All American Bullies

This is something I wrote back in 2013 but never published, while old it remains as relevant today as it did then. 

Violent attack dogs, vicious killers, a danger to society, this is the modern perception of a trio of breeds collectively known as Pit Bulls. The American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier are the three breeds of dog generally referred to as Pit Bulls, however the term can cover a wide variety of mutts and mixed breed dogs that simply share a similarity of appearance with these breeds. Many myths surround the breed, uncontrolled aggression, locking jaws, they have more bite pressure per square inch than other breeds, they don't feel pain, their brains swell and cause them to go crazy, they can randomly turn on their owners, they are only good for dog fighting, if they are aggressive towards dogs they will be aggressive towards people, the list goes on and on. These myths have sprung up in the last few decades along with the media frenzy around Pit Bull attacks. The propaganda against the breed has become so intense and all pervasive that it has led to breed specific legislation or BSL that forces shelter to put Pit Bulls down for the slightest infraction and even bans the breed outright in some areas. Many housing developments, apartment buildings and condo associations ban the breed. Most unfortunately most of these restrictions are based around loose visual indicators to determine whether a dog is or is not a Pit Bull rather than requiring genetic tests, meaning that any dog who so much as shares similar traits to the breed may suffer. Given all of these challenges the breed face it is only fair to ask where this perception came from and whether these myths have any basis in fact. 

 

Most people are surprised to learn that the Pit Bull was held for more than a hundred years as the all American dog and even the perfect nanny dog. The mere notion of a Pit Bull standing next to a baby or toddler would outrage or horrify anyone who has listened to the image of the breed in the media these days but it is not hard to find dozens of photographs of children posing next to the family Pit Bull from as late as the early twentieth century. Ironically the very traits that make the Pit Bull such an effective dog fighter are the very same traits that make the breed such loyal and effective household companions. The breed is loyal to a fault, endlessly seeking to please its owners, tough and tenacious. When directed towards violent pit fighting the breed is capable of extreme violence. When these traits are directed towards caring and protection the Pit Bull makes for an effective household dog and has served reliably as such for the better part of two hundred years. Immigrants from Europe found the Pit Bull an irreplaceable companion as settlers expanded west and through the 19th and early 20th Century the Pit Bull served as an All American dog, popular as a child caretaker, household guardian, working dog and American mascot. Many celebrities and famous figures owned Pit Bulls, including Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, Helen Keller, General George Patton and Fred Astaire. Even today with all the negative media attention many celebrities own Pit Bulls, such as Jon Stewart, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Kevin Federline and Pink. Pit Bulls like Petey from the Little Rascals and Stubby, the World War I hero, captured the hearts of millions for decades. A Pit Bull even serves as the mascot for the chain retail store Target. 

 

All of this begs the question of where this fear and negative attention comes from. Unfortunately the root of the Pit Bull's modern perception is in the creation and historic use of the breed. As the name suggests the Pit Bull was developed as a pit fighting dog, descending from long lines of dogs used for bull baiting and dog fighting in England and this tradition has carried through to this day in illegal animal fighting. Even today Pit Bulls make up the majority of the dogs used in animal fights. This reputation certainly does not help the public image of the breed. 

 

The factors that lead to animal attacks include a lack of socialization, abuse and chaining. Many if not all of these factors are common with dogs used for fighting, junkyard and guard dogs. Since most dogs used in these capacities are Pit Bulls, and therefore most dogs suffering this type of treatment are Pit Bulls, that means a disproportionate number of dog attacks are perpetrated by Pit Bulls. This further reinforces the fear and negative image of the breed, however the media is also fairly irresponsible and often attributes dog attacks to Pit Bulls even when the dog in question is from another breed or the reporter just doesn't know. All of this serves to self-perpetuate the image of the Pit Bull breeds in the media.

