Pit Bull / Pit Bull
Type Dog / Bully Breed - What's In a Name?
In Truth there is no such breed as a "Pit
Bull". The term is used by many (HHPBR included) to refer
to one of several breeds. American Pit Bull Terriers, American
Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers are the
breeds most commonly lumped under the all purpose heading of "Pit
Bull". Another popular (and more accurate)
description would be to classify these dogs as being a "Bully
Breed".
Often dependant upon how knowledgeable the person doing the
breed identification is, it is not uncommon to see American
Bulldogs, Boxer mixes, Chinese Sharpei mixes, Mastiff mixes or
Lab mixes labeled as a Pit Bull or a Pit Bull mix. In fact
the term seems to be a catch all for any dog showing a stocky
build and a heavy head. This can be a serious problem when
breed identification determines whether a dog lives or dies and
when compiling the bite statistics that are so popular with the
media and the breed's detractors. Why not try Pet Pitbull's
"Find the Pit Bull" game and see if you can tell the
difference?
It is not uncommon for some all breed
shelters to label their pit bull type dogs as "American
Staffordshire Terriers" in an attempt to avoid the public's
negative reaction to the "Pit Bull" name. HHPBR does not
condone this practice. We believe that doing so actually
places the dogs at a higher risk for return and/or other problems
that the adopter did not foresee. The adopter may live in
housing that does not allow pit bull type dogs or in municipality
where the breed is banned.
Unless a pit bull type dog enters a
shelter with registration papers there is no way to be 100% sure
if it is an American Pit Bull Terrier of an American
Staffordshire Terrier. Additionally, even if the dog came
in with his papers he will be viewed by the public and the
authorities as a "Pit Bull" and the adoptive family deserves to
know this.
Why is HHPBR insistent on altering all dogs?
The statistics below speak for themselves on this subject.
If that is not enough we would be happy to provide you with
pictures and bios for some of the many dogs we have not been able
to save because there was not room for them in any rescue.
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Only 1 of every 600 pit bulls
in need will make it into a rescue or a shelter willing to
adopt out the breed - the remainder die waiting for a home
that will never materialize.
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The lucky 1 in 600 who do make
it into rescue will spend an average of 6 to 8 months or
more waiting for a qualified home.
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75% of shelters nationwide
euthanize ALL pit bull type dogs regardless of age or
temperament - even nursing pups. Any dog even vaguely
resembling a pit bull is doomed in these shelters.
Many of these shelters might release dogs to a private
rescue but all of them are full to bursting with dogs
already.
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Many shelters report that pit
bulls or pit bull mixes make up 30 to 40 percent of their
total intake of dogs.
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Every single puppy born,
whether through a planned breeding or an accidental one,
ensures the death of one more dog in need by taking up an
available home.
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There were more American Pit
Bull Terriers registered last year than Golden Retrievers.
Now consider that the vast majority of pit bulls are bred
not by professional/reputable breeders but by back yard
breeders and therefore are unregistered.
These numbers reflect a breed in
the midst of a population explosion. The market for available
homes is beyond saturated. Rescue's like HHPBR are
insistent on altering dogs because even just one litter more is
one litter to many. Every puppy born - be through a planned
breeding or an accidental one - dooms a dog in a shelter to death
by taking space in what would otherwise be an available home.
Aren't Pit Bulls as a whole a dangerous and
unstable breed?
No, in fact just the opposite. The American Temperament Test
Society, Inc.
(www.atts.org) is a national not-for-profit organization
for the promotion of uniform temperament evaluation of purebred
and spayed/neutered mixed-breed dogs. They temperament test
thousands of dogs from all breeds each year and compile statistics
based on the pass/fail percentage for all dogs tested. The
results might surprise you. The American Pit Bull Terrier came in
ahead of a great many breeds that are today's most popular family
pets.
Where did your breed of choice
rank? You can find the complete results and a description of the
testing process at:
www.atts.org
If Pit Bulls are such
great dogs why do I hear about so many bites?
There are a variety of reasons for this. Part of it is that they
are the "flavor of the day" for the media. Ask your local animal
control officer about dog bites. You will find that bites occur
among ALL breeds of dogs - little dogs, big dogs, purebred dogs
and mixed breed dogs. The difference is that when a "Pit Bull"
bites it makes headlines. Lab, Poodle or German Shepard bites do
not sell papers or increase the number of viewers. For example
there was a recently documented case of a Yorkshire Terrier
killing an infant; however, it's a very good bet that you were
not aware of that. Why? Because fatal attacks are only national
news when they involve a controversial breed.
Breed identification is another component of the problem. Nothing
drives us Pit Bull lovers as nuts as seeing a report on our local
news regarding a Pit Bull bite when the picture or footage shown
is of a dog that is clearly anything BUT a Pit Bull! This
was the case with the recent dog attack in Crawfordsville, IN.
