Friday, October 3, 2008

On Loving Pit Bulls

Another assignment for comp 101.




When someone says Pit Bull, what images do you conjure in your head? Do you picture vicious dogs that we all should fear? Do you envision dogs killing a human child? Do you think they should all be euthanized because they are maniacal killers? Are they only owned by gang members for the purpose of guarding drugs? Have you heard they can “lock” their jaws onto something and you can’t make them let go? None of these answers could be farther from the truth. In the U.S today, thousands of these dogs are mishandled, maimed, and even killed. They are beaten, starved and forced to kill little animals so humans can say they have a killer dog. They are tied up in yards and forced to take their frustration out on anyone who passes by. One of my missions in this lifetime is to dispel some of these myths and explain to you and the public, the truths of owning one of these truly incredible dogs.
The American Pit Bull Terrier also known as the American Staffordshire Terrier (Am. Staff.) was first introduced to America in the early 1800’s (Nicholas #4). They were bred by mixing the Staffordshire terrier of England with the original bulldog, a taller version of the English bulldog that we all know today (Cunliffe #364). The American version of the Staffordshire terrier was much bigger and therefore much better suited to farm work. They not only guarded the humans in the house but they pulled wagons, hunted vermin, and guarded livestock from coyotes and wolves.
They gained the trust of humans during World War I when Stubby, an Am. Staff., was the only dog to be promoted to Sergeant in the US Army for holding a German spy captive while he waited for his human officers to arrive (Nicholas #6). We all remember one of the most beloved American Staffordshire terriers of all time Petey the Our Gang or Little Rascals dog.
Petey was also the first Am. Staff. to be dual registered in the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the United Kennel Club (UKC). Other famous Am. Staffs include the RCA dog, and Bud the first dog to ride in a car across the USA. Many famous people from history have owned and loved the Am. Staff., Helen Keller and Teddy Roosevelt are just a few (Nicholas #7).
In the 1920’s everyone wanted one of these beautiful and popular dogs. However, today this breed is receiving national recognition, but not in the same light. Severe mishandling, bad breeding, and over breeding have caused them to become everyone’s favorite villain.
In addition to loyal farm workers Am. Staffs have a dark side to their past. They were also originally used for bull and bear baiting (Cunliffe #364). This gruesome sport involved humans putting several dogs into a ring with a bear or a bull and cheering the dogs on while they killed the animal in a pack-like fashion. Many dogs were harmed during this game and were then killed and discarded like trash. To this day, people have illegal pit bull fighting rings in the US. I am sure all of you have heard about the recent escapades of Michael Vick, the former NFL quarterback. Some of the dogs found on his property had been strangled, drowned, set on fire and electrocuted because they were not good fighters. People who engage in this activity put heavy chains on dogs’ necks, beat them on the head, feed them raw meat and then give them little animals to chase and kill, all so owners can brag that they have an attack dog. The Monks of New Skete have been training dogs for all purposes since 1973 and they had this to say about protection training a dog, “Protection training often backfires” (Monks#170). The Monks also continue on to say, “An attack trained dog is like a loaded gun. It should be handled only by experienced persons in appropriate situations” (Monks#171).
The American Staffordshire terrier is a fiercely loyal breed, their only goal is to please the master. Writer Anna Katherine Nicholas has this to say about the breed, “Almost without exception whatever you want and demand in a dog this one will give you” (Nicholas #10). So if you demand excellence, loyalty, and companionship, those traits are what you receive from these pets. There is no need to train them to be fierce and protective; it is in their nature to guard their humans against harm. If you demand that your dog kill other dogs or intimidate people then they will do that to the best of their ability also. Believe it or not the Am. Staff. is first and foremost a family dog, they are never happier than they are when they are with their humans.
There is a lot of talk in the media of breed bans. Breed bans are legislative decisions put forth to ban a person from owning or housing a specific breed or type of dog. The public responding with a gut reaction agree with this, but they are missing the problem. Cesar Millan publicly known as “The Dog Whisperer” had this to say about banning breeds: “The truth is any breed of dog can become a red-zone case, it’s the power of the dog and the physical size of the victim that determines the damage” (Millan#182). Cesar Millan also states that in 2000 a little girl was attacked and killed by a Pomeranian mix (Millan#182). Picking out certain breeds to ban is not the way to solve a problem that has nothing to do with the breed of the dog. Dogs of any breed weighing over 30 pounds can easily crush the arm of a human. It is the owner of the dog we need to take into consideration. Banning breeds just puts a band-aid on the problem and brings us no closer to finding a solution for dog attacks on humans (Millan #182).
We as the human race have always used dogs for our pleasure. We use them as ornaments to look cute or tough. Many of us do not give any consideration as to what the dogs really want and need. When we spoil them as if they are human babies and do not give them correct boundaries, as well as treat them with respect, any dog can become dangerous. Too many dogs in this country are euthanized because a human went out and purchased a dog on a whim, perhaps as a Christmas gift. People don’t want to take the time to match the breed and temperament of a dog to their own; they just want a status symbol. Exercise, training, and feeding requirements are rarely considered, not to mention doing any research on the breed they want. People need to learn about the temperaments best suited to their lifestyle. For example high energy dogs should not belong to couch potatoes, happy go lucky people should have easy to train happy dogs, and people who are serious about training, and setting rules and boundaries are well suited for a powerful breed dog. If you take the time to research the breed before you acquire one, your experience will be that much more rewarding.
What some may not know is, Am. Staffs are commonly used as therapy dogs all over the USA. Today they are invited in to cancer wards to cheer up children and assisted living homes to visit elderly people. Their independent nature and high intelligence coupled with their tenacity make them well suited as search and rescue dogs. You rarely hear about these pit bulls, since they don’t make for a very extraordinary story. You only hear about Pit bulls on the news when some one has mishandled them, by keeping them chained in a yard with no socialization, no exercise and barely any food and water. Their frustration builds and then one day they break the chain or rope holding them and take out their frustration on whatever is closest. This is no way for such an intelligent dog to live.
I have owned and trained Am. Staffs for ten years now. My pack consists of four rescued dogs; three of them are Am. Staffs along with their pug friend, as well as four cats. I watch them
play with my niece and nephews, and observe them curled together in the bed with my cats, and when I look at their trusting loyal faces and think about the harm that could have befallen them I want to weep. These are not vicious mindless killers. They shouldn’t be illegal to own, they shouldn’t be burned, beaten, starved or drowned just for being pit bulls. They are fiercely loyal and loving companions who want nothing more than good food, a sensible leader to follow and a warm place to sleep next to me.


The dog pack. Start at the pug Suki and go clockwise, Daddy, Violet, and Lily.

Works Cited

Cunliffe, Juliette. The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. UK: Parragon, 2003.
Millan, Cesar. Cesar’s Way. New York: Random, 2006.
Monks of New Skete. How to be Your Dogs Best Friend. Boston: Little, Brown and Company,
1978.
Nicholas, Anna Katherine. American Staffordshire Terriers. New Jersey: T.F.H. Publications
Inc. 1995.

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