She is snow white. She is gentle, quiet, graceful, and obedient. Most people misunderstand her though, because she is a pit bull.
Indeed, many dogs are misunderstood. Journalism student Nick Karakachus puts it a different way, “I have a war dog, and he is nothing but a big teddy bear.”
He went on to say that it is all in how the animal is raised. He explained that pit bulls have an aggressive side, but it is nurture, rather than nature, that determines overall behavior.
When I met two pit bulls on the quad on during an animal shelter’s fundraiser recently, I was surprised. One was gray with patterned fur. The only goal she had in mind was to love everyone she met. The other, a snowy beauty out for a stroll, kept to herself.
Pit bulls and similar breeds were meant to bate bulls, which means they keep a bull distracted while the animal is castrated, according to one online breeders’ forum. This means the animal has to be bold and aggressive, and is bred to have a strong, prolonged bite. These dogs are now used illegally for fighting in rings.
This practice is a betting sport, like horse racing. People bet money on the dog who will come out of the ring alive. Dogs are chained to treadmills, made to wear weights, and usually caged without socialization or contact. Fights are staged in makeshift wooden rings, and two dogs fight to the death for the amusement of spectators, as exhibited by shows like Animal Precinct, which is a reality show following the cases of various chapters of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
It is aggressive pit bulls, which have often been in abusive situations that give the breed a bad reputation. In general, they do not do well with other dogs, and may be somewhat aggressive toward strangers. Maulings like that of a pregnant woman in San Francisco earlier this year, are always reported in the news. The young woman was killed by her own pet pit bull, which was then shot by cops on the scene.
Unfortunately this is the usual process. If a dog is aggressive toward other animals or people, our response is to destroy a life. Every case involving a pit bull, Rottweiler or even German Shepherd that I read about seems to end with either a bullet or a needle, and a life ending.
I cannot forget the sweet dogs I met at the fundraiser hosted by Central Illinois Small Animal Rescue. Nor can I forget my black Labrador, Rocko, who had a defensive, possibly aggressive side when it came to protecting me.
One night in the summer of 2010, I sat alone in my apartment. My stereo played a book on CD, and the narrator spoke on and on as the wind rustled the trees outside. Lamplight glowed orange on the walls. Someone through open the front door downstairs. Male voices argued heatedly, proceeded by running footsteps, thuds, and more slamming doors.
My door was locked. I muted the stereo and stared at the door. I did not notice Rocko sitting in front of me until I heard deep, rolling growls issuing from him. All of the fur along his spine bristled. I believe he would have bitten anyone who broke in.
Commonly known is the fact that dogs are the descendants of wolves. They view us as members of their pack. They burrow and circle on their beds to make a hollow in which to sleep the same way wolves do. They hunt or retrieve small animals, and mark their territory. It seems little wonder then that dogs can be loving and yet also possess brutality, both in the name of loyalty to those they love.