Which brings us around to the many myths surrounding the breed. These have also been reinforced by the media and popular opinion and have some basis in reality but unfortunately are almost always untrue. Pit Bulls do not in fact have any sort of locking jaw, some theories propose a special jaw mechanism, chemical or psychological response but none of these has been confirmed medically. Pit Bulls are simply tenacious and once they have it in mind to bite down on something they can be very hard to prize loose. Pit Bulls do not have the strongest bite of all dog breeds, German Shepards are just one of a number of breeds that all have stronger bites. It is also untrue that Pit Bulls can just snap or suddenly turn on their owners. Pit Bulls as a breed have a strong prey instinct that can make them troublesome around small animals or other dogs, however animal aggressiveness and human aggressiveness are two entirely separate traits and a friendly, socialized dog will not suddenly turn aggressive on its owners. In fact Pit Bulls are ranked second highest in temperament tests conducted by the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. right after Golden Retrievers. Many much beloved breeds score much worse than Pit Bulls including poodles, yorkies, jack russels, German Shepards and many more. It is also a myth that Pit Bulls do not feel pain. The breed does have a high pain threshold, in fact this is one of the factors that makes the breed so effective around children. Because of their high pain threshold Pit Bulls are less likely to be bothered by the grabbing, pinching and punching hands of young children. Pit Bulls are generally not bothered with children pulling their ears, grabbing their snouts, pulling on their tails and pinching their hides, things that would all bother and aggravate many other dogs. There have also been no medical findings to support any kind of brain swelling in Pit Bulls, or psychological triggers that lead to crazy behavior or violence. These are just a few of the most common myths, there are many others, but as we can see they have some basis in the behavior or history of the breed but no basis in medically verifiable fact. 

  

My own experience with the breed did not begin until about two years ago when I started volunteering at my local animal shelter. There I met my first Pit Bulls up close and personal. Like many I had heard the news stories, the propaganda and heard of the stigma surrounding the breed, but I had never really thought about it. Even so I felt some trepidation when I met my first Pit Bulls, a small voice in the back of my mind asking whether this was a good idea. All doubts were dispelled quickly however as the dogs I met seemed to all have the universal goal of climbing onto my chest and completely lathering my face in slobbery dog kisses. Of all the many dogs I met as a volunteer the Pit Bulls were always among the friendliest, most social, and most affectionate. They almost universally just loved people, wanted to be around people, wanted attention and wanted to slobber all over people. Despite this attitude it was easy for me to see how they could be intimidating, for dogs Pit Bulls are essentially furry balls of muscle, cram packed with strength and energy, and with jaws that look like they would be capable of swallowing my face whole. Yet that energy was always directed in catapulting the dogs into human presence, leaping into laps and leaning against my leg, those great big jaws open in the biggest, friendliest smile imaginable, pink tongue lolling all over. Between the dogs at the shelter and conversations with the more experienced volunteers I came to learn a great deal about the breed, and the challenges the shelter faced adopting them. Every Pit Bull at the shelter has to be friendlier, more sociable and more outgoing to get adopted than a dog of any other breed, the staff have to work harder to get them adopted and it often takes considerably longer. The public perception of the breed is constantly a problem. 

Just five years ago the shelter had a standing policy to euthanize any Pit Bulls they received for safety and liability reasons amongst others. Up until just recently it was standard to recommend Pit Bull owners not take their dogs to dog parks. Fortunately the shelter has adopted more individual based evaluations, recommending individual dogs for either dog park, play date or individual exercise depending on the specific dog's temperament. Yet the breed still faces many challenges in the public perception, despite the areas dog friendly community. A number of the shelters volunteers have gotten together to form a group called the "Pit Crew" that works to advocate the bully breeds, organize events and promote shelter dogs to potential adopters. It is always an uphill struggle to educate the public about the breed and overcome the popular perception of the breed, but it is a struggle many volunteers find more than worth it after experiencing the breed first hand. 

 

The Pit Bull Terrier is a breed with a very mixed and rocky past, long associated with both the viscous underground dog fighting sport and simultaneously all American family values, the Pit Bull faces a great deal of opposition in public opinion and the modern media. Yet for those who have experienced the love and affection of the breed these will ever be difficulties worth overcoming, and Pit bulls will ever answer the public with the wide wrinkled grins you just can't help but love. Ignorance and fear cannot keep a good dog down.