Bully Breeds

An Introduction with a

Focus on Pit Bulls

2

Sports

Illustrated

1987

3

Breed History: An early favorite

Sgt. Stubby WWI Hero

4 5

6

Petey from Little Rascals A dual registered Staffordshire/Am Pit Bull Terrier

6 What the heck is a pit bull?

7

My Mom’s First Family Dog

(and their Isetta)

But what about these blockheads?

• American Bulldogs

• American Bullies (a new breed!)

• Mastiffs

• Boxers

• Presas

• Cane Corso

• Dogos

• Rotties

9

Maybe a visual will help?

10

The New Bully Breed

The “AMERICAN BULLY”

Not recognized, first appeared in the 90’s. A cross of APBT

and Staffordshire Terriers, & English Bulldogs

Not as athletic and may suffer health issues like Bulldogs.

According to breeders, dog aggression is lessened

12

So you think you sorta get it? WAIT! Then within each breed, there

are breed standards that vary. You also need to consider backyard

breeding and purposeful breeding (dog fighters)

Dog De Bordeaux

Presa Canario

Cane Corso

Dogo Argentina

Catahoula Bulldog

Not a registered

breed, but people

have been crossing

the Catahoula with

American Bulldogs

for around 100

years.

Sample text here

Myths and the Media

Statistics/Bite Studies

Demeanor

Media Profiling

Locking Jaw

• Often personal opinion

– Based on media-induced images, rumors,

myths, speculation, fear mongering and political

or personal agenda

• Media Portrayal • Goal is to instill fear, correct info is not the main

importance

• Began in the 1800’s with the bloodhound (used to hunt

slaves), then went to the German Shepherd (banned in

Australia), Doberman (myth of brain too big for skull)

and on to the Pit Bull

Statistics

• Measurements in PSI (pounds per square inch)

• Quotes in articles, news casts and other media will

say 1200, 2000 and even 2600 PSI

– Yet no one ever cites a source for this info

• Misinformation and unsubstantiated claims about Pit

Bull anatomy and abilities published in medical and

science journals creates a domino effect because

then those articles are referenced in the future as

FACT.

Statistics

• 1982: LA TIMES – Dan Burt testifies, “Pound for pound the pit bull

is probably the strongest animal IN THE

WORLD! His powerful jaws have about 1600

PSI crushing power, about twice that of a

German Shepherd. A human has about 400

PSI”

– NO SOURCES CITED, where

did he get this info?

Bite Force Studies

• A study by National Geographic (Dr. Brady Barr Dangerous

Encounters: Bite Force 8/18/2005) done with a special

sleeve concluded the following:

– A German Shepherd, a Rottie and an APBT were

tested for the “DOMESTIC DOG” and the Pit was the

least of the three

0

250

500

750

1000

Humans Wild Dogs Lions Snapping Turtles White Sharks Domestic Dogs

Bite Force Studies

• Other studies yielded similar results: all dog

breeds have a PSI of 200-450, the larger number

attributed to larger dogs.

• Factors to think about in dog bites:

– Animal motivation

– Animals choice in how hard to bite

– Was the animal a family pet or just a resident

animal? Resident animals just exist on the

property (chained, neglected, lack human/dog

socialization).

Bite Force Studies

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Source: atts.org

Updated

2013

http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/

Bite Force Studies

Bite Force Studies

http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/

•Dog Bites represent a tiny fraction of the injuries treated in

the ER. On average, they are less severe than injuries from

common enjoyments.

•Only 1.9% of dog bite victims who came to the E.R. were

actually admitted to the hospital, 9% of people who fell

down were.

•In 2008 there were 23 fatalities that were attributed or

cause by a canine. 10 different breeds were identified with

no research that has ever shown one dog is more likely to

bite than other breeds. Most fatalities were not from “family

dogs”.

•NCRC document “Good news about dog bites” May 13, 2010

Bite Force Studies

•From 1965-2001 25% of all dog bites were from a chained dog

•79% of all dog fatalities were children under 12 (19% was under

1 and unsupervised)

•UNALTERED MALES were overwhelmingly involved

•2000-2001 28 dogs were responsible for fatal attacks

•26 were male, 2 were female

•Of those 26 males, 21 were unaltered

•From 1965-2002 there were 448 cases of fatal dog attacks

and not ONE of them can be attributed to a single altered

American Pit Bull Terrier.

Bite Force Studies

• This theory suggest that the Pit Bull has a unique jaw and dental structure which allows it to “lock” onto their victims

• TRUTH: Pit bulls can exhibit tenacity and perseverance in maintaining their grip (from their bulldog ancestory)

• THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE or STUDIES proving Pit Bulls have locking jaws….the jaw functions in the same manner as other dogs.

