Pit Bull’s Are Not Dangerous, Just Misunderstood
Cute dogs are still labeled dangerous based on their breed.
April 16, 2021
Today’s pit bull is a descendant of the original English bull-baiting dog—pit bulls were originally bred to “bait” or more accurately “savagely attack” domesticated bulls making them easier for the butcher to slaughter. This spectacle became so popular many people would gather to watch and gamble on these poor creatures. Soon, tethered bears became the bait and badgers too, and once again, the pit bull dog was the attacker. When these “blood sports” were outlawed, dog-on-dog fighting became popular as these operations were much easier to hide.
You might be able to move to breed-specific legislation (BSL) state and avoid the unfriendly municipalities that have banned pit bulls. “The 10 states where you and your pit bull are most likely to get the cold shoulder are Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Arkansas, Michigan, Louisiana, and Kentucky” (Petset).
Sadly, I have also witnessed too many horrendous injuries and even fatalities as a result of pit bull attacks and too many pit bulls euthanized because of what humans have actually caused them to be. Most dogs are as good as their owners. They are vicious but that can be said about any dog.
They are dangerous because they were either abused, beaten, unfed and trained to attack and kill humans or dogs or both. This comes down to the owner being responsible for them being dangerous, the abusive owner is the reason this breed has developed a very bad reputation. Unfortunately, there are some people who seem to believe that to have a large and potentially or actually aggressive dog by their side, actually means that they, themselves are enhanced. It is a stupid, generally masculine, trait.
Because of their quote-on-quote reputation pit bulls are one of the most abandoned dog breeds at the shelters. In addition in some states, pit bulls that are brought to shelters are immediately euthanized. Ironic right?
Pit bulls also have a huge fanbase with Hollywood stars. Some are Tom Holland, Kaley Cuoco, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Silverstone, Marc Jacobs, Gisele and Tom Brady, Josh Hutcherson, many more. With the inclusion of these celebrities, many people are keener to follow in their footsteps
All in all, based on all that we shouldn’t discriminate against this unfortunately labeled breed. Like Sarina Patel (9) states, “ Although they are naturally more aggressive, I still think that they’re mistreated and deserve as much care as other dogs!” It is not their fault they were born and bred that way.
Tiana Salisbury • Jun 3, 2021 at 8:12 AM
I find it really sad that pit bulls are thought to be dangerous just because of their breed. Hopefully, this stereotype will clear up after people realize that most pit bulls are just like any other dog. Great work!
Karina Shah • May 4, 2021 at 11:22 AM
Pitbulls are really misunderstood! I think every dog has their primal instincts, but it is really important to realize that domestication has changed their biology and psychology to be the friendly little puppers they are 🙂
Sharon Sun • May 2, 2021 at 5:47 AM
Great article! I also got to agree that dogs are affected more by their development compared to their nature — it all matters in the upbringing.
Kylie de Best • Apr 27, 2021 at 2:12 PM
I honestly do believe that pitbulls are just misunderstood, as there are many pitbulls that are actually really sweet, but out of fear many people still associate all pitbulls as scary. Great article!
faith desio • Apr 25, 2021 at 9:44 AM
I love this article Nikole! I have met some really nice pit bulls and some not so nice ones. I think it depends on how the dog is raised and treated but they should all get a chance.
Emily Eslao • Apr 19, 2021 at 10:53 PM
These kind of misconceptions really are disheartening when considering what it does to innocent dogs. I hope articles such as yours helps to clear the stigma around pitbulls and prevent more harm to the breed.
Emma Perron • Apr 18, 2021 at 9:28 PM
I love this article so much and you did a great job writing. I have always thought Pit Bull’s are just misunderstood but sometimes the stereotype is true. It all depends on how the dog is raised and how people approach the dog.
Suhani Bhanvadia • Apr 18, 2021 at 4:55 PM
Great article! A lot of misconceptions about pit bulls are because they are strong dogs, so people tend to train them to use their aggressive instincts. But they’re just like any other dog if their owner trains them that way.