Is There a Bad Breed?

Narrated from: Choosing a dog

There is currently a very heated debate going on regarding “bad” dog breeds. Almost anywhere you go you can hear people arguing over pit bull terriers. Thinking back over the years you can probably remember the same debate over rottweilers, German shepherds and doberman pinschers. The Cane Corso will be the next breed to be banned and the list goes on and on. Are there any breeds that were simply born bad? The experts answer this question with a resounding “NO!” It is true that pit bulls get negative media attention and that gives the general population the idea that these dogs are bad. Unfortunately, the media reports the things that instigate instead of things that educate. For instance, have you ever seen a report about how many safe airplane fights there were in a day? No, you usually only hear about the crashes. The same is true for dogs. You never hear a report that millions of pit bulls had a good day!

As people that are in the know about dogs in general you probably know that the term pit bull included all bully breeds that were used to bait bears and bulls in an arena. Did you know that pit bulls were favorite pets of people like President Theodore Roosevelt, Fred Astaire and Helen Keller? Did you know that the children’s best friend in “The Little Rascals” was a pit bull? The famed Victrola Record dog and the Target Department Store dog are pit bulls? Many of these dogs bear no resemblance to each other but they are still all pit bulls. Their reputation was absolutely outstanding, and they were considered to be wonderful family pets because they were so good with people.

While it may be true that pit bulls are a little less tolerant of other dogs, if these dogs are well socialized as puppies and they gain the experience of obedience training, they always will make great pets. They do not have the hair trigger temperament that they have been made out to be and they do lock their jaws when they bite but they are usually biting a toy. This bad breed’s reputation is the direct result of irresponsible dog ownership; nothing more and nothing less. They are wonderfully athletic, energetic, intelligent and gentle dogs that are loving and loyal to their owners. It is generally agreed that owning a pit bull is a responsibility and training is an absolute necessity. They can be difficult to train and they need someone who can take charge and make training a first priority. A pit bull will take over if you let him. They are after all, a tenacious terrier!

It’s truly a shame that pit bulls are being banned completely in some cities and towns. In some other places you may need to pay more for your home owner’s policy or renter’s insurance policy. The neighbors will watch you and your pet very carefully and report any thing they believe to be an infraction. It’s unfortunate that so many people believe what they hear in the media. In one incident an elderly woman had to turn over her service dog, wh happened to be a pit bull, to the Miami-Dade animal control because the breed is banned there. Our rights are being trampled on because of some irresponsible owners. How would you feel if animal control came knocking down your door demanding that you turn over your pet? If it can happen to a pit bull owner it can happen to any pet owner.

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