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Tough and Tender:

"A breed of satin and steel, pit bulls are a mixture of softness and strength, an uncanny combination of fun, foolishness and seriousness all wrapped up in love." -D. Caroline Coile

A Misunderstood Breed:

Much of a dog's temperament relates to its breed history and genetic inheritance. It is common knowledge that the pit bull was developed for dog fighting. What is not common knowledge is that while dog aggression is a common trait for this breed, human aggression is NOT.

Pit bulls tend to LOVE people. All people. This makes them a poor choice for a guardian breed. Most of them are simply too friendly to protect a house against strangers. They also tend to be very soft with their family, meaning they are eager to please their humans. A pit bull of proper temperament is a devoted and loving family member, inspiring immense loyalty to the breed. You will often hear a pit bull's owner tell you that after owning one, they will never own any other breed.

These are strong, athletic dogs with plenty of determination, a clownish, playful personality and a great sense of humor. They are wonderful cuddlers and think nothing beats a belly rub. Such physical and mental characteristics make them excellent companions for responsible, active and caring owners. On the other hand, these same qualities can make them a little difficult to handle for people who don't have a lot of experience with dog ownership or for those who don't understand the breed. Luckily, pit bulls are very responsive to training and eager to please. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that they attend obedience classes. A well-behaved pit bull will be a great ambassador for the breed and help fight prejudice and misconception.

If you are thinking of adopting a pit bull or any cross of the breed, you should do your homework - the same as you should with any dog. Pit bulls tend to have common traits, and like many terriers, may have the instinct to fight other dogs, especially when being provoked, as well as an intolerance to small animals (prey animals, possibly including cats). Not all pit bulls, especially crosses, will exhibit this behavior, but you should be aware of the breed's history and the possibility that your dog may fight other dogs. With that said, many pit bulls get along great with other pets and live happily with other dogs. Pit bull owners need to use common sense and make sure they don't set their dogs up for failure by putting them in the wrong situations.

A dog breed is not responsible for attacks. Its owners are. The key to proper dog behavior is owner behavior. When it comes to pit bulls, these dogs have gotten a bad reputation in the media due to the people who force them to fight. Many are bred, raised and trained to be the way they are. Inside the dogs there is a good heart that only wants to please and love. Dogs do not understand the human definition of right and wrong. Blaming the animals for the current situation regarding dog attacks will never resolve the problem.

It's time people stop closing their eyes to the source of the problem and start to face reality. These dogs need our help, not our hate. Their future is in our hands. Hopefully it's a bright future that hasn't been irreparably harmed (through no fault of the breed) by people who illegally and immorally choose to train these dogs to fight.

Much of the information relayed in this article was obtained from two excellent website sources. Central Dakota Humane Society encourages you to visit these and other reputable sources to learn more about these misunderstood dogs and how you can help.

Come Join the Pittie Party

Three breeds of dog are typically grouped together under the umbrella term of pit bull. They are the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff) and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Staffords or Staffies). They are essentially the same dogs, but have been bred for a different purpose and/or size standard since the 1930's. Pit bull is not an official breed; it's just a common umbrella term used to describe a type of dog.

CDHS has adopted out several gentle, loving members of this group to very responsible pet guardians who feel they are truly blessed by the opportunity to bring these dogs into their families. Many thanks to Scott, Christy, Tom, Connie (Rambler too) and Howie for sharing the rewards of life with their pitties!

A Mirror of His Life with Humans

"I write this as the third month that Hank has been a part of my life begins, just six months after he was rescued from Hurricane Katrina as a scared 10-week-old puppy. Like most dogs, he loves his naps, his (my) bed, chasing and eating ice cubes, and especially his backyard sandbox. He loves visiting his 'grandparents' that take care of him while I'm at work, and even his 'cousins' who managed to paint all 20 toenails with gold-glitter nail polish on one such visit. Oh yes, and Hank is an American Pit Bull Terrier. Nowadays, with almost everything we can imagine available to us in an instant, we constantly want to hear about the next big news story before the old has finished rolling off the tongue of the evening anchor. So news services now use clips, sound-bites and tickers, which are all that can fit into our drive-thru attention spans. Am I trying to say that I blame the media for the bad rap that American Pit Bull Terriers have? They play a big part in it, but so does everyone who does not take the time to educate themselves further about what they hear in the news. A story about a Cocker Spaniel involved in an incident doesn't have near the shock value that the words 'Pit Bull' will. Like every animal raised by humans, Hank is and will continue to be a mirror of what his life with humans is like. We are capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares. And while I finish writing this, wondering when that glitter will finally wear off his nails, I can hear Hank snoring on his bed, and I know he is dreaming." -Scott

A Fun-Loving Lap Dog

"Jack is our fun-loving 'little' (or so he thinks) lap dog. He greets all the neighbors with a bark and a wag of his tail and can't wait to greet company with a big kiss. We wouldn't trade him for anything in the world!" -Christy

The Best Companion

"What can I say about Lacy that doesn't sound as if we gained the best companion and addition to our family? Rambler, the cat with the big personality who let Lacy know that he was not going to let his rein of the house be changed, has grown very fond of playing tricks on Lacy, and being the lion hunter that Lacy is, she never lets Rambler get away with any more than just having fun. Lacy learns things so fast I have entertained the idea of teaching her to play chess. Beautiful animal. We expect to have a wonderful, long and enjoyable life together." -Tom, Connie and Rambler

Love at First Sight

"It was love at first sight, and although nobody thought it would work, Livia has become a true member of our family. When visiting Liv at the CDHS shelter, she seemed to be very dog and cat aggressive, which posed to be a problem because we already had a dog and several cats. My wife was worried and wanted me to pick another dog, but in my eyes nobody compared to Liv. I believe because I picked her, she picked me too. Liv decided in order to be with me, she would have to put her aggressive behavior aside and become the 'sugar bear' I knew she could be. Livia has even helped us take care of orphaned kittens that required bottle-feeding! Thank you CDHS for taking such good care of my little girl until I was able to adopt her." -Howie