In the United States alone, approximately 3.3 million dogs are relinquished to and found by animal shelters throughout any given year. Of these approximated 3.3 million dogs, it is estimated that upwards of 670,000 of them will be euthanized within their first week of being held at the shelter (ASPCA). Pit Bull type dogs (consisting of purebred Pit Bulls or any dog of mixed breeds that contains any trace of Pit Bull DNA) alone will account for forty-percent of the dogs that are euthanized yearly(ASPCA). The reason behind the high euthanasia rate of Pit Bull type dogs in shelters is that shelters are more likely to euthanize dogs that they perceive to have a lower chance of adoption. As unethical as euthanasia based on a prediction of an animal’s likelihood to get adopted sounds, these perceptions by the shelter staff do have a logical basis to them. Statistically, Pit Bull breeds are much less likely to be adopted than other dog breeds, meaning they are the most commonly euthanized (Gunter et al). This lacking adoption rate of Pit Bull type dogs is due to a multitude of reasons that all come down to one thing: Pit Bulls are notoriously known for being an aggressive dog breed. However, are these dogs actually born aggressive? Is aggression in certain dog breeds, such as Pit Bulls, due to nature or nurture? Most people believe that the breed as a whole is aggressive, that any dog with even the slightest bit of Pit Bull DNA in its gene pool will naturally be aggressive; these people are wrong. To rid Pit Bull type dogs of the negative stigma surrounding them, people must acknowledge that a dog’s behavior is a matter of nurture, not nature. No entire dog breed is born aggressive, but individual dogs may develop aggressive behaviors through experiences and their environment. 

Aggressive behavior is one of the leading causes of dogs being abandoned, given up to shelters, or euthanized (ASPCA). However, what many people do not seem to understand is that aggression in dogs is more than just a simple trait due to a dog’s breed. Jessica Pierce Ph.D. states that aggressive behaviors are “developed through the complex interaction of many factors” (Pierce) in her article, Understanding Aggression in Dogs. Pierce continues to explain the multitude of factors that influence a dog’s behavior, the majority of which are entirely beyond the individual dog’s control, such as its early socialization habits, diet, exercise, and the methods that the dog was trained with. In fact, thirty-eight percent of aggression in dogs can be linked to a lack of basic obedience training. 

Although Pierce manages to touch on many of the commonly discussed factors influencing dog behavior, there are other, lesser known factors. For example, another common trigger for aggression in dogs is pain. A study conducted at the Autonomous University in Barcelona, Spain analyzed a group of twelve dogs that were selected at random of different dog breeds, all of which had been labeled as having aggression problems. The findings of this study linked ten of the twelve dogs’ aggression problems to physical pain that they were experiencing. Once the dogs’ pains were fixed, their aggressive tendencies left along with it. The results of this study furthered the idea that aggression in dogs is due to the dog’s environment or even the individual dog’s temperament, but not its genetics. 

A dog’s temperament, as defined by W. Handel, a German Police Dog Trainer, is the “sum total of all inborn and acquired physical and mental traits and talents which determines, forms, and regulates behavior in the environment” (ATTS). Temperament in dogs is based entirely on an individual dog, varying vastly within breeds. This idea of temperament in dogs comes down to how a specific dog reacts to an array of stimuli and can easily be measured through a short test conducted by the American Temperament Test Society, Incorporated. The American Temperament Test Society, Incorporated, or ATTS, is a national organization originally started in 1997 to test the temperament in both purebred and mixed-breed dogs. This highly regarded test has an average overall passing rate of 84.4 percent and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness. The test itself leads a dog through a simulation of typical leash-led walk where the dog will come across many everyday life situations of different degrees; neutral, friendly, and threating. Through the simulation, the dog is being tested on its ability to distinguish a nonthreatening, friendly situation from a potentially threating situation that requires a protective reaction based off the stimuli it is presented with. Throughout the years that the ATTS has been conducting these tests, it has only tested thirteen dog breeds over four hundred times each. Out of these thirteen breeds, American Pit Bull Terriers were ranked the second most temperament breed with an average passing rate of 87.4 percent. Comparing the 87.4 percent passing rate of Pit Bulls with the overall test passing average rate of only 84.4 percent shows that Pit Bulls display above average temperament through their ability to control their natural responses to stimuli better than other breeds. 

