Are all pit bulls aggressive?

Posted on 12. Feb, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Pitbulls

“Many US jurisdictions have breed specific bans or vicious dog laws. These laws blame dogs for their breeds, not their deeds. They indict the therapy dogs and search and rescue dogs and gentle family pets along with the dogs that roam at large, threatening neighbors and their pets.”  ~ Norma Bennett Woolf

“I can’t stand pit bulls.”

“I would never get a pit bull.”

“Pit bulls are scary.”

“I hear pit bulls can turn on their owners.”

“Can you believe that family has a pit bull when they have small kids?”

I love pit bulls. I love them.  They have big heads, stout bodies, and goofy grins.  When they are happy, their entire bodies wiggle.  Funny stuff.  And boy, do they love humans.

I hate the bad rap these cutie pies get.  And, it makes my stomach churn when I hear people, especially dog lovers bad mouth these sweet pups. Seriously.  Do your research before passing judgment.  I know I had to.  I wasn’t sure what to believe. I’ll admit, I was terrified of these breeds when I started handling them at adoption events and shelters.  They are tough cookies.  All that muscle. WHOA.  100 pound lab, let’s do it!  But a 40 pound American Staffordshire…YIKES.  Stupid me.  If you haven’t hung out with a pit bull, you are missing out.  They are a riot and will definitely give you a workout.  And sweet as can be.  Check out my previous post on them by clicking here.

But what about aggression?  Ok, here’s the thing.  PITBULLS ARE NOT HUMAN AGGRESSIVE.  A pit bull that shows any signs of HUMAN aggression is atypical of the breed.  This is not normal, just like any dog that is human aggressive is not normal.

How do dogs become human aggressive?  Dogs that are poorly socialized, mistreated, neglected, tied up and forgotten about, etc.  These are the types of dogs that have the propensity for human aggression.  What does this mean?  Any dog can become human aggressive.  Human aggression is very serious.  These types of dogs should be handled only by dog professionals.

Pit bulls can be DOG AGGRESSIVE.  Just like there are breeds of dogs that are bred to specifically hunt, pit bulls were bred for bull baiting.  When this was outlawed in the 1800s, pit bulls began to be bred to fight each other.  In the ring, there were three people- two handlers and a referee.  This type of dog was selected for this task because of its friendly disposition towards humans.  Any sort of human aggression was not tolerated.  Pit bulls are perfect working dogs.  Why?  because of their strong will and determination.  Whether fatigued, in pain, sick, they will get the job done- whatever that job is.  This is why they are perfect therapy and service dogs.  You want to see a loyal dog, get a pit bull. Pit bulls used to be the most popular dog.  It was known as the “nanny dog,” soldiers loved pit bulls, and it became a symbol of America.   I mean, Pete the Pup on the Little Rascals was an American Pit Bull Terrier.  How bad can these dogs possibly be?

Like I said, pit bulls can be dog aggressive- just like a lab has a desire to retrieve.  This is what the pit bull was bred to do.  But this does not mean that all pit bulls are dog aggressive.  The amount of dog aggression varies- from no aggression to a pit bull sees any dog and freaks out.  Our job as owners is to properly socialize them.  Expose them when they are young and ensure that every encounter with other dogs are positive.  Watch your dogs. Know your dogs.  This is true for any dog.  I have met many dogs that are not pit bulls and are dog aggressive.  Zeus, our lazy, easy-going lab mix gets along with most dogs, but every once in awhile, he will meet a dog that he does not like.  You have to train your dog.  Watch him around other dogs.  It isn’t the dog’s fault, it is our fault for being irresponsible dog owners.

Warning:  This may be a bit graphic.

This is cute.

And here is Luke.  Our pit bull mix foster.  Playing with our dogs on his first day here.  Supervised?  Yes.  Would I let him off the leash outside to meet other dogs?  No, I don’t know his behavior patterns yet.  Am I working on training him?  You betcha. He was dumped in the Corridor of Cruelty to fend for himself. The Corridor of Cruelty is where dogs in dog fights, unwanted, neglected, abused dogs are dumped to die. Luke is incredible. He is resilient. SMART. and totally lovable. I don’t even want to imagine what he has been through. Scars all over his body.

Don’t discount the breed.  You would be missing out, if you did.

Click here for a great resource on pit bulls.  And Treat ‘ Em Right in Houston works specifically with bully breeds.  They even offer a $5 per class training class once a week for your bully breed!

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!
Annvi and Tobiah

Pitbull Breeds

Posted on 14. Sep, 2009 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Pitbulls

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” ~ Ben Williams

I started volunteering at BARC, Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, a few months ago. BARC is the city of Houston’s dog shelter. I go about once a week to play, bathe, and walk the dogs in the adoptable wards. When I first started, I was surprised to see so many pitbulls; (Note to reader: The term pitbull is a general term and not a specific breed. The breeds that are commonly referred to as pitbulls include the American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and mixes of these breeds.) I think about 80% of the dogs at BARC are pitbulls. I have to admit (remember, my experiences with dogs began in 2008, when I got Rocky), I was a bit scared of the pitbulls. As a volunteer, I open each kennel and put a leash on the dog, which means that I get pretty close to the dog’s mouth. To my amazement, the pitbull breeds are the BEST, most docile, loving dogs that I have ever come across (and let me tell you, by now, I have handled hundreds of dogs).

As soon as I open kennels, these dogs jump into my arms and start licking my neck and face. It really shakes me up when I hear people bad mouth these breeds. Of course, these dogs can be trained to fight and have the strength to do so, but so can any dog. These dogs are perfect family dogs and great with kids. As with any dog, these dogs need discipline, love, attention, and care. I came across this article and thought it does a good job of illustrating how misunderstood these dogs are.

The Pit Bull “Nanny Dog” an Endangered Breed

Cheers and Happy Barkin’!

Annvi and Tobiah