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I heard Pit Bulls are just mean and vicious.
No more vicious than
Golden Retrievers, Beagles or any other popular dog! According to a study done in 2001 by American Temperament Testing Society
(ATTS), a national not-for-profit organization for the promotion of uniform temperament evaluation of purebred and spayed/neutered
mixed-breed dogs. The results show that out of the 22,967 dogs tested, the American Pit Bull Terrier achieved a
passing rate of 82.7%. That's better than Collies (78.5%), and Golden Retrievers (82.0%). See for yourself: http://www.atts.org/. 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 Pit Bull in this study disproves once and for all the old tired
belief that Pit Bulls are inherently aggressive to people. Like any breed of dog, a healthy Pit Bull that is properly raised
will remain loving and friendly. As a matter of fact, most Pit Bulls will show the theif where the stereo is if it looks like
they may get a pat on the head from doing so. Just as they were bred to be animal aggressive, they were bred to be people
friendly. Back in the dog-fighting days, handlers would need to be in the pits with the dogs while they fought, so any dog
showing human aggression was shot. Not to say that they can't be made to be aggressive, but that's the person behind the dog
doing that, not the dog. The dog is only doing what it was taught to do by an irresponsible owner (and in my personal opinion,
that type of owner should be shot!).
| Ares with Neighborhood Kids |
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I heard Pit Bulls have locking jaws.
No. A Pit Bull's ability to "lock
on" with its jaws is a HUGE myth that refuses to let go! The jaws of a Pit Bull are built the same as any
other dog's jaw. There's no 'enzyme', no special mechanism that would make a Pit Bull's jaws 'lock'. They're DOGS, not crocodiles!
Pit Bulls are scientifically classified as a 'Canine'. Canines do not have locking jaws. It's a scientific fact. IF they
did, science would have reclassified them to a difference 'species'; and they haven't. Because they are dogs, Canines
- No Locking Jaws!! What a Pit Bull does have is strength, tenacity (there's that Terrier Tenacity again!), and determination.
When he grabs ahold of something that he wants to hang onto, his willpower (and LARGE jaw muscles) is the glue. They
have MUSCLE JAWS not locking jaws. And they were bred to grab onto -and not let go of- the nose of the bull. I suppose if
I were looking into the eyes of a very angry bull, I wouldn't be incline to let go either!
I heard Pit Bulls can't be trusted around kids.
The
American Pit Bull Terrier has enjoyed a long history as children's favorite companions and family pets. When well
socialized and properly raised, they are the perfect breed to tolerate the rough and tumble play that only children
can properly 'inflict' *smile*. Pit Bulls seem to be drawn to the excited youthful energy of children. With their natural
exhuberance and desire to play, the children could easily be accidentally knocked down. As any medium
to large size dog excited about the prospect of getting to play with children could do. Of course, once down, they are
fair game for a full-on Pit Bull Tongue Bath! An uncontrollably laughing kid rolling around on the ground and an excited wiggly
Pit Bull trying to find every way there is to connect their tongue with that child's face! You jump in and try to stop
one of those! *smile* Just be prepared to get your own measure of Pit Bull tongue lashing! However, common sense dictates
that children should be taught how to properly interact with dogs (of EVERY breed) and should never be left alone with a dog (of
ANY breed) -for the safety of both, the dog and the child (you do not want to see first hand what an inquisitive
young child can do to the tiny frail legs of a Toy Chihuahua puppy's legs). To see Pit Bulls with their 'kids', check
out this great site: http://pitbulls.iwarp.com/photo.html. To get great information on Pit Bulls and kids, check out these sites: http://www.canismajor.com/dog/kidsdog1.html
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/kidsdog2.html
| Doesha, Rachael and Tiffany |
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I heard that if a Pit Bull shows aggression towards other animals, it will be aggressive
towards people too.
No. Let me be a little clearer. Absolutely Not. Animal Aggression and Human Aggression
are two completely different things. Just because a Pit Bull is aggressive towards other animals (dogs, has a high prey drive)
DOES NOT mean that same dog will be aggressive towards people. It is very likely that same dog will jump up on the bed with
the kids, roll over and beg for belly rubs. Pit Bulls were bred to be aggressive towards other animals
(bulls, dogs). 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 and/or small animals. Remember they are in the "Terrier" breed. And Terriers
love to chase rats and rabbits and go under ground to get them. The words Terrier and Tenacious could easily be synonyms
in the English language. It's in their blood and WE put it there so stop blaming the dog for something PEOPLE did. Just as
you accept that a Golden Retrieve, more often than not, will retrieve (that's what people bred them to do);
accept that a Pit Bull, more often than not, will be aggressive towards other animals, (that's what people
bred them to do). If you, as the person, start there with your expectations, it can only get better. Because a lot
of Pit Bulls actually love other animals. And just like any family dog we see today, a properly raised, well
socialized, responsibly owned Pit Bull should never be human aggressive. Pit Bulls that do show human aggression are not sound
dogs and should be humanely euthanized.
I heard ALL Pit Bulls kill/chase cats.
Many self-respecting
dogs of every breed will chase cats, and Pit Bulls are no exception. However, there are endless examples (see the above picture
of Hurley and Noge) of Pit Bulls that exhibit a lower prey drive and live peacefully with other pets, from rats (yes,
rats! I know someone whose Pit Bull has a pet rat!) to other Pit Bulls. And, there are some dogs who can never be trusted
with smaller animals. Again, this is true of any breed. I had a Cocker Spaniel once that was notorious for chasing cats and
squirrels. And just as I trained her to redirect that energy towards tennis balls (which I sometimes regret now; *smile*
for example, when she repeated throws the ball at me because she wants to 'chase' something!); prey drive in a Pit
Bull can be managed. It is important that you understand each of your individual dog's realistic
limits. This should include knowing their behavior with small animals. Training them to respect your expectations and
supervising all interactions will make the difference between success and failure. That goes for Poodles as well as
Pit Bulls!
If you are interested in other Fequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding Pit Bulls, check
out these sites:
Pit Bull Resource Center:
The American Pit Bull Terrier FAQ:
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