In 3 plus years since this article was originally published (6/5/2011) there have been scores of people killed and thousands maimed or disfigured in the US by "family pit bulls", and yet the myth persists that pit bulls are harmless, misunderstood dogs. Pit bull advocates like to try to deflect the negative attention away from pit bulls, to other types of dogs, such as Akitas - which they claim are much more dangerous than pit bulls, but interestingly enough, Akitas have been responsible for a grand total of zero human fatalities in the US during the same period.
News flash: Dogs can be dangerous - especially strong, good-sized ones. We rely on their sanity and good temperament to inhibit them from attacking. Not all dogs are created equal though, and a certain few species have caused concern, arising either from their size and strength, or their behavior, to the point that they have been designated as "dangerous dogs". I have mixed feelings about Breed Specific Legislation, but that's a discussion for another day.
With all the reports of pit bull violence in the news lately, I find it interesting to compare the "marketing" of pit bulls with that of another breed which is also sometimes considered dangerous - the Akita. Both breeds are physically capable of causing a lot of trouble, and both breeds have their fans, rescuers and advocates. But the marketing of the two breeds is very different, as are their respective records of violence.
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Let's take a look at how Akita advocates characterize the breed, for those seeking information:
Akitas are inherently aggressive towards other animals and for this reason, they should not be allowed to run free or roam at will.
Akitas like to take charge--an inherited trait from their wolf ancestry and may at some time, challenge you for the dominant position.
Akitas may respond with aggression if treated harshly.
Akitas do not like to be teased and can respond by biting.
Akitas consider eye contact a challenge and can react aggressively.
That sort of advice provides some serious food for thought, making it clear that these dogs can be dangerous. While responsible Akita owners generally have good, well-behaved dogs, it's clear that Akita ownership is not for everybody. That particular advice came from the akitarescue.org site, but the same advice has been available for some time from most Akita organizations.
It's interesting to how compare this to how pit bulls are described by their advocates - the following points were taken from a representative pit bull information site, and any of them, if googled, will provide pointers to a number of other web sites where you can read these and similar claims:
The bull breeds are nicknamed the "nanny dog" - they are great with kids.
Pit Bulls are not human aggressive. They are gentle and loving dogs.
In actuality, pits are bred to be affectionate toward people
Pit Bulls are no more vicious than Golden Retrievers, Beagles or other popular dogs!
Very interesting. In contrast to the dangerous Akita, the pit bull seems rather harmless - it's all blue skies, rainbows and butterflies, if the pit bull advocates are to be believed. Excellent news!
Just to make sure though, let's see if we can confirm this marketing info with empirical evidence. There have been a number of 3rd party studies on dog attacks that we can reference. Here are a few of them:
U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006 to December 2008
Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to June 25, 2010
Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs
Are "Pit Bulls" Different? An Analysis of the Pit Bull Terrier Controversy
Even a casual glance through studies referenced above destroys the assertion of the advocates that pit bulls are harmless and gentle with people.
Some highlights of the studies: Pit bulls, estimated to be around 5% of the dog population, were responsible for more maimings and deaths than all ofher breeds combined during the 28 year study period. Rottweilers are a distant second, while Labs, German Shepherds and Dobermans were far below the leaders. Akitas were even further down in the rankings, vying with Pomeranians and Beagles for last place. There was a single death attributed to an Akita, which pales in comparison to the 73 deaths by Rottweiler and the astounding 166 deaths by pit bull.
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The study by the Emergency Room doctors (Bini et al) made the following conclusion: "Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs."
So to recap, Akita advocates warn that Akitas must be treated with respect and caution and can be dangerous. There have been some injuries and even a death from an Akita bite. On the other hand, pit bull advocates claim that pit bulls are just misunderstood people-pleasers who have been unfairly demonized by a vast media conspiracy. But what do we see in the cold hard reality of the real world? These "nanny dogs", touted as "great with children" are known to have killed 175 children in the USA so far. These misunderstood "people pleasers" are known to be more likely to turn on their owners than any other breed.
The contrast between the Akita and pit bull communities is as stark as the difference between the respective records of violence of the two breeds. While the Akita community has proven to be cautious, frank and responsible, the pit bull community appears to live in denial and has a credibility problem.
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The disconnect with reality is unbelievable. But what concerns me even more is that the disconnect is going to get even worse. There is a renewed push from top pit bull advocacy groups to "rehabilitate the image" of the pit bull and counter it's "bad rap" by ramping up the "education" campaigns.
That's right - instead of working to reduce the number of pit bulls dumped into the system by breeders, or holding pit bull owners accountable for attacks committed by their animals, they are just going to turn up the pit bull hype machine instead.