The “Locking Jaw”

• FEMA Document: Feb 2007 Emergency housing

lease “Only 2 pets are allowed per home. The following

breeds are not permitted at any FEMA mobile home or travel trailers: Akita, Boxer, Chow, Doberman, Pit Bull, Rottweiler, American Staffordshire Terriers, English Staffordshire Terriers, wolf hybrids or any other breed with dominant traits geared toward aggression. Additionally many of these animals have lock jaws that increase the risk of human harm during a bite.

– This is excerpted from “Pet addendum to FEMA occupant dwelling lease dated Feb 12, 2007.

THIS IS FROM THE GOVERNMENT! This is in a federally produced and endorsed document.

The “Locking Jaw”

“Pit Bull attacks are unprovoked”

• Usually based on the declaration from a negligent owner, an owner who does not understand canine behavior or a busy owner who just missed the “signs”

• An owner whose Pit Bull bit a child is probably not going to disclose a fact like “The dog has been kept on a chain, bred two times a year, not taken care and left to become socially inept.”

• This DOES NOT MEAN it has never happened, but this phenomenon is NOT breed specific to pit bulls

Demeanor

“Pit Bulls are Unpredictable”

– Once again, there are no studies or evidence to back this up

– One Pit Bull bite causes all dogs of this breed to be lumped into a category of negativity

– For every Pit Bull that does attack someone there are tens of thousands of Pit Bulls that are completely tolerant of all the conditions humans place on them from family homes to abusive situations.

Demeanor

Media Stories

• The media has been relentless at pursuing ALL THINGS PIT BULL

• Pit Bull Attack stories make it into the National and World news quickly

• Other breed attacks rarely make it past the local papers

• Wording is often different when Pit Bulls are in the lime light. Vicious, aggressive, mauling and other “fear mongering” words are used.

Media Profiling

• 2003: A young boy was killed by a husky type dog in Alaska. Two Alaskan papers ran the story.

• 2003: An elderly woman was killed by 4 dogs labeled as a “pack of Pit Bulls”. 200 major US papers and t.v. stations covered the story as well as newspapers in Australia, the UK, South Africa and Canada.

• 2004: A man was killed by his large mixed breed dog in California. A less than 50 word article appeared only in one local newspaper.

• 2004: A month later, a child was attacked by a “Pit Bull” in Michigan and this story ran in over 100 national and international newspapers.

• 2008: a woman is killed by her Lab Retrievers, one local newspaper covered the discovery of her body.

• 2008: An uncle left a baby on a bed to go prepare her bottle and upon his return the infant was being mauled by his Pomeranian. She died shortly after. A hand full of articles were put out on the event.

Media Profiling

• 2005: 3 Pit Bulls rush out of a house and

attack two children. Both children survived.

The story was covered in Canada, Japan,

Australia, Russia, India, Italy, on Fox News,

CNN news, and in 200 national newspapers.

Eight months later, the media reported a

follow up story on one of the boy’s

recoveries. This prompted 60+ more articles

to review the original story of the attack.

Media Profiling

• The same week in 2005

• 7 children die from horrific

injuries contributed by

child abuse.

• Only 2 small articles run in

local newspapers

• This illustrates the over

reporting of Pit Bull attacks

versus acts of extreme

human violence.

Breed Bans

• Why are they unfair?

– Breed bans focus on only the breed of the dog

and not the behavior.

– Due to breed bans, thousands of dogs are

euthanized for what they are not what they

have done.

– Other breeds that are “dangerous” are still

allowed to live in homes where they could

cause harm.

– PUNISH THE DEED, NOT THE BREED

• Breed Profiling

– It is very difficult to tell what breed a

dog is for sure, especially when there may be

several breeds involved.

– There are so many breeds of dogs that are not

“Pit Bulls” but have similar body structures that

are lumped into the pit bull category anyway.

– Remember “Pit Bull” is a term used for 4 breeds

of dogs

Breed Bans

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42

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MADGE

• Madge was a shelter dog that was labeled a pit/lab mix on

intake due to her STRONG resemblance in her face, eye

set and body structure. I was one of the people that

believed she looked like a pit.

DNA TEST RESULTS:

LAB/BOSTON TERRIER

MIX

This dog was identified as a “Pit Bull” on the

Jacksonsun.com web page news story about a

dog attack. Author Mariann Martin took it upon

herself to make the breed call in her January 2009

article. A picture of the dog is right there in the

article.

Who passes these bans and why? – Politicians pass the bans based on pressure from the

community.

– Advocates of the ban usually have had a bad experience with a “Pit Type” dog or have their own political agenda.

