Think of a Pit Bull that has been in an adoption center for most of their life, after being taken from their past owner, they were wanted to be adopted by a loving family. People walk past them, not even stopping to look at them, all because of their breed.
I believe that specific dog breeds shouldn’t be stereotyped or banned in cities, or areas.
Dogs’ behavior is not only from their genetics, but how they were treated by humans, and their experiences.
“Whether you have a purebred dog or a mutt, the way that dog is treated and trained is going to go a long way towards shaping the dog’s behavior as an adult.” (Anderson, Pit Bull Reactivity: Dog Reactivity Without Breed Blame).
This means that the way you raise a dog ultimately makes their behavior good or bad. Maybe it is that just a lot of Pit Bulls were raised in horrible environments, or trained to be aggressive, and that is why many people fear them. But this doesn’t mean that all of them are this way.
All dogs can be aggressive, but the thing defining what people think of it is sometimes based on looks, or stereotypes that people believe.
“Reactivity in Pit Bulls is caused by the same factors that cause reactivity in Golden Retrievers, Poodles, and Dachshunds: insufficient socialization, negative experiences, leash frustration, or fear. The behavioral mechanics are identical across breeds. What is different is how people respond to it.” (Anderson)
This shows that Pit Bulls have the same reactivity as all other dogs that are popular, but the only thing different is how people react to it. This shows all or the double standards against these dogs. If a poodle lunged at a person, people wouldn’t react too badly, but if a Pit Bull did the same thing, animal control would be called.
“The majority of BSL is focused on breeds traditionally known as “dangerous,” or those that have demonstrated particular propensities for aggression and violent behavior.” (Sterling Animal Shelter).
While these stereotypes and laws can help people understand basic things about a dog breed, they discriminate.
People looking to adopt should focus more on the individual dog, and their personality, and not the universal stereotypes people usually believe.
To stop this discriminating behavior towards dogs, you can foster or adopt a dog from one of these breeds, to challenge these stereotypes and show that all dogs can be loving companions if treated the right way.
About The Author
people think my pitbull will attack i pinky promise hes nice