Pit Bulls today really do get a bad rap. A recent Yahoo.com story told the truth. Historically, Pit Bulls have always been terrific family dogs. It's true, from Poodles to Pomeranians - all dogs are loyal, and love their families...Somehow, some way that devotion ranks even higher among Pit Bulls. In fact, they were chosen by dogfighters not only for their strength, but also for being so loyal that even when pulled out of the dogifighting ring by their tails, they would not likely 'turn' on their people. In the gallery below, I offer some fact and fiction concerning Pit Bulls.
In many places the over-population problem among dogs, and their numbers in shelters has diminished a lot! However, it seems most shelters in most places do have an abundance of Pit Bull-type dogs. Jessica Biel is another celebrity who shows off her Pitties. The problem is that some of these dogs have been incredibly abused psychology, even as puppies and physically abused. Still, and it's what's amazing about dogs, most turn out to be amazing pets for owners who understand. Yes, today, Pit Bull dogs (or any dogs that resemble a Pit Bull) do require a PR firm. Lots of celebrities have made it fashionable, including wonderful Rachel Ray. I am not always a Cesar Millan fan, but I very much agree with him when it comes to Pit Bulls. We've talked about it, and both concur about Pitties.Banning breeds only drove dog fighters and other bad guys further underground, and has not impacted dog bite statistics. I had been saying, the fighting dogs are only victims, just as communities are. Well, when what Michael Vick did to these dogs became public, people began to 'get it.' The dogs are not the problem, bad people are. Fundamentally, pretty scarey to me, any society that fights dogs says something about the society. Also I worry about future generations since children exposed become desensitized to violence, and grow up to typically commit violent crimes to people. The dogfighters came along, and they chose Bully breeds and other terriers for their strength and tenacity, and sometimes disdain to other dogs. However, it's not natural for dogs to fight to the death. Even today, after all these years, most fighting dogs don't really want to fight to the death. As dog fighting became more common, entire communties were damaged. What to do? In some places politicans blamed the dogs, banning Pit Bulls (or any dog that resembled what they thought Pit Bulls are).
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So, aside from loyal - Pit Bulls type dogs became tied to patiotism. While for a period of time German Shepherd Dogs and Doberman's had bad raps, Pitties were celebrated, until.....The first recognized military dog was Stubby. Canine service to our country began during World War I. Although there was no official program back then dogs were used by the military. The most famous military dog was a Bull Terrier named Stubby, who repeatedly returned to the war front, even after incurring several injuries, from exposure to gas to wounds from shrapnel. In 1921, General John J. Pershing awarded a gold medal to Sgt. Stubby as he was now called. That same year, Sgt. Stubby visited the White House to meet President Warren Harding and again in 1924 to meet President Calvin Coolidge. How many people or dogs get to meet two U.S.Presidents? Sgt. Stubby died in 1926. His remains are preserved at the Smithsonian Institution. Pit Bulls were used in ads because their likeness sold products....and there was another reason for that aside from their reputation for loyalty. The dogs were in the movies, and were freqeuntly the dogs used on TV in the eary days of TV. This is Petey from the "Our Gang" comedies.Really, socialized and even moderately well bred Pit Bull-types are the same today. You can look up the word loyalty in the dictionary and you might as well find a photo of this dog, a Pit Bull-type dog. I say Pit Bull-type dogs for a reason, which I will explain soon.
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As the Yahoo story points out, no one thought about Pit Bulls in a negative light. In some places in Europe, some 'Bully breeds,' particualrly the little Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was referred to as the 'Nanny Dog' because they were so trustworthy with children.
I met my first Pitbull last year when I stayed with a friend in Arizona. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive, but after 5 minutes with this dog, I was smitten! Buddy was a big love bug and slept with me during my stay!
An exploration of Chicago from a dog's point of view. Written by a dog for dogs (with an occasional interruption from humans for the two-legged perspective).
I met my first Pitbull last year when I stayed with a friend in Arizona. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive, but after 5 minutes with this dog, I was smitten! Buddy was a big love bug and slept with me during my stay!
Sorry, Pit Bull!