The television and local papers all reported the dogs involved as
"Pit Bulls". However, the dogs were in fact American
Bulldogs. HHPBR contacted the media and the local paper was
kind enough to print a retraction/correction. However, the
TV media was uninterested and unfazed that they had reported the
story incorrectly. We can only assume that this is because
"American Bulldogs Attack" simply does not make for
exciting television reporting.
Breed also comes into play when you
realize that any bite statistics reported under the heading of
"Pit Bull" can automatically be divided by 3 as "Pit Bull" is a
type of dog rather than a breed. The term commonly refers to one
of 3 different breeds. To make matters worse few shelters receive
training in breed identification. Therefore any breed with a
stocky body and a large blocky head becomes a "Pit Bull". Think
you can spot the Pit Bull? Why not try Pet Pitbull's
"Find the Pit Bull" game?
Now imagine you are the police, animal control officer or witness
on the scene of a dog bite. How many of those dogs would you have
identified as a Pit Bull?
Pit Bulls also make up a disproportionately large percentage of
the nations dog population. There were more American Pit Bull
Terriers registered last year than Golden Retrievers. Now
consider that the vast majority of pit bulls are bred not by
professional/reputable breeders but by back yard breeders and
therefore are unregistered. One commonly used example for
explaining this problem is called the red car theory. In short it
states that if the overwhelming majority of cars on the road were
red there would be a sudden and dramatic increase in the number
of red cars involved in fatal accidents. The difference is we
would not suddenly be talking about how unsafe red cars are - we
would understand that the numbers are representative of the total
number of cars on the road. Our society does not afford these
dogs this same reasoning.
Owner responsibility must also be considered. Rare is the dog
bite (involving any breed) that could not have been prevented by
a responsible and educated owner. Unfortunately Pit Bulls are all
too often owned by people who have no interest in them beyond
using them as a status symbol. To go back to our red car theory
you should now imagine that 95% of red cars are driven by people
who have never seen a car before yet insist on driving on the
freeway. Is it any wonder that red cars are crashing all around
us? In truth much of the time the dog is just as much a victim of
the situation as the person receiving the bite. However, it's far
easier, requires far less thought and makes a much better
headline to simple blame the dog. Be sure to check out our
Responsible Ownership page for tips on spotting the responsible
owners in your neighborhood.
Another, less easily understood, factor is the horrid abuse that
many of these dogs must endure. The fact that many Pit Bulls
survive the abuse and neglect heaped on them with their sunny
dispositions intact is a true testament to the stability of the
breed. Our
Darcy is a good example of
this. In spite of being neglected, mistreated and spending a good
part of her first year in what must have been terrible pain - she
kept her sunny disposition. And her story is not an isolated
case. A small sampling of life as a Pit Bull can be found on
Pet Pitbull's Sad Reality
pages. Yet when we hear of a Pit Bull bite we automatically
assume it was due to some inherent flaw within the breed.
But Pit Bulls are used
for dog fighting - how can they be good pets?
This is a subject which may be one of the most misunderstood
aspects of the breed. We could repeat it a thousand times but
we'll only say it once to save time - Dog
aggression does not in any way correlate with the potential for
human aggression!
As odd as it sounds the breed’s heritage as a fighting dog is
part of the reason for their general stability of temperament
today. This is mostly due to the fact that in the days when
the brutal "sport" of dog fighting was considered an acceptable
past time, there were specific rituals and rules that governed
all fights. As part of this the handlers of the combatants
were required to be in the pit with the dogs for the duration of
the fight and to pick up and separate the dogs several times
while the dogs were in full fight mode. After the fight
badly injured dogs were often treated at ringside by strangers.
Any dog that bit during all of this was a danger to his handler
and the other humans involved in the event. Human
aggression was not tolerated and "man biters" were quickly
destroyed.
The result of this heritage is a breed that today seems to be a
confusing contradiction of traits. While at times they can be
aggressive or prey driven with other animals (dogs in
particular), they remain gentle and loving with the humans around
them. In part this dual nature is one of the most tragic
things about the breed. Most will continue to greet their
abusers with a tail wag and the desire for even the most meager
scrap of attention - even as they are being lead away to be
exploited yet again as the evenings entertainment for those sick
individuals who’s idea of a “sport” is to watch living creatures
suffer and die.
Perhaps a more modern description of the breed would be that to
say that they are a terrier with a “twist”. The twist being that
the Pit Bull Terrier’s drive has been shifted away from the
vermin and small game that the terrier breeds were historically
bred to focus on and re-directed towards other dogs. However,
they retained the other traits that make the terrier breeds so
popular. Pit Bulls are eager to please, quick learners and always
ready for a walk, a game of fetch or a snuggle. And as any Pit
Bull owner will tell you they are the true comedians of the dog
world.
We could devote many more pages to this issue alone. However,
anything we might say has already been said (and probably said
much better) by some of the other excellent informational sites
available. So let us direct you to some very informative reading
regarding this myth.
