I’m going to start this post off by saying that I may be a little biased on this subject. My wonderful rescue pup Lucy, as well as some of my favorite pups around the world that I have gotten the privilege to meet, are bully breed dogs. From personal experience, they are some of the most loving, loyal, goofy doggos around, when humans don’t ruin them. I know big, muscular dogs can seem intimidating, but today I am going to dispel some myths and show you that Pitbulls aren’t so scary after all.
A bit of backstory:
Unfortunately, Pitbulls have had it pretty rough throughout history. They were originally bred from Old English Bulldogs in the 1800s for a barbaric sport called bull baiting. In this sport, one or two dogs would be set on a bull or bear for hours on end until the bull or bear collapsed from fatigue or injuries. When bull baiting was outlawed in 1835, they then used them for ratting. Ratting was another sport (I am honestly struggling to call these activities sports), where they would see which dog could kill the most rats in the least amount of time. Unfortunately, once ratting fell out of fashion, they began having the dogs fight each other, which still occurs today.
They didn’t make their way across the pond to America until they were brought by immigrants around the time of the American Civil War. They got a bit of a break from the bad press and heinous treatment around WWI and WWII. At that time they were seen more as a working-class companion and dog fighting wasn’t as popular. They were even used as national mascots during that time. Between the world wars and the 1970s, Pitbulls were frequently used in television and advertisements. They were used more for herding, guarding, and, most commonly, as companion pets for families.
In the 1980s we saw a resurgence of dog fighting and people seeking out Pitbulls for the barbaric sport. Since then, the media has created an air of fear around the breed that has done nothing to deserve it. Evil humans have used these amazing animals for evil purposes. Thankfully, through education and advocating on the part of bully lovers, like myself, the true nature of these chunky goofballs is coming to light. Now, let's debunk some myths!
Locking Jaws:
I think this is one of the most widespread myths out there concerning bully breed dogs. Bully breeds have zero mechanical or morphological differences in jaw structure from other dogs that would allow them to lock their jaws. In fact, in a study conducted by National Geographic, Pitbulls were shown to have less bite pressure during a simulated sleeve bite than german shepherds and rottweilers.
Naturally aggressive behavior:
I’m sure this is going to shock you all. In studies where different breeds were tested for temperament, Pitbulls scored better than beagles, collies, and even golden retrievers. I would personally argue that no dog is inherently aggressive. Some may have behavioral issues, but many of those problems stem from neglectful owners, lack of training, and lack of proper socialization. In the majority cases of dog biting, regardless of breed, it is because the human isn’t interacting with the dog properly. This could be invading the dog’s personal space (i.e. getting in its face, pulling ears/tails, etc.), not picking up on the dog's social cues that it is uncomfortable or afraid (pinned ears, tucked tail, cowering, etc.), or physically harming the dog in a way that it defends itself. It is always important to teach children, especially, the correct way to interact with animals of any kind. A small child pulling on a dog’s tail or jumping on their back isn’t cute, it is bad behavior that puts both the dog and the child in danger. Dogs deserve our respect and shouldn’t be expected to tolerate behaviors that make them feel unsafe.
Pitbulls are killers:
Unfortunately, fatal dog attacks do occur around the world. However, there is absolutely no scientific or statistical evidence that Pitbulls are more deadly than other breeds.
I’ll be honest with you, I was afraid of bully breed dogs growing up. I had a neighbor that lived at the end of my cul de sac that had a pit that they chained to their front porch. It frequently broke its chain and went after me and my brother a couple of times. A few years after we moved away, we heard that the dog had attacked its owner and was put down. Now that I am an adult, and a dog owner, looking back I can see that that dog was severely neglected. It is not surprising to me at all now that it behaved the way it did. It was not trained, taken care of, nor shown love and attention by its owner. It never felt safe and would lash out in self-defense because it was so scared. I can honestly say not an ounce of that childhood fear remains.
Adopting my pit mix, Lucy, was by far the best decision I ever made. In fact, I had applied for an entirely different dog, but someone else got their application in 30 minutes before mine. The humane society invited me to a puppy event where I could meet my original pick’s brother. When I showed up, the brother was busy with another person, so I sat down to play with some other dogs while I waited for them to be done. Lucy immediately trotted over, we had some cuddles and played, then I sat her back down on the floor so she could go see other people. She took a couple of steps, looked back at me, and seemed to say, “yep, you’re my person”, then crawled into my lap and fell asleep. She chose me and I am grateful every day that she did. Many people that we run into during walks or at the dog park are wary at first because of her muscular build and blocky head, but I always explain that she is friendly to a fault and the only way she would ever kill someone is by drowning them in kisses. I have found the same to be true of the vast majority of other bully mixes I have had the pleasure to get to meet.
I hope that you will give this breed, that has some of the worst PR ever, another chance. Animal shelters and humane societies are overflowing with bully breeds, so they are far more likely to be euthanized than any other breed. If you are considering bringing another furry family member home, please give these great dogs a chance.
Thank you for learning with me! What is your favorite part of Pitbulls? I love their goofy smiles and funny barks the most. Do you have a bully breed or any fun stories about them? Leave them below!
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