| | The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see discussion on the talk page.
|
A pit bull is a member of any of a number of breeds of dogs developed from the Old English Bulldog. Breeds recognized as pit bulls include the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier, although the name is also often used to refer to other breeds of similar characteristics, such as the American Bulldog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and mixed breeds that include any of these breeds.
The American Pit Bull Terrier is one of several pit bull breeds. Pit bulls were long considered, by some, to be an ideal family pet and are recommended to this day by the American Kennel Club as an especially good dog for children. But, in the 1980s, a series of well-publicized attacks on humans by aggressive members of the breed occurred, making the ownership of pit bulls controversial.
Contents
- 1 Characteristics
- 2 History
- 3 Safety and legal issues
- 3.1 Statistics
- 3.2 Laws
- 3.3 Debate
- 4 Dog fights
- 5 Positive Press
- 6 Miscellaneous
- 7 See also
- 8 External links
- 8.1 Media sites
- 8.2 Pit bull advocacy sites
|
Characteristics
Pit bulls are medium sized, solidly built, short coated dogs that require little grooming. They have an affectionate disposition, and are noted for their attachment to their masters as well as for their confident and intelligent temperament. Pit bull breeds are typically devoted and sociable, and are happiest when in the company of their human companions.
Pit Bulls are extremely athletic and energetic dogs, and require a great deal of exercise if they are not to become destructive. Although they can be short, they have extremely high muscle density and are generally capable of executing a standing four foot vertical jump. Pit bulls have also been bred to have a very high tolerance for pain. For example, the United States Postal Service, which equips its letter carriers with a pepper spray, notes that many capsaicin-based dog-repellent sprays can have little or no effect on an attacking pit bull.
Pit bulls sometimes display dominance aggression toward other dogs - a relic of the breeds dog fighting past - but should be friendly and tolerant towards people. A pit bull displaying the correct breed temperament is friendly towards strangers and makes a poor guard dog.
Supporters of pit bulls argue they can make good pets, but great care must be taken to select a dog bred for the traditional friendly temperament. A responsible pit bull breeder will actively select for proper temperament, but ignorant or irresponsible breeders sometimes breed dangerously territorial, fearful or aggressive dogs. None of the pit bull breeds are recommended as a first dog for a new owner as they are powerful and can be stubborn, and like many breeds require training and socialization to become well adjusted adult canines.
The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. breed statistics as of December 2004 show an 83.4% passing rate for the American Pit Bull Terrier and a 93.2% passing rate for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, as compared to an 81% average pass rate for all dog breeds.
Many other common breeds look similar to the pit bull breeds to inexperienced eyes, and can be confused for them. A few of these breeds are the Argentine Dogo, the English Bull Terrier, the American Bulldog and the Boxer.
History
The ancestors of modern pit bulls, English and French bulldogs, and other related breeds were powerful mastiffs bred for farm work. Specifically, these dogs accompanied farmers into the fields to assist with bringing dangerous bulls in for breeding, castration, or slaughter. The dogs, known generally as bulldogs, protected the farmer by subduing the bull if it attempted to gore him. Typically a dog would do this by biting the bull on the nose and holding on until the bull submitted. Because of the nature of their job, bulldogs were bred to have powerful jaws, muscular bodies, and the resolve to hold onto a violently-struggling bull, even when injured.
Eventually these dogs' purpose inspired the widespread practice of the bloody sports of bull-baiting and bear-baiting. Bulldogs are believed to have been bred with terrier breeds in order to produce a more muscular, compact, and agile dog for these competitions. The resulting dogs are known as bull-and-terrier breeds, and modern examples include all pit bull-type dogs. In Elizabethan England, these spectacles were popular forms of entertainment. However, in 1835, bull-baiting and bear-baiting were abolished by Parliament as cruel, and the custom died out over the following years.United States propaganda poster used during World War I depicting a pit bull In its place the sport of dog-fighting gained popularity. Dogs were bred for specific traits useful in the dog-fighting ring, refining the agility, gameness, and power already present in the bull-and-terrier breeds. They were also bred to be intelligent and level-headed during fights and unaggressive toward humans. Part of the standard for organized dog-fighting required that an owner be able to enter the ring, pick up his dog while it was engaged in a fight, and carry it out of the ring without being bitten. Dogs that bit their owners were culled. As a result, Victorian fighting dogs (Staffordshire Bull Terriers and, though less commonly used as fighters, English Bull Terriers) generally had stable temperaments and were commonly kept in the home by the gambling men who owned them.
