Ugh. More ignorant pit bull hysteria, as usual spread by someone who knows little or nothing about dogs.
“Not the Bee” is supposed to be a site the highlights bizarre events from a conservative perspective, so how its concluded that advocating a “pit bull ban” was a legitimate topic escapes me. However, people using false and misleading statistics to stampede lawmakers happens to be a topic of great interest to an ethicist. I’ve written about this annoying and recurring phenomenon before, many times. The primary post about the pit bull breed-deranged website Dogsbite.org, an Unethical Website of the Month back in 2015, and one of the all-time Ethics Alarms comment champions with 354 comments so far.
Ian Haworth wrote the irresponsible Not The Bee piece today, “Is it time to ban pit bulls?” I should title this post, “Is it time for people who write about pit bulls to learn what a pit bull is?” As soon as this article began, I knew readers were in the grip of someone who doesn’t know what he’s talking about:
Earlier this week, disturbing footage went viral of a police officer having to shoot one canine after a pack four dogs (three of which were pit bulls) attacked a man in the street in Philadelphia…. It feels like every week, we’re bombarded with heartbreaking stories of children (and adults) being mauled, and sometimes killed, by pit bulls. And yet, despite the staggering numbers, nothing seems to change...
Let’s take a look at the numbers. Between 2005 and 2017, at least 433 Americans were killed by dogs. And guess what? Pit bulls were responsible for a whopping 66% of these deaths. Pit bulls — a breed that makes up only 6% of the dog population in the U.S. — is causing the majority of fatal attacks. It’s not even just humans who are suffering at the jaws of these dogs. In 2017 alone, pit bulls were responsible for the deaths of 13,000 dogs, 5,000 cats, and 20,000 horses and other farm animals.
Despite all this carnage, pit bull attacks rose a staggering 773% between 2007 and 2014, and between 1982 and 2018, pit bulls and pit mixes killed or maimed over 6,000 Americans, with over 2,400 of them being children.
Again, ugh. As I have pointed out repeatedly and others have as well, there is no such breed as a “pit bull,” so the statement that a “breed that makes up only 6% of the dog population in the U.S.” causes disproportionate mayhem” is meaningless, other than meaning that the author is misinformed. From the Dogsbite essay:
Pretending that there is some dog-monster known as a The Pit Bull is just one of the lies (or examples of reckless ignorance) perpetrated by hysteric and her deadly band of anti-dogowner fanatics on their website. Denver’s infamous pit bull ban, like Lynn, defines the “breed” as “an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one of those breeds.” [ Note: These can include short hair mastiff and mastiff mixes, boxers, American Bulldogs, and more] This rigged methodology renders the statistics repeatedly cited by anti-pit bull bigots obvious nonsense. When one compares one distinct breed to many or more by falsely representing them as one breed, then it’s not hard to show that the fake breed is disproportionately aggressive. Says the site: “If it looks like a pit bull, then it is one.”
THAT seems fair! When Haworth writes that three of the four dogs in the Philadelphia incident were pit bulls, all that means that somebody said they were. I’ve watched the video: the giant breed that appears to be leading the pack is most certainly not a pit bull, but who knows: my English Mastiff was identified as a pit bull more than once. The other dogs might be pit bull mixes, but maybe not. His stats are ridiculous, and notably, he never identifies the source. In all likelihood, they come from Dogsbite, that or from another hysteric with an anti- pit bull vendetta named Merritt Clifton. The “pit bull attack” statistics and data they vomit into the public square is neither scientific nor validated. It is based almost entirely on news articles, not the total number of dog attacks, but the total number of attacks that were reported in the media.
This guarantees bad data. First, most people, including police and reporters, don’t know dog breeds. Reporters don’t collect DNA samples from the dogs involved in attacks: if a bystander or a cop claims that the dog involved was a pit bull, then that is what is reported in the article. Second, alleged pit bull attacks are deemed newsworthy because they continue an established, if false narrative. Third, if a dog attacks, there is often a presumption that it must be a pit bull. I frequently check when I read about an alleged “pit bull attack” and frequently see a photo of a dog that doesn’t look like any of the pit bull breeds.