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/breed.cfm
http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/breedinfo.html
I won't know my rescued adult
dog's background...
Why is a puppy from a breeder not
a better choice?
Not necessarily - puppies are always an
unknown. Although the dog's parents might give an indication of
the pups future temperament and personality, it is by no means a
foolproof indicator. All dogs are individuals just as we humans
are. An adult dog has already matured into whatever personality
he or she is going to have. And since most rescue dogs have
already spent several months in foster care their temperament and
personality have been evaluated and tested. Rather than guessing
what sort of dog your pup might grow into you can take the time
to hand pick the personality, attitude and energy level you would
like your new dog to have. But there are other reasons as well:
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Rescue dogs often come already
house broken and crate trained.
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You can find out before making a
commitment whether the dog you choose will fit well with any
other pets in your household - with a pup you will have to
wait the 2-3 years until he or she matures to find out.
-
Rescue dogs are already altered
and vetted - the adoption fee you pay is often far less than
the cost of altering a pup purchased from a breeder.
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With an adult rescue dog you can
skip that puppy teething stage - your shoes, socks and table
legs will thank you!
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Rescue dogs BOND! Ask anyone who
has ever adopted an adult rescue dog. They will tell you
that these dogs love you like no other dog can. A rescue dog
has been given a second chance and they know it.
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Pick your buddy - do you want a
running partner, a couch potato to watch movies with, an
Einstein to do obedience with, a clown to keep you smiling ?
With an adult rescue you don't have to hope your puppy grows
up to be a good match - you'll already know!
Is a Pit Bull a suitable
choice for families with children?
Most Pit Bulls are wonderful with children. With the breed's
fighting heritage comes a high tolerance for pain and they will
generally endure patiently the "abuse" that young children
unintentionally dish out. In fact until recently they were known
as "nanny dogs". However, as with any large and powerful dog they
must be supervised with children at ALL times.
They are also enthusiastic dogs and can easily knock over an
unsteady toddler with their wagging tails or rowdy play. Pit
Bulls are late bloomers - not reaching maturity until between 2
and 3 years of age and can be quite rambunctious until they
mature. Adding a juvenile Pit Bull to a home with small children
can be a challenge. Instead, you may want to consider adopting a
mature Pit Bull who has already proven his or her self with young
children.
I have other pets - Is a Pit Bull
still a good choice for me?
That depends on you. A Pit Bull is first and foremost a terrier
and like all terriers each one will have a varying amount of prey
drive. The difference is that while most terriers were bred to
catch and kill small vermin, Pit Bulls were created to turn that
aggression towards other dogs (Please note that this is in NO WAY
corresponds to human aggression - see our "Fighting Dog or Family
Pet FAQ for more information).
Each Pit Bull is an individual. Your Pit Bull may never exhibit
the slightest sign of dog or small animal aggression. However,
most Pit Bull's will show some form of dog aggression at some
point in their lives. The key to living with your Pit Bull is
recognizing that the potential does exists and being ready to
deal with it if and when it does arise. The most helpful step you
can take in preventing problems is to ALWAYS separate you pit
bull from other animals in the home when you are not able to be
there. What starts as a minor disagreement over a toy or favored
sleeping spot can easily escalate into something much more
serious without you there to intervene. You will find that with
supervision and common sense many pitbulls will happily live with
other animals.
Why do so many shelters have "no
adopt" policies for pit bulls?
Shelters enact "no adopt" policies for
a variety of reasons. In some cases it is because they
realize that these dogs require extra care and screening for
placement and they just do not have the staff or time to do so.
Most public shelters are already under staffed and under funded.
They choose to not place pit bull type dogs at all rather than
risk placing them in the hands of irresponsible or uneducated
owners. We understand and support this choice. A dog
placed back into the wrong home is often much worse off than if
he had not been placed at all. It's a
sad reality but when you are
a Pit Bull there are FAR worse fates than euthanasia.
Other times it is because the shelter staff is as uneducated
about the breed as the general public. Working at a shelter
does not automatically mean that a person is familiar or
knowledgeable about ALL the breeds he or she may encounter.
Many times shelter staff receive no formal training outside of
that received on the job.
Some shelters fear the possible legal liability that comes along
with adopting out pit bull type dogs. In today's lawsuit
happy world even a scratch given in play is grounds contact the
lawyer. Add to that the words Pit Bull and what the dog did
or did not do becomes immaterial. Many shelter's cannot
afford the legal fees needed to defend themselves in such a
situation even if they were not in the wrong.
Many shelters choose to use what limited resources they have on
more "adoptable" dogs - meaning dogs that will place quickly.
Qualified homes for Pit Bulls are hard to find - on average it
can take 6-8 months. With space being at a premium in most
shelters it's understandable (but regrettable) that they make
this choice.
