Pit Bull: Friend or Foe?

Like humans, animals have their own personalities, traits, and characteristics that make each of them unique. A particular dog may remind you of the neighbor that always waves when you pass on your morning jog, or he may remind you of the grumpy old man that closes his door to a Girl Scout selling cookies. Whatever the personality of a dog, it cannot, and should not, be assumed by his breed.

One breed in particular may be more commonly misunderstood than any other. Pit Bulls-otherwise known as American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or Bull Terriers-have a reputation for being aggressive fighting dogs yet, in terms of their average temperament, Pit Bulls can be "eager to interact in a friendly manner," according to Mary Harwelik, a professional dog trainer who has had about 15 years of experience with the Pit Bull breed of dogs. In a recent interview, she asserts that Pit Bulls are normally "stable, tolerant, and adaptable." Harwelik goes into more detail of the average temperament of Pit Bulls on her web site, The REAL Pit Bull, at www.realpitbull.com.

Pit Bulls have such an adverse reputation that people have become unnecessarily afraid of them, cringing at a bark and running in fear at the sight of this breed. If another dog, such as a Golden Retriever, barked or followed a child down the street, would one be as afraid?

In temperament tests performed by the American Temperament Test Society-a national, not-for-profit, and respected organization dedicated to uniform temperament evaluation of purebred and mixed-breed dogs-the Pit Bull received higher marks than many other breeds well known for a calm disposition, suggesting that they have a more agreeable personality. Scores are obtained by evaluating each breed of dog in categories such as: Behavior Toward Strangers, Reaction to Auditory Stimuli, Reaction to Visual Stimulus, and Self Protective/Aggressive Behavior. A higher score indicates a breed that is less threatening and less aggressive than others.

For example, 84.1% of the American Pit Bull Terriers tested passed the temperament test. In addition, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed received a score of 85.2, and the Bull Terrier received a score of 91.5. Unexpectedly, the Golden Retriever received a score of 83.8, lower than one would expect for a dog that is known to be a 'family dog'. Likewise, the Cocker Spaniel received a score of 81.7, while the Collie received a score of only 79.2. These scores are reported on the ATTS' web site, www.atts.org.

As with children, dogs learn temperament and behavior characteristics from their family. If a dog's owner does not take on the responsibility of training a dog to behave, whatever the breed, there will be instances in which the dog will misbehave. There are always exclusions to the rule, as society clearly portrays in the media each time a dog acts out against his owner or a child. What the media does not portray are the facts behind the aggression, the owner's role in the behavior of the dog, and whether or not the victim threatened the dog into a protective action. Mary Harwelik goes on in her interview to say that she believes "the public's vision of the Pit Bull is skewed because largely their information comes from inaccurate media sources."

When asked whether she believed that Pit Bulls are a family-friendly breed of dog, Harwelik stated, "Pit Bulls can make excellent family dogs. They are stable, human-friendly dogs, not prone to aggression towards people, are active, loyal, affectionate, and tolerant." She adds, however, that "because of their strength and high energy level, they may be unsuitable for homes with very young children, and due to animal-directed aggression, may be best as the only companion animal."

Genetics, education, family principles, and life experiences all have a bearing on how dogs are raised, just as with humans. And just as with humans, one should not judge a dog on the basis of his class or category, in particular, his breed. A dog should not be shunned for being Pit Bull, Golden Retriever, or Cocker Spaniel, just as a person would not be evicted for being Caucasian, Mexican, or African American. Each is due his 'innocent until proven guilty' right to a pleasant life.

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