Pitbulls are one of the most misunderstood dog breeds in the world. For decades they have been seen as dangerous, aggressive and unreliable dogs. The negativity that surrounds them comes from incidents and from media stories rather than the true nature of the breed.
History of the Pitbull
The Pitbull breed orignates all the way back to the 18th-century in England. They were bred for bull-baiting, and they were also used for dog fighting which was called “Bull and Terrier”. Later when they outlawed these sports they decided to make a ‘new’ type of pit: an even more ‘nimble’ pitbull. When immigrants started to bring them over to America they started to be cared for as valued family pets, and even became farm dogs. Unfortuntely for them their past dog fighting contributes to peoples negative beliefs and breed legislation today.
The Media Infuence
The media plays a big role in shaping peoples prescriptives on how people see the Pitbulls. The news tends to only highlight negative stories such as attacks or any incidents involving just this breed, this usually catches attention from the public. When something positive about pitbulls comes to surface it rarely recieves the same attention. Both of these clash eachother and create a unstable opinion on the breed.
Not only does the news contribute to their reputation but sometimes even movies and tv shows such as “Pitbull (2018)”, Animal Cops, and A Whole Movie About Pit Bulls and It’s Awful (2023)”. These films portray negative ideas making them a symbol of “Aggresion”. Usually they use non-scientific facts to spread misinformation. All of this strengthens the medias negative opinion on them and it makes them think their aggresiveness is natural.
Training Effects Behavior
Training can be a big impact on a pitbulls behavior. When they get proper training such as guidance, socialization, and positive reassurance they can be excellent gentle and friendly family pets. Just like any kind of breed the way they are treated reflects onto whoever treats or raised them that way. Dogs that are miscared for tend to act aggresive or scared towards others and usually end up with behavorial problems.
When pitbulls or any other type of dog are raised in a poor way or trained with unnecessary violence it can lead them to use that onto other people or sometimes even dogs. A neglected or abused pit can sometimes be encouraged to do the same thing to another person or dog. Don’t just think that they will harm only those around them. Sometimes they harm themselves out of fear and anxiousness. These are reasons why training and proper care are so important when dealing with any type of breed.
The Challenges in Shelters
Pitbulls are one of the most common dogs found in shelters in the U.S, Around 20% while in these shelters they face challenges because of their negative reputation. They are one of the most ignored dogs when people come to adopt. Many wanting-to-be dog owners ignore the pitbull breed because of their stereotypes: Aggresive and unsafe. Owners don’t even try to get to know the dog individually.
The lack of interest the pitbull breed gets from potential owners leads to this breed getting euthanized in shelters. Sometimes these dogs don’t get a chance to get adopted and get euthanized upon arrival. These are outcomes that happens globally not because of what the dogs are on the inside but because of the controversy around them. When media learns to understand the importance of looking at each pet rather than judging on whats said online pits can get a chance and get fair treatment, more pits can find the loving homes that they should’ve had from the start.
