Conclusion

This blog has opened my eyes as to how others feel about pit bulls. I went in to this thinking that more people are against the breed than they are for it, but it turns out that I was wrong. During some of my research, I learned that the laws against them aren't as common as I thought they were and that more and more people are trying to change things and get justice for this breed. It makes me really happy to know this. I know that there is good and bad in every living thing out there and that anything is a product of its environment. If a pit bull is raised in a bad home and is taught to be aggressive then of course it'll grow up to be aggressive. But if a pit bull in raised in a great, loving home then that pit bull will be a very happy dog. 

Cesar Milan referred to some dogs as power breeds. These power breeds like Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, or German shepherds for example, have all been through the same discrimination that pit bulls are currently going through. I believe that giving these dogs all of the love they deserve and educating people on why a small percentage of the breed is aggressive, then pit bulls will no longer receive the hate that they are getting.

Interview

I asked a friend of mine a few questions about pit bulls. I was curious as to how she felt about them, so she was the one I picked for this interview. Here's how it went…

Q: Do you feel that certain dog breeds are more aggressive than others?

A: I think that some breeds are trained to be more aggressive than others. Just like people, people aren’t born mean, they’re trained to be mean.

Q: Do you think that it is the breed’s instincts to be aggressive or is it the owner’s methods in raising them that makes the dog aggressive?

A: Definitely the owner. You can see all over the place "aggressive" breeds not being aggressive one bit. If the owner is training the animal to be an angry and overly defensive animal, then that's what it will become.

Q: Do you feel uncomfortable around certain dog breeds because of the stereotypes made about them?

A: I do prefer certain breeds of dogs over others, but I don't ever feel uncomfortable around the breeds of dogs that have been stereotyped.

Q: What are some of the stereotypes you have heard about pit bulls?

A: That they shouldn't be around children, they shouldn't be a type of dog at all, that all of them are going to fight, they're all bad dogs.

Q: Would you ever consider adopting one of these dogs if you only had the knowledge of these stereotypes?

A: I like to piss people off, so yeah I would. Just because I'd want to prove them wrong. Plus, pit bulls are so adorable.

Q: Do you agree with the restrictions made on pit bulls? For example, some landlords won’t allow you to have a pit bull or sometimes they’re not allowed in certain dog parks.

A: I don't think there should be anymore restriction on them as there are on regular dogs. I feel this was because I've personally have had more issues with "family oriented" dogs than I have with "aggressive" dogs. Dogs are the product of their environment and their training.  

Through the Eyes of the Pit

I came across this poem from an unknown author. It is titled “A Pitbull’s Prayers”.

You made me what I am today, courage at it’s best.

You wanted me to know no fear , a cut above the rest.

Not only did I master that, I’ve thrown in loyalty too.

Look past my eyes into my soul, you know I’d die for you.

I’ll watch your kids, I’ll watch your house, your praise will be my crown.

Ask what you will, I’ll do my best, I’ll even be your clown.

But some of you don’t like me, I’m sure I don’t know why.

The only thing I’m guilty of is courage, love, and try.

But still they want to see me go, they want my breed to end.

Will I see you sitting idly by? You, whom I call my friend?

You made me what I am today, you never saw me waiver.

I’ve done my best to keep you safe. Won’t you please return the favor?

The speaker of this poem is the pit bull and it tells how we have made this breed out to be aggressive. The breed has only done what we asked of it, just like any other dog breed there is. “Ask what you will, I’ll do my best”. The breed was trying to please each and every owner just as any dog does. Some have praised the dog for being aggressive and some have praised the dog for being kind.

The dog in this poem is upset and confused. It was only trying o do well by its owner, whether or not those owners be good or bad. The dog is confused because even though it is doing well by its owner, people still want to do away with its breed. So the dog is asking all of the pit bull owners or pit bull lovers to not back down and give up on the fight to keep this breed alive.

Works Cited

Unknown, "A Pitbull's Prayers"

Breed Specific Legislation

In some communities, dog attacks are real and can be a serious problem. But addressing which dogs can potentially be dangerous is confusing and can be a touchy issue. This is why the Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) was created. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) definition for this law is, “BSL is the blanket term for laws that either regulate or ban certain dog breeds in an effort to decrease dog attacks on humans and other animals”.

