American Pit bull Terriers

Thesis Statement: American Pit bull Terriers are not a dangerous breed, the myths about this dog created a false images for the animal which made people afraid of them. Pit bulls are one of the least aggressive dog breeds, they do not have a locking jaw, and they are a reflection of how their owners raised them. Annotated Bibliography

Twining, Hillary, Arnold Arluke, and Gary Patronek. “Managing The Stigma Of Outlaw Breeds: A Case Study Of Pit Bull Owners.”Society & Animals 8.1 (2000): 25-52. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2014

This academic journal is a compilation of twenty eight interviews of pit bull owners. The owners were interviewed about the dogs personality and what it is like to own a god with a negative image. The interviews stated that the dogs were stigmatized because of their breed. The respondents used a variety of interactional strategies to lessen the impact of the perception that these dogs are vicious such as becoming breed ambassadors.

Duffy, DL, Hsu, Y, & Serpell, JA 2008, ‘Breed differences in canine aggression’, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 114, no. 3/4, pp. 441-460. Available from: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.04.006. [29 October 2014].

This academic journal is about the differenced of aggression in different dog breeds. This article uses bite statistics, behavior clinic caseloads, and experts’ opinions to determine the level of aggression in each type of dog. Breeds with the greatest percentage of dogs exhibiting serious aggression (bites or bite attempts) toward humans included Dachshunds, Chihuahuas and Jack Russell Terriers. More than 20% of Akitas, Jack Russell Terriers and Pit Bull Terriers were reported as displaying serious aggression toward unfamiliar dogs. The conclusion of the journal suggested a genetic influence is dog aggressiveness.

Tullis, Paul. “The Softer Side Of Pit Bulls. Reviled Breed Gets A Makeover.” Time 182.4 (2013): 54. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. The article argues about Pit bulls, focusing on information about their reputation their relationship with dog fighting. It states that pit bulls are the least adopted and most euthanized breed of dog in America. Over 300 cities have banned pit bulls, including Denver, Colorado and Miami, Florida. Pit bull owner Katie Larkin’s founding of the Angel City Pit Bulls organization is inspected, including the group’s efforts to restore the image of pit bulls in America.

Cohen, Judy, and John Richardson. “Pit Bull Panic.” Journal Of Popular Culture 36.2 (2002): 285-317. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. This academic journal discusses how the media plays a key role in creating the panic abiut pit bulls. It states that peole look towards the media for answers about everything creating a controversy about this breed of dog because the media is bias. Some shelters will not adopt put pit bulls because of this and also because of some community rules about the breed. “The Problem With People, Not Pit Bulls.” Time.Com (2014): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. This article talk about the relationship between pit bull behavior and the way they are treated. In conclusion of this article it states that the problem is not that the dog is aggressive but the problem is how the owner raises the dog.