10 Things Dogsbite.org Is Trying To Pass Off As Facts

Who They Are

Dogsbite.org is a website dedicated to wiping out theAmerican Pit Bull Terrier and other bully breed dogs. They are on a mission, charged by their leader, a former bite victim, who has little to no expert knowledge in these types of dogs. The website is vast and has a following, however there are numerous "facts" on the site that are questionable at best. Reading through them and doing accurate fact checking shows a pattern that is misleading and down right untrue.

Here are 10 things that Dogsbite.org would like you to believe as being true facts however have no basis or are opinions rather than facts.

1) It's The Breed Not The Deed

For years, the slogan "Punish the deed not the breed" has been yelled, chanted and plastered everywhere when the debate comes up about the dangers of pit bulls. Through admission of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) there is no accurate way to determine if one breed of domesticated dog is more dangerous or prone to attacks as opposed to any other breed.

Also through temperament testing, where properly trained dogs are evaluated, American Pit Bull Terriers scored very well as being suitable pets, with only 5 % showing unprovoked aggression. Compared to Chihuahuas that showed 11 % unprovoked aggression. This does lead us to believe that trained pit bulls are less dangerous then trained chihuahuas and that it is left at the fault of the owner not the dog.

2) A Pit Bull Is Obviously a Pit Bull

There are around 20 different breeds of dogs that have similar physical traits as American Pit Bull Terriers. Many people can't tell the difference between these dogs. Ca De Bou is a Mallorquin Bulldog, not a Pit Bull. Cane Corso breed also has very similar features and by the looks of them, they could fit into the "pit bull type" category but they too are not Pit Bulls. According to the CDC and AVMA the only way to prove or accurately identify a breed of dog is to do DNA testing. Since people don't want to test every dog they see, they will just give a general description like "it looked like a pit bull" or make a guess "it was a pit bull" without actually knowing.

3) Media Coverage is Accurate About Pit Bulls

We all know that you can't believe everything you see or hear on the news. Media coverage isn't always accurate and certainly doesn't do as much as it could to get facts instead of focusing so much on stories. Yes Pit Bulls can inflict massive damage onto a person so when one does it tends to make the news headlines. But what about the poodle that bit a kid over 10 times in the course of a only a few moments and left the child covered in blood? A poodle isn't a controversial as a pit bull. Its been proven that the media will forego stories for better ones or one that will at least stir up the viewers.

4) All Pit Bulls Are Unpredictable

Well this one is true but only to a point. You can not predict what any domesticated or wild animal is going to do in every situation. It is impossible. Every dog has the ability to snap or become aggressive, it all about the environment they are in and how they have been trained. This, though, does not mean they will not bite! Every dog, cat, pet and person is capable of killing something or someone, It doesn't have to be premeditated. To simply say that Pit Bulls are unpredictable is to completely ignore the existence of all other breeds when kept in the context in which DogsBite.org has it.

5) Pit Bulls Don't Pass Any Temperament Testing

Temperament testing with dogs is subjective, it is based on trained dogs. Basic training means that the dog listens to the handler, can walk properly on a leash and understands basic commands such as sit and stay. There is no elaborate doggy boot camp that the dogs have to attend first, just that they be basically trained. Properly trained Pit Bulls do pass basic temperament tests, this means they do not show unprovoked aggression just because they are Pit Bulls. Every breed will have some percentage that shows unprovoked aggression even when trained. Every breed will have some percentage that is not trained and that has severe aggression issues including biting people, attacking other animals, or mauling children. These acts do not pertain only to Pit Bulls. They are universal traits of non-socialized, untrained and not properly cared for dog regardless of breed.

6) Getting Rid of Breed to Fix the Deed

This is an interesting one because not so long ago Rottweilers and Dobermans were in the same spot they now have Pit Bulls in. In articles found on the CDC's website they state that if Pit Bulls were to be removed from society another breed would simply takes its place. However, Dogsbite.org doesn't see that way. They think that by removing the Pit Bulls from society that magically the deeds of dog owners will also disappear. They are saying that people involved in dog fighting will not longer do it if they have no access to Pit Bulls. Which is not the way society or gangs work. The groups who support dog fighting will find another breed to use, Rottweilers are probably a top contender for fighting rings.

7) Most Law Makers Are Afraid To Take Action

This is unfounded. If law makers were afraid to take action then people wouldn't be in fear of new laws and ordinances that prevent them from keeping their pets. Groups of responsible Pit Bull owners wouldn't be trying to change the laws that are in place. Innocent dogs wouldn't be destroyed because of their appearance.

8) Lowering The Pit Bull Population Will Lower The Number of Dog Attacks

Again, most dogs that attack are not trained properly! The facts on dog bites are pretty easy to understand, most dog involved in attacks and bites are unaltered, meaning they haven't been spayed or neutered. That fact is not based on any one breed but all attacks and bites that are recorded from all breeds. Taking Pit Bulls out the equation isn't the solution. People will turn their focus to another breed. This is how society and fear works. You can't eliminate the fear just by taking away one breed. Either destroy all breeds or enact spay and neuter laws.

9) The Fewer Pit Bulls There Are The Fewer Pit Bull Bites

Okay, yes in theory and exact numbers this one is true. But if you lower the number of Pit Bulls the only way to get an accurate assement of the improvement, if there is one, is to look at the overall percentages. They need to take the percentage of Pit Bull related bites from the larger group and compare it to the percentage of Pit Bull related bites from the smaller group. Just looking at the numbers will give you a false sense of improvement.

If there are 1000 Pit Bulls and 20 of them bite and you compare that to having only 100 Pit Bulls where 2 of them bite you feel more secure... Right? Wrong, you never improved the situation, it's still at 2% will bite. The equation never changed and the problem hasn't improved at all.

10) All Pit Bulls Are Dangerous

This website has some of the most inaccurate information out on the internet. If you compare their "statistics" to those of actual statistics, like from the CDC and AVMA ( the two sources with real information) you can see a problem in the data. The statement that they are pushing is that Pit Bulls are aggressive and untrustworthy, dangerous even, is a misguided statement by people would have had tragic accidents at the mouths of Pit Bulls. However, it is a small group and in most cases the facts are hazy at best. I'm not saying anything against people who have been bitten or attacked by Pit Bulls but out of thousands of Pit Bulls how many really do attack unprovoked?