– Often advocates of bans will give speeches full of misinformation and misguided facts instilling fear in the community. This is where media profiling really comes into play.

– Many communities have task forces trying to get the bans lifted. Greenwood, Mo (near Lee’s Summit) recently lifted their ban.

– The Lee’s Summit Community has been very active to keep a breed ban out of their city!

Breed Bans

• Why BSL doesn’t work?

– BSL does not address the root of the problem,

responsible dog ownership

– BSL cost taxpayers! Kenneling, animal control, vet care for seized animals and court costs.

– Breed Profiling misidentifies

– Courts in Toledo, Alabama, Ohio and Westbury have found BSL unconstitutional

– Many laws are NOT based on studies and include inaccurate info and myths about the breeds associated with Pit Bulls

Breed Bans

• Local Cities with Breed Bans

Mo: Adrian, Boonville, Buckner, Carthage, Carl Junction,

Clinton, Drexel, Grandview, Independence, Kearney, Pilot

Grove, Platte Woods, Springfield, Sugar Creek, Gladstone,

Lake Lotawana, Liberty

Ks: Dodge City, Edwardsville, El Dorado, Eudora, Fort

Scott, Garden City, Junction City, Kansas City Kansas,

Leawood, Liberal, Marysville, Park City, Pittsburg (go

figure), Roeland Park, Salina, Spring Hill, Topeka, Ulyssas

Johnson County has a ban with exemptions (Roeland

Park, Merriam, Olathe, Gardner…)

Wyandotte County has a ban

Breed Bans

Local Cities with out Breed Bans

Archie Mo. Basehor Ks, Belton Mo, Blue Springs Mo, Bonner

Ks, Cameron, Mo, Claycomo Mo, Desoto Ks, Excelsior Springs,

Mo, Fairway Ks, Gardner Ks, Grain Valley Mo, Harrisonville Mo,

Holden Mo, Lake Quivera KS, Lake Winnebago Mo, Lawrence

Ks, Lee’s Summit Mo

Greenwood Mo, Lenexa Ks, Lone Jack Mo, North KC Mo

Merriam Ks, Mission Ks, Oak Grove, Mo, Odessa, Mo, Olathe,

Ks, Parkville Mo, Peculiar Mo, Pleasant Hill Mo, Prairie Village

Ks, Raymore Mo, Raytown Mo, Smithville Mo, Tonganoxie Ks,

Weston Mo,

KCMO: Mandatory alter on pits

Breed Bans

When a dog named Diamond smelled smoke in her home one

night last October, the usually quiet dog barked furiously to wake

up her family. Her dog dad, Darryl Steen, was able to help one of

his daughters jump to safety from a second-floor apartment

window, but was unable to reach his other daughter. When

firefighters arrived, they found Diamond lying on top of the girl,

apparently in an effort to shield her from the flames. Both survived,

but Diamond was severely burned over 30 percent of her body.

Diamond was honored as a top 10 finalist in this year’s Dogs of

Valor Awards, which are presented by the Humane Society of the

United States (HSUS).

The fire left Diamond and her family homeless. While it would

seem that any landlord would be glad to have the hero dog as a

tenant, that is sadly not the case. At least 20 landlords have

rejected Steen’s applications.

Why? Because Diamond is a Pit Bull.

“They’ll say they accept pets, but then when I tell them I have a Pit

Bull, they’ll say they only accept small dogs,” Steen told a reporter.

“But we all know that’s because she’s a Pit Bull.”

MARCH 24th,

2011 Rochester NY

A reminder

that landlords

make their own

rules

Care for The Breed • Over Stimulation

– Daily stimulation and exercise!

– Watch their stimulation level, if you see something

that puts them over their threshold avoid that activity

or redirect them.

– Carefully consider dog parks. This is a place where

you can not control stimulus or behaviors of other

dogs (fights happen with all breeds but often a pit bull

can be blamed or cause more damage)

– Play games that help positively stimulate the dog and

also train their impulse control. Stay away from tug in

public (it looks scary to those already nervous about

the breed)

• Play! – Can be very rambunctious

– Sometimes they have a pushy play style

– Don’t leave out triggers (toys, bones)

– Don’t exclude them from play groups, but make sure playgroups are monitored and intros are slow

– Don’t let play escalate, but remember their style can be to roughhouse and be pushy.

– Make good matches for play! M/F is statistically best but you should base good matches on individual dogs.

– Advocate to keep bully breeds separate from other dogs when unsupervised (no one is home) even if there is no history of fighting

Care for The Breed

• Dog Friendliness – Dog Social: Gets along with all dogs generally.

– Dog Tolerant: Can be around some dogs but isn’t engaged in play.

– Dog Selective: Gets along with some dogs but has also had issues with some dogs as well.

