Steel 1
Jamie Steel
Instr. Roberts
English 2010
10 October 2011
P
:
I wanted to understand more clearly whether or not the pit-bull is safe for someone to keep as a pet. My hypothesis is that it is not only the dog’s heredity, but also the owner’s training that is involved in the aggressiveness of the dog. For my hypothesis, I researched multiple websites with different opinions on the subject, both of which had facts that helped their cases while not conflicting with this opposition’s. I also researched the history of the pit-bull to see if I could find out if there was something in the pit-bull’s genes that make them aggressive. I then looked at the possible effects the environment has on the aggression that pit-bulls seem to have.
Finally, I concluded and brought together both the varying facts and came up with a conclusion I felt was adequate.
“An estimated 4.7 million dog bites occur in the U.S. each year”, and studies show that pit-bulls are responsible for “about 32 percent of people killed and injured by dogs” (Humane
Soc. 37-38; “Special Report”, 838). Being that the pit-bull only makes up only “.041 percent of

Steel 2 the dog population” (See Fig. 1.), would infer that this is no coincidence and there some reason why pit-bulls bite more and are more deadly than their counterparts (Humane Soc. 37-38).
There are groups on both sides of the matter of whether or not the dog bites are related to the dogs or the owners that train them. There are valid points to both sides of the argument one side has the fact displayed earlier in the report which shows the potential danger pit-bulls have.
While the other side has the fact that these dogs are a known favorite of people who like to fight dogs and are possibly the reason these dogs are so dangerous.
Breed
Pit bull terrier
Rottweiler
Husky
Wolf hybrid 82
Bullmastiff (Presa canario) 58
German shepherd
German shepherd-mix
79
37
Bodily harm
Child
Victims
Adult
Victims
Deaths Maimings % of dog population
166 859 .041 1552
457
56
691
262
36
68
22
52
26
529
118
4
4
21
20
8
9
7
73
21
19
9
246
14
46
31
50
24
.009
.081
.003
.013
.018
Chow
Pit bull-mix
53
102
35
44
15
21
7
7
35
51
.016
Doberman 14 8 6 6 7 .008
Fig. 1. Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to June 25, 2010, by Merritt Clifton, Animal People,
June 25, 2010.

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My methodology included collecting information from various reputable websites and book excerpts. The website information helped me find out about the history of the pit-bull and understand some of the heredity linked aggression with the animal. Some of the other websites helped me prepare for the oppositions and their stances. The websites showed me the facts and statistics on both sides of the argument. I checked a website that was solely based on the condemnation of pit-bull breeds, which could have soiled my thesis, but I took this into consideration and stated that these were beliefs and not proven facts. The book excerpts I used were from the Veterinary Music Journal, which infers the information is more proven than the other websites. Even though the veterinary journal would be more factual, I placed its information on the same level as the other sources for the integrity of my report.
The “American Pit-Bull Terrier” is “a crossbreed between a Bulldog and a Terrier”. The reason people decided to breed these two dogs together initially was to “combine the gameness of the Terrier with the strength and athleticism of the Bulldog” (UKC, par.1). Bulldogs having relatively normal levels of aggression while terriers have “a higher tendency towards aggression” which wasn’t necessarily one of the reasons this type of pit-bull was bred (“Break Stick”, par. 6).

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There was also another type of pit-bull which was primarily “imported for dog fights” and that is the “American Staffordshire Terrier” (Clark 27). Being that this type of pit-bull was imported for dog fights, shows that there is some favoritism in the dog fighting world for the pitbull. So that brings us to our next point, which is whether or not the dog is just naturally more likely to bite, or are they more likely to bite because the owners of these dogs adopt them because they know of their strength and potential aggression. In our next section we will explore both of these options, but the argument of nature vs. nurture has been explored time and again by expert Sociologists and Psychologists alike and they have not been able to come to a solid conclusion yet.
Being that the Pit-Bull is a mix between two dogs, we are going to look at the more known “aggressive” of the two, the Terrier (“Break Stick”, par. 6). The main natural attribute of the terrier we are going to look at is its “determination” (“Break Stick”, par. 2). Contrary to popular belief, pit-bulls “do not have a special locking mechanism” in their jaw, this
“determination” that the terrier has, is the cause of the “Jaw Locking” effect that pit-bulls seem to have (“Break Stick”, par. 4). Since the aggression seems to come from the Terrier; how come there aren’t any other terrier breeds on the chart of most aggressive dogs (See Fig.1.)?
It is no secret that the “pit-bull is the dog of choice for dog fighting in America”
(ASPCA, par. 24). The dogs they train for fighting makes them “un-socialized” and unfamiliar to