            The breeds that are impacted by these laws are the ones that have gained a bad rap by us humans. In most areas, pit bulls are the main banned breed. Other areas include a big variety of other power breeds like the German shepherds, Rottweilers, mastiffs, Doberman pinschers, or any mix of these breeds or sometimes even dogs who may simply resemble any of these breeds. Many states however, don’t put a ban on one breed, they make laws that identify, track and regulate each dangerous dog individually. For example, if you own a dangerous pug, your pug will be banned from dog parks across the state. But there are still over 700 U.S. cities are still blaming the entire breed and have breed specific laws.

            There is no evidence that proves breed specific laws makes communities safer for people or other pets. The ASPCA followed through a study of human fatalities resulting from dog bites. This study showed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly oppose BSL. “The CDC cited, among other problems, the inaccuracy of dog bite data and the difficulty in identifying dog breeds (especially true of mixed-breed dogs). Breed-specific laws are also costly and difficult to enforce.”

            Breed specific laws cause the dogs, owners, and the public safety to suffer. The dogs are suffering from these laws because the owners of these banned breeds choose to avoid any public interaction. This can cause the dog to lose social interaction, exercise and even proper veterinary care. This can create negative impacts on both the dogs mental and physical health. The owners of these dogs can have trouble finding housing, they can face legal fees, or sometimes even have to put their pet down. The public safety suffers because there is only bans on the entirety of the breed, not just one individual dog. This means that there can be a certain dog of a different breed that isn’t banned. This certain dog could be dangerous but will still be allowed in public because of the BSL.

            The APSPCA says, “The CDC has noted that many other factors beyond breed may affect a dog’s tendency toward aggression—things such as heredity, sex, early experience, reproductive status, socialization and training. Conversely, studies can be referenced that point to clear, positive effects of carefully crafted breed-neutral laws”. Alternatives to these breed specific laws may include, more enforcement of dog license laws, making spay/neuter services more available, dangerous dog laws that focus more on the individual dog rather than the breed, community based approaches, and laws that hold the owner accountable for their dangerous dog.

Works Cited

"Breed-Specific Legislation." ASPCA. ASPCA, n.d. Web. 30 Nov 2015.

The Owner or The Dog?

Whenever any breed of dog kills someone, it will make the news. But deaths by dogs aren’t as likely as you may think they are.  The National Safety Council created some statistics of deaths here in the US. These stats state that you are 226 times more likely to be killed while walking down the street than you are to be killed by a dog. Cars carry an even worse statistic; you are 650 times more likely to be killed in an accident than you are to be killed by a dog.

There have been laws created, Breed Specific Legislation, that ban ownership of specific dogs. These laws ban pit bulls, Rottweilers  German shepherds, and other dogs that we view as power breeds. Cesar Milan made an excellent point on this, “On the surface, there might appear to statistical logic behind this, but it would be no different than banning only BMWs because more people are hit by them per year.”

Pit bulls got their bad rap because us humans gave it to them. In fact, 100 years ago, people loved pit bulls. Their job was to guard the house and watch other the children, even babies. They often did these tasks unsupervised because people had trust in them. Pit bulls carried a great reputation as nanny dogs. The stories you hear today about pit bulls attacking humans were unheard of. It wasn’t until the 80s when the pit bull attacks became more and more frequent. This is when dog fighting and gangs were becoming more popular. The dogs of choice for these gangs and the dog fight were the power breads such as pit bulls, German shepherds, Rottweilers, and even mastiffs.  These dogs were trained to be attack and guard dogs.

            Cesar Milan says “The reputation has nothing to do with the breed. These same people could have easily decided on St. Bernards or Labrador retrievers or Great Danes as attack or fighting dogs, and could have trained those breeds to do exactly the same thing. For that matter, Yorkies or Chihuahuas could be trained to show all the same aggression”.  But people won’t use the smaller dogs because of course the bigger the dog, the more fatal the bite can be.  But it isn’t just big dogs that kill people; some people have even been killed by beagles, dachshunds, and Pomeranians. Any dog can become aggressive, just as any dog can be calm. The main reason that dogs are aggressive is not their breed or their past. The human training them is the problem.

Works Cited

Milan, Cesar. "The Most Dangerous Dog" CesarsWay. Cesar’s Way Inc., n.d. Web. 29 Nov 2015.