– Dog Aggressive: Has few to no doggy friends and even with dogs they may have done well with, fighting still may still occur.

– Game: A dog that has fighting DNA or an intense drive to keep going when fighting or even during other activities.

– ANY dog at ANY time can fight, slow intros (crate and rotate) and supervision are key!

Care for The Breed

GoughNuts

Care for The Breed: Enrichment

Knuckle Bone

TIre

Jolly Egg Unbreakoball

KONG

PVC Pipe

Dispenser

Enrichment

Boxes

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Care for The Breed: Enrichment

Spring Pole Flirt Pole

Care for The Breed: Collar/Harness

Weiss Walkie

Martingale Collar

Front

Connecting

Harness

Buckle Collar

• Screening for good adoption matches

• Interview Questions

• Strong Leadership

• Same Sex Controversy

• Outside Living Decline

• Respecting the breed traits and laws

• Understanding possible dog

aggression/selection

• Slow intros and strong supervision

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Adopting out Pitties

Cropping Ears

Done for LOOKS only

Dog fighters do not crop

Many rescues see “home crops”

Tail crops are not typically seen in pit bulls, some are

cropped due to medical issues.

Dog Fighting • Organized dog fighting is illegal everywhere in

the United States and is a felony in all 50 states.

• Despite this, it remains widespread, especially in the form of “street fighting," in part because of the glamorization

• Organizations have to remove the dogs from the scene and care for them for up to a year before getting custody.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COWmLD6Eo9Y

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MIKE V’s Dogs

Will things get better?

• Toledo replaced their BSL with a responsible pet

ownership law on Oct 2010

• Topeka, Ks reformed their ordinance that banned

pit bulls saving the city $30,000 a year spent on

confining suspected pit bulls.

• Legislation has been introduced in British and

Scottish parliaments to repeal BSL

• Ohio struck down the long held “Pit Bulls are

inherently vicious” clause in May of 2010

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Who would own a pit?

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Fred Astaire, Woodrow Wilson, Alicia Sliverstone, Shaq, Michael J. Fox,

David Spade, Kevin Bacon

Why Own A Pit? 1. They make great family dogs, the are sturdy and tolerant enough for

children of all ages.

2. They are easy keepers, shedding is minimal and grooming is a snap.

3. They are versatile. They can live in any climate, indoors of course,

in the country or city and can do any sport or activity you have in

mind.

4. They are BUFF! You wish you had muscles like that.

5. They are passive home-security systems, bad guys will choose a

different target.

6. You will never get completely out of shape, just because you have to

walk your bully and it’s a work out!

7. A bully is as much company as you could want and never more.

8. Bully breeds are quiet, your neighbors will thank you.

9. They are thick skinned and stoic, your vet will thank you.

10.You can love a bully as hard as you like, they can take it.

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“Thumper” owned by Don

Clements

Active Disc Dog in

Missouri

“A man’s best friend is his dog”

This saying originated in Missouri

What can you do?

1.Get to know a pit bull for who they

are, not what you’ve heard.

2.Contact your city if they have a breed

ban and tell them it is unfair and

ineffective. Use sources from this

presentation

3.Foster a Pit Bull, many are dying in

shelters everyday.

4.If you own a pit or pit mix, be a breed

ambassador!

Pit Bull Heroes

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Saved a child

from a

rattlesnake

and brought

food to

stranded

people and

animals

during a flood.

Saved his human

mom when she

went into a

anaphylactic

shock. He awoke

her husband so he

could save her.

Popsicle

Found in a freezer during a

drug bust (he was left to die

after being used as a bait dog),

Popsicle is now the #1

Customs dog in the USA!

72

Sports

Illustrated

2008

Suggested and Referenced Websites

www.animalfarmfoundation.org www.aspca.org

www.badrap.org

www.pbrc.net

www.pitbullpress.com

www.pitbullsontheweb.com

www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com

www.atts.org

www.pitbullpress.org

www.understand-a-bull.com

Recommended and Referenced Readings

• The Pit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise

(can be downloaded for free!)

• Pit Bulls: Villains or Victims? By B.B.

Boucher

• Training books by Patricia McConnell

• The Power of Positive Training by Pat

Miller

• Oogy by Lerry Levin

• The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant

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Suggested and Referenced Publications

• Pit Bulls: The Real Deal by Marcy Setter

• Pit Bull by Anna Macneil-Allcock (animal welfare

program of the University of British Columbia)

• Punish the Deed-not the Breed by Marcy Setter

• The Pit Bull Placebo WEBINAR

– Recorded and available online at

www.petsmartcharities.com. I have notes I can share!

SUPER AWESOME!

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