A study suggests that even rescue shelter workers misidentify the pit bull breeds: they identified 52% of the dogs in their care as pit bulls but genetic testing revealed that real number was 21%. The CDC stopped attaching dog breeds to dog-involved deaths in 2000 because, among other reasons, they realized the data wasn’t accurate enough to be useful.
One of the major confounding factors in this mess is that pit bull breeds and mixes almost certainly lead the nation in irresponsible, cruel, criminal and stupid owners. Abused dogs are more dangerous than normal dogs; badly trained dogs are dangerous; dogs trained for fighting are dangerous, and pit bull breeds and mixes have been the favored breeds of the horrible people who engage in that “sport.” Note that these factors don’t make the breed dangerous; it’s the owners who are dangerous. If any large, strong breed is treated in these ways, they would be just as unsafe. Who lets their dogs roam in packs through a city like Philadelphia?
I started researching and writing about anti-pit bull breed bigotry before I adopted an abused and neglected pit bull mix myself. (I think he’s a pit bull mix; he might not be. Some astute dog owners have speculated that Spuds might be a small Dogo de Argentino or a Great Dane mixed with something smaller.) He is easily the sweetest dog I have ever had, and I’ve had wonderful dogs. I deeply resent lazy pundits like Haworth spreading his poisonous false facts: it was such statistics that caused Prince George’s County, near me, to enact a “dangerous breeds” ban that forced Spuds’ original owner to give him up and starting my dog on his tragic odyssey through two more abusive owners until he was adopted by Grace and me.
Ethics Alarms 
“Horses and other farm animals”
I’d bet good money most of those were chickens and other small farm animals, rather than horses. But “20,000 horses and other farm animals” sounds more shocking than “20,000 chickens and farm animals.”
Stray dog packs are no joke. I have seen them and how dangerous they can be. People dump dogs outside of town thinking people will just take them in. Well, they do, but there is a limit. Most of them stave to death or are put down before they starve to death. When there are too many dumped in a short period of time, they can form a pack and they will take down even large farm animals. There were some times as a child when I couldn’t go outside until the packs could be dealt with. Once, there was a pack killing 1 cow or horse each night. A bunch of farmers had to stay up all night for about a week to kill them all. They lost about a dozen animals. We had 2 people killed in town last week from pit-bull like dogs and the police in my town have to kill over 400 dogs each year. I can’t walk more than 1 mile in my town without being confronted by a loose, aggressive dog. I have had to pull a gun on dogs twice now and once, I had to call the police to come help me because a group of dogs would not let me get to my house. I would like to walk to work, but I have to take a vehicle because I can’t have a weapon at work and I need a weapon to defend myself against the dogs. About half of the aggressive dogs I have encountered are of the ‘pit bull like’ variety.
So, you may think that such calls are ignorant, but you should understand why such calls are being made. I would have to say that at least half the dog owners are not capable of responsibly taking care of a dog. Every single person who has rented the house directly across the street in the last 15 years has had dogs. Not one was responsible. All of them got big, aggressive dogs. They keep the dogs in the house all day and when they get home, they open the door and let the dogs out to roam the neighborhood. The current ones are on the 4rth dog in 2 years because neighbors have shot the other three after the dogs attacked or threatened people. I watched a woman from down the street drive their dog home with a stick and yell at the owner because the dog attacked her kids in her yard. The owner yelled and threatened her. The dog didn’t come home the next day. This is the pattern of the last 4 renters. The people 5 renters ago put their dogs on leashes sometimes, but even then couldn’t control the dogs. My children had to climb onto the roof of the car in our driveway once to escape them. Eventually, one of the dogs seriously injured someone and they had to flee the state. They walked away from a land contract after they put a new roof on the house and $20,000 worth of central heat and air.
If legal gun owners were this irresponsible with their firearms, the 2nd amendment would have been repealed long ago. Banning a breed isn’t the answer. The irresponsible people will just get rottweilers, or dobermans, or German shepherds, or yellow labs…. and mistreat them until they are aggressive. I don’t know what the answer is. You can require dogs to be registered, but the irresponsible people won’t register their dogs. You could require permits, but the irresponsible people won’t get them. You can try to hold the owners responsible, but without registration, the owners will just say ‘not my dog’. I guess vigilante justice where the neighbors crucify irresponsible dog owners in their own front yards? OK, that last one probably isn’t legal, but it would be more effective than the other options. I just don’t know. Anything you do to try to control this will only punish responsible dog owners and won’t restrain the irresponsible ones. I am just glad I live where I can often carry a gun for my protection. I don’t hate dogs, but my quality of life would be a lot better if they didn’t exist.
