Every few weeks on the news we see another story about a serious Pit Bull dog bite; the victim is almost always an innocent bystander, often a child. And almost as often these stories are followed by questions and arguments regarding whether Pit Bulls are really as dangerous as their reputation suggests, and if so, why? Are breed specific bans the most effective way to deal with the issue, and are they fair to the animals and their owners?
As a dog bite lawyer, I believe that in order to answer these questions fully, we need to understand two factors: how the breed has developed over time, and the history of dog fighting.
Dog Fighting - a Brief History
Before the "dog against dog," fighting that is prevalent today, "Baiting," was a popular sport that originated in England and spread around the world. This meant putting dogs into a ring with other animals, such as bears, bulls - even elephants - to watch them fight to the death for the entertainment of spectators and bettors.
In 1835, Baiting was outlawed in England, but dog fighting as we know it today soon took its place, as a popular, legal, and less expensive alternative. Breeders began selecting dogs for speed, agility, endurance, and - most disturbingly - viciousness. Over time, this toxic combination of characteristics culminated in dogs that could fight for hours.
Physical Features of Pit Bulls
This breed tends to be large, low, and heavy, with a powerful build, and a strongly developed head and jaws. The evolution of their biting power is the result of years of selective breeding.
Gameness and the Pit Bull Bite
"Gameness" is the term used to describe an animal that will likely be successful in battle. This means that they are not just willing, but eager to fight. A game dog will continue to fight even if they are suffering from open wounds, exhaustion, or broken bones, regardless of whether the foe is another dog, a human, or even a child. This is not the natural result of evolution; these traits have been selectively bred into Pits for generations.
The Name "Pit Bull" is No Accident
One argument Pit Bull advocates and opponents of breed specific legislation often make is that the term "Pit Bull," is not the name of an actual breed of dog, but a meaningless nickname. They are not completely wrong about this. The term is actually a nickname given to the classic breed "Staffordshire Terrier," or "Staffordshire Bull Terrier," because of the type of fighting these animals were forced to participate in for centuries. The dogs are released into a pit for a fight to the death.
As part of the breeding process, dogs that showed, "in the pit", that they were less inclined to fight and were not "game," were simply euthanized, so their more passive traits were removed from the breed's genetic line, while the survivors who were thought to be more aggressive were bred.
Breed Specific Legislation
Today, many municipalities recognize the genetic characteristics of the breed and have enacted Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) to try to remove the threat and reduce the lethality and prevalence of the Pit Bull dog bite in their communities. On the other side are enthusiastic advocates for the breed who think the laws are unfair.
Regardless of where you come down on the question of BSL, there is unquestionably a statistical link between Pit Bulls and an increased tendency to bite or fight. Whether that link is due to the nature of the breed or a result of training specific to that individual dog, or to the victims not understanding how to approach or handle the dogs is a subject for debate.
Dog Fighting by dm_5225ce7c315af
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8360073
As a dog bite lawyer, I believe that in order to answer these questions fully, we need to understand two factors: how the breed has developed over time, and the history of dog fighting.
Dog Fighting - a Brief History
Before the "dog against dog," fighting that is prevalent today, "Baiting," was a popular sport that originated in England and spread around the world. This meant putting dogs into a ring with other animals, such as bears, bulls - even elephants - to watch them fight to the death for the entertainment of spectators and bettors.
In 1835, Baiting was outlawed in England, but dog fighting as we know it today soon took its place, as a popular, legal, and less expensive alternative. Breeders began selecting dogs for speed, agility, endurance, and - most disturbingly - viciousness. Over time, this toxic combination of characteristics culminated in dogs that could fight for hours.
Physical Features of Pit Bulls
This breed tends to be large, low, and heavy, with a powerful build, and a strongly developed head and jaws. The evolution of their biting power is the result of years of selective breeding.
Gameness and the Pit Bull Bite
"Gameness" is the term used to describe an animal that will likely be successful in battle. This means that they are not just willing, but eager to fight. A game dog will continue to fight even if they are suffering from open wounds, exhaustion, or broken bones, regardless of whether the foe is another dog, a human, or even a child. This is not the natural result of evolution; these traits have been selectively bred into Pits for generations.
The Name "Pit Bull" is No Accident
One argument Pit Bull advocates and opponents of breed specific legislation often make is that the term "Pit Bull," is not the name of an actual breed of dog, but a meaningless nickname. They are not completely wrong about this. The term is actually a nickname given to the classic breed "Staffordshire Terrier," or "Staffordshire Bull Terrier," because of the type of fighting these animals were forced to participate in for centuries. The dogs are released into a pit for a fight to the death.
As part of the breeding process, dogs that showed, "in the pit", that they were less inclined to fight and were not "game," were simply euthanized, so their more passive traits were removed from the breed's genetic line, while the survivors who were thought to be more aggressive were bred.
Breed Specific Legislation
Today, many municipalities recognize the genetic characteristics of the breed and have enacted Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) to try to remove the threat and reduce the lethality and prevalence of the Pit Bull dog bite in their communities. On the other side are enthusiastic advocates for the breed who think the laws are unfair.
Regardless of where you come down on the question of BSL, there is unquestionably a statistical link between Pit Bulls and an increased tendency to bite or fight. Whether that link is due to the nature of the breed or a result of training specific to that individual dog, or to the victims not understanding how to approach or handle the dogs is a subject for debate.
Dog Fighting by dm_5225ce7c315af
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8360073
