Newsweek on "The Pit Bull Problem"

For the life of me, I have no idea why media people can't seem to even get the simplest things right when it comes to discssions on 'pit bulls'. Even those who are not being malicious in their content still don't seem to make even the faintest effort to understand pit bulls, or what is going on with them.

And while at least the recent Newsweek online article isn't malicious, it still has completely missed the point.

One glaring inaccuracy in the article stems around the total number of dogs that exist in the U.S. While the article quotes the number as being 61 million (no source is given), the 2006 AVMA Census gives a number of 72 million -- and growing -- so it is likely even greater than that now.

The article then goes on to say that the biggest "problem with pit bulls" is that people adopt these dogs for all the wrong reasons. Ok, I'm with her so far. But her reasons aren't the biggest problem for pit bulls by any stretch. She says that many people get the dogs for guard dogs -- but notes that they make for lousy guard dogs because they are too people-friendly. In some ways I do agree with this -- as dogs used for guarding tend to be trained to be aggressive toward all new humans without any ability to determine a friend vs a stranger*.  I also agree that 'pit bulls' often make bad guard dogs because of their friendliness - and in fact, are such bad guard dogs that they often struggle to keep THEMSELVES from getting stolen.

*I think we often give dogs WAY too much credit in their ability to tell a friend from a stranger. Given that many people can't determine if a new person is of ill-intent or not until it's too late, it is unrealistic to think a dog could make this determination. The result often ends up with a dog that is aggressive toward all new people.

The other "problem" the writer notes is that she thinks people get one just because Rachael Ray has one -- and that the trendiest of owners want a blue pit bull because they are rare.

People who want a dog as a fashion statement ala Racheal Ray are not the pit bull's biggest problem - -not by a long shot. These people are the problem for many breeds like Cavelier King Spaniels, Pugs and English Bulldogs who want dogs with a certain "look" that are encouraging the breeding of dogs for looks at the expense of the overall health of the dogs. They are also the problem for the high-priced "designer mutts" like Puggles and Labadoodles.  But if someone wants a 'pit bull' as a fashion statement ala Rachael Ray, this is a far smaller problem than if someone wants one as a fashion statement ala Michael Vick.

But even THAT may not be the biggest problem facing 'pit bulls' right now. It's when writers like this one declare "pit bulls are public enemy #1".  They aren't -- or at least certainly shouldn't be. And it is this perception, brought on repeatedly by writers like this one that spur issues like Breed Specific Legislation -- which the writer alludes to in one sentence at the very end of the story. It seems to me that the laws and restrictions that are created specifically against 'pit bulls' is their biggest problem. It is these laws that prevent them from being able to be adopted in many good homes. It is these laws that often prevent shelters from adopting them out at all. It is these laws that force otherwise good dogs in otherwise good homes to meet almost certain death in the shelters.

Go ahead and read the article. It really isn't all bad and is actually a little empathetic toward the plight of pit bulls in this country. But it's just painful when the news media can't do enough research to get basic stats right -- or to understand the topics they're writing about.

When Rachael Ray fans are the biggest problem facing 'pit bulls' in this country, then I will not have much to do here as a blogger...

UPDATE:  Newsweek has a SECOND editorial on the topic -- This story is actually by the same author as the first one -- but this one actually makes sense.  Here's a quote:

My reporting revealed that my issue isn’t with the dog – it’s with people. We are the ones that are ultimately responsible for the dogs – including the dog’s reputation. Pit bull owners have to be realistic about the potential for their dogs to do damage. It’s a dog. If you can concede that all dogs can potentially cause problems,  that means yours can too. And the haters, don’t go into a feeding frenzy of misinformation. It’s ugly.

Comments

[MichelleD]

Get it a little more anyway...the people causing trouble with their dogs are NOT the ones (usually) that over-estimate their dogs abilities. They are the ones that have NO CLUE about their dog, period. Ones that leave them chained up, isolated and/or otherwise neglected.

[Julie]

I agree, Michelle- the second gets it maybe a little more. The focus seems to be on owners who are being responsible in the first place. The problem isn't with owners who are saying their dogs are perfect- even if the dogs are not.

Truthfully, I feel like any responsible "pit bull" owner is far more vigilant than the majority of dog owners- we have to be.

I've certainly never claimed my dogs are unable to do wrong- in that respect, the editorial makes its most valid point, in my opinion- they're dogs. Plain and simple.

Although, and yes, I've said this before- until everyone, owners included, start seeing "pit bulls" as regular old dogs, we still have a long way to go.

[Marc]

Give R Ray some credit since she is a huge supporter of rescues and adoptions, particularly pit bulls. I would think some of that would rub off on her fans and not everyone would be running out for a designer pit bull but rather a resuce.

[MichelleD]

No doubt Marc!! I have some serious beef with the tone they direct at RR in the first article and couldn't quite put my finger on it. Its like she's being blamed for being an ambassador for the breed! Thanks God someone is encouraging people to consider a pit bull for their home! It is OBVIOUS that the tone of this article came from the rescue community. Who, in seeemingly increasing numbers, seem more intent on keeping people from adopting than facilitating adoptions (not just pit bulls either).

WTF is "but well-meaning humans mess it all up" - this is straight out of a H$U$ brochure. WELL MEANING humanes are PROBLEM????? Did she write this for the Onion!? To echo Brent's point: No, its not the stupid evil humans like Vick and those who want to model him - its those WELL MEANING people that want to adopt a poor pup with little chance of a home and like hamburgers. Yeah, its THOSE people that are the problem.

[Sarah]

Things like research and facts often seem to escape the spotlight when it comes to stories on animals, especially pets.

The message that the media inevitably misses is that pit bulls are designed to fight other dogs.

This *does* make them different from other dogs, because even though dog-dog aggression can crop up in any breed -- and believe me, I've seen it -- it's *supposed* to crop up in pit bulls. Genetics and environment being what they are, naturally this doesn't mean every pit is dangerously dog-aggressive, in the same way that not every Greyhound can race. But the building blocks are there.

What the media also misses is that pits are also bred to be terrific with people, including children. The fact that some aren't is also a result of those mysterious forces of genetics and environment.

But until the media and the public takes a deep breath and stops with the "They're born that way"/"It's all how they're raised" dichotomy, we're never going to get to a rational discussion about how to properly raise and keep a dog-fighting breed in a shrinking urban society.