A pit bull is a member of any of a number of breeds of dogs developed from the English Bulldog. Breeds recognized as pit bulls include the American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier although the name is also often used to refer to crossbreeds and other breeds of similar characteristics.
The pit bull is a descendent of bull and bear baiting dogs. The dogs left in Europe were bred along different lines developing into a smaller, stockier dog. The dogs brought to America are larger, with longer legs. In no way should the pit bull be confused with the Bull Terrier which is a cross between a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the extinct English White Terrier.
Pit bulls were long considered to be an ideal family pet, and are recommended to this day by the American Kennel Club as an especially good dog for children. Famous members of this breed include Pete the Pup (or "Petey") from Our Gang, Nipper from the RCA logo, and Tige from Buster Brown shoe advertisements.
In the 1980s, a series of well-publicized attacks on humans by aggressive members of the breed occurred, making the ownership of Pit Bulls quite controversial.
Characteristics
Pit bulls are medium sized, solidly built, short coated dogs that require little grooming. They have a friendly temperament and are noted for their attachment to their masters as well as for their courage. Although they are short, they have extremely high muscle density and are generally capable of executing a standing four foot vertical jump. Pit bulls have been bred to have an extreme 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, like many dog breeds, can be defensive towards their territory. Like all dog breeds, some members may display an inherent distrust of other animals (including humans) not perceived as being part of their pack, and a propensity to attack any such animals who venture into their territory. Pit bulls also, because of their dog fight history, may show unprovoked aggression towards other dogs.
Pit bulls can make very good pets, but great care must be taken should one choose to care for one. They are not recommended as a first dog for a new owner, and like many breeds they require training and socialization to become well adjusted adult canines.
The American Canine Temperament Testing Association rates pit bulls as having a 95% passing rate on temperament tests, as opposed to 77% for all breeds in general. Pit bull proponents claim that the aggressive personality traits present in some pit bulls (and many other dogs) can be subdued through proper training and owner supervision of the pit bull.
History
In Elizabethan England, the sport of bull-baiting was a popular form of entertainment. Trained mastiffs, a type of dog then used to hunt oxen and boar, would be set upon a tethered bull for the amusement of a paying audience. These dogs became known as bulldogs, and were the ancestors of many related modern breeds.
In 1835, bull-baiting was abolished by Parliament as cruel, and the custom died out over the following years. In its place the sport of dog fighting took hold, and it is commonly believed that breeders crossed bulldog and terrier blood to produce a better fighter.
During the mid-1800s, immigration to the United States from Ireland and England brought an influx of these dogs to America, where the strain diverged once again as new traits were selected for by breeders.
Safety and legal issues
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).
In response to a number of well-publicized incidents probably involving pit bulls, some jurisdictions began placing restrictions on the ownership of pit bulls, such as the Dangerous Dogs Act in the UK, an example of breed-specific legislation. On March 1, 2005, the Canadian province of Ontario enacted a law restricting the ownership of pit bulls, making Ontario the first jurisdicition in North America to do so [1].
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, however, denies these figures, and claims that pit bull terriers have caused no known fatalities, and that only 8 of 750 investigated bitings involved this breed. Most Australian state governments have introduced new legislation specific to pit bulls.
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. The extent to which banning a particular breed is effective in reducing dog bite fatalities, however, is contested. Some maintain that pit bull attacks are directly attributable to irresponsible owners, rather than to any inherent property of the breed itself. Others maintain that pit bulls as a breed are more unpredictable and dangerous than other dogs, even when properly trained. Still others argue that banning particular types of dog will simply result in aggressive dog owners looking for similar characteristics in other breeds instead.
Because pit bull is an all-encompassing term used to decribe several breeds of dogs, many times the issue of determining whether a dog, especially a stray or a mixed-breed dog, is a pit bull is left to inexperienced eyes. Often, a dog need only to look stockier, more muscular, broader muzzled, or have a shorter coat than usual for it to be considered a potential pit bull cross. This causes great difficulty in determining allowable or safe dogs, and people often err on the side of caution. A study[2] 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.
Dog fights
In the United States, pit bulls are the breed of choice for dog fights, due to their incredible strength and aggressive tendencies. Although dog fighting, a sport that is usually accompanied by gambling, is illegal in the U.S., it is still practiced. People who train pit bulls 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 aggressive pit bulls is sometimes associated with the hip hop culture, which considers it a status symbol to own the toughest dog. [3][4]
Some people train their pit bulls for dog agility. Others involve their pit bulls in weight pulling as an opportunity for their dogs to direct their energy.
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.
Positive Press
Although negative information about pit bulls is widespread there are also many positive stories. Some work in hospitals and care facilities as therapy dogs [5] and some have saved lives [6].
Trivia
Pit Bull is the brand of 'hoverboard' used by Griff Tannen in Back to the Future Part II.
External links
