DrFever
New Member
pit bulls have bin inbread and and the breed has litterally bin fckt up people are to blame for there ignorance how many times do you read of a person walking there poodle down the street and some pit bull mauled it to deathfunny how people can talk bad bout pits but never even owned one or knew somebody that owned one ..they make a statement based of one incident they had with a pit that obviously wasnt raised by a responsible owner ...my dogs are the nicest dogs you will ever meet raised around children. Never once bitten or even growled at them and you know how unforgiving a child can be ...Its all about the owner and what behavior you encourage and reward your dog for. My dogs love my family just as much as we love them. If somebody broke into our house tonight im sure they would give their life for our safety as most pitbulls would for their owner its the people that take that companionship and use it in the wrong way which is why pits have such a bad rap. They are not perfect by any means but no dog is. So instead of making an ignorant comment why dont you educate yourself on the breed before letting such ignorance leave your mouth...Now let me go smoke, because that comment fucked up my high
theres a reason there are laws concerning this breed and thats for peoples safety such as dogs being muffled during walks , insurances needed as well as laws coming out not allowing this breed period
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For other uses, see Pitbull (disambiguation).
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (May 2010)
A Staffordshire bull terrier, one of the three breeds commonly recognized as a Pit Bull type dog.
Pit bull is a term commonly used to describe several breeds of dog in the molosser breed group.
Most jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada,[1] and Denver, Colorado,[2] use the term "pit bull" to refer to the modern American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, or any other dog that has the substantial physical characteristics and appearance of those breeds. However, a few jurisdictions, such as Singapore[3] and Franklin County, Ohio,[4] also classify the modern American Bulldog as a "pit bull-type dog", while in the United Kingdom the term applies only to the American pit bull terrier.[5] All three breeds share a similar history, with origins rooted from the bulldog and a variety of terriers. The term can also refer to dogs that were known as "bull terriers" prior to the development of the modern Bull terrier in the early 20th century.
Research has been conducted into human fatalities related to pit bull type dogs due to a number of well-publicized incidents. These incidents resulted in breed-specific legislation being enacted in several jurisdictions, and to increased premiums for liability insurance. Some airlines have placed restrictions on air travel for pit bulls, though in some instances restrictions are in place for the dogs' own well-being.
Contents
[hide]
- <LI class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1">1 History
- <LI class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2">1.1 American pit bull terrier <LI class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3">1.2 American Staffordshire terrier
- 1.3 Staffordshire bull terrier
- <LI class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6">2.1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2000) <LI class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7">2.2 Canadian Veterinary Journal (200
<LI class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8">2.3 Clifton report (2009) - 2.4 Fatalities reported in the United States (20052009)
- <LI class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12">4.1 Liability insurance
- 4.2 Air carrier restrictions
- 6 References
Though the pit bull type dogs were all created with similar crossbreeding between bulldogs and terriers, each individual breed within the type has a somewhat different history. There are an estimated 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States;[6] however, the number of pit bull-type dogs has not been reliably determined.[7] Animal shelters in the United States euthanized approximately 1.7 million dogs in 2008; approximately 980,000, or 58 percent of these were assessed to have been pit bull-type dogs.[8]
[edit] American pit bull terrier
Main article: American Pit Bull Terrier
American pit bull terrier
The American pit bull terrier is the product of interbreeding between terriers and a breed of bulldogs to produce a dog that combined the gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog.[9] These dogs were initially bred in England, Ireland, and Scotland, and arrived in the United States with immigrants from these countries. In the United States, these dogs were used as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions;[9] however, some were selectively bred for their fighting prowess,[10] and starting in the early 20th century, they began to replace the bull terrier as the "dog of choice" for dog fighting in the United States.[11][12]
