The absolute least dog friendly place in North America: Ontario, Canada.
BSL affects dogs based on APPEARANCE ONLY. It has NOTHING to do with temperament. The alleged purpose of BSL is to increase public safety, but it can not do that because it completely overlooks temperament.
These breeds are killed because they are mistaken for the "American Pit Bull Terrier":
1. Boxer
2. Dogue De Bordeau
3. Alapha Blue Blood Bulldog
4. Great Swiss Mountain Dog (which is tagged to be one of the top 20 greatest dogs to own)
5. Vizsla
6. Rhodesian Ridgeback
7. Dogo Aregentino
8. Labrador Retriever (which is tagged to be the SECOND greatest dog to own; German Shepard is the first)
9. BullMastiff (despite their size, they aren't all that tempermental)
10. Jack Russel Terrier
11. Fila Brasileiro
12. Rottweiler (also a big target for BSL, but not as big as the pit bull)
13. Presa Canario
14. American Bulldog
15. Cane Corso
16. Patterdale Terrier
17. Olde English Bulldoge
18. Catahoula
19. Bull Terrier
20. Black Mouth Cur
21. Alano Espanol
22. Boerboel
23. Ca De Bou
24. Thai Ridgeback
The Fact About Pit Bulls
To start, pit bull is not a breed of dog, it’s a term typically used to group 3 breeds of dog, the American Pit Bull Terrier (ABPT), American Staffordshire Terrier (AMSTAFF) and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (STAFFIE).
The Pit Bull is probably the most misunderstood dog in the United States. People see them and cross the street out of fear and try to ban them from their cities. Why? Simply stated, lack of education on the breeds. The public only sees negative stories in the news. Pit Bulls are wonderful dogs in the hands of responsible owners just like any other breed. As with any dog, there will always be irresponsible owners and poorly bred dogs. That does NOT mean that all of these dogs are evil! The majority of domestic violence in the US is caused by men, are all men considered evil and dangerous, No. Then why would all Pit Bulls be dangerous because of a few bad owners?
For hundreds of years Pit Bulls were bred to fight dogs, certain traits were bred into the bloodlines for that purpose, high pain tolerance, high prey drive, etc. However a quality that was never bred into Pit Bulls was human aggression. Human "aggressive" dogs were undesirable as these dogs required extensive handling prior to and during their fights AND most of these dogs were also family pets so no human aggression was ever tolerated. Dogs that exhibited human aggression were typically killed, meaning that only human friendly lines were perpetuated and desired.
It has been said that a Pit Bull never met a stranger. They love and adore humans. They want so much to be apart of your family and spend time with you watching tv, walking, driving, etc. I have seen severely abused and neglected Pit Bulls who see you coming and they can't wait to be petted and loved. Even after the abuse, they want nothing more than to be with a family of their own! As with any breed there are exceptions to the normal temperament and behavior. We see this in humans as well, there are good ones and bad ones.
See where your state stands on BSL by clicking this link.
False information about Pit Bulls:
Pit Bulls have locking jaws. NO! The pit bulls jaws are the same as any other breed of dog! Any Veterinarian can verify this is simply a myth. Pit Bulls have been bred to not let go, however, their jaws are not locked.
Pit Bulls have a 1800 PSI Jaw Pressure. Wrong again. This myth stems from an article published in the 1989 The Journal of Trauma "Mauling by Pit bull Terriers: A Case Report" by Bret R. Baack, M.D., John O. Kucan, M.D., Gerland Demarest, M.D and E. Clyde Smoot, M.D. On Page 519 it states: "Pit Bulls bite with greater force than most dogs (up to 1,800lb/in2) which does not mean anything with jaw pressure.
Pit Bulls are born to be mean. Not True! Pit Bulls like all other breeds, are not born inherently mean or bad! They can, like any other breed, become mean through lack of training, abuse, neglect and irresponsible ownership and breeding.
A pit bull that shows aggression towards a dog, will go after people next. No, it will not. Animal aggression and human aggression are 2 completely different things! There are many types of aggression in the canine world and they are all very different.
Pit Bulls attack more than any other breed. No, the statistical data on dog bites and attacks are inaccurate. Many dog bites are never reported. There is nothing in place to track dog bites in the US accurately.
Places to NOT live with your dog:
Least dog friendly places in the United States all having broadly worded breed specific dog laws allowing for confiscation, and destruction of dogs by breed.
10. Bracken County, Kentucky
9. Muskegon, Michigan
8. Providence, Rhode Island
7. Boston, Massachusetts
6. Prince Georges County, Maryland
5. Denver, Colorado
4. Miami-Dade County, Florida
3. WASHINGTON-Pasco, Yakima, Enumclaw, Buckley, Toppenish, Winslow, Oak Harbor, Cathlamet, Everett, Kennewick, Kirkland, Moxee City, Neah Bay, Sea-Tac, Pullman (where WSU College of Veterinary Medicine is located) plus these counties; Spokane, Snohomish, & Whatcom
2. Iowa - The Entire State
1. Ohio - The Entire State
FAQ's About Pit Bulls
Q: Are pit bulls good with children?
