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20 of The Biggest Lies Perpetrated on Pit Bulls

The misconception surrounding pit bulls is quite simply asinine; especially when you consider how many misconceptions there actually are. The problem is that so many people are misinformed, and the media and even the government officials in many towns have fed into that fear and these misconceptions. Did you know that in many places, you cannot have a pit bull?

For example, many apartment complexes will specifically allow certain dogs but ban pits? Did you know that many homeowners insurance policies will not cover a home if there is a pit bull in the house? They are, in many places, a banned breed considered dangerous.

The simple truth is that there are bad dogs out there; some are pit bulls and others are not. But not all pit bulls are bad dogs. You cannot put all of this breed into one category; it’s not fair. Let’s delve a bit deeper into the most common misconceptions that surround the pit bull.

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1. Pit Bulls Turn on their Owners

This is just not the truth. It turns out that dogs in general do not ‘turn’ on their owners, even pit bulls. There are many misconceptions about this out there, and where it comes from remains a mystery. It’s believed that dogs that bite are automatically bad dogs. In fact, this is just not the truth. However, you don’t typically see poodles on the news for biting their owners because they’re smaller and far less ‘scary’ than pit bulls.

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2. Pit Bulls are Mean

They’re not mean. Sure, they can be – just like any other dog and any other human. But the truth is that pit bulls are, generally, a very nice and very loving breed with a lot of affection and a lot of love to give. This breed is one that has a lot of misunderstanding as far as their personalities are concerned, but the fact of the matter is that they’re not mean dogs by any means (see what I did there?).

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3. It’s all about how you Raise your Pit Bull

I’ll admit that I really was a believer in this misconception and I’ve said it a thousand times in the past. However, I’m incorrect. According to the ASPCA, dogs are all individuals. How you raise them certainly does have an effect on how they turn out, but dogs are individuals that turn out how they want to turn out based on their personalities. Fortunately, these dogs are sweet dogs by nature.

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4. Pit Bulls with Cropped Ears are Fighting Dogs

It’s been said that there are dogs with cropped ears, and that means that they’ve been bred to fight. It’s not the truth. In fact, many people choose to crop the ears of their dogs for a number of reasons. In fact, we have friends with a pit bull that chose to crop his ears because they thought it would make him look meaner than he really is since he’s a big baby who is afraid of everything in the world except for his dinner – and not even all the time.

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5. Pit Bulls are Great Watch Dogs

Pit bulls are not great watch dogs. If someone is scared of this dog, it’s because he’s intimidating as far as his appearance is concerned. However, he’s too lovable and friendly to make a great watch dog. This is not a dog that will naturally attack those who are strangers to them or even alert you to the presence of someone else in the yard or by the door. He will, however, look for that person to pet him.

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6. Banning Pit Bulls Makes People Safer

It does not. There are statistics, according to the Huffington Post, that state that there are actually not statistics that prove people are safer in areas that ‘ban’ pit bulls for their dangerous behavior. There are not really any statistics to support the banning of animals of this nature.

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7. Pit Bulls that are Mean to Other Animals are Mean to Humans, Too

Here’s the deal; not all dogs like all dogs. It’s not something that has to do with humans. There are plenty of dogs in the world that don’t like other dogs or cats or other animals, but they love people. They love their humans and are not even remotely interested in being around other animals. There is just no reason to mistrust a dog simply because it doesn’t care for other animals.

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8. Pit Bulls can’t be Trusted

Pit bulls can be trusted. They are very loyal dogs that are very kind and loving, and they are very sweet to their humans. They are very loyal dogs that you can trust absolutely. This dog might not let you know that the mailman is at the door until he knocks, and he might be a bit overly friendly toward everyone else, but he’s got your back every second of the day no matter what.

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9. Pit Bulls Cannot be Changed

There is a misconception that a pit bull rescued from a dog fighting ring or a terrible upbringing cannot be changed. This is simply not the case. In fact, most dogs that are rescued from dire conditions are able to change when they are with people that love them and treat them correctly. Many dogs do what they have to do to survive and then just try to get by. That doesn’t make them mean dogs; it makes them dogs that want to survive.

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10. Pit Bulls are Aggressive

Pit bulls are not aggressive dogs. They are all individuals, but that doesn’t make them aggressive. As a breed, they are actually very sweet dogs that do not have any sort of aggressive nature when you take into account how sweet and friendly most of them are. These are dogs that are not very aggressive by nature.

JERSEY CITY, NJ - JULY 24: A pit bull looks out from a cage in the Liberty Humane Society shelter July 24, 2007 in Jersey City, New Jersey. According to animal shelter statistics, around one-third of all dogs coming into shelters nationwide are pit bulls, up from just 2 to 3 percent fifteen years ago. An estimated 40,000 people are involved in illegal professional dogfighting in the U.S. which often involves pit bulls. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

11. Pit Bulls are not Friendly

They’re actually one of the friendliest breeds that are around. They love people, they love attention and they love affection. They are sweet dogs with some of the friendliest personalities in the world, and they just love everyone. This is why they don’t have many enemies, and it’s why everyone loves them (except the people that don’t know much about them).

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12. Pit Bulls do not do well as Indoor Dogs

Not even the case. Pit bulls are dogs that do need some serious outdoor time, long walks and a lot of fun. But they do not do poorly in apartments or as indoor dogs. They’re fine as indoor dogs. They don’t mind at all as long as they are given the kind of time that they need outside. And they do tend to overheat rather quickly in extreme conditions, so it’s good that they stay indoors when they can.

