Over the course of time many people have begun to fear the dog breed American Pitbull Terrier. Most fear this breed due to their reputation for aggression. This fear that has grown all around the world is mainly due to a bias standpoint with the news reporting’s and because people have decided to misuse the breed and train them for dog fighting. Should all Pitbulls be considered an aggressive breed? Many people continue to assume that all Pitbulls are aggressive, but are they really? At this moment my stand point is that they are not all the same therefore not all Pitbulls are aggressive. Because of that not all Pitbulls should be considered an aggressive breed.
The American Pitbull Terrier Breed can be compared to many other breeds and the percentage that have passed an aggression test. There are specific breed statistics that the American Temperament Society have shared with the public. In their article “ATTS Breed Statistics” they showed in a chart that out of 931 American Pitbull Terriers 837 of those dogs had passed their temperament test, meaning they had an 87% passing rate, unlike the Australian Sheppard, Beagle, Border Collie and a lot more other dog breeds that fell below an 82% passing rate. In the end they show that the American Pitbull Terrier has a higher passing percentage when compared to the average family dog. This showed that Pitbulls may be less aggressive then the common family dogs that many people think are 100% safe.
With that being said the statistics based on other dog breed attacks have been shared online, however, they are not shared on the news. Most of the time only “Pitbull” type of dog attacks are shared on any type of news station. If you think about it, Golden Retriever and Boxer attacks are never shared on the news. A company called Pitbull Info created a website designed to inform readers about the breeds that fall under Pitbull. In “Breeds Involved in Fatal Dog Attacks in 2017” they clearly state that “Fatal dog attacks are not a breed-specific issue, any large or strong breed dog can cause serious injuries or fatalities” (“Pitbull Info” 1). Along with that they show reports from the year 2017. These reports showed the breeds of dogs that attacked and how hold the victims were. Overall the American Pitbull Terrier was barely listed, and instead you saw the common name German Shepard and Labrador Retriever all over the reports. But yet where were these reports in the news? That is right they were not published in the news for people to hear about. This is because the media is biased against certain breeds, therefore most times you only hear about the Pitbull type dogs that have caused attacks. The ASPCA makes a statement about Pitbulls in “Position Statement on Pit Bulls” which also states that not all Pitbulls that were bred to fight would be aggressive but also Labradors bred to be people friendly could be aggressive: “the pit bull specifically bred for generations to be aggressive may not fight with dogs and the Labrador retriever bred to be a service dog may be aggressive toward people” (“Position Statement on Pitbulls” 1).
The ASPCA goes on to explain that along with that the breed American Pitbull Terrier people group over twelve different breeds with the nickname “Pitbull”. There is no such breed named “Pitbull”. The problem with this is other breeds that fall under the “Pitbull” nickname are grouped together with the American Pitbull Terrier when attacks do happen. The American Pitbull Terrier is not technically a “Pitbull” but instead it is a part of the bully breed. Many people assume all Bully Breeds are Pitbull’s when in fact there is no such breed named just “Pitbull”. The problem with this is that American Pitbull Terriers get grouped as multiple breeds under one, and they already have a bad reputation due to humans breeding and training them to fight. Therefore, when an attack does happen, and a person goes to the ER half the time they blame it on a Pitbull because it is a common dog that attacks, even if the dog actually was not a Pitbull! In “Pit Bulls Are Chiller Than Chihuahuas” Wood and Hare explain how hospitals protocols are done. One part that was surprising is that hospitals do not preform DNA test to see if the information they were told is correct: “When a hospital records that a dog who bit someone is a pit bull, they rely on the report of the victim, parents, or a witness. No one does a DNA test to make sure. Media coverage of attacks tends to encourage this misidentification” (Wood 1). There are specific cases about dog attacks from other breeds that were not shared with the news and this goes to show the media is biased towards different breeds of dogs. In one dog attack that was reported by a patient, but not verified by the hospital, generated hundreds of articles, but yet when another attack was done by a mix breed only two articles were reports: “In 2008, a pit bull attack that hospitalized a woman generated 230 articles and televised reports in national and international news. A few days before, a mix-breed dog killed a 16-month-old child. The local paper reported it twice” (Wood 2).
When there is an attack that has been done by an American Pitbull Terrier instead of being out of aggression it is because of the lack of training and socialization. It one article it stated that the American Veterinary Medical Associations claims that it is not like a Pitbull to just bite a human for the sake of it. Another common myth was revealed. People think Pitbull’s have a locking jaw unlike other dogs. This is not true all dogs have the same jaw structure; however, Pitbull type dogs have the strength and the size in their jaw. It does not necessarily lock instead Pitbull’s just have a strong jaw that they know how to keep shut if they want too.