Even with outstanding results such as these offering evidence to the idea that Pit Bull type dogs are not inherently more aggressive, people will still argue with the findings. This is because temperament itself has recently become a more commonly debated topic. There are two beliefs surrounding the idea of temperament in dogs: the belief that behavior is exclusively due to a dog’s genetics and the belief that behavioral patterns are due to its environment and can therefore be altered through the proper nurture and training. Temperament can be seen as a combination of both genetics and environment, to an extent. The combination of the two factors can be explained by the following quote, “Genes define the limits of how and what an animal can learn. However, experience shapes the moment-to-moment direction and changed of behavior” (Brodzik). Despite Brodzik’s proven claim, those who believe that behavior is entirely due to genetics plead ignorance, ignoring the facts and continuing with their beliefs of “aggressive breeds”. One commonly brought up argument for the matter is the idea that Pit Bulls are genetically different from other dog breeds in four main ways: arousability, tenacity, insensitivity to pain, and finally, body signaling. It is believed that Pit Bulls naturally have higher levels of L-tyrosine and endorphins, giving them an increased pain tolerance along with hyper tenacity and arousability (Hess). These claims may seem logical and simple to fit into one’s preconceived notions about Pit Bulls, but there is no scientific evidence backing them. Studies have repeatedly been carried out to find a genetic mutation separating Pit Bulls from other breeds; however, none have been successful in doing so. Considering all aspects of the matter; factual evidence against inter-breed genetic differences, researched and proven definitions and aspects of temperament, it all comes back to the idea that people ignore facts and choose to believe that an entire breed is simply born to be aggressive. 

High tested temperament levels, however, does not seem to keep the Pit Bull name out of frequently reported dog attacks. Pit Bulls are seemingly always involved in attacks; although, they are not truly responsible for many of these reported incidents. These false reports are simply due to Pit Bull’s generic-looking appearance which leads to the common issue of misidentification. Pit Bull type dogs are very commonly found in reports of dog attacks, bites, and aggression- misidentification accounting for a large portion of these reports (Enos). Although it may seem difficult to mistake one dog’s breed enough to cause an influx in aggression reports, it is quite simple if that dog is a Pit Bull. The term Pit Bull does not refer to one specific breed; it generally refers to four breeds that are assumed to be the same by most: the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bully. These types of Pit Bulls have many of the same physical traits, allowing them to be easily identified as part of the broader categorization. However, they also share these traits with at least twenty-five more “generic-looking” dogs such as Greyhounds, Boxers, French Bulldogs, or any other breed sporting the brindle coloration (typically a black base coat with faint red stripes on top) that many people associate exclusively with Pit Bulls. The similar physical appearances over such a vast number of breeds makes misidentification a very common and very easily made mistake. The reoccurring misidentification and labeling of other dog breeds as Pit Bull type dogs only strengthens the stigma against them by adding attacks by the misidentified Pit Bulls to the records of actual Pit Bull bites. 

Added to the simple mistake of misidentification, many reports against Pit Bull type dogs are simply due to a lack of facts and background. For instance, one reported Pit Bull bite occurred at an animal hospital in 2005. The Pit Bull was entirely sedated as a technician reached into its mouth to locate the source of its bleeding, however while her hand was still in the dog’s mouth, it began to seize and unconsciously bit down during its convulsions and broke skin on the technician’s hand. Although this instance was very clearly not the dog’s fault or an intentional act of aggression, it is simply reported as a “Bite by Pit-Bull” in the public records of bite reports. Entirely circumstantial instances such as these lead people to play into the negative stigmatization of the breed, furthering the idea that they are all aggressive and harmful.

These cases of misidentification and falsified statistics lead to more than just a few frowning at the idea of housing a Pit Bull type dog as a pet. In fact, there was a study conducted through Arizona State University’s Department of Psychology to examine the correlation in animal shelters between breed perception, identification, and potential adopters’ decisions. The study was carried out in three parts, the first part to measure the perceived adoptability of Pit Bull type dogs compared to “friendly, family-oriented breeds”. This revealed that upon looking at a Pit Bull, people ranked them as harder to approach, less intelligent, more aggressive, and less likely to be adopted than the other two breeds. These assumptions were based entirely off their preconceived notions about Pit Bulls, as there was no real or physical contact between the dogs and participants. The second part was conducted to see if Pit Bulls perceived adoptability varied based off who was handling the dog. This part of the study was to test if participants had any backing to their beliefs or if they were simply basing all their responses on the “all Pit Bulls are aggressive” idea. It was found that the same Pit Bulls were found to be considered friendly and easier to approach and more intelligent when they were being handled by an elderly woman or male child. Some may argue that this change in tone towards a dog based off its handler is entirely reasonable, since a dog that is good with a person obviously weaker than it could not possibly be aggressive. However, it was the same dog in all scenarios, meaning same “aggression levels” and intimidation no matter who was handling the dog at the time. This, proving the unfair beliefs and stigmas held against this breed, and the lack of evidence to back them. The final part of the study showed the variation of a dog’s length of stay in a shelter based on its label. For the study, one dog was labeled as a Pit Bull and the other, a dog looking almost identical to a Pit Bull, was given a different label. It was found that just labeling a dog as a Pit Bull, on average, automatically increased its length of stay by four times how long a non-Pit Bull would stay (Gunter et al). The findings of this study prove that Pit Bulls stay longer in shelters and are less likely to be adopted than other breeds. The basis for these facts? The breed has been negatively stigmatized through instances of misidentification, ill-founded beliefs, and falsified statistics. 