A: Properly raised and socialized dogs are great with children! They are able to stand the rough and tumble play of a toddler. As with other big dogs, pit bulls can accidentally knock kids over during play, etc so they should always be supervised. Dogs of any breed should never be left alone with children.
Q: Are pit bulls inherently dangerous to people?
A: No! Pit bulls are no more inherently dangerous to people than other dog breeds. People often assume that pit bulls are human aggressive because they were bred to fight animals. This is simply not true! If that were the case then Irish Wolfhounds, Anatolian Shepard's, Great Pyrenees, etc should be considered dangerous to humans as well. There is a common misconception regarding dog aggression! In the canine world there are many types of aggression including dog, displaced, food, fear, etc. Because a dog is aggressive with other dogs does not make them aggressive towards humans! A love and respect for Humans was specifically bred into the pit bull lines, due to the nature of Dog Fighting when it was considered a sport hundreds of years ago. Dogs of any breed that show a tendency towards Human Aggression should be immediately seen by a qualified Behaviorist and Vet. Often this is can be a result of fear, which can be greatly reduced by taking the time to properly socialize your puppy to lots of different people, places and things! Socialization does not always prevent a fearful dog, but it’s a huge step in that direction. Human Aggression should NOT be tolerated in any breed of dog small or large!
Q: Why do we hear so many negative pit bull stories in the Media and are they true?
A: There are a few things that contribute to the negative stories on the news. As often the case, negative stories always seem to get National coverage, where the positive stories only make the local news. The Media is not always very responsible with their stories! I have seen news reports of a dog attack by another breed and, yet the media had a picture of a pit bull on the TV while reporting this story. I’ve read many stories where the reporter obviously hadn’t done any research, when I asked about their statistics they choose not to reply. Every 10 years or so a new breed of dog is victimized by irresponsible owners, breeders, bad media coverage, and now it’s the pit bull’s turn. In the 70’s it was the German Shepherd, the 80’s was the Doberman’s turn, the 90’s Rottweilers and pit bulls had all the bad press, and now it’s the pit bull’s time to suffer again. And, unfortunately, in a few years it will be another breed that will be in the spotlight.
Q: Do Pit Bulls make good pets?
A: Yes, but Pit Bulls are not for everyone, just like any other breed of dog. Research should be done on any breed prior to making a decision. The best place for responsible pit bull information is Pit Bull Rescue Central www.pbrc.net. The American Pit Bull Terrier was the #1 family dog in the US during first part of the 20th century. They are Loyal, loving, devoted, funny, and almost human like in their emotions and expressions! The American Temperament Testing Society does temperament testing throughout the year at breed clubs and compiles the statistics. Their overall pass rate for breeds is 80%, and in the 2002 statistics, APBTs, AMSTAFFs, and Rottweilers were all in the 82 percentile, meaning 80+% of the dogs tested passed the temperament test. That is a very high percentage, especially when comparing to breeds which are common family dogs, such as, Golden Retrievers and Bichon Frise tested at 77%, Chihuahua at 71%, Greyhound at 81% and Lhasa Apso at 71%. These test results are available at www.atts.org Pit Bulls bond very fast and very strongly to their humans and need to spend a lot of time with you. If you are not home a lot or plan on keeping the dog in the yard, etc, then a Pit Bull isn’t for you! Pit Bulls are a dominant breed and require a strong pack leader who is always in control. Obedience and socialization is mandatory with this breed and should be with any breed.
And you call them "dangerous"?
Otis (a pit bull) alerted a family to a fire
Leah (another pit bull) woke up her family in the middle of the night while their house caught fire
Tanner (a pit bull) became a member of the Cocke County police force
This pit bull died saving his owner's life
Blueberry (a pit bull, and pregnant) attacked intruders as they opened fire at her and her owners
Sunni (a pit bull) donates her own blood to save other dog's lives
Taylor (a pit bull) is now a drug dog
Spike (a pit bull) is a service dog
Gabby (a pit bull) helped neighbor after they fell off a 12 foog ladder
Petunia (a pit bull) proves humans make dogs bite
Norton (a pit bull) warns others after his owner passes out
Buddy (a pit bull) saves two senior citizens from a house fire
Private First Class Duke (a pit bull)
RCA (a pit bull) is a hearing dog in Alaska
Dixie (a pit bull) fights off a snake that is about to bite little kids
Weela (a pit bull) saves other dogs live **Voted My Favorite**
Dakota (a pit bull):Certified SAR, hand picked by NASA to find astronauts after tragic crashes, and certified Hospital Therapy dog. This is her webpage
Popsicle (a pit bull) went from abused and dying to drug sniffing
Missy (a pit bull) saved a little boy from being mauled to death by two other dogs
Chevy (a pit bull) saved his ownder after she fell and bashed her head open
Cloe aided a woman until she was able to be helped
Rock (a pit bull) was killed while saving his family from intruders
Jesse (a pit bull) saved his owner from bleeding to death
Coco (a pit bull) saves a 10 year old from intruders
If Pit Bulls are "so bad" then why are they becoming service dogs and drug dogs and dying while saving their owners?
