Why Do We Hate Pit Bulls?

This is a speech/essay I wrote for my English class last year.

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Why do we hate pit bulls?


What do you look for in a dog? Color? Size? Behavior? Or personality?
The American Pit Bull has a strong desire to please. Studies have shown that the pit bull had expressed more emotion, rationality, and irrationality than any other breed today. The pit bull lives about twelve years, and has about 5-10 puppies. They have smooth, shiny, short hair and shed an average amount. They’re short, thick, and stalky. The have big muscles, a thick neck, and a wide jaw. They have round eyes and are extremely agile for their size. A pit bull is highly protective of it’s owner and their property and will often fight to the death for them both. They are excellent with children, have a high tolerance for pain, and will happily allow small children to tug at them.
So why do we hate them so much?
The American Pit Bull is a UKC registered breed, not just a nickname for a vicious dog. At one time the pit bull was a loved and trustworthy companion. People who chose to neglect and train these dogs for fighting are part-way responsible for the banning and dislike of this breed that has sweeping the US.
The media, however, should also be mentioned. In a lot of cases, when the media is reporting a pit bull attack, it isn’t even a pit bull. It’s a mixed breed or a mutt. As an example, there was a news report in Philadelphia on KYW news about two pit bulls attacking a person. They did not look like pit bulls, in fact, they looked more like boxers. The news station was called and asked if they knew if the dogs were in fact purebred, or if they were a mix of some sort. The news station stated that they, in fact, did not know the breed of the dogs for sure. But, they kept calling them pit bulls in reports. Why? To draw more attention from the public. The pit bull’s reputation is being slowly undone, and a lot of people are to blame, but not the dog itself. This very loyal dog is determined on pleasing it’s owner, and, ironically, this is the root of it’s own undoing.
When a pit bull, or any dog, for that matter, is being trained to fight it’s an ugly process. When the dog is a puppy it is stuffed in a small cage and starved. The trainer dangles a toy or container containing raw meat from a rope in front of the starving dog. The dog then smells the meat, and rips open the container, or toy, for the food. This inevitably teaches the dog that in order to get their food, they must rip something open. So, when they’re being fought, they go straight for the other dog and try to rip it open, because they’re hungry.
I think that would make ANY dog vicious, don’t you?
The demeanor of a pit bull depends on the person raising it, not the dog itself. In fact, last year alone the number of pit bull attacks was outnumbered 3.2% by small dog breeds, such as Chihuahuas, Lhasa Apsos, and Shiatsus.
I have a pit bull and I can tell you that the worst she’s done to anyone is drown them in drool, and she’s caught a few people with her nails jumping up on them. I don’t think this breed should be hated the way it is, or feared the way it is. If you’re scared of one of these dogs, or dislike them, you should get to know one of these dogs. Stop and ask someone walking one to pet it, or talk to someone who owns one. Don’t move to the other side of the street because someone is walking one. It’s a dog, not a bulldozer. And, if you’ve had a bad experience with this dog, or any other type of dog, for that matter, don’t hate the dog, or the breed. They only act how they’ve been taught and you should be mad that anyone would let their dog behave like that.

This is a good topic! I work for a rescue that deals mainly in so-called 'pit bulls' (which includes, here, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, and various breeds of bulldog).

What do you look for in a dog? Color? Size? Behavior? Or personality?

I think your beginning here could be stronger. It's not quite a 'hook.' Maybe clarify that you mean when someone is looking to purchase a dog, or otherwise make it more personal.

The American Pit Bull has a strong desire to please. Studies have shown that the pit bull had expressed more emotion, rationality, and irrationality than any other breed today.

The contradiction here at the end is a little confusing, and because you don't elaborate further, it leaves the reader feeling a little bit as though you are making an unsupported claim. To suggest that a dog expresses emotion is controversial to begin with, and then to further imply that it has more emotion than another breed is a little 'off' unless you support it immediately.

The pit bull lives about twelve years, and has about 5-10 puppies. They it, since you are speaking in the singular here have smooth, shiny, short hair and shed an average amount. They’re short, thick, and stalky. stocky The have big muscles, a thick neck, and a wide jaw. They have round eyes and are extremely agile for their size. A pit bull is highly protective of it’s its owner and their property and will often fight to the death for them both. They are excellent with children, have a high tolerance for pain, and will happily allow small children to tug at them.

The American Pit Bull is a UKC registered breed, not just a nickname for a vicious dog. At one time the pit bull was a loved and trustworthy companion. People who chose to neglect and train these dogs for fighting are part-way partly responsible for the banning and dislike of this breed that has sweeping the US.

