National Pit bull Awareness Day is coming up on October 26! We all know that Pit Bulls are the most commonly negatively stereotyped breed of dogs, but why? They’re smart, healthy, and good children, so what’s the issue? Turns out, a few bad eggs were focused on and POOF! All Pit Bulls are bad news. Even worse, those bad instances were likely because of the owners rather than the dogs themselves. The more people are educated about pit bulls are really like, the more they will realize they’re just like any breed; they’re just dogs looking for a loving home and a human they can play companion to. Now is that really so bad?
Here are some of the biggest pit bull myths debunked:
1) Pit bulls DO NOT have locking jaws:
The makeup of their jaw structure is the same as any other dog. AKA, there is no special mechanism that allows them to ‘lock’ their jaws. What can be misconstrued, as this is simply their inbred sense of determination and enthusiasm; they simply don’t give up easily. This determination can actually prove to be rather useful!
2) Pit bulls are NOT inherently vicious animals:
Any dog can be vicious; it doesn’t depend on the nature so much as nurture. In fact, the American Temperament Testing Society (ATTS) found that pit bulls are in the top 80th percentile when it comes to the being the least temperamental and most stable breeds. This was higher than golden retrievers, collies, and cocker spaniels. They do NOT attack more than any other breed; aggression does not rely on the type of dog, but rather the individual dog and its past experiences. Unless they come from an abusive past or are trained to attack humans, they want generally nothing more than human love and affection, just like every other dog. But humans and dogs aren’t the only creatures they get along with…
3) Pit bulls ARE good at things OTHER THAN fighting.
In fact, they are one of the most people friendly breeds in existence. The reason they were originally chosen for dog fighting was because they were eternally loyal to their master… so if they what was what they were told to you, you’d better believe they’d follow through. They were actually seen as ‘nanny dogs’ in the 19th century, and were trusted to watch over the kids while the parents were away.
Following this, they were used on World War 1 Recruitment posters in the beginning of the twentieth century, because they were seen as symbols of loyalty and bravery.
So what are you waiting for? Stop being Pit-iful and get a Pit Bull!
Check out some great Pit Bull organizations here:
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