The Fennels: SHOW ME YOUR PITTIES -- Pit Bulls 101

We've heard it all, they're:

Aggressive toward children.
Aggressive toward other animals.
Naturally vicious.
Dangerous.
Bloodthirsty
Born killers.
Have locking jaws.
Short tempered.
Frequent Attacks.
Etc, etc, etc.

But have we ever heard the other side? Have you ever heard the positive traits of the world's most misunderstood dog breed?

If you haven't - FEAR NOT, PEOPLE! I am here. And HEY! It's #nationalpitbullawarenessmonth - so WHY NOT?

If you go www.dogsbite.org, you will notice the nicely centered -right at the top- statistic saying:

"In the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014, pit bulls killed 203 Americans and accounted for 62% of the total recorded deaths (326). Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers accounted for 74% of these deaths."

I'm sure this comes as no surprise to you. I mean how many times have we heard of a pit bull attack in the media. But please, allow me to dissect this for you...

The "pit bull" is actually a grouping of 5+ different dog breeds: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and American Bulldogs.

Going from the statistic above and dividing it by the five different breeds of "pit bulls" ...

203 deaths/10 years = roughly 20 deaths a year
20 deaths a year/5 different breeds = 4 deaths per a year from each breed.

Oh and,

Pit bulls are estimated to comprise some 30-40% of the dog population, making it a very popular breed. Considering that there were an estimated 53,000,000 dogs in the U.S., and assuming that pit bulls make up 10% of that population, there would be approximately 5.3 million pit bulls in our society. In 2000, 13 pit bulls were involved in 8 fatal attacks. That is roughly ONE dog out of 204,000 - or .000385 percent of the pit bull population.

And...

There is no other single breed in the United States that is abused as much as the pit bull.

MYTH #1: THEY'RE AGGRESIVE TOWARD PEOPLE

Each year, the American Temperance Testing Society (ATTS) test hundreds of dogs of each breed (mixed breeds included).

In a nutshell-

"According to the American Temperament Test Society (2010-2011), 804 American Pit Bull Terriers were tested and 695 passed. This means that 86.8% of Pit Bulls tested by the ATTS had a good temperament. Pit Bulls pass rating was above 121 other breeds of dogs, including Golden Retrievers."

Others included:
Beagle =80.6%
Bichon Frise =76.7%
Chihuahua =71.1%
Cocker Spaniel =81.9%
Lhasa Apso = 70.4%
Shih Tzu = 78%
Yorkshire Terrier 82.5%

Source

MYTH #2: THEY HAVE LOCKING JAWS

Afterall, www.dogsbite.org's slogan is: Some Dogs Don't Let Go

Cute, isn't it? Please see below.

Question: Do Pit Bulls have locking jaws?

Answer: Prepared by:
Al W. Stinson, D.V.M.

...the author of the textbook, ANATOMY OF THE DOG, (the world's definitive work on the anatomy of the dog). His statement was in a letter addressed to me on March 26. 2002. His quote was:

"I have spoken with [Dr.] Sandy deLahunta (the foremost dog neurologist in the country) and [DR.] Katherine Houpt (a leading dog behaviorist) about a jaw locking mechanism in pit bulls or any other dog and they both say, as do I, that there is NO SUCH THING AS "JAW LOCKING" IN ANY BREED.

Source

MYTH #3: THEY HAVE A STRONGER BITE PRESSURE THAN ALL OTHER DOGS

Answer: Dr. Barr measured bite forces of many different creatures. Domestic dogs were included in the test.

Here are the results of all of the animals tested:

Humans: 120 pounds of bite pressure
Domestic dogs: 320 LBS of pressure on avg. A German Shepard, a Pit Bull (APBT) and a Rottweiler were tested using a bite sleeve equipped with a specialized computer instrument. The pit bull had the least amount of pressure of the 3 dogs tested.
Wild dogs: 310 lbs
Lions: 600 lbs
White sharks: 600 lbs
Hyenas: 1000 lbs
Snapping turtles: 1000 lbs
Crocodiles: 2500 lbs

Source

MYTH #4: THEY'RE AGGRESSIVE TOWARD OTHER ANIMALS

MTTH #5: THEY CANNOT BE TRUSTED AROUND CHILDREN

"For most of the 114 years since the American pit bull was first recognized by the United Kennel Club, the breed was rightly seen as the perfect “nanny dog” for children because of its friendly nature, loyalty and stability"

Source

Today, thousands of pit bulls are loving fur-siblings to children throughout the United States.

MYTH #6: THEY CANNOT BE TRAINED OR TRUSTED

Every single day, pit bulls are trained and trusted in war, in therapy (with children, elderly, veterans who suffer from PTSD, and more), and in search and rescue.

Helen Keller's aid dog - a pit bull.

The United State's first and most decorated war dog from WWI who received a metal - a pit bull

Three pit bulls who helped assist in search and rescue efforts at Ground Zero and the Pentagon

Now let's focus on the FACTS:

FACT #1: THEY ARE CLOWNS

FACT #2: THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE LAP DOGS

(Taken while I wrote this post)

FACT #3: THEY HOG THE BED/COUCH

FACT #4: THEY LOVE TO CUDDLE

FACT #5: BLANKETS AND PILLOWS ARE A NECESSITY

FACT #6: THEY STICK OUT THEIR TONGUE WHEN THEY SLEEP

FACT #7: THEY LOVE TO SUNBATHE

FACT #8: THEIR SMILES WILL MELT YOUR HEART

FACT #9: SO WILL THEIR CONFUSED EXPRESSIONS/TILTED HEADS

FACT #10: NOTHING SAYS PIT BULL LIKE FROG LEGS, WIGGLE BUTTS, BELLY UP NAPS, AND FLOPPY EARS

FACT #11: PIT FITS (BURSTS OF EXTREME ENERGY) ARE TO BE EXPECTED

FACT #12: CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THEY DO NOT MAKE GOOD WATCH DOGS:

"Despite their reputation, the United Kennel Club doesn't recommended using pit bulls as guard dogs because they're too friendly [and trusting] with strangers."

Source

And as rough and tough people think pit bulls are, they really are the opposite. For example, Charlotte is terrified of aluminum foil. Pappy runs away from the garbage can, and Wally hides when he sees my kitchen tongs.

FACT #13: PIT BULLS ARE FORGIVING

Remember Caitlyn?

Now, she is thriving in her home with other animals and children.

And there are thousands of other abused pitties who don't even consider holding grudges against humans.

FACT #14: PIT BULLS ARE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE

"These dogs are very emotional... Imagine insulting an emotional teenage girl and her reaction to that. Your dog is going to have the same kind of reaction when he/she is upset by your words, behaviors, or actions. It's kind of amusing when you think about it, but this dog is very emotional and very stubborn, and if you make it angry, it might give you the canine version of a teenage girl's silent treatment."

OK, I'll be honest.

When we first got Pappy and Wally and upon meeting new people, they would ask what kind of dogs they were. My honest response? I'd say.... "Oh, they're rescues... We really don't know what breed." All the while, I did. For God's sake, we did DNA tests. I was always nervous to admit they were "pit bulls" because when I did, I would notice people's immediate change and judgement.

With Charlotte, it was different. She LOOKS like a pittie, and I will never forget walking into the first dog class with her, and everyone staring at her.... just judging. It broke my heart. If they only gave her a chance... they'd learn she is the sweetest soul on this planet. And it's THEIR LOSS.

As time went by, I started to find pride in my pit bulls. They are truly amazing animals.

Because of that, I proudly display and tell everyone I meet that I am the proud mama of three pitties.