How did Pit bulls become the object of fear?
Pit bulls are very playful, loyal and gentle animals. But they have a bad representation of be aggressive all the time. Others have containment issues were they can be great with you, but different when they are in a kennel or on a chain it makes them aggressive. Pit bulls are the object of fear because of the way they are shown in the media as well as the way that they are treated. I had the pleasure of having two pit bulls before we moved to North Dakota. When I was younger we purchased a pit-bull puppy that we raised. Roxie was her name and she later gave birth to 10 puppies that we either sold or gave to friends, except for one in ...view middle of the document...
They will bark when a stranger is around, but this only if they can tell that the person does not like them or is afraid of them. I believe this is with all dogs. One of the reasons that I feel that people fear them is when people train them as fighting dogs. People are using these dogs to make money. They are treated badly, which in turn makes them more aggressive. If they are trained to be aggressive they will continue to be aggressive. Like any dog if they do not trust you or fear that you don’t want them around you they tend to defend themselves.
I many fond memories of playing with Roxie and now I am starting new remembers with Mist. From lying around and watching television together to taking walks around the block to just watching her have fun. I am always carefully when we are out since I know that so many people fear Pit bulls. She has not made any attempts to hurt anyone and neither has she snapped at anyone. I feel that if pit bulls are trained the right way, they will not be feared as much as they are. People need to stop over breeding and fighting them it’s not health for them. I am a real animal lover. I really love them and I hate to see a defenseless animal be hurt by their owners or other dogs. All animals need love. I have faith that not all pit bulls are evil.
The pit bull is not recognized as a breed per se, but rather as a type – a descriptor of several breeds of dogs with similar physical characteristics (Lawrence, 2007). A pit dog is a medium-sized, squarish dog usually weighing 40 to 60 pounds (Lawrence, 2007). Pit fans say the dogs are intelligent, confident and loyal. Critics of the breeds call them hyper-aggressive and unpredictable (Lawrence, 2007). Historically, these are the dogs used in illegal dogfighting rings (Lawrence, 2007). Opinion about pit bulls ranges from those who consider them a menace that should be exterminated to those who insist the dogs make wonderful family pets and companions (Lawrence, 2007).
Marcy Setter says pit bulls possess some tendencies toward dog aggression, but other breeds have been bred for this, too – such as the Australian cattle dog or the Great Pyrenees. And, she insists, “pits never bred for human aggression” (Lawrence, 2007). Critics of pit bulls say that dogs bred for “gameness” and tenacity, as pit bull types have been, have a lowered aversion to aggression and a high tolerance for pain (Lawrence, 2004). Tami Harbolt-Bosco, the public-education coordinator with Metro animal services and a trained dog behaviorist, is the owner of two pit bulls name Dolly and Drew. Dolly and Drew are trained to be used as therapy dogs. “These dogs are terriers,” says Harbolt-Bosco. “They are strong-willed. You have to know what you are doing with them. When you get a good one, they are wonderful – very trusting” (Lawrence, 2007).
In a major study published in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control, the Humane Society of the United States and the American...
