WHISPERING STEREOTYPES - PERPETUATING THE "PIT BULL" MYTH

"Falsehood flies and the truth comes limping after, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late: the jest is over, and the tale has had its effect."   ~Jonathan Swift~

Someone made a comment  to me the other day about how much good Cesar Millan has done for "pit bulls" and I had to write a post about it, as it has long been a pet peeve of mine when I hear these comments. I do not disagree entirely, how could I? However, the way I see it, Cesar Millan is also perpetuating the stereotypes of "pit bulls" and I will explain why I feel that way.

First of all, as mentioned in a previous post, there is no such "breed" as a "pit bull". The term "pit bull" has been used in the past as a short form for the pure bred American Pit Bull Terrier, but in more recent years it refers to all three related pure breeds and pretty much any dog with a short coat, muscular build and a square shaped head. The term "pit bull" has also become a scapegoat and cash cow for the media and government, but a "breed" it is not.

If a "pit bull" is not a true breed of dog then, but a mixture of who knows what, how can one attribute traits to that animal, of a pure bred dog? Especially when, more times than not, the mixed breeds which make up the dog in question are not known. Assuming a dog is a "pit bull" based on the animal's appearance and diagnosing and treating behaviour based on that assumption, is nothing less than irresponsible.

Additionally, the traits Cesar Millan and a number of other celebrity and non-celebrity trainers and "behaviorists" claim to be exclusive to "pit bulls", are for the most part misrepresented and therefore misconstrued by the general public. 

When individuals like Cesar Millan make statements about things like "the pit bull gene" and comments like: "as long as I fulfill all of his animal-dog needs first, the pit bull inside of him will not surface in a negative fashion", many people see this as solid proof that all the stories are correct about "pit bulls". Both of these comments were made by Cesar Millan in Chapter 4 of his book, "Be The Pack Leader". Comments such as these, made with the negative connotation in which they are, lead people to believe there is a special "gene" involved in making so called "pit bulls" what they are. Cesar Millan refers quiet frequently to the fact that he raises and trains "pit bulls" in such a way that their true "pit bull" nature or "gene", succumb to his magical approach and they end up as "just animal-dogs in a pit bull" suit.

I am not naive by any means; as the owner of dogs considered to be "pit bulls" and as someone who has had the rare privilege of meeting all three types of the pure breeds as well as countless mixed breed dogs falling under this category, I am aware of what these dogs truly are. I am also very aware of their history.

Although it is true that some of the pure breeds classified as "pit bulls" can sometimes be dog aggressive, this is a trait that can be seen in any breed, but not in a breed as a whole. Also, dog/dog aggression is an entirely different thing from dog/human aggression. It is also true that the American Pit Bull Terrier was used in dog fighting as well as bull and bear baiting, but the fact of the matter is, you cannot "breed" fighting into a dog.

Fighting is a learned behaviour, it is something that is taught and that is why low lives like Michael Vick torture, starve and beat these dogs to get them to do so. Also, if the myths regarding the "pit bull gene" and fighting dog theories were true, none of the dogs rescued from the Michael Vick fiasco, or any other similar situation, would have been rehabilitated, but when given the opportunity, most are. Fortunately though, of the 49 dogs rescued from Michael Vick's organization, Bad Newz Kennels, only one was euthanized for aggression, 22 of the dogs were fostered out and have since been adopted and the remaining dogs live on in a sanctuary. Some of the adopted dogs have even become therapy dogs and they all now live in homes happily with people, dogs, cats and children. The story of Michael Vick's dogs alone, goes against any truth there could be behind a special "gene" or fighting and aggressive traits in "pit bull" type dogs.

People like Cesar Millan have the opportunity to dispel these myths and although it's nice to say he uses "pit bull" type dogs on his show and he portrays them in a good light by using them to help other dogs; if he continuously infers that they have special genes and aggressive or fighting traits, that extra special care must be taken when dealing with "pit bulls", it is only causing these dogs and everyone involved with them, to take five steps back. The Dog Whisperer is not guilty on his own in this, as many other celebrity dog trainers and dog trainers and behaviourists in general, continue to spread these myths to their clients and the public.

Any dog can become aggressive and any dog can be a danger. Special care should be taken when dealing with any dog, regardless of breed, regardless of size.

Until everyone with a platform stops making these comments, starts expelling the "fighting dog" myths and just accepts all dogs as dogs, we are never going to move forward and our dogs will forever be stigmatized as the most aggressive or dangerous dogs in the world.

Breed Standards:

American Pit Bull Terrier

American Staffordshire Terrier

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

The Pit Bull Hoax