Steel 5 the company of other dogs and people (ASPCA, par. 30). The dogs are also “given anabolic steroids to enhance muscle mass and encourage aggressiveness” (ASPCA, par.31). They use these “steroids” to elevate the levels of aggression in the dogs and increase their “fighting” potential (ASPCA, par.31). The most infamous display of dog fighting happened on April 25,
2007 with the Michael Vick Scandal (AP, Par 4).
There are groups out there that advocate the restriction of pit-bull population and complete ban of the breed of dog (DogsBite, Par. 6). The people at DogsBite.org are one of these groups. Dogsbite.org advocates the “mandatory spay/neuter of pit-bulls”, “mandatory microchipping and substantial liability insurance”, and “the prohibition of felons owning a pit-bull”
(par.6-9). Dogsbite.org believes because a felon isn’t allowed to own a gun, they shouldn’t be allowed to own a pit-bull because they consider it a “lethal weapon” (par. 9).
The founder of this website has seen the potential danger of pit-bulls first hand. “Colleen
Lynn was attacked while jogging by a pit-bull who was on a leash for about 5 seconds on June
17, 2007” (Dogsbite, par.12). While only attacked for a very short period of time, “she was hospitalized for two days and had to undergo surgery to repair a severe bone fracture” (Dogsbite, par. 12). Colleen decided to “launch the website four months later” (Dogsbite, par. 12).
Dogsbite.org is definitely on the side of the argument against pit-bulls and with a victim of a horrific dog bite at the head of the organization; they definitely have determination to keep going on with their pursuit.

Steel 6
Some organizations feel that it a dog’s tendency to bite has to do with a lot more than the breed. For example, the “American Veterinary Medical Association” (or AVMA) believes that
“a dog’s tendency to bite depends on at least 5 interacting factors: heredity, early experience, later socialization and training, health (medical and behavioral), and victim behavior” (“Canine
Aggression”, 1736).
This would indicate that AVMA believes that dog bites can’t be solely placed on the breed of the dog but also on outside factors which include a lot of human interaction. The group also believes that ordinances and laws limiting or banning of a specific breed of dog is
“inappropriate and ineffective” (“Canine Aggression”, 1736). This is of course the exact opposition of the group dogsbite.org.
Through the previous facts that I have extracted, I have come to the conclusion that a pitbull can be a friendly pet as long as it has been properly trained and treated with kindness and has gotten used to being around people. A pit-bull is more aggressive than most other breeds, but as long as people are informed view pit-bulls with caution they should be able to keep themselves and the people they love safe.

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Works Cited
"About Us::." 2011. DogsBite.org. Lynn Media Group. 11 October 2011 <www.dogsbite.org>.
"American Pit Bull Terrier (Revised November 1, 2008)." 1 November 2008. United Kennel Club. 11
October 2010 <http://www.ukcdogs.com>.
"Break Stick Information." 2010. Pit Bull Rescue Central. 11 October 2011 <http://www.pbrc.net>.
Clifton, Merritt. "Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to June 2010."
Animal People, 25 June 2010.
"Dog Fighting FAQ." 2011. ASPCA. 11 October 2011 <www.aspca.org>.
HamptonRoads.com. 27 July 2009. 6 December 2011 <http://www.hamptonroads.com>.
"National Pet Related Statistics." Shelter Pages. Humane Society of the United States, 2005. 37-38.
Ross D. Clark., DVM. Medical & Genetic Aspects of Purebred Dogs. Edwardsville: Veterinary Medicine
Publishing, 1983.
"Vet Med Toady: Canine Aggression Task Force." American Veterinary Medical Association, 2001.
"Vet Med Today: Special Report." American Veterinary Medical Association, 2000.