The origional Pit Bull type dog was some sort of Bulldog/ Terrier mix. These dogs were mostly used for hunting, driving livestock, and just being friendly pets. In fact, Pit Bulls were so good with children that they were sometimes called the "Children's Dog," or, owing to their protectiveness of children, the "Nanny Dog."
So what changed? Dog fighting. Many Pit Bulls were bred to be fighting dogs, and eventually, Pit Bulls became less of a pet, and more of a fighter. Later on, some people saw the potential in this fierce fighting dog breed. They basically reversed the breeding of these dogs, and bred Pit Bulls for friendly characteristics.
It's true that some people do breed aggressive Pit Bulls, to use as illegal fighters or attack dogs. But most Pet Bulls are wonderful, but misunderstood dogs.
But still, Pit Bulls are not good dogs for many people. They are powerful, dominant dogs that must be trained and socialized very well as puppies. They are also not good with cats and small animals. They also might be aggressive towards other dogs.
I used to be among those that did not like Pit Bulls. Until one day our next door neighbors brought home a puppy. It was very cute, and very tiny and one of its legs was in a cast. We were shocked when our neighbors told us he was a Pit Bull. The Pit Bull was very friendly, and I quickly began to like Pit Bulls. He was also very good with the Boxer that he lived with. (The Boxer was really nice too.)
There is one more argument about the Pit Bull. Pit Bull haters say they are dangerous. Though I like Pit Bulls, I must heartily agree with them. Pit Bulls are dangerous, but so are Golden Retrievers and other larger dogs. Thus, the question is not "Can they give a nasty bite?" but "Will they give a nasty bite." Most of the time, the answer is "No."
No comments:
Post a Comment