The United Kennel Club (UKC) was the first registry to recognize the American pit bull terrier.[13] UKC founder C. Z. Bennett assigned UKC registration number 1 to his own dog, "Bennett's Ring", as an American pit bull terrier in 1898.[9]
American pit bull terriers today successfully fill the role of companion dog, police dog,[14][15] and therapy dog;[16] however, terriers in general have a higher tendency towards dog aggression[17] and American pit bull terriers constitute the majority of dogs used for illegal dog fighting in the United States.[18] In addition, law enforcement organizations report these dogs are used for other nefarious purposes, such as guarding illegal narcotics operations,[19] use against the police,[20] and as weapons.[21]
The fighting reputation of pit bull-type dogs led the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1996 to relabel pit bull terriers as "St. Francis terriers" (not associated with the "terrier" mascot of St. Francis College in New York) so that they might be more readily adopted;[22] 60 temperament-screened dogs were adopted until the program was halted after several of the newly adopted dogs killed cats.[23] The New York City Center for Animal Care and Control tried a similar approach in 2004 by relabeling their pit bull terriers as "New Yorkies", but dropped the idea in the face of overwhelming public opposition.[24][25]
[edit] American Staffordshire terrier
Main article: American Staffordshire Terrier
American Staffordshire terrier
The American Staffordshire terrier was the product of 19th century interbreeding between bulldogs and terriers that produced the "bull-and-terrier dog", "Half and Half", and at times "pit dog" or "pit bullterrier" that later assumed the name in England of the Staffordshire bull terrier. The bulldog of that time was different to the modern Bulldog, having a full muzzle and a long, tapering tail; there is some debate as to whether the White English terrier, the Black and Tan terrier, the Fox terrier or some combination thereof were used. These dogs began to find their way into America as early as 1870 where they became known as pit dog, pit bull terrier, later American bull terrier, and still later as Yankee terrier.[26] They were imported primarily, but not exclusively, for pit fighting.[27]
In 1936, they were accepted by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as "Staffordshire terriers". The name of the breed was revised effective January 1, 1972 to "American Staffordshire terrier" since breeders in the United States had developed a type which is heavier in weight than the Staffordshire bull terrier of England and the name was changed to distinguish them as separate breeds.[26]
[edit] Staffordshire bull terrier
Main article: Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Staffordshire bull terrier
The Staffordshire bull terrier had its beginnings in England many centuries ago when the bulldog and Mastiff were used for the sports of bull-baiting and bear-baiting; in the Elizabethan era, breeders produced large dogs for these sports but later on the 100120 pound animal gave way to a small, more agile breed of up to 90 pounds.[28]
The sport of dog fighting gained popularity in England in the early 19th century and a smaller, faster dog was developed. It was called by names such as "bulldog terrier" and "bull and terrier". The bulldog at that time was larger than the modern-day English bulldog we know today, weighing about 60 pounds. This dog was crossed with a small native terrier, related to the present-day Manchester terrier to produce the Staffordshire bull terrier weighing on average between 30 and 45 pounds.[28]
James Hinks, in about 1860, crossed the Old pit bull terrier, now known as the Staffordshire bull terrier, and produced the all-white English bull terrier. The Kennel Club in Great Britain recognized the bull terrier in the last quarter of the 19th century, but the Staffordshire bull terrier's reputation as a fighting dog was such that The Kennel Club did not recognize the breed until 1935, a century after the sport of dog fighting became illegal in Great Britain under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835.[28]
The Staffordshire bull terrier was admitted to registration in the AKC Stud Book effective October 1, 1974, with regular show classification in the Terrier Group at AKC shows available on and after March 5, 1975.[29]
[edit] Related human fatalities
A limited number of studies have been performed on the number of human deaths due to bite trauma caused by dogs, and have generally surveyed news media stories for reports of dog bite-related fatalities. This methodology is subject to several potential sources of error: some fatal attacks may not have been reported; a study might not find all of the relevant news reports; and the potential for misidentification of dog breeds,[7] although courts in the United States[30][31] and Canada[32][33] have ruled that expert identification, when using published breed standards, is sufficient for the enforcement of breed-specific legislation. It is possible to distinguish dogs by breed using DNA testing,[33] but test results for any one dog can vary widely depending upon the laboratory that performs the test and the number of purebred dog breeds in the laboratory's DNA database.[34]
