A Pit Bull is defined as a muscular, short-haired, stocky dog of any of several breeds or a hybrid with one or more of these breeds that was originally developed for fighting and is noted for strength, stamina, and tenacity. These include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The American Bulldog is also sometimes included (Pit Bull Definition). Every dog breed has the potential to bite and kill. Most people do not want to think a smaller dog such as a Pomeranian or Chihuahua can cause great harm. People who believe that American Pit Bull Terriers also known as Pit Bulls are the most aggressive type dog are mistaken. People who have never been around this breed of dog
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Early breeders wanted to combine the bravery of the terrier and the strength of the bulldog. They wanted to do this so that Pit Bulls could track down wild animals and hold them down until their master came. They were used to bait bulls and bears, and in the 1800s when bull baiting was outlawed they turned to dogfighting. The owners later mixed it with terriers to create a more agile and athletic dog for fighting. Some pit bulls were bred for fighting while others were bred for companionship. The dogs that were bred for fighting were not aggressive towards humans because they had to be around humans often and the dogs that were aggressive towards humans were killed (Position Statement on Pit Bulls). Most of the pit bulls today are a result of random breeding and have a variety of behaviors. Many factors such as early nutrition and stress levels, housing conditions, and social interactions contribute to how the dog will behave in the future. Laws that ban certain breeds of dogs create the illusion of enhanced public safety. In 2013 president Obama said that dogs of any breed can be aggressive when they are raised to be aggressive (Pitbull Temperament-Is the Aggression All Hype or …show more content…
Innate learning is part of a dog’s genetic temperament and how these genes express themselves starts in early learning as a puppy and the environment the dog is raised in. Nonassociative learning is learning about a stimulus, such as sight or sound in the external world. Habituation is when a dog gets used to a certain stimulus such as the sound of a washing machine. Sensitization is the opposite of habituation. Associative learning is the relationship between two pieces of information that takes place one right after the other. Observational learning is done by watching how other dogs or humans behave around other dogs (Gazzaniga, Heatherton, and Halpern,
Early breeders wanted to combine the bravery of the terrier and the strength of the bulldog. They wanted to do this so that Pit Bulls could track down wild animals and hold them down until their master came. They were used to bait bulls and bears, and in the 1800s when bull baiting was outlawed they turned to dogfighting. The owners later mixed it with terriers to create a more agile and athletic dog for fighting. Some pit bulls were bred for fighting while others were bred for companionship. The dogs that were bred for fighting were not aggressive towards humans because they had to be around humans often and the dogs that were aggressive towards humans were killed (Position Statement on Pit Bulls). Most of the pit bulls today are a result of random breeding and have a variety of behaviors. Many factors such as early nutrition and stress levels, housing conditions, and social interactions contribute to how the dog will behave in the future. Laws that ban certain breeds of dogs create the illusion of enhanced public safety. In 2013 president Obama said that dogs of any breed can be aggressive when they are raised to be aggressive (Pitbull Temperament-Is the Aggression All Hype or …show more content…
Innate learning is part of a dog’s genetic temperament and how these genes express themselves starts in early learning as a puppy and the environment the dog is raised in. Nonassociative learning is learning about a stimulus, such as sight or sound in the external world. Habituation is when a dog gets used to a certain stimulus such as the sound of a washing machine. Sensitization is the opposite of habituation. Associative learning is the relationship between two pieces of information that takes place one right after the other. Observational learning is done by watching how other dogs or humans behave around other dogs (Gazzaniga, Heatherton, and Halpern,