Question:
Are pit bulls good with children?
Answer:
Properly raised and socialized dogs are great with children! They are able to
stand the rough and tumble play of a toddler. As with other big dogs, pit bulls
can accidentally knock kids over during play, etc so they should always be
supervised. Dogs of any breed should never be left alone with children.
Question:
Are pit bulls inherently dangerous to people?
Answer:
No! Pit bulls are no more inherently dangerous to people than other dog
breeds. People often assume that pit bulls are human aggressive because they
were bred to fight animals. This is simply not true! If that were the case
then Irish Wolfhounds, Anatolian Shepard's, Great Pyrenees, etc should be
considered dangerous to humans as well.
There is a common misconception regarding dog aggression! In
the canine world there are many types of aggression including dog, displaced,
food, fear, etc. Because a dog is aggressive with other dogs does not make
them aggressive towards humans! A love and respect for Humans was specifically
bred into the pit bull lines, due to the nature of Dog Fighting when it was
considered a sport hundreds of years ago.
Dogs of any breed that show a tendency towards Human Aggression
should be immediately seen by a qualified Behaviorist and Vet. Often this is
can be a result of fear, which can be greatly reduced by taking the time to
properly socialize your puppy to lots of different people, places and things!
Socialization does not always prevent a fearful dog, but it’s a huge step in
that direction. Human Aggression should NOT be tolerated in any breed of dog
small or large!
Question:
Why do we hear so many negative pit bull stories in the Media and
are they true?
Answer:
There are a few things that contribute to the negative stories on
the news. As often the case, negative stories always seem to get National
coverage, where the positive stories only make the local news. The Media is
not always very responsible with their stories! I have seen news reports of a
dog attack by another breed and, yet the media had a picture of a pit bull on
the TV while reporting this story. I’ve read many stories where the reporter
obviously hadn’t done any research, when I asked about their statistics they
choose not to reply.
Every 10 years or so a new breed of dog is victimized by
irresponsible owners, breeders, bad media coverage, and now it’s the pit bull’s
turn. In the 70’s it was the German Shepherd, the 80’s was the Doberman’s
turn, the 90’s Rottweilers and pit bulls had all the bad press, and now it’s the
pit bull’s time to suffer again. And, unfortunately, in a few years it will be
another breed that will be in the spotlight.
Question:
Do Pit Bulls make good pets?
Answer:
Yes, but Pit Bulls are not for everyone, just like any other
breed of dog. Research should be done on any breed prior to making a
decision. The best place for responsible pit bull information is Pit Bull
Rescue Central www.pbrc.net.
The American Pit Bull Terrier was the #1 family dog in the US
during first part of the 20th century. They are Loyal, loving, devoted, funny,
and almost human like in their emotions and expressions!
The American Temperament Testing Society does temperament
testing throughout the year at breed clubs and compiles the statistics. Their
overall pass rate for breeds is 80%, and in the 2002 statistics, APBTs, AMSTAFFs,
and Rottweilers were all in the 82 percentile, meaning 80+% of the dogs tested
passed the temperament test. That is a very high percentage, especially when
comparing to breeds which are common family dogs, such as, Golden Retrievers
and Bichon Frise tested at 77%, Chihuahua at 71%, Greyhound at 81% and Lhasa
Apso at 71%. These test results are available at
www.atts.org
Pit Bulls bond very fast and very strongly to their humans and
need to spend a lot of time with you. If you are not home a lot or plan on
keeping the dog in the yard, etc, then a Pit Bull isn’t for you! Pit Bulls
are a dominant breed and require a strong pack leader who is always in
control. Obedience and socialization is mandatory with this breed and should
be with any breed.