Headline is “from the Babylon bee”… but this is not at all from the Babylon Bee…
Today’s headlines there are:
–9 Changes Disney Is Bringing To ‘The Chosen’
–New York DA Indicts Trump For Bringing Firefighters Pizza But No Salad Or Cheesy Bread
Not the bee is literally not the bee…
Perhaps because my own dog is a rescue (a Jack Russell Terrier who hadn’t yet been properly housetrained at age 3 1/2 when we adopted her), my “suggested videos” on Facebook often lead with one from the Pittie Nation channel (a subchannel of The Dodo, I think). In Pittie Nation video after Pittie Nation video, I see examples of “pit bulls” who often were in sad shape when found, yet consistently are nursed back to health by the shelter and their foster parents, becoming sweet, lovable dogs with adorable personalities. Likewise, the “Pit Bulls and Parolees” program on Animal Planet (which I haven’t followed since ditching satellite TV 1 1/2 years ago, so I’m not sure if it’s still in production) shows examples in each episode of not only dogs being rehabilitated, but also often the parolees caring for them until adoption. I’m sure these shows and videos don’t indicate the probable future of all rescued “pit bulls,” but they do show that many “pitties” can indeed become wonderful pets, when raised right and adopted by owners who will treat them right.
I am a certified dog bite prevention educator and would like to share some thoughts.
Bully breeds, as I prefer to think of them, can be very challenging to train as the bully-terriers of the mid-1800’s were indeed bred to fight other dogs, take down bulls, and bait badgers. Their high prey drive and unbreakable commitment to a task (stubbornness) makes these dogs that MUST have proper training. This is the same however for German Sheppherds, Rottweilers, Mastiffs, and even Huskies, in my professional experience. I do work with all these types of dogs but with an extreme degree of caution and respect for their genetic history.
Here’s the thing, most people, in my opinion, are not equipped to handle bullies in general. A lot are fabulous and are sweethearts for sure, but many of these owners believe their dog would never act out, and then if it happens, the blame is put on the dog and/or breed, when the real issue was not understanding dogs, and the genetic background of the dog. Now of course getting a bite or attack from a large breed is awful, however, it is often preventable, if only people would take the time to learn and understand dogs and train them in methods that won’t exacerbate any innate fear-based aggression or cause pain.
For example, prong collars on these breeds can cause pain which then makes them more sensitive and more likely to display aggression. People use the excuse that their skin is thicker but that’s a falsehood about the breed. E-collars can cause the same thing and simply won’t stop an attack. It makes much more sense to use equipment that doesn’t cause the dog pain and TRAIN them with non-punishment methods to prevent attacks or other behavior issues. Good luck getting many of these owners to take the time, money, and effort needed for that. Instead, you see quick pain-based fixes with this type of gear and because the dog still isn’t properly trained, the dog once again is blamed and put down if a bite happens in spite of the gear.
When it comes to bites, there is another factor here. When a large breed bites, depending on the degree, it often is less likely to get infected or be as deep in the skin because their teeth are less sharp than a smaller breed. What this means is that small dogs bites, can be much worse because their teeth go in deeper, causing more bleeding and potential for infection. A bigger dog is more likely to leave a gnarly bruise but the puncture wounds are less deep if at all. A Chihuahua can literally bite off your eyelid in .25 seconds. Yet, no one is advocating for laws against them…yet.
Many of my behavior cases are essentially overwhelmed families who took on a dog for reasons that seem misguided. Often people pick the wrong type of breed or particular dog for their lifestyles, or they get a dog based on the memory of a past pet, or like a dog because it’s cute, or because they feel sorry for the dog. This is how many dogs end up getting shot or put down, and trust me, it’s at a high rate, making Noem seem like just your average dog owner who doesn’t know enough about dogs and isn’t willing to try some serious training. Noem’s actions years ago are regrettable but very common. I see as many progressives in the city as I do conservatives in the country put down their dogs for behavior issues, when all they needed to do was either train the dog or understand they got the wrong dog and need something else.
