Little - Known Facts & Myths About Pit Bulls:Fact (fakt) n. 1.) a concept whose truth can be proved. 2.) a statement or assertion of verified information about something that is the case or has happened.
Myth (mith) n. 1.) an invented story, fictitious person, etc. 2.) a belief or set of beliefs, often unproven or false, that have accrued around a person, phenomena or institution
Fact - Pit Bulls serve as therapy/service dogs. The Chako Rescue Association has Pit Bull therapy dogs in Texas, Utah and California. Helen Keller even had a Pit Bull as her canine companion and helper. Cheyenne and Dakota are a team of hard - working Search - and - Rescue Pit Bulls in Sacramento, California. They play an important role in their community by locating missing people in conjunction with the local Sheriff. In their off-duty hours, they do charity work as therapy dogs.
Fact - Petey, the faithful dog on the TV show, The Little Rascals, was a Pit Bull. He spent countless hours with children day after day and never hurt anyone. He was one of the most intelligent Hollywood dogs of all time.
Fact - There are quite a few celebrities who have Pit Bulls as members of their family including: Rosie Perez, The Crocodile Hunter, Judd Nelson, Usher, Alicia Silverstone, Cassandra Creech, Sinbad, John Stuart, Amy Jo Johnson, Linda Blair, Vin Diesel, and Bernadette Peters.
Fact - Pit Bulls are heroes! America's first war dog was a Pit Bull named Stubby. He earned several medals during World War I and was honored at the White House. The Ken-L-Ration dog hero of 1993 was a Pit Bull named Weela. She saved 30 people, 29 dogs, 13 horses and a cat during a flood in Southern California. A Pit Bull named Bogart saved a four - year - old child from drowning in a swimming pool in Florida. Dixie, the Pit Bull, was inducted into the Georgia Animal Hall of Fame after she saved some children from a Cottonmouth snake.
Fact - Pit Bulls are one of the most stable people-friendly dogs in existence. The National Canine Temperament Testing Association tested 122 breeds, and Pit Bulls placed the 4th highest with a 95% passing rate!
Don't Some Dogs Have Aggressive Temperaments?"Aggression is a Behavior, not a Temperament."Will a Pit Bull that Shows Aggression towards other Animals go After People Next?No. Aggression towards other animals and human aggression are two totally different things. We've heard this frightened quote, "He went after a dog (or cat) and our kids might be next!" This is one big MONSTER of a myth that has generated a host of damaging anti - Pit Bull hysteria. It is perfectly 'normal' for a Pit Bull to be wonderfully affectionate and friendly with people, while at the same time not 100% trustworthy around other dogs. Like any breed of dog that we see in family homes today, a properly raised, well socialized, responsibly owned Pit Bull should never be human aggressive. Pit bulls that do show aggressive behavior towards humans are not typical of the breed and should be humanely euthanized.
Many people like to throw around the terms "good" and "bad" temperaments, but these labels are meaningless. A dog of so-called "good" temperament could easily become aggressive if abused or neglected. Dogs labeled as having "bad" temperaments are routinely rehabilitated by experienced, successful trainers. Labels like "good" and "bad" truly are meaningless, in that they are wholly relative to the environment in which the dog is kept.
Myth - Pit Bulls are Mean and Vicious.No more vicious than golden retrievers, beagles or other popular dogs! In a recent study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperament Testing Association (ATT), APBTs achieved a passing rate of 81.7%. That's as good or better than beagles (78.7%), and golden retrievers (81.1%). In these tests, a dog is put through a series of confrontational situations. Any sign of panic or aggression leads to failure of the test. The achievement of the APBTs in this study disproves once and for all the old tired belief that pit bulls are inherently aggressive to people.
Myth - Pit Bulls are Naturally Aggressive Towards other Dogs?The short answer, "No."It is more common than not to hear Pit Bulls referred to as "dog-aggressive". In fact, they aren't. Some may become fearful around other dogs due to a lack of proper socialization. But this happens with all breeds of dogs, not just Pit Bulls. Unfortunately, this lack of socialization is frequently encouraged by those who fancy themselves Pit bull experts.
So why are so many Pit Bulls involved in attacks on other dogs? Well, the answer is, they aren't necessarily involved more often than any other breed. For instance, Rottweilers are probably involved in just as many attacks on other dogs, yet they were not bred for dog fighting. If put to the test, most people would have to honestly answer that it is not Pit Bull involved in most of the dog biting incidents in their communities. Some, maybe. But just as many Labradors, Goldens, Dalmatians, Jack Russells, Poodles, etc. also stand accused of biting other dogs.
In reality, though, thousands of responsible Pit Bull owners have not only properly socialized their companion dogs, but many of them are even certified Therapy Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, and Assistance Dogs. This is proof that aggression towards other dogs is a behavior that can either be learned, un - learned, or never acquired in the first place. They were bred to be friendly towards humans. This idea flies in the face of the statistics.
Myth - Pit Bull are inherently dangerous? Absolutely not! Even if we believed all the myths about Pit Bull, the statistics still point to the fact that only a tiny percentage of the Pit Bulls in society are ever involved in biting incidents. Even if 5% of Pit Bulls bite, that would mean 95% of Pit Bulls don't. Surely 95% of a population shouldn't have to pay the price for the transgressions of only 5% of their ranks.So, are 5% of Pit Bulls inherently aggressive towards humans? No, again. Even those Pit Bulls that have been involved in serious biting incidents can be rehabilitated through responsible ownership and ethical training techniques. Only those who have never been successful at re-training dogs believe it can't be done.
