Learn the facts, not the hype!
I have basically said everything I will say all throughout this blog in this one post. It's a simple breakdown for anyone who truly wants to advocate for the Bull breeds in a nutshell.
- Stop calling everything with four legs and short hair a Pit Bull. Pit Bull is a breed. It isn't a type of dog. It isn't a classification of dog. If a dog does not have a documented lineage, it is a mongrel. A nicer word for mongrel is mutt. Mutt is not a bad word. It simply means a dog of unknown breed origins due to lacking the proper documentation of lineage.
- Stop spewing temperament is about how dogs are raised and trained. Temperament is determined by a dog's genetics. If the dog has ancestors who were dog aggressive, they will be at greater risk than not to be dog aggressive. There is absolutely no way you can train genetics out of any living, breathing being.
- Stop spewing every Bull breed who ends up in a shelter was a victim of fighting or being a bait dog. Bait dog was a myth started by the ASPCA and government to scare people into making sure their dogs were not bred or re-homed so they have less of an issue to deal with. Since they have started this, underground, unorganized dog fighters have since grown fond of this idea. Once we stop putting this myth into people's heads, they will no longer do it. Just because a dog has scars does not mean it was fought in a pit or used as bait for practice. Dogs fight, regardless of breed.
- Educate people about proper confinement. The majority of dog attacks were due to lack of confinement by the owner. Push for stricter leash laws. Don't just sit in the back waiting for it to happen. Be the first in line to tell the government what YOU want to be done.
- Educate people on the importance of kid to dog interaction. I've said this soooo many times. Nobody who is a victim of a dog attack is going to say; "Well, my two year old was on the couch with the dog and kept hitting him in the face with the remote. The dog in turn growled at him to warn him. I got pissed off at the dog for growling and beat him with a broomstick. While I was beating him, I also cornered him which in turn put him into his natural defense mode to fight off predators. He eventually bit me. My two year old was scared and tried to break the fight. In the process, the dog felt even more intimidated so he started to attack my two year old as well. The other dogs in the house just followed their natural prey-drive instincts and joined in on the action. So, that's why they are bad dogs and need to be categorized as 1,238 pound Pit Bulls who should face euthanasia." NO! It doesn't happen like that. People will always say a story about how amazing the dog always was with children and strangers. The story will continue with the dog sleeping and just waking up and "snapping". People aren't going to admit when they have abused an animal. Am I saying all attacks are brought on due to the human? No. I strongly believe faulty genetics due to backyard breeding play a huge role in attacks. However, not every single freaking dog has faulty genetics.
- Educate people on the importance of buying from reputable breeders or adopting from a shelter. There is nothing wrong with breeding responsibly. The problem is backyard breeders who breed any two dogs together to make a quick buck.
- Educate people on the importance of spaying and neutering mutts. Not everyone will agree with spay and neuter, but if you can't be a responsible pet owner, then it needs to be done. If you as an owner can not guarantee you will never have an "oops" litter, get them fixed!!!
- Educate with facts. Pit Bulls were never nanny dogs. No breed of dog has ever been or will ever be a nanny dog. Dogs cannot cook, clean, change diapers or bathe a kid. Therefore, they are not nannies. If one were to ever be dumb enough to leave their dog to watch their children, they're just, dumb! Pit Bulls were bred for dog on dog combat. They weren't bred to look after farms. They weren't bred to fight bulls. The breed was created when bull baiting became illegal. They decided to pit dogs against one another instead. The Bulldogs were good, but they weren't quick enough. They started to mix them with a Terrier; the White Terrier. The White Terrier is now an extinct breed.
- Pit Bulls are inherently dog aggressive. There is no way you can train that out of them. Bull breeds in general are inherently dog aggressive. However, they are NOT inherently human aggressive. They have a will to live and are extremely eager to please their handlers. If a dog was human aggressive, it was culled. If it wasn't culled, it wouldn't be used to reproduce.
- Pit Bull is not a blanket term. The government used this as a cop out so their jobs would be easier. It's much easier to classify any dog with short fur, four legs, and two eyes as one breed than it is to break down individual dog related fatalities. You have Terriers, Shepherds, Bull breeds, Mastiffs, Molosser breeds, Retrievers and the list goes on. Pit Bulls are considered as Terriers and Bull breeds. There is no reason a Retriever mix should be considered a Pit Bull. Pit Bull is a breed. We don't go around calling a Jack Russell Terrier a Chihuahua. Why? Well, for starters, it's a Jack Russell Terrier. Not to mention, a Chihuahua is it's own breed. Just as the JRT is it's own breed. They can be classified as Terriers, but you wouldn't classify them as a whole different breed in general.
- Educate people on the breed standard. Pit Bulls are not 80 pound, blue hippos. They are lean, yet muscular. Blue is not a common color in the APBT. I have yet to ever see a Pit Bull who was not mixed with another breed. Some breeds just don't come in certain colors. Pit Bulls are one of them.
- American Staffordshire Terriers and Bull Staffordshire Terriers are not Pit Bulls. The American Staffordshire Terrier originated from the APBT. However, over years of breeding to a new standard and adding in other breeds, it is no longer a Pit Bull. The American Staffordshire Terrier never created the Pit Bull. The name was changed as well as the standard to stem away from the Pit Bull's fighting stigma. The nanny myth was attached to the Stafforshire Bull Terrier as a way to steer away from the history of England's pit dog.
- Stop being ARA (Animal Rights Activist) nuts. It's okay to fight for the rights of animals. However, it goes too far when a dog mauls a child to death and you're fighting to keep the dog alive. THE DOG IS UNSTABLE! Every dog the ARA have kept alive will live the rest of their lives in a small 10x10 living space. That's no way to live. Let us also add, any dog who has been saved from "doggy death row" for mauling somebody to death has shown more times than not, the same aggression repeatedly to the workers who care for them.
- If you own Bull breeds yourself, never put your guard down when it comes to other animals. Bull breeds were bred for their aggression. Not every dog of the Bull breed will be aggressive, but it's is a huge probability it will be at one point or another. Do not re-home a dog due to it's aggression towards other animals. As an owner and advocate, it is up to you to manage it. If you are not willing to put forth the effort with an aggressive dog, Bull breeds are in no way, shape, or form the breed for you.
- Never stop learning. I have years of experience and knowledge under my belt and I still learn new things. Sometimes I learn them daily, weekly, and monthly. All breeds, Pit Bulls especially, will never have an expert. Not a single knowledgeable person will ever be annoyed when it comes to somebody wanting to learn. You do not have to be scared to ask for help, advice, or information when it comes to Pit Bull owners and enthusiast.
- Lastly, never give up! I want to give up on a daily basis due to the utter lack of knowledge and extreme amount of ignorance I see with this breed. I can honestly say, I have been able to change thousands of views on Pit Bulls with facts, rather than opinions or myths. Some people will be interested in learning whereas others will be stuck in their on world based on lies and misconceptions.
Can you identify the Pit Bull in the next blog post?
