{"id":2495,"date":"2022-02-09T14:13:31","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T14:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitbulltribe.com\/?p=2495"},"modified":"2022-02-09T14:13:33","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T14:13:33","slug":"why-are-american-pitbulls-considered-dangerous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitbulltribe.com\/why-are-american-pitbulls-considered-dangerous\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Are American Pitbulls Considered Dangerous?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) has a bad reputation \u2014 dangerous, easily angered, prone to attack without warning \u2014 but why<\/em>, exactly, is this tenacious, companionable breed seemingly always under fire?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
American Pitbulls are considered dangerous due to their brutal history as bull-baiting dogs. They\u2019re also commonly misidentified in the media, particularly in news stories regarding dog-related incidents. Irresponsible owners and breeding also give these misunderstood dogs a bad rap.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, I\u2019ll outline the reasons why so many people consider the American Pit Bull Terrier and other pitbull-type breeds to be dangerous. I\u2019ll bust through the myths to get to the facts. Read on to learn more about this intelligent, powerful, and friendly <\/em>breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
American Pitbulls Were Bull-Baiting Dogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why people consider the American Pit Bull Terrier and other pitbull-type breeds to be dangerous likely has a lot to do with their history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The American Pit Bull Terrier has a brutal past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Descended from bull-baiting dogs on the British Isles, humans bred and trained these powerful dogs to bite and hold bulls and other large animals. Eventually, the practice of bull-baiting evolved into bullfighting, where dogs were forced into pits to fight large, powerful bulls. Spectators wagered bets on which animal would win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Needless to say, this was a cruel, savage sport. Fortunately, it was outlawed in 1835 \u2014 but that wasn\u2019t the end of the cruelty the American Pit Bull Terrier was subjected to. People instead turned to fighting their dogs against other dogs in dog fighting rings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Selective Breeding for Dogfighting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As dogfighting became more popular \u2014 and lucrative, for those wagering \u2014 dogfighting enthusiasts took their best bull-baiting dogs (who were often slow yet powerful) and bred them with faster, agile terriers to create the ideal fighting dog. This process continued for decades to develop champion fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n