pit bull is very good with other dogs and living with other dogs the best way to make sure with any dog is to socialize the dog with other dogs when it's growing up . some families also have heard that pit bulls are aggressive with children , pit bulls are one of the most protective and loving dogs it just depends on how the dog is treated . pit bulls have been misunderstood for many centuries by myths, by what their bread for and yet there mistreated pit bulls are just like your dogs they just need a
Finally, the media can be blamed for all of the horrid and biased information about Pit Bulls. As stated in "The Media and the Pit Bull," the media over reports Pit Bull attacks. They only report these attacks and completely overlook cruel attacks caused by other breeds. When they have no knowledge of a dog's breed, they'll call it a Pit Bull or just won't report it. Many people own Pit Bulls and love them, because they’re the ones that don’t listen to the media. When all is said and done, it all comes down to media, since they do so much damage to a Pit Bull's
Pit bulls are responsible for the majority of fatal dog attacks, according to DogsBite.org, 71% of fatal dog attacks are from pit bulls, 7 times more than the next closest dog breed.
When you mention the words Pit Bull, many times people immediately begin talking about the statistics of them attacking other people as well as other dogs. A survey was conducted in 2009 of attack percentages of Pit Bulls compared to other breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Chows. Among this survey, the Pit Bull breed scored the lowest with a 0.00125 and the highest being the Rottweiler with a score of 0.00433 (https://defendpitbulls.com/pit-bull-attack-statistics/). On the website Dogsbite.org, it states that Pit-Bulls are the leading culprit in dog attacks, this is just a broad statistic which does not adequately explain whether these attacks were of
ii. According to the Pit Bull Rescue Central web site, pit bulls have never been bred for human aggression. In fact, Pit Bulls were bred to be loyal, tolerant, and loving toward people, especially children.(Pit Bull Rescue Central website, accessed April 4, 2012)
The main reason pit bulls attack is because they are mentally unstable, a mixed breed and show overbearing traits, or because they are mistreated by their owners. The public must understand that the three “pit bull breeds were bred for dog fighting and bear and bull-baiting” (PBRC). On the other hand, they were also kept as “nanny dogs” and used for herding cattle. “Pit bulls are ideal for therapy work because of their pleasant nature” (PBRC). These are three of the most stable breeds known to man. They have a very high temperament test score, 86% as of 2010, a lot higher than most breeds. “The American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the top 5 most stable breeds in the country” (PBRC). Anyone can see that this is an excellent breed of dog. There are a few things that people should know though. “Pit bulls have a lower Tolerance to dogs, but with any breed, a dog’s tolerance changes as they mature” (PBRC). “Maturity can come late with pit bull breeds” (Villalobos Rescue Center). The reason for this low tolerance is because of their history of dog fighting. It has been bred into them to have the will to fight. Pit bulls usually do not start a fight most of the time, but they will not back down or give up. Due to this, owners must be cautious and attentive.
Pit bulls can be great protectors. This breed of dog is able to save people. “ On Halloween, a Richmond, Virginia woman was being assaulted by her abusive partner when her dog stepped in. ‘ As any good dog would do, when he saw her in trouble, Chako intervened and came to her aid, trying his best to keep the attacker from hurting his beloved owner.” quoted by http://www.lifewithdogs.tv. This quote demonstrates that pit bulls are willing to put their life in danger for the one they love. Pit bulls are also great dogs for children.
MAIN IDEA #2: One of the biggest preconceived notions about the pit bull is that they are the most dangerous dogs in the world that run around wild-eyed and blood thirsty. They have been improperly labeled as vicious creatures that are incapable of love and
Pit Bulls are among the top percentage of dog bites across the nation, but it partly due to the misrepresentation. Most handlers just see a similarity to a Pit Bull’s physical appearance and then the dog is classified as such. The media always misrepresents and wrongly accuses Pit Bulls, they are always quick to name the pit bull breed as the attacking dog. The government also does the same thing if a dog has similarities to a Pit Bull, then it is automatically classified as a Pit Bull even if it’s not correct. They don’t care about
breed of dog that seems to take most of the hits, the American Pitbull. This
Owning a pit bull in today’s day and age has one of two reactions: Either the person loves them or is terrified of them. There are so many myths about Pit Bulls and they are just that. Myths. Some of the myths that surround pit bulls are that they have “lock jaw” and they have a killer instinct that does not stop at just killing other animals. Pit bull advocates, such as myself, know that Pit Bulls have always been known as the “nanny dog” throughout history because of how much they love children and their loyalty to their families. Mean or vicious dogs come from ignorant, irresponsible owners. The bottom line is that not all pit bulls are bad.
“An unneutered male pit bull is 2.6 times more likely to bite then a neutered male. In addition, male pit bulls are 6.2 times more likely to bite then female pit bills.” In a study evaluating canine temperament, 82% of dogs received a passing score, 86.8% of those dogs where American pit bull terrier (1800PetMeds.com Feb. 2012). There are ways to avoid incidents when in contact with these animals. When approached by a pit bull always remain calm, approach the dog slowly from the side not from the back. Do not provoke the dog - always ask the owners to pet the dog first. If an aggressive dog approaches you do not panic, give the dog firm commands like sit, stay, and easy, then back away slowly. When owning a pit bull socialize the dog with people and other animals, get them familiar with animals and people including children. Isolated dogs can become vicious and dangerous so be cautious when in contact with a not so friendly dog. (Skloot, R Aug 2007 Prevention Vol.59, Issue 8 Pgs. 196-198)