For many years, people have considered the Pitbull dog breed to be a vicious and untrustworthy dog. Newspaper headlines, the news on television and the internet have emphasized stories that are only consistent with their reputations. But the truth is, that Pitbulls can be sweet and loving dogs.  If the Pitbull owner raises a Pitbull dog the right way, there will be nothing vicious about the dog.

Pitbulls originated from England in 1066 and they were used to bite and hold bulls, bears, and other large animals for human entertainment. This was called “baiting” and that is how the term “Pitbull” was created since they were fighting in a pit with large animals. After this was banned, they begun to fight their dogs against other dogs and the dogs spread to North America around 1870. The Pitbull dogs who weren’t in the “sport” of dog fighting were loyal and trustworthy. They were perfect for being around kids and they were even called the “Nanny dogs” because of their patience and high pain tolerance. In the early 1900s, the military used a Pitbull to represent the country on World War I propaganda posters. Also, President Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson have even owned Pitbulls.

My love for Pitbull dogs began when I started watching a show called “Pitbulls and Parolees”. The show explained how the world depicts Pitbulls and then showed me how Pitbulls are really loving and loyal dogs. After 6 years of loving and advocating for Pitbulls, I was surprised when I received my own Pitbull. Her name was Lacee and she had the sweetest temperament. She was tiny so people were not scared of her adorable, sweet face. Unfortunately, she died after less than a month. It was very difficult for me to comprehend that I would never get to cuddle my sweet Pitbull ever again. Two weeks later, at my 14th birthday I was surprised with a Pitbull puppy. His name is Swayzee and he is so sweet. He attacks me with kisses and love. Swayzee is very large and muscular so some people stay away from him but he longs to love on everyone. Swayzee and Lacee are prime examples of how sweet and loving Pitbull dogs that are raised with love and affection can turn out. 
Sadly, some people believe that Pitbulls are dangerous because of their appearance and reputation.

Approximately 800,000 Pitbulls are euthanized every year in the United States. Some people buy a Pitbull dog just to boost their image to make them look tougher. “It is essentially the owner’s fault if their dog attacks someone or another dog. They need to train them correctly so something like that doesn’t happen.” Armentress, a former Pitbull owner and advocate says. 700 U.S. cities have Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) meaning restrictions or bans against a specific breed, especially Pitbulls. These bans are not effective and don’t keep the public any safer. It even causes more irresponsible criminals to get a Pitbull because of the ban to boost their own self-image as living outside of the rules of mainstream society.

Stopbsl.com says, if someone is caught with a Pitbull in an area where they are banned, the animal control will be called and pick the dog up to euthanize it. Some cities and states ban Pitbulls from apartments or just the whole area thinking they are getting rid of the dog biting problem. But it costs the cities and states more money to keep the bans and it doesn’t lessen the dog biting ordeals. Owners are required to comply with regulations of their local breed ban in order to keep their dog. Some of restrictions they have to comply with are: muzzling the dog in public, placing “vicious dog” signs on the outside of where the dog lives, and making the dog wear a “vicious dog” tag.

Some criminals breed Pitbulls to be relentless and never stop fighting. They put two Pitbulls in a confined space and they fight until they are too exhausted or if one of the dogs is dead. Their owners train them to only be dog aggressive so that they are able to pull them away from a dog and not get bit. If a dog shows aggression towards humans or not able to fight anymore, they are killed. The participants in this illegal activity, beat and starve their dog to encourage aggression. The dogs are trained with bait dogs or other animals that are tied down and have taped-shut mouths so they cannot fight back. But after all of that, many dogs that are rescued from dog fighting bounce back and became great dogs. Sadly, some are too far gone and too dangerous to be helped and they have to be euthanized.

Unfortunately, Pitbulls do sometimes attack other dogs or people. But, I believe that this is to be blamed on their owner. More than 70 percent of dog bites are from unneutered male dogs. Also, 97 percent of fatal dog bites in 2006 were from dogs that weren’t spayed or neutered. Also, the dog bites towards babies and kids could easily be minimized if people supervised them. You should never leave any dog, Pitbull or not, unsupervised with children.

There are approximately 35,000 Pitbulls available for adoption right now! People could adopt a Pitbull and have a loyal, goofy, and eager-to-please dog. Sadly, their reputations make them have the most difficult dog to be adopted from a shelter or rescue group. So, if you raise your Pitbull with a lot of love and affection you can prove to people that Pitbulls are actually sweet and loyal dogs.