In today’s society people assume American Pitbull Terriers were always bred originally for fighting. However, that is a myth that many people have been sucked into believing due to the media. At first some were bred for hunting bulls, but then others were bred for work and companionship. In “Pitbull Temperament – Is the Aggression All Hype or Real?” the author explains that “Pitbull’s were initially bred to track down and catch – literally, hold down animals until their master arrived- wild boar and wild cattle” (“Pitbull Temperament” 1). A lot of people tend to underestimate, and some do not even understand, just how strong an American Pitbull Terrier can be and the life style they need. The American Pitbull Terrier that is an athletic bred, because of this they need plenty of exercise. When they do not receive proper exercise, they can become destructive, and in the same article they state, “a Pitbull needs way more exercise than a regular dog” (“Pitbull Temperament” 1). Also, both the ASPCA said “a well-socialized and well-trained pit bull is one of the most delightful, intelligent, and gentle dogs imaginable” (Position Statement on Pitbulls” 1) and “Pitbull Temperament – Is the Aggression All Hype or Real?” article stated “Pitbulls are known to be loving and loyal to all members of the household. This Pitbull temperament is in part what drove many Pitbulls to heroic acts where they have saved family members in various circumstances, rescued people and animals in a flood. Later in history when hunting large bulls with Pitbulls became banned people turned to breeding their Pitbulls to fight one another instead” (Pitbull Temperament 1). Referring back again to the ASPCA article, “Position Statement on Pitbulls”, they stated that even as a fighting dog they do not have aggression towards humans because, even when they were trained to fight, they were handled so much by humans. Not only that but also, they are not necessarily dog aggressive either as it explained that some dogs were trained to fight for their lives.
However, that does not mean they won’t fight. It is common that if another dog threatens or comes after an American Pitbull Terrier and their master they will fight back, and usually the outcome is not good for the opponent. This is not because of their so called “locking jaw”, which they do not have, but instead it is due to the overall personalities American Pitbull Terriers have for being strong, loyal, and determined. “The real problem with Pitbulls is that they are superb fighting machines” (“Pitbull Temperament” 1). Many people still believe in the myth about American Pitbull Terriers and their locking jaws. Although it may seem like their jaws lock scientist have studied and determined that locking jaws are a myth: “Scientists have determined that there is no “locking mechanism” in their jaws. It just seems that there is, because a Pitbull, bred to hold on as wild animal “catchers”, will “never let go” (“Pitbull Temperament” 2). Instead what makes a Pitbull a fighting machines is their athletic built and the strength in their own muscles and their strong jaw. As a result of their over all personality and build many people have chosen to using American Pitbull Terriers as working dogs. In the article “Deed Not Breed: 6 Working Pit Bulls Defying Stereotypes” it states that “German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers aren’t the only dog breeds worthy of work” (Deed Not Breed” 1). Many Police Stations now rescue American Pitbull Terriers to train to become K-9’s while other choose to use American Pitbull Terriers as medical alert and mobility Service Dogs. One particular example would be Jericho a Pitbull whose purpose now is to help and serve a motorcycle victim: “But Jericho isn’t your average service dog. He’s a big, hulking pit bull that draws attention everywhere he goes. Animal Farm Foundation trained Jericho using the same methods used with Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and every other traditional service dog breed. He’s become an irreplaceable part of Matthew’s life, and he’s showing everyone that breed doesn’t matter” (Deed Not Breed 2).
Overall well-educated people believe and have made statements that the American Pitbull Terrier is one of the most intelligent, loveable, and loyal breed there is. Scientist have also ruled out the myth that American Pitbull Terriers have locking jaws. In the end I think people are just afraid of the look of an American Pitbull Terrier, and also the fact that most people do not understand, nor have the proper knowledge to handle such a great breed. In the end the American Pitbull Terrier breed should not be considered an aggressive breed altogether. If they are to be considered an aggressive breed then the common family dog, Golden Retriever, Boxer, Labrador, German Shepard and so many more should also be considered an aggressive breed since they were shown to be more aggressive than the average American Pitbull Terrier.
“ATTS Breed Statistics.” American Temperament Test Society, Inc., 2017, https://atts.org/breed-statistics/statistics-page1/ Accessed 17 Nov. 2018.
“Breeds Involved in Fatal Dog Attacks in 2017.” Pitbulls – Pitbullinfo.org, 17 Jan. 2018, www.pitbullinfo.org/blog/breeds-involved-in-fatal-dog-attacks-in-2017. Accessed 17 Nov. 2018.
“Deed Not Breed: 6 Working Pit Bulls Defying Stereotypes.” Wide Open Pets, Wide Open Pets, 13 Oct. 2016, www.wideopenpets.com/6-working-pit-bulls-defying-stereotypes/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2018.
“Pitbull Temperament – Is the Aggression All Hype or Real?” – Why Your Dog Do The Things He Does, www.dogtemperament.com/pitbull-temperament-aggressive/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2018.
“Position Statement on Pit Bulls.” ASPCA, www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-pit-bulls. Accessed 17 Nov. 2018.
Woods, Brian and Hare Vanesse. “Pit Bulls Are Chiller Than Chihuahuas.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 19 Sept. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/09/pit-bulls-are-chiller-than-chihuahuas/500558/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2018.
