Friday 19 February 2016

Pit Bulls – The Greatest and Most Misunderstood


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There is quite possibly no dog greater than the pit bull in the eyes of many people. Unfortunately there is also no other breed of dog that is as misrepresented or as misunderstood as the pit bulldog is either. Many dogs were originally bred as working dogs that performed a specific job and the pit bull is no different in this respect. The original function of a pit bull was a baiting dog for bulls and other large animals. Over the years however the act of animal baiting in this fashion was outlawed and as a result the owners of many of these dogs turned their animals on each other and began fighting pit bulls as a sport. As this sport became more popular breeders and owners began mating pit bulls with other types of dogs to make them more aggressive towards each other as well as to make them more agile. This in turn made them more effective fighters as well.
Over the years so much has changed in how pit bulls are bred and raised that it is not uncommon for some pit bulls to be extremely aggressive and sometimes downright mean. What many people fail to understand however is that this has absolutely nothing to do with the breed of dog itself, but rather how the dog is handled and raised. For example, just the fact that a dog is a breed of pit bull does not automatically mean that it will be mean and aggressive. These are characteristics that are taught as the dog grows based on how the dog is to be used. Dogs that are used for fighting purposes, even though it is illegal, are taught from a very early age to be aggressive and these dogs often do not make very good pets.
Generally speaking a pit bull raised under the proper circumstances is one of the best breeds of dog to have in regards to a family pet. This means getting one that has been properly cared for since birth and has been raised with love and guidance rather than one that has been taught violence and fighting tendencies. Typically, pit bulls are very affectionate, loving and gentle dogs but when they are taught other characteristics of course they are going to develop very different personalities as a result.
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Photo viaTumblr
Although there are many laws in place designed to prevent people from using pit bulls for fighting purposes it hasn’t stopped the practice completely. Unfortunately these fights still take place and the result is often even more dangerous because now it is done secretly and the dogs seldom get the health care that they need and deserve. The only way to truly protect these poor defenseless dogs that are still today being exploited is to make the punishments much more severe than what they currently are. Maybe then the pit bull will once again be recognized for the truly great animal that it is.

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