Pit Bull Terriers - Bad Dogs or Bad People

Pit Bull Terriers

Bad Dogs or Bad People

Pit bull terriers have the reputation of being the most aggressive, and dangerous dogs in the world. Various forms of media displaying injuries to people and animals caused by these canines are common. Sadly, because some of these dogs are aggressive and dangerous, they have all acquired a bad reputation. Those who know them may attribute a Pit bulls aggression to rearing or abuse but because of their reputation, most people think, as I did, that it is just because they are Pit bulls. However, stereotyping a breed is wrong and unfair, but, with all the negative publicity about them, it is an easy trap to fall in. Because of my children's interest, I needed to find out more about them, so I went to the internet, the humane society, and to homes of some of these dogs. There is a lot of negative information, but also many positive and surprising facts. With research and time, I now know them to be loving, loyal, and not aggressive when raised correctly.

In the world of canines, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Center for Disease Control, the Humane Society of the United States and the University of Pennsylvania, develop a list from a collaboration of studies that they publish periodically of dog breeds that are considered the most aggressive by nature, in the world. In the past, the study was only for dogs over a certain expected adult weight due to the ability of the dogs to inflict damage because of their size. However, the latest studies include all dog breeds. Of the top thirty-two most aggressive breeds, number one being the most aggressive and thirty-two being the least, Dachshunds and Chihuahuas scored highest for aggression, putting them in the number one and two spots on the list, respectively. Pit bull terriers, with their bad reputations, placed at number eight, behind Border collies, the Jack Russell, and Beagles. Nevertheless, when Pits do cause injury the damage is more severe than the damage inflicted by smaller dogs due to their strength and size. Below is a listing of the top thirty-two most aggressive breeds.

1 Dachshund 2 Chihuahua

3 Beagle 4 Jack Russell Terrier

5 Australian Cattle Dog 6 Cocker Spaniel

7 Border Collie 8 Pit Bull

9 Great Dane 10 English Springer Spaniel

11 Shetland Sheepdog 12 Airedale Terrier

13 Bichon Frise 14 Doberman Pinscher

15 Rottweiler 16 Boxer

17 German Shepherd 18 Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

19 Akita 20 Collie

21 Bernese Mountain Dog 22 Mastiff (English)