Official pit bull appreciation and information thread...

I figure with all the misrepresentation out there, I might as well start a thread to spread a little knowledge of, and appreciate this wonderful breed of dog. It's about time they get a little recognition, as opposed to all the negativity that usually surrounds them.

From: http://www.dogwatch.net/fight_ontario_ban/pit_bull_facts.html

'Pit Bull Facts'
A lot has been said about 'pit bulls'. That they are time bombs. That they were bred to fight. That they are unreliable.
Before you make up your mind about whether or not a 'pit bull' ban is justified you owe it to the breeds affected to learn the truth.

Fact: It is true that the 'pit bull' was originally bred to fight - other dogs. However the dogs lived at home as a family pet in the late 1800s and lived in the house with the wives and children of the men who fought their dogs for sport, so they needed to be absolutely reliable around people. Dogs that showed human aggression were culled - that means they were euthanized and never bred from. These actions have evolved a unique dog personality where animal aggression has absolutlely no correlation to human aggression.

Fact: There are quite a few celebrities who have owned one of the 'pit bull' breeds that Michael Bryant would ban in Ontario: Ray Romano, Don Cherry, Fred Astaire, President Roosevelt, Jack Dempsy, Thomas Edison, Madonna, Michael J Fox, Brad Pitt, Bernadette Peters, Sinbad, Alicia Silverstone, Linda Blair, Humphrey Bogart, Usher, Mel Brooks, Ann Bancroft, John Stuart, Jan Michael Vincent, Pink, Kelli Williams, Ken Howard (Father in Crossing Jordon - his Pit Shadow saved his life), Malcolm Jamal Warner, Stephan Jenkins, Rosie Perez, Ananda Lewis, Amy Jo Johnson, Mary Tyler Moore, Steve and Terrie Erwin (the Crocodile Hunter), Jack Johnson, Bill Berloni (Broadway show dog trainer who has said that the Pit is the breed of choice for training), Anthony Robbins, Molly Price, President Woodrow Wilson, Frankie Muniz, AJ Mclean, Barbara Eden, and even Helen Keller.

Fact: Dog fighting was outlawed in the early 1900's. Since that time the breeds that go back to the original 'pit bull' of the early 1800s has been raised as a family pet, not a fighter.

Fact: The only people raising fighting dogs today are a small contigent (est. 1-2%) of criminals and gang members - these people are also selling drugs, carry guns and are a threat to society on many different levels. Breed bans will not stop these people or curb the danger they pose in our society.

Fact: According to Alfons Estelt of the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. temperament evaluations of American Pit Bull Terriers shows that this breed has a very high passing rate of 95%. The average passing rate for the other 121 breeds of dogs in the tests: 77%.

Fact: The 'pit bull' does not have a 'locking jaw'. On this topic Dr. 1. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia wrote:
"The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of "locking mechanism" unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."

Fact: 'Pit bulls' are therapy and service dogs. They are also involved in search and rescue. The Chako Rescue Association has Pit Bull therapy dogs in Texas, Utah and California. Cheyenne and Dakota are a team of hard-working Search-and-Rescue Pit Bulls in Sacramento, California. APBT Weela was the Ken-L Ration's Dog Hero of the Year and is credited with rescuing over 30 people.

Fact: The problem with 'pit bull' attacks is an ownership problem that will not go away if we ban 'pit bulls'. Politicians are distorting the truth and are ignoring all of the evidence that says the bad owners will simply switch to other breeds - and there are many for them to choose from that can be equally as dangerous as a 'pit bull'. Ontario needs strong dog laws that apply to all dogs equally.

 

From: http://www.nsalamerica.org/feature/pitbull/fact_and_fiction.html

What is a pit bull?
Pit bulls are actually not one breed of dog but 3: the American pit bull terrier (ABPT), the American Staffordshire terrier (AMSTAFF) and the Staffordshire bull terrier (STAFFIE).

There is no such thing as a "bad breed".
The pit bull breed gets a bad rap, but more often than not, they are the VICTIMS of irresponsible and abusive ownership. Pit bulls are extremely intelligent dogs and take their cues from the humans who raise them. Only humans are capable of knowing the difference between “right and wrong” and all dogs are bred, raised, and trained to behave the way they do.

Pit bulls are actually bred to be affectionate towards people.
Pit bulls have been bred for hundreds of years for strength, agility, high pain tolerance and absence of aggression toward humans. Because they were traditionally fighting dogs and most were also family pets, the dogs required extensive handling. So even though they were bred to be aggressive towards other dogs, aggression toward humans has never been tolerated.

Bull breeds score better on temperament tests than the general dog population.
In December 2004, the American Temperament Test Society showed the American pit bull terrier scored an overall temperament rating of 83.9%, compared to the 77% score of the general dog population.

Most “pit bulls” are not really pit bulls!
Pit bulls are probably the most misunderstood dog in the United States. Often, an aggressive dog that has a big head and short hair is mistakenly identified as a pit bull and unfortunately this makes for good headline news, even if it is false. Do you think you can identify a pit bull? Take this quiz and see how you do.

Pit bulls love and adore humans.
Most pit bulls in this country are family dogs and love to spend time with people more than anything else. Often, even those that have been severely abused can't wait to be petted and loved, even by the person who is abusing them. Of course, there will always be exceptions to normal temperament and behavior in any dog, and the same is true of the people who own them.

Pit bulls are bred to fight.
This is very important to understand. Pit bulls love humans, but they need to have very responsible owners who will be vigilant all the time and will not allow them to fight with other dogs, ever. Pit bull owners must be extremely receptive to canine body language and know that the responsibility of their dog with any other dog ultimately depends on them.

 

Awwwww... So adorable!

 

Pit Bulls don't make good guard dogs. They are more often than not very friendly towards strangers. This is how they were bred over centuries - to be completely people friendly, while being aggressive towards dogs.

The chances of your pit keepin someone outta your house aren't very good. If you want a guard dog, get a rotty.