What Is Pit Bulls A Study In Nature Or Nurture

Pit Bulls: A Study in Nature vs. Nurture Did you ever think that you would not be able to own a certain breed of dog because of the way society perceives its breed? Did you ever think that members of a breed of dog would be immediately euthanized when brought into pounds? That is exactly the case with the American Pit Bull Terrier which is more commonly known as a pit bull. Why does this happen, though? Various accounts from news media have made hype about the aggression and danger of pit bulls. Now pit bulls are looked at with fear and disgust because they are only known for the horrific things they do in dog-fight settings and the few freak accidents that lead to injuries. Although the American Pit Bull Terrier was bred to be a fierce,

Breeds are developed when breeders pick traits that they want in their dog and then they select the most representative dogs of that trait. The end result is a custom made dog for whatever purpose the breeder has in mind (“Position Statement”). Pit bulls are believed to be descendants of a Greek war dog that later became the Mastiff-type dogs (Bastian). They are also descended from dogs that were used to bait bulls. It was originally a necessity on a farm that later became a sport. The sport, however, became outlawed in the 1800s. People started to fight their big, strong dogs against each other for sport. They bred strong dogs with small, quick terriers and, eventually, the pit bull was born (“Position Statement”). Today, pit bulls seem to only be known as fighting dogs or as guard dogs, but they are also simply family dogs. The breed differs based on its lineage and you cannot stereotype an entire breed because of certain

If aggression was a part of the pit bull genetic code, it still would not mean that every dog in the breed is aggressive. “While a dog’s genetics may predispose it to behave in certain ways, genetics do not exist in a vacuum” (“Position Statement”). The way a dog is treated or housed at a young age can make the difference between a loving dog and an aggressive one. Even, the conditions of the puppy while still in the womb can change its disposition. Factors like “early nutrition, stress levels experienced by the mother during pregnancy, and even temperature in the womb” can cause behavior changes (“Position Statement”). A dog that is not fed often may be aggressive about his food bowl. Some bad early encounters with people may make a dog untrusting of humans and, therefore, prone to aggressive outbreaks. Also, a dog that is not properly socialized as a puppy may be wary of other dogs or people and they may act aggressively towards people and other dogs. All of these factors are usually caused by lack of care by the owner. “Genetics may load the gun, but it requires human action or irresponsibility to pull the trigger” (Ebersole). In other words, most of these problems could be easily avoided at a young age if the owner of the dog would take the necessary steps to properly care for and take care of his or her