Pit Bulls: Dangerous Time Bombs or Good Pets?

A Brown Pit Bull Laying on the Grass

Few dog breeds are as polarizing as the Pit Bull. Many believe they are universally and irretrievably dangerous.

The 2019 data from the American Animal Hospital Association supports this point of view, reporting that Pit Bulls were responsible for 22.5 percent of dog bites. Other breeds weren’t far behind, however. Mixed breeds were a close second at 21.2 percent and German Shepherds were the third most dangerous breed, involved in 17.8 percent of bite incidents. The anti-Pit Bull group wants the dogs banned until they can be phased out. (Source: Forbes)

ATTS Dog Breed Statistics

Those making the opposite argument point out Pit Bulls have averaged an 83.4 percent passing rate in studies conducted by the American Temperament Test Society. (The American Temperament Test Society test focuses on and measures different aspects of dog temperament, such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness, as well as the dog’s instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and tendency for self-preservation in the face of a threat.) That's a better score than Golden Retrievers (79.6%)  or Border Collies (82%), both known for being family dogs. Pit Bull fans say “problem dogs" become dangerous chiefly because of how they are raised, trained and treated, not (primarily) because of their bred-in personalities. (Source: NBC San Diego)

When I volunteered at the San Francisco SPCA, taking all sorts of dogs to schools, libraries and Veterans Hospitals, the dog with the sweetest disposition, by far, was a Pit Bull named Cara. The only danger she posed was licking me to death! One example doesn’t necessarily prove a point, but my experience with her certainly colors my attitude toward the breed.

Were They Always Bred for Violence?

Not really. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Pit Bulls were regarded as loving, loyal family pets. Helen Keller, Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt each owned one!

Mark Twain and His Pit Bull (Courtesy: Pinterest)

In some ways, they were viewed as quintessentially American pets: tenacious, brave and individualistic. Only in the last few decades have Pit Bulls come to be viewed as canine “time bombs.” Pick your reason:

• Increased urban crime with Pit Bulls seen as deterrents. As a result, a rapid growth in the population of Pit Bulls treated as weapons rather than as pets

• Increased dog fighting (despite being banned in all 50 states), with owners using steroids, amphetamines, and cattle prods to stimulate aggression

• Unethical breeders selling mistreated and poorly socialized dogs to individuals and families unequipped to train (or rehabilitate) or even control these abused animals.

Breed-Specific Legislation

In response to highly publicized Pit Bull attacks, some state and local governments have passed Breed-Specific Legislation (or BSL) banning Pit Bulls and other breeds within their jurisdictions. Have the bans had the desired effect – that is, to reduce attacks by the targeted dog types? The answer is unclear.

In some cases, unscrupulous dog owners circumvent the bans by acquiring cross-breeds and mixing Pit Bull DNA with Boxers, American Bulldogs and other breeds. Denver ended its three-decade-old Pit Bull ban in 2020 after enforcement had become too expensive ($100 million to administer the law) with negligible improvements in public safety. Yet, in the year after the ban ended, data showed that Pit Bulls were responsible for more bites than any other breed.

The Pit Bull challenge remains ambiguous.

Courtesy: Sula Foundation

So What Can We Do?

One solution, advocated by the most vocal advocates for Pit Bull control, is to phase out the breed completely by; 

1. Requiring current owners to spay and neuter their animals.

2. Outlawing all breeding of Pit Bulls and

3. Applying legislative controls so owning a Pit Bull becomes too difficult and the breed ultimately disappears.

On the one hand, this approach would certainly represent a comprehensive solution.

But, on the other hand, it seems a little like banning ALL Chevrolets because your irresponsible neighbor drives his noisy Corvette down the street at 2:00 AM

Believers in the good side of Pit Bulls’ personalities would rather people conscientiously:

1.  Socialize their puppies conscientiously from an early age. 

2. Train them not to react negatively to people and other dogs. 

3. Treat them with love and kindness from the outset and

4. Engage in responsible actions to keep them inside yards and houses and on a leash when walking.

Wouldn’t we like all dog owners to treat any breed, from Afghan hounds to Zwerschnauzers, this way?

We should also find and shut down unethical breeders who introduce damaged dogs into the mix.

Of course, doing all this would take time and resources. And perhaps it just isn’t fast enough or forceful enough if your child has been attacked and scarred – or worse – by a vicious dog. Nevertheless, I can’t help thinking controlling the owners gets at the root of the problem more sensibly than outlawing the dogs.