Pit bulls
there are numerous breeds all lumped together and called pit bull…American Pit Bull Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bull Dogs, Bull Terriers or mixed breeds that have the appearance or characteristics of one of these breeds…
History:
Pit Bulls are descendants of the original English bull-baiting dog—a dog that was bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head. “Bulldogs” were bred to hang on without releasing their grip, until the animal was exhausted from fighting and from loss of blood. When baiting large animals was banned in the 1800s, people then started to fight their dogs against each other instead. But they were Bred to be EXTREMELY friendly to PEOPLE, since the handlers were HUMANS and did not want to get hurt. If a dog exhibited any aggression towards humans, they were bred out. NO HUMAN AGGRESSION WAS ALLOWED. Any hint of human aggression was considered unacceptable.
True fighting dogs do not show any aggression towards humans whatsoever. Human aggression was in fact considered a major fault, so if a dog showed any human aggression it would be destroyed and the line would not be bred from anymore. Handlers were in the pit with the dogs during a fight and would not be so if they thought there was any danger.
Later, Pit Bulls were considered ideal family pets—affectionate, loyal and gentle with children.
“…for over half a century in between, 1920 to 1970, millions of Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and all their mixed breed cousins served Americans well in every possible capacity and circumstance.” ThePit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise
Bad rep
My kids are around pit bulls every day. In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s they blamed German shepherds, in the ’90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the pit bull.” Cesar Millan. “Pit bulls get a bad rap because of irresponsible owners….”
In the book Pit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise, discusses how dogs of various breeds have been demonized since the 1800′s. People’s perception of ‘dangerous dogs’ has changed over the centuries.
l. Eliza and her baby (Uncle Tom’s Cabin) being chased by snarling teeth gnashing Bloodhounds.
“During the second half of the 19th century, Bloodhounds were frequently reported as the breed most responsible for severe and fatal attacks on humans.”
2. Super-predator Nazi guard Doberman Pinscher dogs perform became a symbol of cruelty and depraved acts.
3. The Time Bomb Pit Bull depicted on the cover of Time magazine…
By the early 1980s, the Pit bull was on the fast track to becoming the new super-predator.
In 1987, over 800 newspaper articles were printed in which “Pit bulls” were headlined.
In 2006, the media continues to exploit the Pit bull with an unprecedented 2,800+ newspaper articles vying for their readers’ attention with the words “Pit bull” in the headlines.
Goofy personalities
Celebrities