Pit Bulls Are Still Being Profiled
Perhaps one day all people will look at a pit bull and say, “hey there goes a real good dog”. Despite overwhelming evidence as to how good the majority of Pit Bulls are, pit bulls are still being profiled. Consider a recent story in a Virginia Beach paper about Jeff Haymen, a 22-year-old man who is deaf. His hearing dog is a Pit Bull named Marley. Jeff and Marley attended the Tidewater K9 Academy for training and have been doing great.
However some are concerned about Marley being a Pit Bull. The chief executive officer of Canine Companions for Independence said: “Using a pit bull as a hearing dog is highly inadvisable in our opinion”. California-based Canine Companions For Independence only trains golden and Labrador retrievers to be assistance dogs. The organization said they train these specific breeds because they are so friendly to strangers and are like ambassadors for the people they are assisting.
An interesting thing to consider is that one of the most horrific dog bite incidents in history occurred when a Labrador bit the face of it’s owner so severely that it caused the first ever face transplant surgery.
Consider the following information taken from Animal Farm Foundation, Inc
In 2006 at the American Temperament Test, "pit bull" dogs achieved a combined passing score of 84.4%.
American Pit Bull Terrier: 542 tested 84.1% passed
American Staffordshire Terrier: 521 tested 83.9% passed
Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 61 tested 85.2% passed
Total 1124 tested 84.4% passed
To put this in perspective, consider:
All Breeds: 27,162 tested 81.5% passed
Australian Shepherd: 571 tested 80.7% passed
Golden Retriever: 687 tested 83.8% passed
The president of Dogs for the Deaf Robin Dickson was also worried about the public perception of a pit bull being a hearing dog. She said: “You get on a plane with one of those dogs, and everyone will be tempted to get off the plane”. The mission statement of Dogs for the Deaf says ”Rescuing and professionally training dogs to assist people and enhance their lives, maintaining a lifelong commitment to all dogs we rescue and all teams we serve”. It does not say anything about breed type being a requirement to be a hearing dog.
My question is why not be proud of the fact that a Pit Bull is a service dog for a hearing impaired person? Pit Bulls are one of the most represented breeds in almost every shelter, so why not put these dogs to “work”, as that is the original purpose of Pit Bulls, to work with people. As long as the dog is well behaved and assisting a deaf person the way it was trained to, then there should be no concern about the breed.
Her concerns about air travel are shared by Continental Airlines as well. Here is what they say about Pit Bulls traveling on their airline,
Embargos American Pit Bull Terriers (Pit Bulls, Pit Bull Terriers) Continental Airlines will accept American Pit Bull Terrier puppies which are between 8 weeks and 6 months of age provided they do not weigh more than 20 lb (9 kg). All American Pit Bull Terriers more than 6 months old or weighing more than 20lb (9 kg) will be refused. This embargo does not apply to American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or Miniature Bull Terriers. Crossbreeds with American Pit Bull Terriers are also excluded from this embargo. This embargo is due to the aggressiveness of the breed and the danger presented to our aircraft and our customers..
More info at PetTravel.com
I checked with Delta, American, and United airlines and none of them have any restrictions on breeds. They do reserve the right to not allow any animal that is aggressive. The FAA has it’s rules listed HERE
They do not have breed restrictions. Mobility USA has no breed restrictions on what breed can functions a service dog. I think most people would be ok with any dog on a plane as long as they liked dogs.
Can we even detect a “pit bull dog”? Play "find the Pit Bull" at this link
Pit Bulls have an extensive history as service dogs and working dogs.
Perhaps the most widely covered news story involving Pit Bulls is the case of Michael Vick. Jeff Hayman and Marley have even been questioned as to weather or not Marley is a Vick dog, or if Marley was used for fighting. Some people will always fall prey to the news media’s definition of what Pit Bulls are. If all we ever see are pictures of Pit Bulls fighting and stories of criminals using these dogs to defend their property how can we expect the public perception to change?
By the way of the 49 dogs seized at the Vick house only one had to be euthanized for aggression towards humans. That is a 99% passing grade in the evaluations of the Vick dogs. We can all agree that these dogs came from very harsh circumstances. Despite that, the overwhelming majority came through well enough to be placed into rehabilitation and eventually go into homes. The true nature of Pit Bulls is low to no aggression towards humans. This is why they make such good working dogs.
One of the main things to factor into any dog’s behavior is how the owners of that dog are treating, training and maintaining the dog, regardless of breed, any dog will potentially bite or act aggressive under circumstances that are harsh and abusive. For a detailed history of the media and how it has reported on dog bites over the past 150 years please look into this informative book, The Pit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise
In most of the media coverage on Vick case the dogs were not blamed. It was a clear case of animal abuse. Finally the media has helped the Pit Bull! The tide is turning and as a whole the public is starting to see that dogs that get in trouble are the direct result of human failings.
The story of Jeff Hayman and Marley is a good story and actually represents the majority of Pit Bull owners. Good people and good dogs living a good life. The only difference is that Jeff Hayman is deaf, aside from that fact it is just another man and his dog. Even though the reporter attempted to sensationalize the story by addressing concerns from people about Marley being a Pit Bull, when you look at the facts and the numbers, those concerns are based on myth, hype and fear, not the truth. Good reporting is based on the truth, substantiated by facts.
The fact is, it’s the fringe of society combined with irresponsible media coverage has damaged the reputation of the Pit Bulls everywhere; however the majority of Pit Bull owners and their dogs are good people with good dogs. It is a people problem not a Pit Bull problem.
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Original Story below….
Marley is a certified hearing dog, but he may not be your typical assistance dog because he is a pit bull.
22-year-old Jeff Hayman is completely deaf, but with the help of Marley as his hearing aide, Hayman is alerted of sounds. Marley and Hayman recently completed a 13-week course at Tidewater K-9 Academy to turn this pit bull into a certified hearing dog.
Even though Marley is a certified assistance dog, there are some people and organizations that have concerns over this 54-pound pit bull being a hearing dog.
California-based Canine Companions For Independence only trains golden and Labrador retrievers to be assistance dogs. The organization said they train these specific breeds because they are so friendly to strangers and are like ambassadors for the people they are assisting.
The chief executive officer of Canine Companions for Independence said: Using a pit bull as a hearing dog is highly inadvisable in our opinion. I can’t say it vehemently enough – I’m just amazed. He added that he is concerned about how the public will react to Hayman and Marley because of the perceived negative reputation of pit bulls.
The president of Dogs for the Deaf agreed and also was worried about the public perception of a pit bull being a hearing dog.
She said: You get on a plane with one of those dogs, and everyone will be tempted to get off the plane.
Hayman said an animal control officer recently asked him if he used Marley for fighting. He also added that around 30 people have asked him if Marley is one of Michael Vicks pit bulls.
Despite the controversy over Marley being a hearing dog, Hayman said he wants to change how people perceive pit bulls. He wants the public to see that pit bulls can be wonderful and loving pets and can even be well-trained assistance dogs.
Original story by - Emily Huh October 9th, 2007