The ability to determine if a puppy will become a danger, one day, is best achieved by viewing the puppy's owner. Does that person hope the puppy will grow up to be fierce, or protective, or a weapon? If so, it doesn't matter what breed of dog they own. They will likely be successful, through improper training.
The sad fact is, many powerful breeds are purchased in the hopes they can be used as weapons. This is not unique to Pit Bulls. However, the kinds of people who want their dogs to become aggressive have found that little 30 - 60 lb Pit Bulls can be trained to be just as menacing as their larger counterparts, yet they cost a lot less to feed and house. And because they are physically much smaller, are easier for inexperienced owners to manage. They are the perfect "pocket protector", relative to much larger breeds that were originally created for the purpose of guarding or personal protection.
While Pit Bulls do cause more fatalities than any other breed, the percentage of Pit Bulls involved in such incidents remains miniscule. The majority of Pit Bulls never bite or kill anyone or anything. When they do, the reasons are the same as they are for any of the other breeds who bite or kill. Poor training and lack of proper socialization by the dog's owner is to blame. This explains why so many unrelated breeds are involved in aggression incidents. Breed is not the deciding factor. The home environment is.
There are two main points that many people fail to recognize:There is no such thing as a breed of dog that won't bite.
The breeds at the top of biting statistics are the most popular breedsat the time. Meaning, in Canada, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds top the bite statistics, whereas Pit Bulls don't even make it into the top five. Any dog can bite. Any poorly trained dog may bite unprovoked. Breed is not the deciding factor, training is.
Myth - "Pit Bulls attack more people than any other breed." Bite statistics actually show otherwise. More popular breeds that are generally considered to be "nice dogs" top the majority of lists. It may seem to the general public who is constantly bombarded with disturbing reports on Pit Bull attacks that this is the only breed that harms humans with any great regularity. However, the fact remains that Pit Bulls are hot news items. Dogs of all breeds and mixes bite and attack people all the time, but it is mainly the Pit Bull bites that get sensationalized. A report about the local Golden Retriever that attacks and maims a child isn't considered newsworthy. No one wants to believe that any dogs -- even the fuzzy, cute, popular ones--are capable of biting. It's much easier to blow up and sensationalize a story about a vicious dog when it's a member of a breed who's reputation proceeds it. Pit Bulls are already considered the demons. All the reporters have to do is stand in front of the camera, look horrified, and say, "A Pit Bull did it".
Myth - "The only people that own Pit Bulls are criminals, and the only thing the breed is good for is dog fighting." The majority of Pit Bulls are owned by normal dog - loving folk. Pit Bulls are kept as companions; they're used as working dogs involved in search and rescue, therapy, and police service; they compete in obedience, conformation, agility, tracking, and schutzhund; the list goes on and on. Plus, although pit fighting was the main activity the breed was originally created for and involved in, there were also many other functions the breed was used for during it's development. This breed is truly a jack - of - all - trades.
Myth - "Pit Bulls have locking jaws."There is nothing about a Pit Bull's jaws that would physiologically distinguish them from the jaws of any other breed. The breed's jaws can't lock any more than a Poodle'scan. In fact, there is no animal -- domestic or wild -- with jaw - locking capability. Pit Bulls do have a lot of jaw-strength, however.
Myth - "Pit Bulls can hold on with their front teeth while chewing with their back teeth." Another physical impossibility. Pit Bull jaws are constructed in the same way any other breed's jaws are.
Myth - "All Pit Bulls are vicious", or "Pit Bulls are born mean". No one breed as a whole is bad, the same as no one race of humans is bad. Much has to do with the individual, it's genes, upbringing, and training.In the case of Pit Bulls, a breed that was created to be especially gentle with people, all of the human aggressive dogs are victims of one or more of the following: poor breeding, bad training, or irresponsible upbringing. There are thousands upon thousands of Pit Bulls that are loving, loyal, safe pets, who will live and die without ever having bitten a human. They are the proof that this "born bad" idea is fiction, pure and simple.
If you don't want a dog as part of the family, but just as a means of threatening other people; if you don't plan to incorporate such a social animal into family life, instead just leaving it alone in the yard to guard the property; if you don't know much about dog training, and expect to be able to physically restrain an untrained dog with a leash... if you're that kind of person, you'll be quickly overwhelmed by an adult Great Dane or Mastiff, for example. These breeds are much more costly to keep than a "pit bull", and they will soon be able to drag the owner anywhere they please, if not obedience trained. Unfortunately for "pit bulls", they are an ideal choice for thugs, criminals, and those who need a "tough" dog in order to feel "macho". They don't cost much and can, even without the requisite hours and hours of obedience training, be physically restrained by the average adult.
Doesn't playing tug-o-war or any tugging or pulling activity make Pit Bulls aggressive?No! It's actually fun for Pit Bulls. But if you're going to play with them like that you should invest in softer materials, such as soft ropes for tug-o-war or burlap sacks for a spring pole that way its a lot easier on your dog's teeth. They don't do it to be aggressive, they do it because they're very playful and fun loving animals and they always want to play. It's also a leftover trait from when they used to work on farms. Grabbing onto bulls' noses as a butcher's dog. Pulling and tugging games allow them to exercise this trait while having fun and conditioning while doing it.
If a Pit Bull has scars does that mean he has been fought?No! Pit Bulls are active dogs that, like kids, can do stuff that can get them hurt. Like chasing animals into bushes or trees. The point is that Pit Bulls can get scratched just as easily as a kid can playing around. So before you go assuming that all dogs with scars have been fought, just remember accidents do happen.