There is no evidence for the existence of a physiological "locking mechanism" in the teeth or jaw structure of normal pit bull-type dogs,[35] although a dog's jaws can be locked in a closed position by surgically-correctable jaw abnormalities.[36] Despite the lack of a physiological "jaw locking" mechanism, pit bull-type dogs often exhibit "bite, hold, and shake" behavior and refuse to release when biting;[19][27][37] methods to force pit bull-type dogs to release their grip include breaking an ammonia ampule and holding up to the dog's nose,[27] or using a "break stick" to lever the dog's jaws open if it bites a person or animal.[17][38]
[edit] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2000)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in 2000 a study on dog bite-related fatalities (DBRF) that covered the years 19791998. The study found reports of 238 people killed by dogs over the 24-year period, of which "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were reportedly responsible for killing 76, or about 32 percent, of the people killed by dogs in the attacks identified in the study. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 44 fatalities or about 18 percent of the study-identified fatalities. In aggregate, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and mixes thereof were involved in about 50% of the fatalities identified over the 20-year period covered by the study, and for 67% of the DBRF reported in the final two years studied (1997199
, concluding"It is extremely unlikely that they [pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers] accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities."[7]
The report's authors went on to say:
"Although the fatality data are concerning, one must broaden the context to consider both fatal and nonfatal bites when deciding on a course of action. ...[A] 36% increase in medically attended bites from 1986 to 1994 draws attention to the need for an effective response, including dog bite prevention programs. Because (1) fatal bites constitute less than 0.00001% of all dog bites annually, (2) fatal bites have remained relatively constant over time, whereas nonfatal bites have been increasing, and (3) fatal bites are rare at the usual political level where bite regulations are promulgated and enforced, we believe that fatal bites should not be the primary factor driving public policy regarding dog bite prevention."
The report's authors suggested that "generic nonbreed-specific, dangerous dog laws can be enacted that place primary responsibility for a dog's behavior on the owner, regardless of the dog's breed. In particular, targeting chronically irresponsible dog owners may be effective."[39]
The latest CDC "Dog Bite: Fact Sheet" includes a disclaimer regarding this study, saying that
"it does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill."[40]
[edit] Canadian Veterinary Journal (200
An electronic search of newspaper articles by Dr. Malathi Raghavan, DVM, PhD, found that pit bull terriers were responsible for 1 of 28 (3.6%) dog bite-related fatalities reported in Canada from 1990 through 2007.[41]
[edit] Clifton report (2009)
Mr. Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People News,[42] has compiled from press reports a log of dog attack deaths and severe bites in the United States and Canada from September 1982 through December 22, 2009. The study methodology counted attacks "by dogs of clearly identified breed type or ancestry, as designated by animal control officers or others with evident expertise, [that] have been kept as pets." Mr. Clifton acknowledges that the log "is by no means a complete list of fatal or otherwise serious dog attacks" since it excludes "dogs whose breed type may be uncertain, ...attacks by police dogs, guard dogs, and dogs trained specifically to fight..."[43]
The study found reports of 345 people killed by dogs over the 27-year period, of which "pit bull terrier", or mixes thereof, were reportedly responsible for killing 159, or about 46 percent, of the people killed by dogs in the attacks identified in the study. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 70 fatalities or about 20 percent of the study-identified fatalities; in aggregate, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and mixes thereof were involved in about 66% of the study-identified fatalities. In that same study, the number of serious maimings by a "pit bull terrier" was 778; the number of serious maimings by a Rottweiler was 244. The number of attributed fatalities to the German Shepherd Dog was 9. The number of serious maimings by a German Shepherd Dog was 50.[43]
Mr. Clifton concluded that