During the mid-1800s, immigration to the United States from Ireland and England brought an influx of these dogs to America, where they were bred to be larger and stockier, working as farm dogs in the West as much as fighting dogs in the cities. The resulting breed, the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the American Pit Bull Terrier, became known as an "all-American" dog. Pit bull type dogs became popular as family pets for citizens who were not involved in dog-fighting or farming. In the early 1900s they began to appear in films, one of the more famous examples being Pete the Pup from the Our Gang shorts (later known as The Little Rascals).
During World War I the breed's widespread popularity led to its being featured on pro-U.S. propaganda posters.
Safety and legal issues
Statistics
Of the 199 dog-attack fatalities in the USA between 1979 and 1996, dogs identified as pit bulls were responsible for 60 attacks—just under a third. The next most-dangerous group was Rottweilers, responsible for 29 attacks (statistics from the CDC). These statistics are tainted by the fact that the breed recorded as responsible is taken from the reports of witnesses and is rarely confirmed by dog experts or registration papers. Because pit bull is an all-encompassing term used to describe several breeds of dogs, determining whether a dog is a pit bull is often difficult. A study[1] for the US Department of Health and Human Services discusses some reasons why fatalities might be overstated for pit bulls, in large part because most people (including experienced dog owners) often can't distinguish a pit bull from any other stocky, broad-faced, or muscular dog.
In addition, these statistics can be taken out of context--for example, were the number of attacks between 1979 and 1996 increasing or decreasing? Was the total number of dogs of each breed during increasing periods also increasing? For additional discussions on this and dog-human aggression in general, see dog attacks.
According to The Age, pit bull terriers have been responsible for four of the seven dog attacks in which Australians have died between 1991 and 2002. The Endangered Dog Breeds Association of Australia denies these figures, claiming that purebred pit bull terriers have caused no known fatalities in Australia. Most Australian state governments have introduced new legislation specific to pit bulls, requiring pit bull owners to muzzle and leash their dogs at all times when in public.
Some people contend that pit bulls are especially likely to cause fatalities when they do attack, due to their strong jaws and their tendency to clamp on to their victim when attacking. However, although pit bull terriers are indisputably powerful dogs, there is no scientific evidence that they have a stronger bite than other large dog breeds. In fact, when Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic (Dangerous Encounters: Bite Force, 8/18/2005) measured the bite forces of three dog breeds using a computerised bite sleeve, the American Pit Bull Terrier generated the least amount of pressure of the 3 dogs tested (the other two dogs were a German Shepherd and a Rottweiler).
Laws
In response to a number of well-publicized incidents involving pit bulls, some jurisdictions began placing restrictions on the ownership of pit bulls, such as the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in the UK, an example of breed-specific legislation. Many jurisdictions have outlawed the possession of pit bulls, either the pit bull breed specifically, or in addition to other breeds that are regarded as dangerous.
Recent pit bull mauling cases include the June 2005 attack on 11-year old Nicholas Faibish, who was killed by his family's dog in San Francisco while his mother was away running errands. This case, and others occurring shortly afterwards in the Bay Area, has led local and state politicians to consider ways to control pit bulls.
The Canadian province province of Ontario, on August 29, 2005 enacted a ban on pit bulls. It was the first province or state in North America to do so.[2] The breed can no longer be sold, bred, or imported and all pit bull owners must leash and muzzle their pit bulls in public. A 60 day grace period has been put in place to allow for owners to have their pit bulls spayed or neutered [3]. Also it left a period to allow municipalities to adjust to the new law. Prior to the bills passage, the Ontario government cited what it deemed the success of a pit bull bylaw passed by Winnipeg, Manitoba[4].
