Experts say pit bull breed not more aggressive, just more powerful

Nacogdoches, TX -- People who visited the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter on Friday may have noticed a lone pit bull, quarantined in a fenced-in area between the main building and the outdoor kennel.

The 65-pound dog, which appears to be a frisky, lovable animal, whimpers and whines as potential animal owners and playmates pass.

And while officials from the Nacogdoches shelter say they adopt out a majority of their pit bulls, this one will not be up for adoption. The family pet of 14 years killed an 8-month-old baby boy Thursday morning and was expected to be put down soon.

Sandra Dailey had never had any problems out of the dog until Thursday morning, she told investigators. Her two dogs got into a scuffle in her master bathroom, and when she broke up the fight, the baby, who had been playing on the bathroom floor, was fatally bitten on the head.

When it comes to pit bulldogs, there are generally two schools of thought.

Some say the pit bull in general is a "mean" breed of dog that has been bred to kill or fight to the death.

Others say pit bulls, while extremely powerful animals, can be as cuddly as a teddy bear and would only be mean if brought up to be mean.

Nacogdoches animal control officer Kevin Capel, who deals with the animals on a daily basis, says the truth, just like with any other stereotypical breed characteristics, probably lies somewhere between.

"The bottom line is that as far as temperament goes, the pit bull is no different than any other breed," he said. "But they are very powerful."

On Friday morning, there were an estimated seven pit bulls or pit bull mixes at the Nacogdoches shelter, and kennel attendant Jamie Shelton said the dogs have a fairly good adoption rate.

"Some people will see ‘pit mix’ on the sheet and they'll say, ‘Absolutely not. I don't want any amount of pit bull,”’ Shelton said. "But it's also an extremely popular breed, and probably any mixed animal we have has some ‘pit’ in it somewhere."

The prevalence of the breed has to do with the fact that it has been a popular dog in East Texas for about a decade, and the dogs are not always properly cared for.

"When people abandon them, or let them run wild and don't spay and neuter them, they mate with everything," Shelton said.

Right now, pits and pit mixes are big “fad dogs,” according to Capel, who said a lot of that has to do with hip hop music.

"Rappers sing a lot about ‘pits’ and ‘Rotties’ (Rottweilers) right now, so those are really popular," he said. "For some reason, Dobermans -- not so much. I guess it's too hard to rhyme."

But while movies like "101 Dalmatians" created fads that targeted younger crowds, Capel said, people buy pit bulls to make a statement.

"It's a testosterone booster," he said. "You've seen the guys walking their pits with a thick chain. They are powerful animals, but they are not normally outwardly aggressive."

Shelton said most of the pit bulls she sees are as gentle as can be.

"Some come right up in your lap, and give you the sad eyes, just like any other dog," she said. "They {M4are just like any other dog. They're just stronger, and the bad reputation is not the dog's fault."

Angela Hyde, who raises pit bulls at her home in the western part of Nacogdoches County, couldn't agree more.

"Me, I've never had any problems with biting or being aggressive," she said. "But then again, I treat them just like you're supposed to treat a normal dog."

Hyde admits that pit bulls do have a lot of aggression in them, but if people do not turn that aggression on, they are not a problem.

"I really don't know how to explain it," she said. "You think that some of them are just naturally mean, but then again there's no telling how they were raised or how they've been treated. Any dog is capable of turning on you."

Hyde said she has a 90-pound male pit bull that has never displayed any aggression, and even though the animal is around children who pull his tail and ride him and play with him, he never even growls at them.

There is a lot of money in pit bull breeding, according to Hyde, but unlike her family, most people are not buying the dogs for their gentle temperament.

"Most of the dogs we sell, and most of the ones in East Texas, are hog hunters," she said.

Some people want them to use as guard dogs, some want the dogs for "power pull" shows, where pit bulls compete by pulling weights. Some want the animals for fighting purposes, something to which Hyde is adamantly opposed.

"There are a lot of people who fight them," she said. "I have to be real picky when I sell them. I always ask why that person is buying the dog, and most of them are pretty honest. I've turned people away before, who had the money and were ready to buy, and I also screen a lot of phone calls, before I even tell them where I live, to decide if I want them to come see my dogs. There is a big problem with people stealing dogs."

When Hyde heard about Jordan Parker, the 8-month-old boy who was killed by his grandmother's pit bull Thursday, she said it did make her stop and think.

"I'm eight months pregnant," she said. "And it does make me think about things, but I plan to raise my kid around my dogs. Owning pit bulls are just like owning any other dogs and it's just a chance you take. I believe it's mostly the way you raise and treat your dog, and I'll keep raising my dogs and treating them right."

When people are considering mixing small children and animals, Capel said, it comes down to the fact that dogs are animals -- not people.

"Have you seen the picture of the Rottweiler on the wall, outside?" he asked, referring to the pet adoption posters that adorn the walls of the shelter. "He's mine. And the little boy kneeling beside him is my son. I trust my dog completely, but I would never leave him alone with my kids. And part of that is because animals can read body language in different ways, and we don't always know how to communicate with them."

 

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I remember when this first happened. I know hindsight is 20/20 but why was an 8 month in the floor in the same area where a dog fight is going on?

By the way, it appears we are neighbors Roland64, I am in Woodville.

Pit Stop

 

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i would never own a "PETBULL" mix first off...

i agree the "PETBULL" is a great dog and they are great with kids..BUT they do need to be supervised...LIKE ALL DOG BREEDS
these accidents happen because of human error not the breed...its just that the pitbull is alot more dangerous IF and when it attacks...people in the public need to learn more about the breed before they make their mind up if the breed is mean or not

 

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Whats with all the funny characters in there who...

 

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SSandecki I think you meant to ask me what was with the funny characters. Honestly I dunno, I think it was because the article was saved in Word so when I pasted it on here that happened...maybe?

 

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Maybe, makes it look kinda funky, could be because of an converion error, best bet is to convert to rich text format then post it.