People and Pitbulls

[3bisabella]

I am a very proud owner of a 2 year old pitbull named Macho. He is probably the best dog I have ever had and not only is he extremely "lovey-dovey" by licking us 24/7, but he's also very protective of us. Don't get me wrong though, Macho would never hurt anyone and has not bitten anyone in the past 2 years. However, ever since we got him, people do not come down my block anymore and also ask us if we are "crazy" because "pitbulls turn on their owners". These are beautiful dogs with such bad reputations.


Every once in a while, you hear on the news about a pitbull attacking someone and because people have heard this so much, they only hear the bad stories and not the good ones. No one seems to remember the story about the pitbull that jumped in front of a bullet for their owner because of an armed robber coming into the house, or the dog barking for hours because he knew that the baby in the household was unconscious. People only seem to hear the bad things and not the good. Of course though, the bad things should not be ignored but, we all should also take into the fact that many pitbulls are abused by their owners. By their owners doing this to these helpless animals, the dogs never learn any better. 

So to end this rant, here's a cute little video of a pitbull puppy and a baby cuddling:

[3cgenesis]

I feel the same way. Most people still believe that breed determines a dog's social behavior. It's like associating an entire race with a single stereo-type. With my dog for example, people automatically assume that they can approach her because she is "small and cute". Although she seems that way, she is actually not friendly whatsoever and has even bitten people in the past. Pit-bulls are known for being "viscous" and "dangerous". The main reason for this is that because of their physical characteristics, they are mostly trained to be watch dogs, to participate in the inhumane practice of "dog-fighting", and as you said, abused by their owners in the process. The media has definitely played a huge role in the reputation of the pit-bull, making people still ignorant the fact that it's all about personal experiences and how they are raised, just like any other animal or human being.