One American city to follow this lead is Denver, which recently passed legislation prohibiting citizens from keeping "pit bull type" dogs after May 9, 2005. Over 260 pit bull type dogs have been collected from their homes and euthanised since this date, resulting in widespread protest from dog owners and animal rights lobby groups [5].
Debate
The extent to which banning a particular breed is effective in reducing dog bite fatalities is contested. Some people maintain that pit bull attacks are directly attributable to irresponsible owners, rather than to any inherent defect in the breed itself. Other people believe that the pit bull terrier is a breed that, although not inherently dangerous, needs a particularly knowledgeable and committed handler and should not be freely available to novice owners. Still others maintain that pit bulls as a breed are invariably more unpredictable and dangerous than other dogs even when properly trained, and have no place in society.
It is unfortunate that pit bull terriers are popular with irresponsible owners who see these dogs as a symbol of status or machismo, as these owners often do not socialise, train or desex their pets. These are all factors that have been shown to contribute to increased likelihood of dog aggression, and may partially explain why pit bulls feature so heavily in dog attack statistics. Some people argue that banning the pit bull will simply result in irresponsible dog owners seeking to own other large breeds with similar temperaments (such as the Dobermann, Rottweiler or German Shepherd Dog), resulting in an increased occurance of dog bites from these breeds.
The Centers for Disease Control, which maintains the nation's database on fatal wounds inflicted by dog bites, is firmly against breed specific legislation.
In November 2002 the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that there was no genetic evidence that one individual dog is more dangerous than another, simply because of its breed.
Dog fights
In the United States, pit bulls are the breed of choice for dog fights, due to their incredible strength and dog-aggressive tendencies. Although dog fighting is illegal in the U.S., it is still practiced, and is usually accompanied by gambling. People who train pit bulls to fight, usually prepare them for fighting by having them pull weighted sleds and run on specially designed treadmills. Often the codeword "game bred" is used to indicate that a pit bull has been bred especially to fight. Breeding human or dog aggressive pit bulls is sometimes associated with the hip hop culture, which consider it a status symbol to own the toughest dog. [6]
The term game-bred may be used as a code for a fight dog, but sometimes referring to a dog that is game simply means a dog that is very determined to complete a task, be it a race, weight pull, or unfortunately even a fight.
Dog-fighters are the minority among pit bull owners. Most people who own these breeds direct their dogs' plentiful energy toward non-violent athletic tasks. Some people train their pit bulls for dog agility. Others involve their pit bulls in weight pulling competitions, obedience competitions or schutzhund. The pit bull often excels at these sports. Out of the 17 dogs who have earned UKC "superdog" status (by gaining championship titles in conformation, obedience, agility, and weightpull), nine have been pit bulls. Unfortunately pit bulls are increasingly being prevented from participating in these events, due to the introduction of local legislation requiring the breed to be muzzled and on leash at all times when in public.
Positive Press
Although negative information about pit bulls is widespread, there are also many positive stories. Some work in hospitals and care facilities as certified therapy dogs, many are well loved family pets, and some have even saved people's lives. There are many incidences of pit bull terriers being productively employed by U.S. Customs[7] and as tracking K9s in various Search and Rescue organisations.
Miscellaneous
Famous Pit Bulls
- Pete the Pup (or "Petey") from little rascals
- Tige from Buster Brown shoe advertisements
- Spuds Mackenzie is an English Bull Terrier
- The dog in Snatch (film) is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier
See also
- Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
- List of dog fighting breeds
External links
Media sites
- CBC.ca Ontario moves to ban pit bulls
- Why do dogs attack?
Pit bull advocacy sites
- Staffordshire Terrier Club of America
- Hug a Bull
- Pit bull history
- The American Pit Bull Terrier FAQ webpage
- A scientific discussion on the causes of the "pit bull problem".
Search Term: "Pit_bull"
Categories: Dog types | Dog fighting breeds |