Instead of help for victims of pit bull violence, we're going to have to endure even more feel-good articles about how safe pit bulls are. More pit bulls will be pushed onto an unsuspecting public, and the pit bull death toll will continue to rise, even while the propaganda machine blares forth the message, ever louder and more frantically, that pit bulls are wonderful. War is peace. Black is white. Love is hate. It's 1984 all over again! Stand by for further announcements from the Ministry of pit bull Truth.
News flash: Dogs can be dangerous - especially strong, good-sized ones. We rely on their sanity and good temperament to inhibit them from attacking. Not all dogs are created equal though, and a certain few species have caused concern, arising either from their size and strength, or their behavior, to the point that they have been designated as "dangerous dogs". I have mixed feelings about Breed Specific Legislation, but that's a discussion for another day.
With all the reports of pit bull violence in the news lately, I find it interesting to compare the "marketing" of pit bulls with that of another breed which is also sometimes considered dangerous - the Akita. Both breeds are physically capable of causing a lot of trouble, and both breeds have their fans, rescuers and advocates. But the marketing of the two breeds is very different, as are their respective records of violence.
Let's take a look at how Akita advocates characterize the breed, for those seeking information:
Akitas are inherently aggressive towards other animals and for this reason, they should not be allowed to run free or roam at will.
Akitas like to take charge--an inherited trait from their wolf ancestry and may at some time, challenge you for the dominant position.
Akitas may respond with aggression if treated harshly.
Akitas do not like to be teased and can respond by biting.
Akitas consider eye contact a challenge and can react aggressively.
That sort of advice provides some serious food for thought, making it clear that these dogs can be dangerous. While responsible Akita owners generally have good, well-behaved dogs, it's clear that Akita ownership is not for everybody. That particular advice came from the akitarescue.org site, but the same advice has been available for some time from most Akita organizations.
It's interesting to how compare this to how pit bulls are described by their advocates - the following points were taken from a representative pit bull information site, and any of them, if googled, will provide pointers to a number of other web sites where you can read these and similar claims:
The bull breeds are nicknamed the "nanny dog" - they are great with kids.
Pit Bulls are not human aggressive. They are gentle and loving dogs.
In actuality, pits are bred to be affectionate toward people
Pit Bulls are no more vicious than Golden Retrievers, Beagles or other popular dogs!
Very interesting. In contrast to the dangerous Akita, the pit bull seems rather harmless - it's all blue skies, rainbows and butterflies, if the pit bull advocates are to be believed. Excellent news!
Just to make sure though, let's see if we can confirm this marketing info with empirical evidence. There have been a number of 3rd party studies on dog attacks that we can reference. Here are a few of them:
U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006 to December 2008
Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to June 25, 2010
Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs
Are "Pit Bulls" Different? An Analysis of the Pit Bull Terrier Controversy
Even a casual glance through studies referenced above destroys the assertion of the advocates that pit bulls are harmless and gentle with people.
Some highlights of the studies: Pit bulls, estimated to be around 5% of the dog population, were responsible for more maimings and deaths than all ofher breeds combined during the 28 year study period. Rottweilers are a distant second, while Labs, German Shepherds and Dobermans were far below the leaders. Akitas were even further down in the rankings, vying with Pomeranians and Beagles for last place. There was a single death attributed to an Akita, which pales in comparison to the 73 deaths by Rottweiler and the astounding 166 deaths by pit bull.
So to recap, Akita advocates warn that Akitas must be treated with respect and caution and can be dangerous. There have been some injuries and even a death from an Akita bite. On the other hand, pit bull advocates claim that pit bulls are just misunderstood people-pleasers who have been unfairly demonized by a vast media conspiracy. But what do we see in the cold hard reality of the real world? These "nanny dogs", touted as "great with children" are known to have killed 175 children in the USA so far. These misunderstood "people pleasers" are known to be more likely to turn on their owners than any other breed.
The contrast between the Akita and pit bull communities is as stark as the difference between the respective records of violence of the two breeds. While the Akita community has proven to be cautious, frank and responsible, the pit bull community appears to live in denial and has a credibility problem.
The disconnect with reality is unbelievable. But what concerns me even more is that the disconnect is going to get even worse. There is a renewed push from top pit bull advocacy groups to "rehabilitate the image" of the pit bull and counter it's "bad rap" by ramping up the "education" campaigns.
That's right - instead of working to reduce the number of pit bulls dumped into the system by breeders, or holding pit bull owners accountable for attacks committed by their animals, they are just going to turn up the pit bull hype machine instead.
Instead of help for victims of pit bull violence, we're going to have to endure even more feel-good articles about how safe pit bulls are. More pit bulls will be pushed onto an unsuspecting public, and the pit bull death toll will continue to rise, even while the propaganda machine blares forth the message, ever louder and more frantically, that pit bulls are wonderful. War is peace. Black is white. Love is hate. It's 1984 all over again! Stand by for further announcements from the Ministry of pit bull Truth.
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