Why Pit Bulls Are Controversial

Pit Bull Origins

The pit bull is a dog type of American origin that is popular throughout the world. They are medium-sized, muscular, sturdy, and fearless, and they share the lineage of the American Staffordshire Terrier. Pit bulls were bred by mixing old English Terriers and Bulldogs to participate in big games like hunting and dogfighting and contribute to blood sports like bull and bear baiting.

Characteristics and Temperament

Pit bulls are very active dogs, highly protective of their owners and eager to please. A well-bred and properly trained pit bull makes a reliable and loyal companion. They also excel in weight-pulling, dog agility, flyball, lure coursing, and advanced obedience competition. Pit bulls are sometimes know for their aggression toward other animals and dogs of the same sex and they can be destructive when bored. They can be willful and dominant if not properly trained.

Dog Bans

Dogs are devoted companions, full of unconditional love and loyalty, and they do what they are expected to do. But some dog breeds are aloof and aggressive, many times because of irresponsible training (or lack of training).When raised by a less experienced or weak owner, or without good training or socialization, then they can became aggressive, willful, dominant and a threat to the public.

Why Are Pit Bulls Banned?

If you look at the dog bite statistic in the United States and other countries, it shows that pit bull dogs are responsible for higher fatalities than dogs of other breeds. According to U.S. dog bite statistics, the number of dog bite bites is one out of every 73 people and approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States each year, with 800,000 of those bites resulting in medical care.

This means 19% of dog bites cause severe injury and require medial attention, and pit bulls are responsible for about 70% of cases that require medical attention. These figures are alarming, and they create a negative image of pit bulls.

But that’s just one aspect of judging the characteristics of pit bulls. According to another survey of over 4,000 dog owners, pit bulls consistently ranked as one of the least aggressive dogs out of the 35 most common breeds. (The chihuahua was ranked as one of the most aggressive). Basically pit bulls are good guard dogs that can be extremely loyal and protective of their owners, and if properly trained and socialized, make a good family pet. But if owners are inexperienced, pit bulls that are not trained and groomed well can be dangerous, too.