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Pit Bull Terriers

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Pit Bull Terriers
Bad Dogs or Bad People Pit bull terriers have the reputation of being the most aggressive, and dangerous dogs in the world. Various forms of media displaying injuries to people and animals caused by these canines are common. Sadly, because some of these dogs are aggressive and dangerous, they have all acquired a bad reputation. Those who know them may attribute a Pit bulls aggression to rearing or abuse but because of their reputation, most people think, as I did, that it is just because they are Pit bulls. However, stereotyping a breed is wrong and unfair, but, with all the negative publicity about them, it is an easy trap to fall in. Because of my children's interest, I needed to find out more about them, so I went to the internet, the humane society, and to homes of some of these dogs. There is a lot of negative information, but also many positive and surprising facts. With research and time, I now know them to be loving, loyal, and not aggressive when raised correctly. In the world of canines, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Center for Disease Control, the Humane Society of the United States and the University of Pennsylvania, develop a list from a collaboration of studies that they publish periodically of dog breeds that are considered the most aggressive by nature, in the world. In the past, the study was only for dogs over a certain expected adult weight due to the ability of the dogs to inflict damage because of their size. However, the latest studies include all dog breeds. Of the top thirty-two most aggressive breeds, number one being the most aggressive and thirty-two being the least, Dachshunds and Chihuahuas scored highest for aggression, putting them in the number one and two spots on the list, respectively. Pit bull terriers, with their bad reputations, placed at number eight, behind Border collies, the Jack Russell, and Beagles. Nevertheless, when Pits do cause injury the damage is more severe than the damage inflicted by smaller dogs due to their strength and size. Below is a listing of the top thirty-two most aggressive breeds.
1 Dachshund 2 Chihuahua
3 Beagle 4 Jack Russell Terrier
5 Australian Cattle Dog 6 Cocker Spaniel
7 Border Collie 8 Pit Bull
9 Great Dane 10 English Springer Spaniel
11 Shetland Sheepdog 12 Airedale Terrier
13 Bichon Frise 14 Doberman Pinscher
15 Rottweiler 16 Boxer
17 German Shepherd 18 Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
19 Akita 20 Collie
21 Bernese Mountain Dog 22 Mastiff (English)
23 Portuguese Water Dog 24 Havanese
25 Golden Retriever 26 Siberian Husky
27 Brittany Spaniel 28 Whippet
29 Greyhound 30 Poodle
31 Rhodesian Ridgeback 32 Labrador Retriever
(Dobson, 2008)
These results inspired further research and encouraged me to give these animals a chance. One night my daughter came home with two puppies someone had abandoned. According to our veterinarian, they were part Pit bull and part Labrador retriever. After serious contemplation, one of the puppies (Earl) moved in with us, the other (Duke), with a friend. Earl is now six years old, shows no aggression and is well- behaved. "Duke”, raised completely different than Earl, is also non-aggressive and very gentle. Recently we allowed my son to purchase a razors edge Pitt bull terrier and in support of my research results, "Lucy" is a wonderful companion, who also has not shown any aggressive tendencies. We were so happy with Lucy that we adopted "Luna", a nine-month-old American Bully, which is a breed between an American bulldog and a Pitt bull. Luna is also non-aggressive, friendly, and very social. It was wrong to believe the hype about these dogs. When treated well, they are good dogs that live peacefully with people and other animals. Our family now includes Lucy (a Pit bull terrier), Luna (an American bully), Earl, (a Pitt/Lab mix), Pippin (Chihuahua), Kira (a tiny Pomeranian), and Smokey (a tomcat). We all live together, quite peacefully. Lucy, Luna, and Earl do not display any aggressive tendencies, are obedience trained in the basic commands, never without water, fed consistently, and handled several hours daily. On the other hand, in my research I visited dogs of many different breeds (including Pits) that are without love, care, or training. Some of these animals are in shelters and obviously abused. In these dogs, I saw aggression and fear. Whether from neglect, abuse, or training, something causes the aggression in the Pit Bull, it is not "just the dog" or "just the breed". One will rarely find aggression in these animals without just cause. When raised with love, care, obedience, and respect they are good dogs. Furthermore, any breed that is mistreated, neglected, or abused can be aggressive. Pit bull terriers are extremely strong and very stubborn, but also very smart. A breed that, while requiring many hours of devotion, a mega ton of patience (they can make a mess, are curious, and are agile enough to get into just about anything), and no small amount of will power, will warm your heart and put a smile on your face for many, many years! They are not bad dogs; the aggressive Pits are dogs who happen to belong to bad people.

References
Dobson, R. (2008, July 5). Sausage dogs are the most aggressive dogs. The Telegraph. Retrieved January 27, 2011 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2254479/ Sausage-dogs-are-the-most-aggressive-dogs.html.

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