This post is a little off topic from what I usually write about, and more controversial than my usual subjects. It’s likely that most people will feel very strongly about this subject one way or the other. The subject being Pit Bull Terrier dogs, specifically if any special restrictions or regulations should be placed on those dogs as a breed, or their owners.
Wow, easy there Pit Bull owners and supporters! Before you growl and snap into a rage of angry comments, hear me out. It’s well documented that Pit Bulls or Pit Bull mixes are the number one offender when it comes to attacks on humans and other dogs, so there is really no point in arguing about that. At least a few times a year I hear a local story on the news or elsewhere of an attack from a Pit Bull. Here is a local article from last month of an incident very close where we live. If that didn’t sound convincing enough for you, then here is another high profile incident that took place across town a couple of years ago. The second article demonstrates just how ferocious Pit Bulls can be, and how they are perfectly capable of killing a grown adult- which fortunately didn’t happen in this case.
These are just two stories out of dozens I found online for our metro area in the last couple of years, although it’s not just a local problem. Every place I’ve lived there have been local news stories about Pit Bull attacks seemingly every few months. I’m sure many more go unreported. To get an idea of the scope of this problem take a look at this random website (one of many) I found, which lists hundreds of Pit Bull attacks and killings over a period of a couple of years. The shocking thing is that many of these attacks resulted in a human death!
My personal experience with Pit Bulls is mixed. I’ve known people with Pit Bulls that were very well trained, behaved, and likely had good genetics. I like them enough that I considered adopting one when we were looking for a dog. However I quickly ruled it out because they are too dangerous, and I don’t think you can ever fully trust them. I wasn’t worried so much about myself as I was my wife or anyone who might visit our home. Just because a dog behaves well around its owner doesn’t mean that it will act the same way when a neighborhood kid pulls on its tail.
Since we have adopted our dog Mulder (a Chesapeake Bay Retriever Mix) we’ve been frequent visitors to the dog park where I’ve gotten to know different dog breeds and their behaviors quite well, including Pit Bulls. The dog park is a great way to socialize your dog to other dogs and people while letting them stretch their legs and get good exercise they might not be able to do otherwise in a small yard. Unfortunately we’ve had to limit our dog park visits to times when it’s not busy such as early afternoon weekdays. The reason is that when it’s crowded there are almost always incidents, either with aggressive dogs or small children running around unattended. I can never understand how parents can let toddlers run around and play in a park that is full of dogs weighing up to 200 pounds and running at speeds up to 30mph. It’s just asking for trouble. The other problem is with aggressive dogs, most often Pit Bull Terriers.
Two teenage puppies greeting one another
In a recent incident at the dog park Mulder and I pulled into the parking lot only to witness a dog fight in progress which involved a Pit Bull and a Boston Terrier, along with several other dogs and people crowding around. It wasn’t really a fight but more like the Pit Bull attacking the much smaller Boston Terrier who didn’t stand a chance. The Pit was darting and lunging aggressively towards the Boston and then pinning him into submission on his back while growling at him with his mouth at the dogs throat. The owner would grab the Pit Bull and within 30 seconds release him only to witness the same thing happen again. A Great Dane, another Pit, and about 10 other dogs were all circling around as the intensity level grew. One guy started picking up all the small dogs and throwing them over the fence to get them out of danger as this was unfolding.
I had seen enough so I left Mulder in the car then walked over there and asked who owned the Pit Bull. A lady announced “he is mine and he is usually very good in here”. I bluntly told her that she needed to get her dog out of park because he’s too aggressive. I don’t think she was very happy about my request, but everyone else was either in shock or too scared to speak up. Her idea of disciplining the Pit Bull was to hold him, and then release him again to see what happens. This was only encouraging the behavior and training the dog to think it is ok to be aggressive and attack. In this case both the dog and owner were at fault since the dog was aggressive by nature, and the owner didn’t know how to handle it. She did leave without further incident and took her lady friend who had the other Pit Bull and a Great Dane with her. The terrified Boston Terrier owner was in shock and left immediately.
How a big dog should greet a little dog
I can tell you at least 10 other stories of Pit Bull incidents and near maulings I’ve personally seen at the dog park, and I know for a fact that some dogs have been killed at the park by other aggressive dogs. To be fair it’s not always Pit Bulls. Any dog is capable of biting, even ankle biters. Just ask Mulder who got a nasty bite on the nose from the 10 pound dog down the street. I’ve seen violent aggression at the park from Rotweillers, Great Danes, one German Shepherd, and even a Husky. Except for the Rotti those were rare aggressive dogs that weren’t typical of their breed, from all the ones I’ve seen in the park and elsewhere. Although any dog can be aggressive or bite Pit Bulls have the worst reputation and statistics. This article and others I’ve read indicates that nearly half of all fatal dog attacks are from Pit Bulls, with Rottweilers coming in second.