Another way that misidentification is a problem for Pit Bulls and breeds that may resemble a Pit Bull is breed identification in shelters. In most cases, information provided by animal shelters about breed identification is from the animal’s previous owner or from assumptions made by the staff. The lack of factual information needed for breed identification in shelters often leads to unnecessary extended stays in shelters for breeds accidentally mistaken to be, or continuously stigmatized as aggressive and ill-behaved. People are always going to animal shelters to adopt dogs, but tend to overlook the most prominent breed in there, the Pit Bull, and all for the wrong reasons. 

Although many Pit Bulls are already spending extended periods of time in shelters, more are being dropped off daily due to Breed Specific Legislations. Breed Specific Legislations, or BSLs, are laws made prohibiting certain dog breeds in certain areas. Many people believe that BSLs will eradicate dog bites and attacks by keeping dogs, such as Pit Bulls, out of neighborhoods and public areas. This widely accepted belief is entirely naïve. “To prevent all bites, there is only one sure way and that is to ban all dogs. That is, of course, as unrealistic as trying to prevent bites by enacting breed specific legislations” (Bandow 479). Not everyone has the same sound logic, however, as Bandow. People who believe that all Pit Bulls have aggressive behavioral tendencies believe that by ridding public areas of these dogs through BSLs, dog attacks will become obsolete (Hess). However, this is a vicious cycle that they choose to be a part of because once these “dangerous” and “aggressive” dogs are traumatized by being removed from their loving homes and families, what becomes of them? They are placed in shelters and subjected to unfit treatment, therefore furthering their trauma and forcing them into a corner where aggression is their only defense. BSLs ignorantly blame an entire breed for the wrongdoing of a few. People need to realize that all dogs bite, all dogs of all breeds would be aggressive under certain circumstances, Pit Bulls are not to blame for all dog attacks and bites. Pit Bulls are not a thing to be afraid of and they are not genetically displaced to be vicious, no matter how badly people seemingly want them to be.  

In a radio podcast called Friend or Fiend? ‘Pit Bull’ Explores the History of America’s Most Feared Dog, Bronwen Dickey states that “Popular beliefs about Pit Bulls as predators are based on myth and misinformation.” Dickey spends the rest of the podcast debunking falsities about the Pit Bull breed. For instance, many people believe that one of the things that makes a Pit Bull so dangerous is its bite. A Pit Bull’s bite can have an impact of up to 2000 pounds per square inch of jaw pressure. However, this does not make them any more dangerous than any other large breed of dog, since the largest determinant of a dog’s bite strength is its body mass, not its breed (Dickey). Although the American Pit Bull Terrier was originally bred to be a fighting dog, it is still not naturally born with the abilities and instincts to fight. In fact, when dog fighters breed their Pit Bulls, it is considered a huge- and more significantly, rare- success if they even have one dog from the entire litter that has the necessary traits to be a “fighter”. Nowadays, Pit Bulls are mostly shown though media depictions of the dog fighting world. This shows the darkest sides of Pit Bulls, it shows them being tortured by their owners injecting them with drugs and shocking them with cattle prods, and the dogs taking it. After seeing media coverage of this, people being to believe that is what all Pit Bulls are like, pushed to their limits through a life of torture using aggression as their only way of survival. People begin to see them as “willing participants to their own torture” and have continued to demonize the idea of them throughout the years. These media depictions show an aggressive side of Pit Bulls that no breed is naturally born with, but that any dog would be forced to adapt if it when in the same situation. 

People all over the world have associated Pit Bull type dogs with aggressive behavior and violence for decades for a multitude of reasons. Pit Bulls are commonly involved in illegal dog fighting, yes, but there is no factual evidence backing the idea that they are genetically displaced to be any more aggressive than any other dog breed. Pit Bulls also frequent in reports of dog bites and attacks, but again, this is because more often than not, Pit Bull type dogs are misidentified, allowing them to be blamed for other breeds’ wrongdoings. To rid the Pit Bull breed of the negative stigma surrounding it, people need to recognize the fact that no entire breed is aggressive by nature. Aggressive behavior in dogs, of any breed, is due to the environment that dog is surrounded by. “[The] degree of aggressiveness exhibited by an individual [dog] is shaped by early experience and learning, all [dogs] have the capability to exhibit aggressive behavior” (Bollen). When people think about aggressive dog breeds, typically one comes to mind before any other, Pit Bulls. If people were to educate themselves on the factually sound statistics surrounding Pit Bulls and ignore the falsified data presented, the negative stigma of these dogs could eventually be eradicated, saving upwards of 268,000 Pit Bull type dogs alone annually.  
