Good Article on Bullies

http://www.alibi.com/index.php?story=15663

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Pit bulls have gotten a bum rap. Considered in the public consciousness to be one of the most dangerous dog breeds in existence—indeed, some believe it to be the most dangerous—the pit bull is viewed as a fickle, unpredictable dog with a tendency for baby-mauling and other sorts of dastardly behavior. But the breed hasn’t always borne such a stigma.

Teddy Roosevelt had a pit bull. So did Thomas Edison and Helen Keller. At the turn of the century, pit bulls were heralded the “All American Dog.” So what’s changed?

 

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It’s a commonly held belief that pit bulls bite down with 2,000 pounds of pressure and have locking jaws. The problem with such statements is that they're not true. In fact, according to a study by a National Geographic scientist, pit bulls only bite down with 230 psi, the same as nearly every other breed of dog its size.

 

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Yet the notion that pit bulls are inherently aggressive is also false, as is the idea that all pit bulls, or even most pit bulls, are dangerous. In a study of 122 breeds of dogs by the National Temperament Testing Association, it was found that American Pit Bull Terriers passed with a rate of 83.4 percent, beating out the scores beagles received (78.7 percent) and nearly tying with golden retrievers (83.6 percent). What about the idea that pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs around children (hence the attention-grabbing headlines)? You might have guessed—that sentiment’s also false. In fact, pit bulls were once regarded as the “Nanny Dog.” They’re no more dangerous to children than any other canine.