Pit Bulls: Supersize Me!

"Hey, is that a Pit?" the guy asked.
"At least that's what they tell me!" Six week old Rocky stopped chasing imaginary playmates long enough to give the stranger his undivided attention (a whole three seconds' worth).

I was accustomed to people asking me what breed Rocky was. Rocky is a sleek, yet modest, 60 - 65 pound menace NOW, but as a pup he was always much smaller than other American Pit Bull Terriers his age. Because of this, people usually thought he was some other kind of terrier or bully breed.

"Really? He's little!" By now the guy was squinting; as though he were trying to see an ant scale a tree from thirty feet away.
"No, he's six weeks." Can you sense the sarcasm?
"Yeah, my dog was bigger than that at six weeks, though," he countered, shaking his head.
"Well, perhaps my boy just got the smaller side of the genes, huh." I was really getting annoyed.

Why is there so much infatuation with over sized Pit Bulls? Most, if not all, of these "giant" Pit Bulls are cross-breeds, mixed with English Bulldogs or Mastiffs usually. If I had wanted a Bulldog or Mastiff, I would have adopted a Bulldog or Mastiff.

The problem is that most of these large Pit Bulls are being bred for the "scare factor" alone. A 120lb Pit Bull is a bit more intimidating than a 60lb Pit Bull. Shouldn't breeders focus more on temperament than size? What about possible health consequences?

This "bigger is better" mentality may be a by-product of the male dominated Pit Bull breeding circuit (shh...).

Oh, yeah, I ran into that guy again when Rocky was about ten months old. Suddenly, my Pit Bull was "big and ripped." Funny how puppies can do that...grow, that is.

Have you ever met someone obsessed with "giant Pit Bulls?"

Dark Sport of Dog Fighting

Picture this with me for a moment: A young American Pit Bull Terrier's battered, lifeless body floating in a river. The poor animal's body is covered with bite wounds; its fur stained with blood; an electric cord wrapped several times around the young dog's neck.

This was the scene in a small Midwestern town in August. The Pit Bull was found by children playing in the area. Officials weren't surprised to discover the animal's body. It wasn't completely unusual to find dead Pit Bulls scattered throughout the area. However, this comes at a time when dog fighting is under deep scrutiny. Police officials in the state said that dog fighting was unfortunate, but hard to stop. Dog fighting is big business. Most rings seem to stay just one step ahead of police.

I looked at Rocky as he kept himself busy wagging his tail and licking the cats. How can people do this to these poor creatures, I thought. Watching my ten-month old puppy, not much younger than most dogs used for fighting, I said a silent prayer for those battered animals.

Dealing With the Negative Pit Bull Image

I recently "puppy-sat" two hyper and rambunctious Labrador puppies. In the short time that I had them, I was: bitten, nipped, screamed at, pummeled over, and pounced on. Rocky sat nearby quietly watching these two pups, Bonnie and Clyde, get into anything and everything. Once Bonnie and Clyde were (thankfully) returned to their owners, I sat down with Rocky and thought about my experience. Why is that no one flinched when those chocolate Labradors behaved in the manner described above? Why is it that Rocky, who is the exact opposite, receives negative comments and worried glances?

For the last several years, Pit Bulls have had to endure a very negative public image. Sensationalism sells. Responsible Pit Bull owners have done their best to remedy the hysteria by training their Pit Bulls to be ambassadors for the breed. However, for every positive mention Pit Bulls receive from the media, we can expect ten negative ones. People aren't able to see just how mild mannered Pit Bulls can be in day to day interactions.

If you are a Pit Bull puppy owner, this mountain can seem insurmountable. Don't be discouraged, because there are some things you can do for you, your puppy, and the Pit Bull community.

1. Enroll your puppy in obedience classes. The first step to improving the Pit Bull's image to have a well-mannered puppy. In other words, don't let your puppy become a Bonnie or a Clyde.

2. Be responsible. Being a Pit Bull owner can be challenging due to the stigma related to the breed. You have to remain one step ahead of the pack. For example, don't allow your dog off leash at dog parks (better yet, avoid them altogether), don't leave your dog unsupervised around children (kids can effectively push ANY dog's buttons). These are but a few things you can do to display responsibility.

3. Educate your community. Oftentimes, fear is the offspring of ignorance. What people don't know or understand, they justify with theory and assumption. This fact has been demonstrated countless times throughout history. You may have heard that the jaws of Pit Bulls lock and can exert 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. Ridiculous. As Pit Bull owners, we have to make an effort to educate our communities and extinguish the myths and fear that plagues this beautiful breed.