Save a life today! Spread the word!
As you may have already guessed, I am an animal lover. I love all animals, from the elephant of the Savannah to the mosquito-chomping spider sitting on my windowsill. Perhaps that is taking it too far, for some, but it is difficult for me to understand hatred based on something that no one can control. As you may be able to see from my photo gallery, two of my dogs are pit bull mixes, and as such, the breed has become very important to me.
This is first and foremost a site for sugar gliders. However, some things should be said wherever one can say them, because the truth takes precedence over some misplaced sense of continuity. I would like to present you with some facts about pit bulls, and their counterarguments. I am not a one-sided person, and will never knowingly deceive anyone. If you have a problem with any of these statistics, please email me using the Contact Me page, and I will post your complaint if necessary and fix any mistakes.
We've always wanted someone to blame for our problems. We've even convinced ourselves that it is true. The Jews were evil, blacks are inferior, women are inherently temptresses, and pit bulls are cold-blooded killers. Is your mouse wandering away, because you don't want to hear it? You don't want your beliefs about these dogs challenged, because you've seen vicious pit bulls, heard about their attacks on innocent children, and watched on as they have become the most hated dog breed in America.
The poster dog for America not long ago was the American Pit Bull Terrier. Stubby was the first war dog in America, and earned several medals and recognition by the White House in WWI.
Helen Keller's service dog was, in fact, a pit bull. There are several pit bulls even today that are therapy and service dogs because of their stable temperament, high trainability and intelligence, and general willingness to work and please.
Locking jaws are a myth. Physiologically, there is NO evidence whatsoever that pit bulls possess any kind of locking mechanism. The rumor was most likely founded in the pit bull's natural gameness, or willingness to keep on going once she has started something. The pit bull is a stubborn breed, no doubt, and will refuse to drop anything, in her mouth or otherwise, once she's got it. She delights in games which involve focus and drive, which makes her ideal for obedience and agility, especially considering her natural athleticism. She is, however, usually not suited for Shutzhund, a German sport used to train dogs in protection, because of her natural love of people, and unwillingness to be aggressive towards them. In fact, pit bulls in general, although they look tough, make horrible protection dogs. They are more likely to help a robber carry off your jewelry than anything.
Now, you may say, wait a minute. Pit bulls are naturally people-friendly? Yeah, right.
Right. Pit bulls were originally bred for dog fighting, and are naturally dog aggressive, as are most terriers. But do not confuse dog aggression with human aggression. In order to be a great fighting dog and earn breeding rights, a dog had to be able to fight his opponent, often to the death (sometimes the animals would refuse to fight one another, and they would either be beaten, shocked, or killed) but when the owner reached in to grab his dog, the dog could not bite him. Dogs that bit their handlers were immediately and ruthlessly killed. That is why, although many indiscriminate and ignorant people now make pit bulls human aggressive through bad breeding (crossing with guarding breeds, for example) or just plain abuse, the natural and well-raised pit bull would never harm a human. There are even a few good breeders out there who are breeding for temperament, and getting pit bulls that are less dog aggressive. Of course, even pit bulls not bred for temperament can be dog-friendly- it just depends on the individual and how it is raised. My male pit bull is very good out in public with other dogs, while my female sees another dog as prey. They are brother and sister! However, both are exceptional with children and adults, and, because of their high pain tolerance, they tolerate a child's pulling and tugging much better than other, more sensitive breeds.
Many argue that the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Terrier are the exact same dog. This would seem true, as a dog can be registered as both. Even if it is not, they are extremely close. Why do I mention this? Because the Staffy is the "nanny dog" of England. They are so good with children that they were the most trusted guardians of kids in the U.K. for quite some time.
Have you ever heard of the Canine Good Citizen Test? Pit bulls are superstars, with a 95% passing rate, although, in all honesty, if you look on the AKC's web site, the test is extremely biased towards a "one-size-fits-all" dog. Dogs must be almost completely unreactive in any situation in order to be labeled "good citizens", and the test does not take into account that different breeds were bred for different characteristics. Guarding breeds, such as Dobermans and German Shepherds, and terriers, such as the Pit, are at a serious disadvantage from the start. Look up the test requirements, and you'll see what I mean. Somehow, though, the Pits pulled through with one of the top four scores out of all breeds.
