The Media's "Killer Dogs"

In the late 1980s, early 1990s newspapers and tv stations were reporting in influx of "pitbull" attacks. The problem with the reporting was that not all stories were true. "The news media has long been criticized for being senationalist as well as biased" (Cohen and Richardson 285). The media has a direct impact on what sociologist Alfred Schutz calls a person's lifeworld. The lifeworld refers to "the world as it is experienced immediately by each person. It is a cultural world filled with meaning and is made up of the sets of assumptions, beliefs, and meaning against with which an individual judges and interprets everyday experiences" (Allan 343). People do rely upon the media for their source of daily information of what is going on in the world around them. When the news is slanted in order to be entertaining, people's lifeworlds are altered, thus changing the way they judge. Because of this, "Pit bulls" have taken on the archetype of the devil canine that preys upon the defenseless. "After the dinnertime newscasts the networks broadcast news magazine, whose guiding principle seems to be that not danger is too small to magnify into a national nightmare" (Glassner xxi). In actuality, from 1966-1975, there is "only one documented case of a fatal dog attack in the United States, by a dog which could even remotely be identified as a "Pit bull" (i.e. American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Terrer, Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, English Bulldog or any dog resembling a "Pit Bull" or "Bulldog"). (Delise 95).

So what changed?

In the 1970s, there was a shift in public interest and awareness in dog fighting in the United States. According the Karen Delise, author of the Pit Bull Placebo, in the summer of 1976 a boy in California was killed by a dog. The newspapers had problem obtaining the actual breed of the dog involved in the attack, changing it from a "Pit bull", to a Bulldog then to a Bull Terrier. This article along with many others across the nation sparked "Pit bull" Urban Legends that the American people started to believe and still do today. Urban legends would be told time and time again until it became a self fulfilling prophecy. In this instance, the newspapers reported that the dog "locked its jaws on the child's neck" (Delise 95). The words "locked its jaws" has been a common urban legend of the "pit bull" breeds. In addition, "poverty, for example, correlates strongly with child abuse, crime and drug use" (Glassner xviii). "Pit bulls" are strongly linked with the poor, which causes "pit bulls" to be linked with crime, drug use, and child abuse, subsequently.

The topic of dogs to beware of wasn't a new topic when "pit bulls" entered the scene of consciousness. It spans back to World War II, perhaps starting with the German Shepherds because of their use by the Nazis. The German Shepherd would be villified as being a homicidal guard dog. In addition to the German Shepherd, the Doberman Pinscher and the Rotweiller would gain the become a super-predator long before the "pitbull" was a hot topic. With the creation of positive media such as "Rin Tin Tin", the German Shepherd would start to gain favor with American people once again. The irony was that while the German Shepherds, Rotweillers and Doberman Pinschers were America's bad dogs, the "pit bull" was seen as America's good dog. There wasn't a hot bed of news reports about "pitbulls" until after the 1980s.

In post 1980s media, when killer dogs were a topic of concern, it was furthered even by entertainment. Author Stephen King would release in 1981, Cujo. This book is about a St. Bernard that is infected with rabies and becomes homicidal. The movie adaptation of the book would be released in theaters in 1983. The Internet Movie Database describes the movie as, "A friendly St. Bernard named "Cujo" contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town." Stephen King's objective was to take a dog that is viewed as a gentle giant and turn it into a monster, capable of killing people. Up until the 1980s, "pit bulls" were seen as gentle, family pets that in many cases the media, through yellow journalism, created a menacing and threatening reputation.

Hitler and Shepherd

"PitBull" Myths and Urban Legends

Myths and urban legends are collective stories that constitute for a common belief about a given topic with a lesson or "cultural admonition" ("Urban Legend" 1998). "Urban legends are all those bizarre, whimsical, 99 percent apocrphal, yet believable stories that are 'too good to be true'," (Brunvard xxviii). The media has created "pitbull" myths out of hysteria with the lack of science in evidence. "A folklorist might object that the tellers of urban legends are not usually deliberate liars, but rather are simply passing on what they assume is a bit of truth" (Brunvard xxxii).

Urban Legend

"The Choking Doberman" - 1981

The story portrays a woman who leaves her home to go to the store, and returns to find her dog, a doberman, lying on the floor, gasping for air. She rushes the dog to the vet, dropping it off. When she returns home, her phone is ringing constantly. It's the vet calling. The vet instructs her to get out of the house immediately, go to a neighbors and wait for the police. While doing the operation, the vet finds human fingers lodged in the dog's throat. The burglar is found in a closet or out-of-sight location in the house.

