AN AMERICAN PIT BULL SCENERIO
A LITTLE GIRL, ABOUT FOUR YEARS OLD, WAS PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD OF HER SUBURBAN FLORIDA HOME. SHE HAD CAREFULLY ARRANGED HER DOLLS FOR A TEA PARTY. HER MOTHER WAS WATCHING HER OUT OF THE KITCHEN WINDOW. SO INTENT WAS THE CHILD IN HER PRETENDING THAT SHE SENSED NOTHING AMISS, NO DANGER.
IN THIS SAME SUBURB, TWO OR THREE HOUSES UP THE STREET LIVED A POWERFUL AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER. SEVEN YEASRS OLD, A MUSCULAR 45 POUNDS, HE WAS COVERED WITH SCARS FROM HIS YEARS AS A FIGHTING DOG. RETIRED FROM THE PIT, THE DOG LIVED HIS LIFE IN HIS NEW HOME IN COMFORT. AT TIMES, THIS PIT VETERAN WOULD ESCAPE FROM HIS BACKYARD, AND TODAY WAS JUST SUCH A TIME.
THE DOG JUMPED UP ON AN OUT-DOOR GRILL AND FROM THERE HE CLEARED THE FENCE. AS HE WALKED DOWN THE STREET, HE SAW THE MOVEMENT FROM THE LITTLE GIRL�S BACKYARD AND MOVED IN THAT DIRECTION. THE CHILD DIDN�T SEE HIM ENTER HER YARD. SHE DIDN�T SEE HIM FIXATE ON HER. SHE DIDN�T SEE THE INTENT LOOK IN HIS EYE. SHE DIDN�T SEE HIM WHEN HE STARTED HIS CHARGE TOWARD HER.
THE CHILD�S MOTHER SAW THE DOG HURTLING TOWARD HER DAUGHTER, BUT SHE DIDN�T HAVE TIME TO CALL OUT. THE LITTLE GIRL LOOKED UP AND SAW THE RAPIDLY APPROACHING DOG. SHE SCREAMED AS THE ANIMAL LEAPED TOWARD HER. THE DOG JUMPED OVER THE LITTLE GIRL AND LANDED SQUARELY ATOP A LARGE RATTLESNAKE COILED ONLY A FEW FEET AWAY. THOUGH BITTEN BY THE RATTLER, THE DOG EASILY KILLED THE SNAKE AND VIGOROUSLY SHOOK THE STILL-WRITHING BODY.
THE CHILD�S MOTHER RAN TO GATHER UP HER CRYING CHILD AND THE DOG DROPPED THE SNAKE AND RAN OVER TO THE LITTLE GIRL AND BEGAN COVERING HER FACE WITH LICKS OF AFFECTION. THE CHILD�S MOTHER ARRIVED AND SAW THE CHILD, THE DOG, AND THE TWITCHING SNAKE. SHE EMBRACED THE CHILD AND THE DOG, AN OLD FAMILY FRIEND.
PERHAPS YOU HAD ENVISIONED A DIFFERENT ENDING TO THIS SHORT AND TRUE STORY. IF YOU DID, YOU MAY HAVE SUCCUMBED TO THE HYPE AND FRIGHT WRITING THAT HAS SURROUNDED THE AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES.
A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIERS
WHILE THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH HE WAS ORIGINALLY BRED HAS LONG SINCE BECOME ILLEGAL, THE AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER REMAINS A FUNCTIONAL CANINE. FOR SOME REASON IT HAS BEEN EASIER, CERTAINLY IN THE PAST 15 OR 20 YEARS, TO BELIEVE THE WORST ABOUT THE APBT. THAT WAS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. FOR NEARLY A CENTURY, THIS BREED WAS ACCEPTED AS A VALUED FAMILY PET. TRUE, IT GENERALLY HAD TO BE WATCHED AROUND CERTAIN OTHER KINDS OF DOGS, BUT NO MORE SO THAN OTHER LARGE OR POWERFUL BREEDS. FOR MANY ORDINARY AMERICANS, ESPECIALLY IN THE TENSE TIMES BEFORE WORLD WAR I, THE APBT EPITOMIZED THE AMERICAN SPIRIT OF STRENGHT AND INDEPENDENCE. SOME TIME IN THE EARLY-TO-MID- 1970s THIS PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE CHANGED. AN OFTEN WRONGFULLY ACCUSED OLD FAMILY FRIEND SUDDENLY BECAME PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE.
APBT HAVE PROVEN TO BE HIGHLY VERSATILE AND HE CAN EASILY REDIRECT HIS HIGH ENERGY, GREAT STRENGHT, AND KEEN INTELLIGENCE INTO A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES. MANY HAVE EXCELLED IN OBEDIENCE, AGILITY, AND WRIGHT PULLING EVENTS. THEY ENJOY THERAPY WORK AND RELATED TRAINING. GENERALLY, THE BREED IS EXTREMELY WILLING TO PLEASE AND IS EASILY TRAINED WITH A FIRM BUT LOVING HAND.
THE APBT HAS ALSO PROVEN TO BE A CONSUMMATE PROTECTOR OF THE HOME AND FAMILY. HE IS EXTREMELY LOYAL AND ENJOYS THE COMPANY OF PEOPLE. HE WILL EAGERLY GREET FRIENDS WITH MUCH TAIL WAGGING. HOWEVER, ONCE TAUGHT GOOD JUDGMENT, THE DOG WILL STEADFASTLY STOP AN INTRUDER OR SOMEONE PERCEIVED AS THREATENING.