If we really are invested in better outcomes for bully breeds and all dogs, I believe the following is key:
-Understand dog body language. Here’s a great video to get started. Dog Body Language 101 (youtube.com). Here is a wonderful free course on dog emotions and body language. It only takes about an hour. Reading Dog Emotions (mylearnworlds.com)
-Teach children early how to greet dogs and learn to watch their emotions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT3CIbS5ciY. Here are some other organizations working to help keep kids safe. Resources – Family Paws Parent Education. Family Dog Mediation – Education Center. Family Dog Trainer – Peace of Mind for Parents with Dogs – Pooch Parenting.
-Yes, you can ask your dog for consent to be touched. So many bites come from touching a dog when or where they don’t want it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hsOlJwMwps
-Get clear about your dog’s genetic background and what training methods and techniques will be better suited for both dog and human. I generally feel rewards-based non-punitive training is best for most dogs. If you do have an aggressive dog, find a trainer who understands that it’s about more than “dominance” and often about fear or pain or trauma.
-Be ready to invest in your dog, no matter how perfect they seem initially. You may someday need take an online behavior course or set of courses, hire a professional dog trainer/behaviorist, or a veterinary behaviorist. If you can’t afford to deal with a $3000 bowel obstruction or buy baby gates to block off rooms or get training equipment and enrichment toys and games, you probably should rethink getting a dog.
-And most important is time and patience. If you can’t find ten to fifteen minutes a day to train for safety first, and fun next, especially with powerful breeds, “stubborn” breeds or really any dog, you should consider another type of pet until you have the time.
It took me over a year to learn Spuds’ body language, and there were some close calls. He is not aggressive, but he is very protective of me on a leash…he also will be on high alert with strangers until I touch them, welcome them, etc. If anything, he has become more protective over time, especially since Grace died. People who come up to him with a hand out can get a negative response, so I just don’t allow that any more. He is so, so loving to anyone he has gotten to know, anyone with a dog, anyone when he is off a leash—-everyone, except the mysterious cases where I just see him tense up and his ears go back. He’s incredibly strong, and like our little terriers, impulsive and high energy. It’s a challenge, but worth it.
Thanks so much for your expert advice.
”Pit Bull” is the “Assault Weapon” of the canine world.
-Jut
Excellent analogy!
‘One of the major confounding factors in this mess is that pit bull breeds and mixes almost certainly lead the nation in irresponsible, cruel, criminal and stupid owners. Abused dogs are more dangerous than normal dogs; badly trained dogs are dangerous; dogs trained for fighting are dangerous, and pit bull breeds and mixes have been the favored breeds of the horrible people who engage in that “sport.” ‘
^^^^ This ^^^^
As long as this is the case, People will have concerns about encountering a “pit” type dog. Their fear may not be exactly proportional to a statistically accurate threat level, but they won’t be wrong to worry, and they wouldn’t care even if they were. They mostly won’t really be all that interested in the how and why of this problem, either. They’ll just know that they’d rather see the smiling golden retriever from next door running towards them with his “fetch” ball than a pit-type that may be the one they’ve seen chained in the yard of a gangsta wannabe outside the subdivision.
So, how do you fix that? Maybe you can’t, at least not easily, but one natural inclination is for people to want to limit the availability of the types of breeds most favored by bad human actors that produce unstable dogs. That has some logic to it; the gangstas probably won’t consider a Pomeranian as a substitute, and may have a rather limited list of acceptable alternate types. Would that solve the problem? Probably not. but it’s evident why people would be willing to try it, as they have done in some places.
There are a lot of breeds. Dobermans used to be the scary dog. Then it was Rotweilers. Now it’s the bully breeds. The animal abusers will just move on to whatever is available, and then that breed will be “dangerous.”
This the dog I’d want for protection….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMgFoNuheWE
That’s why it would probably never be any more than marginally effective. You blacklist all the “badass” dogs, and the bad humans may never get whippets or cocker spaniels, or maybe even poodles, but they’d certainly start looking at Labs and other such breeds (and maybe that monster you linked to…if they could afford the dog food). Weight limits could be tried, but that would anger the golden owners and everybody else, who are more amenable to limits on just those they consider the neck-tattoo crowd. Come to think of it, maybe that could be a partial solution…no big dog if someone in your household has neck or face tattoos 😉