Pit Bulls: Image vs. Reality

Growing up, I was a cat person. My family always had at least one cat, usually two. My parents still are cat people, but now they have 3 cats. But that is a blog for another time. Anyhow, my wife on the other hand, has always been an animal person. She can't even look at a stray cat or dog, or even turtle for that matter, without wanting to bring it home. But, if I had to pigeon hole her into a category, I would say she is a dog person. In fact, it was her family's dog, Pepper, a Dalmatian, that started me on the path to becoming a dog person. As most of you know, we now own two English Mastiffs, Lucy (8) and Howard (3). I went from being a little bit afraid of dogs (after being bit twice, you get a little traumatized), to having virtually no fear of dogs. Owning the breed of dog that is in the Guinness Book of World Records for largest dog will make most other dogs seem a bit underwhelming.

However, there are dogs that I have a very deep respect for, and won't just go running up to them and starting rubbing their belly. The one that is on top of that list is Pitbull. I am sure just the mention of this breed made half of you turn on the light, make sure the doors are locked and the cat is in. Afterall, they are the most vicious and heartless dog on the planet. They are a killing machine. At least that is what the media has gotten all of us to think. I will admit, that for the longest time, I felt that it was just in the nature of the Pitbull to attack even when unprovoked. But, without a doubt in my mind, the Pitbull is one of the most misunderstood animals in existence, right up there with sharks. Yes, some Pitbulls do attack. Yes, some are vicious. But, to say, in a blanket statement, that all Pitbulls are bad and the breed should be exterminated is ridiculous. Why?

Whether a Pitbull will be aggressive, and evil comes down to just a few factors. Really, they are factors that determine whether or not ALL dogs will be aggressive and evil.

1) BREEDING

One of the biggest problems in the dog community is "backyard breeding". You get some addlepated buffoon that thinks they can make a quick buck by letting their two Pits make babies. That's why if you get ANY puppy, you really are better off getting one from a respected breeder. Most respectable breeders do their best to either breed certain characteristics in or out of their puppies. They can do this with physical attributes such as color, size, and health, as well as the dogs temperament, i.e. personality. Almost ALL backyard breeders don't think to do this or even care if it's done. Also, backyard breeders will sometimes be extremely irresponsible about the dogs they breed. With all the inbreeding going on in those backyards, the backyard in which they are being breed should be known as Kentucky. (Sorry to any friends I used to have in Kentucky.) Believe it or not, their is incest in the animal kingdom. When I was 5, my parents got a retarded cat from my aunts farm. For the 14 years he lived, he would be laying on your lap purring away, then next thing you know he was trying to claw out your eyes. That was an example of farm cat inbreeding. The same thing results in the canine world. You breed a brother and sister together that are both angry dogs, what do you think you are going to get? You are going to get Charles Manson in a dogs body only not quite as charming.

2) Socialization

All dogs need to have interaction with both other dogs, and other people than just their owner. If you have a dog that never goes out of the backyard, that dog is not going to do well when it finally does get out of the backyard, it doesn't matter if it's a Pitbull or a Labradoodle (Although, what self respecting gangster owns a Labradoodle?). Now, hopefully I don't get myself in trouble here, but what type of people usually own Pitbulls? Probably the better portion of people that own Pitbulls are people that shouldn't have any kind of dog. They lack the time, money and/or education to know how to raise a well socialized dog. That being said, some of the most well behaved Pits I have seen were owned by people that didn't appear to have a lot materially in life. But, they appeared to have the intelligence to handle socializing their dog. On the other hand, I have seen wealthy people with a Labradoodle that barely had control of their dog. I chalk that up to a lack of time and possibly a lack of intelligence. Many times, when Pitbulls do attack, they seem to go after kids. I know my dogs don't love kids, but mostly because they aren't around them much. They aren't mean to the kids, they usually just run off and hide with their tale tucked deeply between their legs. Now, you get a Pitbull that is never around kids, and that is a recipe for disaster. They see that little "thing" as a threat. So, it's up to the OWNER to socialize their dog so it will play nice with others.

3) Training

Our last factor we will consider is training. In many ways, a lack of training comes down to many of the same reasons a dog lacks socialization. But there are a few things that makes it a category in and of itself. Training is important in all dogs, but especially with dogs like Pitbulls. Pitbulls, by nature, are determined animals. That's why they use them for dog fights. The Pitbull will fight to the death if an owner tells it to do so. In the dogs mind, he is defending his owner. Therefore, Pitbulls need training so they know what they should be doing with all that determination. As we see from my example, that can be used for the bad, like in dog fighting. But, with the proper training a Pitbull can be the best family pet anyone could have.

So what am I trying to say? I am trying to say that the bad wrap the Pitbull gets is because of the morons that own them. For some reason, the same people that feel it's okay to squeeze out 6 different babies from 9 different daddies, think it's cool to own a Pitbull. A good rule of thumb is, if you are totally inept at raising children, you probably should stay away from a strong willed dog like a Pitbull.

I have always felt there are two things people should have to pass a test for before they can do it. Those two things are, 1) Have children and 2) Own a dog. Maybe if this was done Pitbulls wouldn't have to be vilified by the media, and made to wear a muzzle 24/7. Most of those dogs are probably more deserving of respect than some of their owners. Maybe we should put the muzzles on the owners since they are ones that are really at fault for most of the Pitbull's woes.