The Pitbull is one of the most beautiful, loving, and goofy dogs. I think that they are incredibly misunderstood. 

A pitbull is not a dog breed itself. There are actually 4 types of pitbulls, the American Pitbull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bully. Pitbull is only a category that we sort these 4 breeds into.

Pitbulls originated from Britain in the early 1800’s. They are a cross between a terrier and a bulldog, and were bred to be a fighting dog. This is where their bad reputation started. People would enter two dogs in a fight and bet on which one would win.

Some pitbulls were trained to stop fighting the second that a human entered the room. Their love of humans started there.

Then, people started realizing that these dogs were really lovable, if raised right.

Just before the Civil War broke out, immigrants from the UK started to bring their loyal pitties with them to America. At this time they earned the name the American Pitbull Terrier. They became the family dog, or “nanny dog.” This name was given to pit bulls because they are very good with children. Pitties would also herd cattle and defend livestock.

Things were looking up for pitbulls. They were appearing in tv shows, movies, and commercials. Several famous people throughout history are pittie owners. These people include Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, and Mark Twain. There are also some more recent owners, like Rachel Ray, Miranda Lambert, and Ceaser Millan.

Galway’s own 7th grade teacher, Ms. Leonardo has a pitbull. Her name is Prim and is 4 years old. Ms. Leonardo adopted her from the Mohawk Humane Society. When I asked Ms. Leo to tell me about Prim’s personality, she told me this, “Prim is patient, and lovable. She likes to sit on my lap even though she’s 80 pounds. My son can be a little wild with her and she takes it in stride. Prim loves to give kisses and cuddle up on the couch. She runs around with a stuffed animal in her mouth. She acts like a mama, always protecting me and my son Ezra. She never leaves my side.” Doesn’t Prim sound precious?

In a survey that I conducted through my fellow classmates, I asked them two questions about pitbulls. In the first, I asked them how they would describe a pitbull. I found that 87.5% of them view pit bulls as cute, goofy, and misunderstood. Only 12.5% of my peers think that they are vicious. When I asked them if they would ever get a pitbull as a pet, 50% of my classmates said they would get a pitbull as a pet. The remaining 50% said maybe. I was happy to see that nobody said no!

I like pit bulls because they are so loyal. Pitties will do anything to please their owner. Their velvet like fur is so soft. Pitbulls are amazing snuggle buddies! Also, they are the perfect pup to be a therapy dog. Pitties can be BIG goof balls! And somehow, they always seem to have a smile on their face! 

Fun Facts About Pitbulls:

• October 24, 2020 is National Pitbull Awareness Day! Read more about it here http://www.nationalpitbullawarenessday.org/ 
• There are 2 kinds of American Pitbull Terriers: the Blue Nose Pit and Red Nose Pit.
• Pitties used to be the mascot for the US Army.
• Because of their want to please their owners and athletic ability, pitbulls are working in search and rescue.
• Sadly, pitbulls are banned in the following countries: New Zealand, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Norway, and the U. S. territory of Puerto Rico.

If this article has interested you in adopting a pittie of your own, I would like to recommend using Out of the Pits, a pitbull dog rescue. Click the link to visit their website http://outofthepits.org/.

In conclusion, I think that pitbulls are misunderstood lovebugs, not vicious dogs. I hope that this article has in some way changed your view of these adorable pups, and maybe even convinced you to adopt one.

Sources:

https://www.loveyourdog.com/types-of-pitbulls/ 

http://love-a-bull.org/resources/the-history-of-pit-bulls/ 

https://www.rover.com/blog/important-pit-bull-facts/ 

https://www.mypetneedsthat.com/facts-about-pitbulls/