As proud Pit Bull parents, the owners of Einhorn Insurance work daily to educate non-Pit Bull owners to form their own opinions about  Pit Bulls and less on the media’s perception. 

The general public’s opinion is largely formulated on the media’s incorrect portrayal of Pit Bulls.  If an article or story negatively depicts Pit Bulls, it’s easy for a person (who has no experience with pit bulls) to buy into the stereotypes. 

Often, the media doesn’t present all facts in a Pit Bull incident.  There are many reasons an animal can attack; see some of the potential reasons below.   If a pet is raised in a loving home, is treated properly and the owners don’t put the animal in a situation to fail, then the animal will most likely stay out of trouble. 

Any responsible Pit Bull owner cringes when they hear of a dog attack.  We all think to ourselves, “please don’t let it be a Pit Bull.”  After a Pit Bull attack, the media reports this incident far more than if the attack was done by any other breed.

Here are a few examples:

–         A Labrador mix attacked a 70 year old man sending him to the hospital in critical condition.  Police officers arrived at the scene and the dog was shot after charging at the officers.  This incident was reported in one article and only in the local paper.

–         A 16 month old child received fatal head and neck injuries after being attacked by a mixed breed dog.  This was only reported 2 times by the local paper.

–         A 6 year old boy was hospitalized after having his ear torn off and receiving severe bites to the head by a medium sized mixed breed dog.  This incident was reported in one article in a local paper.

–         On August 21^st 2007, a 59 year old woman was attacked in her home by 2 Pit Bulls and was hospitalized with severe injuries. THIS ATTTACK WAS REPORTED IN 230 ARTICLES ALL OVER THE WORLD.  IT WAS PUBLICIZED ON MAJORE TV NEWS NETWORKS (CNN, MSNBC & FOX).

*Information provided by Whole Dog Training.

The media is obviously no help to this HIGHLY misunderstood breed.  Never do you hear the media discuss the reasons of the Pit Bull attack.

–         Maybe the dog lived on a chain for months and was highly depressed and/or anxious?

–         Perhaps the dog was physically and/or verbally abused

–         Maybe the dog was being neglected and/or hungry?

–         Maybe the dog had a medical condition causing aggressive behavior?

–         Was the dog an unneutered male or a female that was overbred by a back yard breeder?

These variables (and many more) can cause ANY dog to be aggressive.  If I lived on a chain in cold weather with little food and water, I’d be a very nasty person.

Another major over site by the media is that they don’t say if the aggressive dog is a Resident Dog or a Family Dog.   Any attempt at understanding canine behavior is meaningless unless we recognize that Resident Dogs are very different than Family Dogs.

A Resident Dog lives outside of the home.  They can be found in kennels, yards and/or on chains.  The owners don’t know (or care) that chaining your dog for more than a few hours can be illegal in most counties. Resident Dogs are used for negative purposes such as guarding, fighting, protection or breeding.  It is so important that we look at the dog’s environment to fully understand a dog’s behavior.

A Family Dog lives inside the home and can learn appropriate behaviors through positive interaction with people and other animals.  These dogs are given affection and are in a loving environment.  Resident dogs can’t be expected to show the same behaviors and level of sociability as a Family Dog.

*Information provided by NCRC.

To all the responsible Pit Bull owners, advocates and rescue organizations, we thank for your passion and love for the breed. 

We must all battle ignorance together through education.  If you have a positive Pit Bull story, article or video, please tell us about it via email at Agent@EinhornInsurance.com.