[FredAl]

I guess the best approach is to make them understand the different manifestations of canine aggression. Hmmmm… explaining it to the Average Joe. I’ll try.

Dogs have different types and levels of aggression. There are dogs that can get along well with bitches but will fight with other males, or bitches that would fight with other bitches but not with dogs (males). There are dogs that will show aggression toward dogs of a different breed but not with dogs that are of the same breed. And I’ve seen Pitbulls that would readily fight with other Pitbulls but won’t mind other breeds. There are dogs that get along well with other dogs but would readily kill other animals of a different species (like cats). There are dams that would lovingly care for their pups but would show their aggression when the pups reach around 3 weeks old (weaning period). There are dogs that would kill smaller animals (prey) but would leave the large ones alone. In contrast, there are dogs that would challenge or try to drive away large animals but have no problems living with the small ones. And then there are the common manifestations of aggression: territorial, dominance, fearful, etc.

There are different genetic, hormonal, conditioned and situational triggers that activate canine aggression. One aggression does not necessarily translate or transfer to another. Dog aggression does not have any correlation to human aggression. The American Pitbull Terrier was developed by “dogmen” (as they like to call themselves) for its gameness and tenacity to fight with another dog.

In original pit fighting, one person is inside the pit to serve as a “referee” who handles the dogs to ensure “fairness” and whatever. If a Pitbull bites the referee, the dog is disqualified and cannot fight in the pit again. These dogs, even with mortal wounds, will not mind the physical manipulations of the referee but would focus on aggressively fighting with the other dog in the pit. Because of this ruling, the original “dogmen, culled or bred out human-aggressive tendencies while maintaining their dogs’ gameness and tenacity for the pit.

As a result of selective breeding for this trait, the well-bred Pitbulls became reliable gentle family companions that do not possess human-aggressive tendencies.

But because of its popularity, unscrupulous breeders churned out dogs without regard to preserving this wonderful trait. Some even bred lines for markets requiring tough, human-aggressive Pitbulls. But I think this issue is for another thread.