For many years, when people talk about aggressive dogs, one type of dog comes to mind, the pit bull. Pit bull is the term that I will use throughout this paper but the term can refer to any of three dog breeds: American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier. The term pit bull could also refer to any mixes of any of these three breeds of dogs. Throughout their history Pit Bulls have been valued for their companionship and beloved members of the family. Their negative media image only recently has come into play, even though pit bulls have been around for over a century. Pit bulls are descended from the original English bull baiting dog which was a dog that was used to bite and hold large animals. In
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Before the mid 1980’s pit bulls were some of the most popular family dogs in America. In 1987, Sports Illustrated ran article written by E.M. Swift that wrongfully characterized pit bulls as an aggressive breed. More damaging to the pit bulls image was the cover of the magazine which featured a snarling pit bull with the headline “BEWARE OF THIS DOG.” Around the same time numerous cases of pit bulls were being reported by media outlets which further demonized the pit bull. Drawn to the pit bull’s outlaw image, ownership among gang members and drug dealers rose. At the same time even though it was illegal in all 50 states, dog fighting was making a comeback and the dog of choice was the pit bull. Eventually some communities began to implement Breed Specific Laws (BSL). BSL are laws that are enacted with the intent of making a community safer from dog attacks by outlawing or governing certain types of …show more content…
The temperament test conducted by the ATTS focuses on and measures the stability, shyness, aggressiveness and friendliness of a dog’s temperament. The test resembles a walk in the park, where the dog will be confronted with neutral, friendly and threatening situations that will stimulate the dog’s responses. It’s amazing that the pit bull has a higher passing rate than many other popular breeds, but this is not the report you get from the media. A study that was conducted by the National Canine Resource Council (NCRC) showed evidence anti-pit bull bias by the media. Over the first three days that the study was conducted they were three separate attacks on humans by dogs, none by a pit bull. These attacks were reported on only a couple of articles. On the fourth day of study there was an attack by two pit bulls that made news nationally and internationally (2007 NCRC Report on media bias). This sensationalized reporting is the fuel that misleads the public into favoring and enacting BSL, which could be lethal to the population of pit bulls (“Obama Administration Opposes Breed Specific Legislation”). There is no evidence that shows that BSL are effective in making communities safer. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) decided against
Before the mid 1980’s pit bulls were some of the most popular family dogs in America. In 1987, Sports Illustrated ran article written by E.M. Swift that wrongfully characterized pit bulls as an aggressive breed. More damaging to the pit bulls image was the cover of the magazine which featured a snarling pit bull with the headline “BEWARE OF THIS DOG.” Around the same time numerous cases of pit bulls were being reported by media outlets which further demonized the pit bull. Drawn to the pit bull’s outlaw image, ownership among gang members and drug dealers rose. At the same time even though it was illegal in all 50 states, dog fighting was making a comeback and the dog of choice was the pit bull. Eventually some communities began to implement Breed Specific Laws (BSL). BSL are laws that are enacted with the intent of making a community safer from dog attacks by outlawing or governing certain types of …show more content…
The temperament test conducted by the ATTS focuses on and measures the stability, shyness, aggressiveness and friendliness of a dog’s temperament. The test resembles a walk in the park, where the dog will be confronted with neutral, friendly and threatening situations that will stimulate the dog’s responses. It’s amazing that the pit bull has a higher passing rate than many other popular breeds, but this is not the report you get from the media. A study that was conducted by the National Canine Resource Council (NCRC) showed evidence anti-pit bull bias by the media. Over the first three days that the study was conducted they were three separate attacks on humans by dogs, none by a pit bull. These attacks were reported on only a couple of articles. On the fourth day of study there was an attack by two pit bulls that made news nationally and internationally (2007 NCRC Report on media bias). This sensationalized reporting is the fuel that misleads the public into favoring and enacting BSL, which could be lethal to the population of pit bulls (“Obama Administration Opposes Breed Specific Legislation”). There is no evidence that shows that BSL are effective in making communities safer. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) decided against