American Pitbull Research Paper

Lauren Wallace
English 1102-426
3/16/15
Research paper
Most Misunderstood Breed
Here’s a little history on the American Pit Bull Terrior, dating back to late seventeen hundreds, the Pit Bull Terriors were used for bull baiting, hunting, and as family companions. When used as baiting dogs they were trained to latch on to the heads of bulls, bears, and other large animals. This was banned in the early eighteen hundreds and ever since then the notorious dog fighting had begun. Now, dog fighting has been banned and is a felony offense in all fifty states. Many dog breeds have been used for hunting and fighting, and are still used as family dogs today. For example, retrievers, pointers, spaniels, bulldogs and many more. These breeds were created
to hunt and now are popular family dogs. These dogs are not bred to bite or kill people, or be aggressive. They act on how they were treated and trained. Think of it like this, if you raise your kid to be a spoiled brat, they are going to grow up to be assholes. There are so many negative things I’ve heard about Pit bulls, but Pit bulls are mainly stereotyped because of three misconceptions.
The first misconception about pit bulls is that they are all aggressive because they were bred to be that way. First of all, according to the Alabama Supreme Court, “there is no genetic evidence that one breed of dog is more dangerous than another, simply because of its breed” (Don’t bully my breed). To add to that, I have family who own a four year old American Bulldog and have had her since she was one. That ninety pound “aggressive” dog lives on and for the couch. This dog is so lazy, I have watched my aunt paint her nails and she did not move an inch. I also have a neighbor with two Pitbulls, and one had ran off one day. A police officer had found him and without a problem picked him up and took him back. Then my neighbors across the street who own a collie mix had also ran off but when a police officer found her, the dog bit the officer. There you go.
Pit bulls are chosen by uneducated people and also to be fighting dogs because of their look and athleticism. The ASPCA states, “Pit bulls can attract the worst kind of dog owners—people who are only interested in these dogs for fighting or protection. While pit bulls were once considered especially non-aggressive to people, their reputation has changed, thanks to unscrupulous breeders and irresponsible owners” (Pit Bull Cruelty Facts and FAQs). Buying Pit bulls and breeding them for like they said fighting and protection has become almost a trendy thing in the United States. Raising any type of dog is going to take huge responsibility. I grew up with my neighbor’s two pit bulls and so have their two young children. I have never been attacked or bitten by either of these dogs, because they were trained and treated like any other family dogs. There’s a show on Animal Planet called Pit bulls and Parolees and they rescue pit bulls and hire parolees to help them on rescues and at the shelter. One time on the show they pick up a very emaciated female dog, who just had puppies. Her owner took the puppies and threw her on the streets. That is very common in the dog fighting community because after she’s had a litter whether it be one or two, she’s useless. Tia says after petting her and putting her in the truck says, “The saddest thing is, humans did this to her, and here she is asking a human for help. That’s forgiveness”. Pit bulls are an amazing breed, and during World War I, the Pit bull was the first decorated dog in the military.
Sergeant Stubby was his name and he survived being wounded twice, captured a German spy, and lastly saved his platoon from poison gas (A Brief History of the American Pit Bull Terrier). This is what was known and heard about the breed back then and now the media only can talk about how a Pit bull attacked a dog and some kids. The media including television, radio, and social media sources. They never talk about other dog breeds doing the same thing. How about the collie who bit the police officer and not the Pit bull. How about the Pit bulls that are used for therapy dogs at shelters to mentally and emotionally heal abused children? What about the Pit bulls that are helping soldiers that have come home from war cope with post-traumatic stress disorder? There are thousands of stories of Pit bulls doing things, that I guess the media does not find interesting. Here’s one example, Bryan Bickell, a player on the Chicago Blackhawks, started a foundation for Pit bulls that work with abused children and it was only shown on the news because he was raising money at a restaurant. All they show is Bryan Bickell making pitas. There was not one picture of the breed with children or of the breed at all. It just goes to show how the media will shelter the viewers from seeing what the breed can actually
do. I mentioned earlier the show Pit bulls and Parolees with Tia Torres, and Tia says in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres after Ellen says something about Pit bulls are capable of hurting other dogs and people. She replies to Ellen with, “Pit bulls by nature love people, and we forget who’s on the other end of the leash”. People have to take responsibility for why this breed gets such a bad wrath. It makes me sad when I see all these Pit Bulls overcrowding shelters because everyone only knows what they hear from the media and other people about the breed. There could be hundreds of thousands of stories of Pit bulls doing amazing things but the minute a story comes out that a Pit bull bit a person all the other great amazing stories get flushed by the media. I support the breed and have shown my family and friends what they can do. If I get one person’s support for pit bulls, I will feel accomplished.

Works Cited

"A Brief History of the American Pit Bull Terrier." About the Pit Bull: Origins and History. Pitbulls.org, 2010. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.

"Pit Bull Cruelty Facts and FAQs." ASPCA. ASPCA, 2015. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.