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13. Pit Bulls are Born to Fight

Sure, there are people that breed dogs to fight. These are awful people. Sure, these people like to choose pit bulls to breed to fight. But they are not born to fight. They are taught to fight in some instances, but they’re actually born to love and have a good time.

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14. Pit Bulls are for Criminals

Some people have this thought that some dogs are just for certain people. Since pit bulls are such horrible, awful dogs, they must be just for horrible, awful people. This is not the case. These are dogs for people that love to have animals that are friendly and loving and affectionate. They’re great for all kinds of families, singles, kids; whatever. You name it, but they’re for all people.

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15. Pit Bulls Kill people all the Time

They don’t; there is a small percentage of people that die from dog bites and attacks each year, but the number of those that die from pit bull attacks is not a large one. In fact, there are other breeds that are just as likely to kill or injure humans as others. And that does not mean that they are any more likely than any other dog to attack or kill someone.

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16. Pit Bulls don’t like Other Animals

Not all animals like other animals. I once had a cat that hated all animals, but you don’t see people worried about cats that don’t like other people. But you certainly don’t care if they don’t like other animals. There are some pit bulls that don’t like other animals, but most of this breed is super good with other animals and that’s just how it is.

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17. Pit Bulls have Locking Jaws

First and foremost, a locking jaw is something that is a complete myth. In fact, according to National Geographic’s Dr. Brady Barr, pit bulls actually have the least strong jaw of three different breeds his tested, including the German Shepherd and the Rottweiler. These dogs have strong jaws, but they do not lock. That is a complete myth that has been perpetuated by the media for many years.

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18. Pit Bulls are not Good with Kids  

Quite the contrary, in fact. Pit bulls are actually amazing with kids. They do have a very high pain tolerance, and this makes them even more likely to play well with kids. After all, kids can be a bit rough and a little bit on the ‘not so careful’ side, and pit bulls can withstand their craziness a little bit better than most dogs. Additionally, they love kids because they are such friendly and affectionate dogs.

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19. Pit Bulls are Vicious

Pit bulls are not vicious. They’re actually very kind dogs. They’re dogs. However, they’re dogs; and that means that they might bite or become rough at any given time depending on how they are treated. The best case scenario with any dog breed – certainly not just this dog breed – is to learn how to treat them, how to recognize their signals and signs and how to understand what they are trying to tell you with their body language and their behavior. This is what’s going to keep you safe.

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20. Pit Bulls do not Make Good Pets

Pit bulls make awesome pets. They are so much fun, so loving and so happy to have people that love them. They are playful and fun, they are sweet and affectionate, and they are very good with people who love them.

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4 Comments

  1. I am sorry but every statement regarding pitt bulls in this article is pretty much an untruth. I have known many pits and their owners. Yes, they do have more tendency to turn. Not necessarily on owners but on others. It can be quick and sudden and unprovoked. My son almost got his head bit clean off by a pit bull that was treated like a baby his whole life. The dogs do alert when someone comes. They don’t care for strangers. Most responsible pitt owners will keep them away from unfamiliar people. There is a reason why. They are not good with young kids because young kids are unpredictable and the dog does not like it. People with more than one pitt admit they have a pack mentality. They are very protective of owners and even a perceived threat could get someone seriously hurt.

    1. Your comments say more about the people you know who have had dogs than about pits. Perhaps you just hang out with a really lousy group of lowlifes.

  2. Um, sorry Lisa Thomas but you are pretty ignorant. As the article says, all dogs are individuals. My pit absolutely loves people. He craves the attention and loves to act like a clown when strangers pet him. He is a terrible watchdog. He often doesn’t bark if a stranger comes to the door, but if a suspicious looking leaf blows across the front yard at 3AM he will be at the window barking his fool head off. My dog loves kids, but I also would never let him play unattended with children. He’s a 75 pound powerhouse and could easily knock a kid down. About the only thing you got sort of right is the pack mentality thing. All dogs are pack animals, but some, like pitbulls, tend to be more interested in being the alpha, and they will often test the order of the pack. All dogs, but especially big dogs like this, need to know their place in the pack. They need to know that humans come first. They need to be in a home with a strong alpha and they will from time to time, need to be reminded of their place in the pack. All dogs, but especially bigger dogs should go to obedience training classes. If you are not willing to spend the money, maybe you should not be getting a dog. If you are not willing to put in the time it takes, maybe you should not be getting a dog. Treating a dog like a baby is NOT the only thing it takes to have a good dog, in fact, many experts would say that you should treat your dog like a dog and not a little human. Most dogs who behave badly are acting out of anxiety or frustration. Tying a dog out in the yard all day can make it aggressive. Dogs need to be walked and exercised daily. If you aren’t willing to do that, don’t get a dog. Pitbulls are not for everybody. ANY dog breed is not for everybody. If you want to get a dog, do your research and find out what dog has the general breed characteristics that fit your lifestyle. If you are a couch potato, a less active dog is for you. Getting a high energy dog and not exercising it properly is a recipe for disaster. Bottom line, if you are not willing to commit 10 to 15 years of your life taking care of a dog, don’t get one, because the sad truth is that the dog will end up suffering for your irresponsibility.

  3. The author of this article is as evil as any human being can be. Pit Bulls were developed over hundreds of years to be aggressive participants in war, guard dogs and as fighting dogs. It’s in their DNA. No wishful conversations can change that. Look at the statistics below for 2013. They speak for themselves. Please keep your children away from these animals as they can and will kill. They can’t help it !!!!!!
    32 U.S. dog bite-related fatalities occurred in 2013. Despite being regulated in Military Housing areas and over 700 U.S. cities, pit bulls contributed to 78% (25) of these deaths. Pit bulls make up about 6% of the total U.S. dog population.

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