Pit Bulls: Threat or Pet?

They kill poodles and people, their cute little puppies gnaw off the toes and fingers of babies, and they rove about the American countryside in ravenous packs that could bring you down and tear you to pieces in a matter of minutes. Says the media. Anyone else notice they seem to have been coming down particularly hard on this dog breed of late?

Admittedly, they didn't make these stories up. Many harrowing incidents have taken place of late that have involved dogs of this breed. Britain actually has breed-specific legislation in place to try to reduce the number of these incidents. Many groups in the United States are clamoring for similar legislation in our country. Additionally, in response to the torrent of negative media pit bulls have received over the last few years, there has been an outpouring of support from owners and fanciers. Youtube.com hosts a proliferation of videos that show family pits cuddled up with babies, playing with children, and sharing a comfortable nap on the couch with their beloved owners. Others show the gruesome effects of novice dog fighters on pit bulls, and urge people to lash out against irresponsible and abusive owners rather than the breed. Here is just one example; have a look, particularly if you own a dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwI_qlq5vHs

What's more astounding is that there are still websites up and running that openly promote dog fighting as a gentlemanly sport. One popular site called the Pit Bull Reporter, offers online articles, magazine subscriptions to the gamesmen's magazine, and even custom made accessories for the pit bull trainer and handler like break sticks, heavy leather collars, and leads. There are also ads for "game-bred" puppies from "champion stock." Really, have a look: http://www.pbreporter.com/articles.htm

Back to the apparent problem of these dogs being used as domestic pets though. The truth of the matter is that the American Pit Bull Terrier is a breed that has, over the last couple hundred years, been selectively bred by man to be a fighting dog- to demonstrate unsurpassed gameness, athleticism and aggressiveness. And in this sense, they are impressively beautiful and amazing creatures.

A common defense of the pit bull fancier is that the breed is not inherently human-aggressive. However, there is no argument that barring proper training and socialization, they generally do have a natural tendency to want to get loose and tear apart other dogs. And it happens that poorly trained ones will occasionally display aggression towards humans as well. Moreover, dogs are like people; there are bad ones and there are good ones, regardless of breed. You cannot necessarily predict or assure that any dog will act a certain way, which is one of the drawbacks of dog-owning in general. Usually with proper training and responsible and loving ownership though, a well-tempered and obedient dog is the result. That being said, it seems that the pit bull in particular demands exceptional owners. I have seen far too many in the hands of people who don't have time to train, care for, and walk their animals. They're ignored and chained in back yards, and when they get loose, bad things are bound to happen. And through no particular fault of the individual dog of course; they simply don't know any better. It is irresponsible owners that are the threat. In light of these facts, it seems that breed specific legislation would be a wasteful and feeble attempt to remedy the problem that the pit bull is facing as a breed. But what else can be done? We are a long way in this country (or anywhere in the world for that matter) from screening individuals for dog ownership, and this would send many people into fits of indignation to boot. Could the breed be "bred out" to a degree to try to dilute the aggressive traits that are sometimes manifested? It certainly wouldn't be an exact science. It's a tricky situation that demands the attention and consideration of all dog owners.