Dog Breed Specific Legislation Essay

When you mention the words Pit Bull, many times people immediately begin talking about the statistics of them attacking other people as well as other dogs. A survey was conducted in 2009 of attack percentages of Pit Bulls compared to other breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Chows. Among this survey, the Pit Bull breed scored the lowest with a 0.00125 and the highest being the Rottweiler with a score of 0.00433 (https://defendpitbulls.com/pit-bull-attack-statistics/). On the website Dogsbite.org, it states that Pit-Bulls are the leading culprit in dog attacks, this is just a broad statistic which does not adequately explain whether these attacks were of

837). Both of those breeds account for roughly sixty-seven prevent of dog-bite fatalities (Hussain #). The issue with the reported data is that the category for “Pit Bull Type” dog can cover three different breeds or the mix of those (Hussain #). Dr. Stephen Collier, Professor of Human and Environmental Studies at the University of New England, points out that in the United States,

The main reason pit bulls attack is because they are mentally unstable, a mixed breed and show overbearing traits, or because they are mistreated by their owners. The public must understand that the three “pit bull breeds were bred for dog fighting and bear and bull-baiting” (PBRC). On the other hand, they were also kept as “nanny dogs” and used for herding cattle. “Pit bulls are ideal for therapy work because of their pleasant nature” (PBRC). These are three of the most stable breeds known to man. They have a very high temperament test score, 86% as of 2010, a lot higher than most breeds. “The American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the top 5 most stable breeds in the country” (PBRC). Anyone can see that this is an excellent breed of dog. There are a few things that people should know though. “Pit bulls have a lower Tolerance to dogs, but with any breed, a dog’s tolerance changes as they mature” (PBRC). “Maturity can come late with pit bull breeds” (Villalobos Rescue Center). The reason for this low tolerance is because of their history of dog fighting. It has been bred into them to have the will to fight. Pit bulls usually do not start a fight most of the time, but they will not back down or give up. Due to this, owners must be cautious and attentive.

Racial profiling had existed since biblical times, and is still present in today’s society. Recently in history we had the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It did not take long for the fear of anyone from the Middle East to ripple through America. Wearing a turban in public would get people falsely accused of being a violent terrorist. Over and over again people foolishly stereotype and judge individuals based on their race or appearance. One of the most recent victims of profiling is the pit bull. Simply looking like or being a pit bull gets many loving creatures falsely accused of being violent, uncontrollable monsters. Pit bulls are the major target of legislation that bans or restricts certain types of dogs based solely

Pit bulls are the most misunderstood dog breeds in the world. When people hear the word pit bull they automatically think of dogs fighting and attacking. When people say "pit bull" they're usually referring to a range of breeds and, often, a mixed-breed dog. (Lawrence, C Louisville Magazine Feb 2007) People think they are a very dangerous breed of dog. Because of this, some areas do not allow pit bulls and breeds like them. Pit bulls are the leading culprit of dog bites in America, but on the other hand, they are the gentlest dogs people will ever meet. The National Canine Temperament Testing Association

Pit Bulls are among the top percentage of dog bites across the nation, but it partly due to the misrepresentation. Most handlers just see a similarity to a Pit Bull’s physical appearance and then the dog is classified as such. The media always misrepresents and wrongly accuses Pit Bulls, they are always quick to name the pit bull breed as the attacking dog. The government also does the same thing if a dog has similarities to a Pit Bull, then it is automatically classified as a Pit Bull even if it’s not correct. They don’t care about

The breed known as “Pit Bulls” consists of many breeds in the Bull Terrier group. Today these dogs are known for their fighting, biting, and their aggressive behavior. Some of the many stereotypes of these dogs are: “Pit bulls are inherently vicious” (17 Things...). No dog is inherently

For being man’s supposed best friend, humans too often make choices to benefit themselves instead of dogs. People decide what traits make a dog cute and disregard what traits make them healthy. Dog breeding is a harmful practice for dogs both biologically and culturally due to superficial standards. These dogs are bred to be cute, but that cuteness can inadvertently carry a gene that can lead to disease, or even the cuteness itself could be debilitating, such as with the poster pug’s flat face makes breathing significantly more difficult. Dogs are living, breathing creatures and the standards set for their reproduction should factor their well-being into the standard of the dog.

Some of the common myths about pit bulls are that their jaws locks and bite stronger than any other breeds. If they show any aggression towards other dogs, then most likely they are mean to people also. No matter how individuals who want to ban pit bull see it, the truth is, that people do get bitten by pit bulls, just as how they get bitten by other breeds of dogs. With such bias against the pit bull breed, perhaps those who agree to ban pit bulls should look further and do more research about these animals. Avoid behaviors that are known to lead to aggressive tendencies such as leaving the pit bull tethered and unattended, or training with dynamic correction. Don’t allow your dog to roam the neighborhood or escape because he/she is bored in your

Although pit bulls are known to be dangerous, all dogs can act up at times. Pit bulls are popular dogs, heroes, and can show American pride.

Cesar Millan who has his own show on Nat Geo Wild called Cesar 911 works and owns his own pit bulls. He has had a dog named daddy who was raised with Cesar since 4 months old. Cesar had a large pack of dogs so it made daddy well socialized and never aggressive with other dogs. Daddy with two small boys of Cesar’s laying and sleeping on daddy he got the best play time with his kids and was calm and soft with Cesar’s kids. If other dogs were being mean to him he would just walk away and not start anything(Millan). With that in mind I feel that pit bulls are misunderstood and can be very good pets if raised with the correct and proper training. These dogs might look mean and aggressive If the dog is trained by someone to fight they will take the most time to open up.

People in the public are lead to believe that Pit Bulls are bred only as fighting dogs and that they are aggressive to other dogs and humans. It is unfortunately true that some Pit Bulls are bred for fighting but, not all are. There is a small percentage overall of Pit Bulls that are used as fighting dogs, mostly Pit Bulls are family dogs. “Some pit bulls were selected and bred for their fighting ability. That means that they may be more likely than other breeds to fight with dogs. It doesn’t mean that they can’t be around other dogs or that they’re unpredictably aggressive. Other pit bulls were specifically bred for work and companionship. These dogs have long been popular family pets, noted for their gentleness, affection and loyalty.” (Position). This states that not all Pit Bulls are threatening and have a desire to fight. I believe that dog fighting is wrong and should be illegal throughout the United States. Dog fighting is a very popular underground form of entertainment.

All dogs can be bred or trained to possess dog or person aggression, not only pit bulls. In fact, according to the dog bite law center only, “32% of dog related killings are caused by pit

Owning a pit bull in today’s day and age has one of two reactions: Either the person loves them or is terrified of them. There are so many myths about Pit Bulls and they are just that. Myths. Some of the myths that surround pit bulls are that they have “lock jaw” and they have a killer instinct that does not stop at just killing other animals. Pit bull advocates, such as myself, know that Pit Bulls have always been known as the “nanny dog” throughout history because of how much they love children and their loyalty to their families. Mean or vicious dogs come from ignorant, irresponsible owners. The bottom line is that not all pit bulls are bad.

Rather, it is the dog owners who should take full responsibility for their dog’s actions and by having breed-specific legislation take effect in the law, it causes awareness that prosecution is possible and causes owners to take regulations and follow rules in order to reduce detriment in their society and should be followed at all costs. Strongly enforced dog control laws such as leash laws, generic guidelines for dealing with dangerous dogs and increased public education efforts to promote responsible dog ownership are all positive ways to protect communities from aggressive