3 Common Myths About Pit Bull Puppies

It is hard to think of any other breed of dog that attracts as much media attention as the pit bull.

The vast majority of responsible owners who have owned a pit bull argue that they are safe and loving dogs whilst there is a strong voice of public opinion that considers them as dangerous and should be banned.

How you treat and care for your dog will certainly have an impact on how any breed will behave, so is the bad press justified when it comes to pit bulls or do they get a raw deal?

What is a pit bull?

The description of a pit bull is slightly confusing as it is a generic term to describe a range of dogs who share similar physical characteristics.

A pit bull is generally an American pit bull terrier, a Staffordshire bull terrier or simply a bull terrier, so when you see a pit bull mentioned in a press story, it could actually be any one of these distinct breeds and is akin to blaming a dog based on their physical traits rather than their characteristics.

So what are the common myths that need exploring?

All pit bulls are badly behaved

Probably one of the greatest myths that you will hear about a pit bull is that they are bred to be bad and are simply not to be trusted as they have no control over their character that is in their DNA.

There is not one single dog, irrespective of the breed that has a conscience and are pre-disposed to fight and behave badly simply because of how they have been bred. It is true that certain characteristics and instincts are bred into dogs but pit bulls, like any other breed of dog, actually react to the surroundings they find themselves in and according to the level of training that they have had as a puppy.

Pit bull puppies can bring a lot of joy and pleasure for their owners in just the same way that any breed of dog can, and if you train them responsibly and give them plenty of love and attention, then they will respond positively and have every chance of being a credit to their owner.

Pit bulls are bred to be aggressive towards humans

When pit bulls were bred to fight other dogs in a ring, the owners had to ensure that the dog would not attack them when they stepped into the ring to break up a fight.

They were able to train their pit bull to respond to commands and it is a myth to suggest that the breed is naturally aggressive towards humans. As with any dog, there are often other factors involved rather than just breeding, such as protection of their food, which could cause any dog to attack.

In that respect, a pit bull has just as much chance to be trained to respond to commands and show restraint as any other breed of dog, it is other factors that can trigger a natural canine instinct to attack.

Pit bulls are incapable of being friendly

Anyone who thinks that a pit bull is incapable of displaying love and affection has simply not owned one or has not observed them in a positive and friendly environment.

They love human interaction and feed off positive attention and many owners say they give more kisses than most other breed of dog, which is not exactly in keeping with the general public perception of their behavior.

Pit bulls will almost always get a bad press but when you get to know the breed, it would be fair to say that their reputation is not always easy to justify.

Anthony Jensen has worked in several animal shelters. He desires for the public to better understand animals through his writing.