Pit bull myths ::
The black and white debate, "It's the owner, not the breed," has caused the pit bull problem to grow into a 20-year old problem. In 1987, Sports Illustrated wrote a cover story that can still be written today.
"The horror stories involving pit bulls are voluminous. Recent tragedies include the death of two-year-old James Soto, who was mauled in Morgan Hill, Calif., on June 13th by a neighbor's pit bull rendering the child "unrecognizable as a human being."1
1. It's the owner not the breed
Poor ownership of a pit bull may exacerbate aggressive tendencies, but the pit bull is still an innately aggressive breed. Pit bulls have been selectively bred since the 1800s for the purposes of fighting and continue to be bred for fighting today. US courts agree that the following breed characteristics of pit bulls are not in dispute: robust strength, unpredictability, tenaciousness (the refusal to give up a fight) and high pain tolerance.2
Perpetuators of this myth also cannot account for the many instances in which responsible pit bull owners are victimized by their dogs. In 2007, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 60% of attacks that led to fatality. Half of these attacks involved a family member and the family pit bull.3
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2. Pit bulls are animal-aggressive, not people-aggressive
Historically, it is believed that dogfighters removed people-aggressive dogs from the gene pool. If this is true, there is no indication that these same selective pressures are still in operation. Fatality statistics over the past 20-years continue to reflect a high number of pit bulls killing people. News stories flourish about pit bulls breaking free of their property and attacking children and the elderly. These victims did not have pets with them, nor were they provoking the dog before the attack.
Pit bull advocates who propagate this myth refuse to admit that both traits are unacceptable. It is not "okay" that pit bulls are animal-aggressive. Due to this genetic trait, pit bulls frequently maim and kill our pets. In many instances, owners of these pets get injured trying to stop the attack. While some attacks might start from animal aggression, they can quickly lead to human aggression.
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3. Fatality statistics regarding pit bull attacks are false
Statistics regarding pit bull fatalities and severe injury are true. It has been suggested that because the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) fatality data relies, in part, on newspaper articles, that the entire study is inaccurate. Pit bull advocates say that pit bull fatalities are more extensively reported by the media, therefore the CDC must have "miscounted" or "double counted" the number of pit bull fatalities. Considering the time spent developing the studies, it is safe to say that the authors were careful to count each event only once.4
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4. The media is unfair to pit bulls
Pit bulls have the highest propensity of any breed to be involved in catastrophic maulings. Media and law enforcement members treat each pit bull attack as a serious public safety threat. About half of all pit bull reported news regards police officers shooting pit bulls. In many of these cases, pit bulls are used as part of criminal operations for drug dealers, gang members and other violent offenders.
There is an absence of media regarding the collective damage inflicted by this breed. In 2007 alone, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 60% of US dog bite fatalities5, the bulk of disfigurements and countless episodes of killing our pets and livestock. Over the next decade, pit bulls are on pace to maul 200 Americans to death. Major news agencies are AWOL on these important issues.
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5. Pit bulls are not unpredictable
Pit bulls frequently attack without provocation or warning. As a fighting breed, pit bulls were bred to conceal warning signals before an attack. For instance, they rarely growl, bear their teeth or issue a stare before they strike. They are also disrespectful of traditional signs of submission and appeasement.6
Pit bulls are also liars. Randall Lockwood, a senior vice president to the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals (ASPCA), shares the following story in a law enforcement training video:
"Fighting dogs lie all the time. I experienced it first hand when I was investigating three pit bulls that killed a little boy in Georgia. When I went up to do an initial evaluation of the dog's behavior. The dog came up to the front of the fence, gave me a nice little tail wag and a "play bow" -- a little solicitation, a little greeting. As I got closer, he lunged for my face."7
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6. Pit bulls do not have a locking jaw
A pit bull's jaw may not physically lock, but the inherent fighting trait of a pit bull is to "lock and shake." This is why we consistently hear in news reports that the dog would not let go. Many pit bull breeders and owners promote "lock and shake" behavior through the act of spring poling, in which the pit bull leaps into the air, locks down on a rope and holds for as long as possible.
The most stunning instance that debunks the "not locking jaw" myth occurred in a courtroom. During the Toldeo vs. Telling trial, Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon showed a videotape of a tranquilized pit bull hanging from a steel cable. The dog is unconscious and still does not release his grip. Having seen this video, DogsBite.org can only imagine that gasps were uttered in the courtroom.8
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7. My pit bull is a sweetheart
According to a study done by the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy, pit bull owners use a variety of strategies to lessen the stigma attached to owning a negatively perceived dog. One of the strategies is to emphasize counter-stereotypical behavior. For instance, to offset the popular idea that pit bulls are fierce and predatory, respondents in the study voiced just the opposite: "My dog is the biggest sweetheart in the world."
Other strategies used to combat the pit bull stigma included, trying to pass their dogs off as other breeds, denying that their behavior is genetically determined, discrediting unfavorable media coverage, using humor, avoiding stereotypical gear or accessories, taking preventive measures, or becoming "breed ambassadors."9
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8. Pit bulls used to be the most popular dog in America
Pit bull advocates often say that, "by World War I, the pit bull had become the most popular dog in America." A resource is never cited with this claim. Last year, Animal People News, tested this claim. By searching the classified dogs-for-sale ads between 1900-1950 on NewspaperArchive.com, they discovered that Huskies and St. Bernards topped the charts. Of the 34 breeds searched, pit bulls ranked 25th.
Due to the variety of names that pit bulls are known by, Animal People News ran searches on three names: pit bull terrier, Staffordshire, and American bulldog. The combined sum came to 34,770. This is equivalent to 1% of the sampling of nearly 3.5 million breed-specific mentions of dogs.
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9. Pit bulls pass the American Temperament Test
In 1977, Alfons Ertel10 designed the American Temperament Test in hopes of creating a uniform temperament test for dogs. Since then, about 930 dogs are tested annually. Given that 74.8 million dogs populate the US today,11 it is fair to say that this test is not widely practiced nor recognized as a critical evaluation tool.
The 12-minute test simulates a casual walk through a park. In a few instances, the dog is required to walk on usual surfaces. The test focuses on stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and a few other factors. Over 80% of all dogs pass, including pit bulls.12 The test is not performed without the dog owner present (unlike the AKC's Canine Good Citizen test). It also fails to evaluate the most basic scenario that leads to aggression: How a dog reacts when it sees another dog.
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10. Punish the deed not the breed!
"Punish the deed not the breed," works to the benefit of pit bull breeders and owners who accept the large collateral damage pit bulls inflict on the public. The motto also seeks to place all dog breeds on equal grounds. US courts, dog behaviorists, doctors, statisticians and public safety officials disagree. They instead recognize the grave threat that pit bulls pose to community members and our pets.
Like the antiquated echoing of myth #1, "It's the owner not the breed," this last myth lies at the heart of outdated dog policy. The modern answer to this final myth is to develop policy that prevents future victims from being created: Prevent the deed, regulate the breed!
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