The media, however, should also be mentioned. In a lot of cases, when the media is reporting a pit bull attack, it isn’t even a pit bull. It’s a mixed breed or a mutt. As an example, there was a news report in Philadelphia on KYW news about two pit bulls attacking a person. They did not look like pit bulls, in fact, they looked more like boxers. The news station was called and asked if they knew if the dogs were in fact purebred, or if they were a mix of some sort. The news station stated that they, in fact, did not know the breed of the dogs for sure. But, they kept calling them pit bulls in reports. Why? To draw more attention from the public. The pit bull’s reputation is being slowly undone, and a lot of people are to blame, but not the dog itself. This very loyal dog is determined on pleasing it’s owner, and, ironically, this is the root of it’s own undoing.

I would like it if you explained this media bias a little more thoroughly. Why would it occur? Is it a reaction to hysteria, or the source of it?

When a pit bull, or any dog, for that matter, is being trained to fight it’s an ugly process. When the dog is a puppy it is stuffed in a small cage and starved. The trainer dangles a toy or container containing raw meat from a rope in front of the starving dog. The dog then smells the meat, and rips open the container, or toy, for the food. This inevitably teaches the dog that in order to get their food, they must rip something open. So, when they’re being fought, they go straight for the other dog and try to rip it open, because they’re hungry.

This is incorrect, as far as I know. At least around here, people training fighting dogs don't have any need to starve their dogs. They 'face' them, rewarding the aggression and enhancing protective instincts that already exist in the mentality of the animal. Furthermore, there are plenty of other tactics used that do not increase aggression or strength (weighting chains around their necks to build muscle). Many fighters also set their dogs on other small animals (raccoons, small dogs), playing on a prey drive of the terriers (which are naturally prey driven). What you have described here would not motivate your average, non-aggressive dog to become dog aggressive. In fact, pit bulls do have dog aggressive tendencies, which must be carefully monitered.

I think that would make ANY dog vicious, don’t you?

This line seems unprofessional to me.

Shiatsus.

Shi-Tzus.

They only act how they’ve been taught and you should be mad that anyone would let their dog behave like that.

I don't know about this. Dogs bred to hunt behave like hunting dogs, regardless of human influence. The people owning them simply have to be aware of their natural characteristics, and mitigate them to allow them to live effectively with humans.

Great article though! Pit bulls certainly someone to stick up for them =)

I really don't have anything to say review wise, but I completely agree with you. I really love Pit bulls and if my parents would let me, I would have one. They're no more likely to attack then any other dog, unless they're trained to. But I did enjoy reading the article keep writing, and making a good name for our misunderstood friends.

Hi!

But, they kept calling them pit bulls in reports. Why? To draw more attention from the public.

Hehehehe!

The pit bull’s reputation is being slowly undone, and a lot of people are to blame, but not the dog itself. This very loyal dog is determined on pleasing it’s owner, and, ironically, this is the root of it’s own undoing.

Exactly! That's why every time I hear "Ah, a pit bull!" I run away.

don’t hate the dog, or the breed. They only act how they’ve been taught and you should be mad that anyone would let their dog behave like that.

True. In fact pit bulls are illegal in my country.

This is such a good information, thanks!

I agree with you.

Pit bulls attack just as much as any other dog attacks, you have the same probability of being attack by a loose Yorkie on the street - especially if it's my dog, Blanket. He's small, but vicious -as being attacked by a Pit Bull. Because Pit Bulls seem to be popular to train for god fighting, people automatically think that all Pit Bulls are that way when, really, Pit Bulls can be really loving, run, caring, and sweet! My friend has a Pit Bull named Lily that is the sweetest dog on earth! Blanket tortures Lily every time I bring him over there to play.

The sad truth is that people will never stop fearing Pit Bulls, and it's mostly because of the one-sided view the media has given them. I blame people for giving the Pit Bulls a bad name and I feel really sorry for that breed. Just because a bunch of fools thought it would be great to buy innocent, but tough looking, dogs and train them for fighting, the Pit Bulls may never be looked at as nice dogs again.

Loveless~

This is a super article.

It was easy for me to maintain interest as a dog-owner and recent convert to the dog lover's society...so I can't be subjective. But I hate the way dogs are manipulated in this way for evil purposes and, by the same means, we are manipulated by the press for similarly evil purposes.
financial gain on both counts, unsurprisingly...