The argument from Pit Bull supporters (including some you might see on TV) is that any dog can be trained, and it’s always the owners fault, not the dogs. They say there are no bad dogs, just bad people. In some cases I agree with this depending on the dog and behavioral issue. However in all cases I agree with science that points to breeding and genetics as defining behaviors of certain dog breeds. Retrievers are bred to retrieve, Hounds are bred to track, Greyhounds are bred to race, and Pit Bulls are bred to fight, attack, and kill. No matter how hard you try, those genetic traits can’t always be controlled by training and discipline. Try training a Greyhound not to run, or a Hound Dog not to howl, it just doesn’t work.
Some of the aggressive traits have been bred out of Pit Bulls by responsible breeders. Unfortunately you have as just as many or more irresponsible backyard breeders who keep breeding killer traits into Pits in order to produce killing machines, either for fighting or as guard dogs. Some of these unfortunate dogs end up with a dismal life getting chained to a tree or isolated in a backyard simply there to bark at intruders. The females will typically only be used to breed and eventually end up in the pound, along with older dogs or retired fighters that survived. Pit puppies will either be taken in by breeders, or end up at the local pound where families looking to adopt a cute little puppy will pick them up. Search any humane society web site where Pit Bulls are legal and you will find they make up a large percentage of the dogs up for adoption. While most people that adopt them have only good intentions, they usually have no idea of the breeding history of their newly adopted Pit puppy, and what it might be capable of down the road.
So what is the solution to the problem that most people don’t care about until it affects them?
1. I believe that only certified breeders should be allowed to breed Pit Bulls in an effort to remove some of the nasty traits from the dog breed. Any Pit Bull that is not owned by a licensed breeder should be neutered to prevent more Pit pound puppies.
2. Secondly Pit Bulls Terriers and Pit Bull mixed breeds should not be allowed in public dog parks. They are bred to fight, and as I noted before too many of them do just that when placed in a fenced in park surrounded by other rowdy dogs.
3. Since these dogs are capable and known to kill, they should be considered a deadly weapon just like a gun. Just as you have to get a permit to own a gun, the same should be true for a Pit Bull. Just as a gun has a safety, any Pit Bull that has been reported as attacking a person or animal should be required to wear a muzzle at any time they are outside of the home. Too often fatal Pit Bull attacks are from repeat offenders.
4. Additionally I’d like to see an aggressive dog breed training class required for Pit owners, and required obedience classes for the dogs. This will deter a lot of irresponsible people from getting Pit Bulls, and ensure that the people that really do want a Pit are educated about the dog’s behaviors. Additionally the dogs themselves will be less likely to attack after some obedience training.
I don’t like to single out a specific breed because there are a lot of good Pit Bull dogs, but there are plenty of bad ones too, and the bad ones can be killers. An attack from a Pit Bull is not going to have the same outcome as an attack from a Golden Retriever. Once a Pit Bull goes into attack mode it won’t quit, which is why police officers so often have to shoot them in order to stop an attack. You may or may not know what your Pit Bull is capable of until it’s too late; every dog can have a bad day just like a person. These restrictions will be for the good of the public, along with the Pit Bull owners and dogs themselves.
If you still don’t agree with me then consider the alternative, which I do not support, but only report. Many cities and even countries have banned Pit Bulls in response to the outcry over so many maulings. My old hometown of Denver is one of the places that have implemented a ban on Pit Bulls after a 3 year old boy was killed by one. The city has taken an extreme approach by having animal control confiscate all Pit Bulls and Pit mixes from their owners to have them euthanized. I do not support this Hitler-like movement in any way shape or form. To have your family pet taken away is an awful thing to have happen.
On the other hand if you choose to adopt a dog that could potentially kill, then you are taking a big risk for your family. It’s when you bring that risk with you to the dog park or let it loose in the neighborhood that I have a problem, because then it becomes everyone else’s risk too. If you are going to own a Pit Bull you have to own the responsibility that it could kill, and take the appropriate measures to make sure you and your dog don’t end up on the 6 o’clock news.
As I said before I like Pit Bulls and think the ones that are well bred and behaved are really cool dogs. However, in my opinion it’s just too much of a risk to trust them in the home; especially when there are so many other great family dogs out there waiting to be adopted. Furthermore it’s irresponsible for Pit Bull owners to go around promoting them as perfect family dogs who love kids and other pets, just because they haven’t had any problems with theirs. When your neighbor picks up a Pit Bull at the pound per someone’s recommendation, and that dog’s genetics are true to what the dog was originally bred to do, then it could be your kids and pets at risk.
