Pit-bulls have Hearts too

The Pit-bull first originated back in the early 1800’s in the United Kingdom. Pit-bulls originally were first bred by using the Old English Bulldog, which is similar to what they call today’s American Bulldog. Pit-bulls also gained their popularity from a cruel and deadly sport held in the British Isles called bull baiting. Bull baiting comes from a event that used to be held by the British were Pit bulls would be set out to fight bulls until either or both were tired or injured. Some feel as if Pitbulls are just dangerous and vicious animal that have lockjaw's and a uncontrollable amount of aggression, while this could be true depending on how you train your dog their is also another side to these loyal animals that radiates protection due to their love for their humans. But behind the breed are many myths and legends but to determine an opinion we need to turn to fact and reality.

One point of controversy is whether a dog as an individual should be classified as dangerous or vicious due to the basis of its breed. Aggressive behavior and dog fighting have been the main factors of emphasis associated with the breed pitbulls. These bans stem off the core belief that the breed is unpredictably and inherently dangerous and vicious. So are pit bull breed as a whole actually dangerous and vicious? The spruce pets research discovered some of the following factors that influence aggressive behavior of any breed. “A dog that was deliberately bred from a line of aggressive dogs is more likely to have natural aggressive tendencies. A dog that is never properly socialized is more likely to be aggressive. A dog allowed to roam free or left chained up and alone is also more likely to develop aggression. Intact male dogs are statistically more likely to show aggression towards other dogs.” When forming an opinion based off fact and knowledge you must observe the following factors. Due to the sad fact that pitbulls are often owned by irresponsible people who only wish to earn profit off of illegal fighting, using the breed as guard dogs, or to even toughen up their own images has resulted in the notorious storm in creating aggressive dogs.

Many of the factors that affect a dog's demeanor depend on humans. Humans are responsible for proper training, socialization, and the "quality of ownership and supervision" of the dog. Moreover, the legislative history of pit bull bans also recognizes these human factors are one of the major contributors to the aggressive side of the animal. Opponents of BSL feel that the banning of breeds will not correct the problem. The solution lies in the prosecution of bad owners as well as educating the public. Pit bulls with responsible owners are not classified as dangerous, in fact, many are affectionate companions. It’s important to emphasis the loyal side of pitbulls. People tend to overlook how protective pit-bulls are towards their respected owner. Pitbulls are one of the most protective kinds of animals. A Pit Bull will do anything his people ask just to hear their praise. These dogs crave our attention and approval. This devotion to people has contributed heavily to the bad reputation of Pit Bulls, because a bad person can use a Pit Bull’s eagerness to please to train the dog for nefarious or criminal purposes. Pitbulls only want to please us, therefore resulting in such loyalty.

So should pit bulls be banned? Most supporters of Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) hope to see all pit bull-type breeds banned. They believe that all pit-bull dogs pose a risk. Opponents of BSL feel that the banning of breeds will not correct the problem. Instead, the wrong people will still find a way to get the dogs or they will simply move on to a new breed/type of dog. ASPCA feel “the solution lies in the prosecution of bad owners as well as educating the public.” It is important to know that pit bulls with responsible owners are in fact not dangerous dogs, but affectionate companions. Dangerous dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and breeds.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t blame pit-bulls for their actions because it’s not a pit-bull problem it’s a people problem. If we the people would properly train and take care of not just pit-bulls but all dogs there will be less violence and aggression towards humans and even other pets. How ever you treat animals is how they will treat you back. As a male college student who has grown up in America, the banning of pit-bulls in cities and states has grabbed my attention because it’s coming closer to home. Growing up I've always been around various breeds of pitbulls. Though I have never owned one because of my mother's personal opinion due to this controversial issue, I am certain that the pit-bulls I encountered weren’t dangerous. I remember dog sitting pit-bull puppies for my cousin and I never forgot how much I fell in love with this special one of a kind dog. My love for Pitbulls is so strong that my freshman year in high school, the summer my family were looking to add a pet to our family, they overlooked the pitbull for sale and in return resulted in me weeping. “All dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals. Treating them as such, providing them with the care, training and supervision they require, and judging them by their actions and not by their DNA or their physical appearance is the best way to ensure that dogs and people can continue to share safe and happy lives together” says the ASPCA.

I rest assured, strongly believing that these loyal animals deserve the chance to unveil their caring nature and loyal personalities despite their well known past history of aggressive nature.

Work Cited

1. Worrall, Simon. “The Most Feared Dogs May Also Be the Most Misunderstood.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 3 July 2016, news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/07/pit-bull-ban-aggressive-dog-breed-bronwen-dickey/.
2. “Pitbulls - Accurate Information and Statistics - Pit Bulls.” Pitbulls - Accurate Information and Statistics - Pit Bulls, 2019, www.pitbullinfo.org/.
3. “Position Statement on Pit Bulls.” ASPCA, 2019, www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-pit-bulls.
4. Medlin, Jamey. “Pit Bull Bans and the Human Factors Affecting Canine Behavior.” Pit Bull Bans and the Human Factors Affecting Canine Behavior, vol. 56, no. 4, 2007.
5. Are pitbulls dangerous? https://www.thesprucepets.com/what-is-a-pit-bull-1118284

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