According to Snopes.com, in recent versions the Doberman in the story is replaced with a pitbull. In the 1980s, Doberman Pinschers were a hot topic, and in the 1990s, "pitbulls" gained media coverage.

Common Myths

To combat these myths, Dr. Patrick Cunningham, DVM of the VCA Animal Hospital, Tulsa, OK, during an interview helped to disspell these legends with science.

"Pitbulls have jocking jaws"

Dr. Cunningham laughed before answering, "No canine possesses any locking mechanism. 'Pitbulls' have strong muscles in their head, creating a stronger grip".

"Pitbulls are able to clamp with their front teeth and grind with their back teeth".

Dr. Cunningham shook his head and answered, "I don't know how that would be possible." This is because the jaw is a singular unit.

"Bite force calculated in psi(pounds per square inch) is the greatest of all canines".

He didn't have the figures on hand against the claim but he mentioned that dogs in general can bite down "three times as much force than their jaws, fracturing their teeth."

National Geographic conducted an experiment called the Bite Force Competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADDxe24ud90

Video Recap:

APBT: 130 lbs / 235 lbs

Shepherd 130 lbs / 238 lbs

Rottweiler 265 lbs / 328 lbs

In comparison with:

Humans: 120 lbs Wild Dogs: 310 lbs

Lions: 600 lbs White sharks: 600 lbs

Hyenas: 1000 lbs Snapping turtles: 1000 lbs

Crocodiles: 2500 lbs Domestic Dogs: 320 lbs

In general, "pitbulls" do not have the strongest bite.

"Pitbulls are impervious to pain and therefore more dangerous during an attack".

Dr. Cunningham says this just isn't true. "Dogs have a high pain tolerance. I have seen dogs that could walk on a broken leg and they didn't make a sound whereas I've seen those who got a broken toe nail and it was the end of the world."

"Pitbull attacks are unprovoked - Pitbulls attack without warning".

Dr. Cunningham strongly disagrees with this myth. "All dogs react based upon provocation." He mentioned that some of the sweetest dogs he has worked with have been pitbulls, and some of the most aggressive ones have been pitbulls. When asked if it is a matter of environment that decides that, he agreed. He believes it is all about the training.

"Pitbulls are 'ticking time bombs' - They are unbalanced due to their brains swell to the size of their skull making them go insane or on rampages".

Dr. Cunningham smiled and shook his head, "This isn't a fact. All dogs, just like humans, can contract cerebral edema. If there is swelling in the brain, first the dog would go into a vegetable state. One breed of dog genetically prone to this is the Chihuahua. When their brains begin to swell, their eyes point outward instead of straight then they turn into veggies."

Struggles of Owning a "Pit Bull"

One common myth is that the "United States is fundamentally a classless society. Class distinctions are largely irrelevant today and whatever differences do exist in economic standing, they are - for the most part - insignificant" (Mantsios 178). This isn't true. People, Americans in particular, base society through a class system. The American Dream strives off the desire to seek a successful existence. Because "pit bulls" are associated with drug dealers, dog fighters and the poor, owning a "pitbull" can be a challenge for those who aren't drug dealers, gang-bangers or even poor. This is due to the media's coverage of police drug raids where these dogs were found either fighting or being used as a guard dog for the drug supplies. The fundamental issue with the media's coverage of these dogs is that the circumstances aren't fully explained. "These days, buying a Pit Bull means buying into a controversy; Pit bull owners had better not be afraid of public opinion" (Cohen and Richardson 285). "Pit Bull" owners have to have thick skin in order to own a pit bull. A properly bred American Pit Bull Terrier takes a large amount of work due to their high energy levels, but they are eager to please their owners, but if the owner doesn't work with their dog on a daily basis, that's where people are hearing the horror stories about a pit bull attacking someone. The dogs in question in these attacks,"probably shown signs early on, partly because they've been poorly socialized, because they haven't been properly trained" (Zawistowski, NPR; 2010). There is something more to the stories reported. Headlines would read: "Pitbull attacks child". Where as the circumstances might have been: "Starved, and chained dog nips a child". Instantly the dog is vilified. "To blame the media is to oversimplify the complex role that journalist play as both proponents and doubters of popular fears" (Glassner xxvi). It is important for the journalist to use the breed's name specifically, and use loaded or buzz words like: mauled, attacked, severly injuried, without warning, in order to grab a reader or listener's attention. This is not to say that all newspapers or media outlets constantly falsify stories, but they are responsible for over sensationalizing topics to make them more appealing in order to sell more copies or get higher ratings.

"Pit bulls" would be a focal point post 1980s with the creation of myths and Breed-Specific Legislation (BSLs) in Denver, CO, Miami, FL and the providence of Ontario. Their laws prohibit the overall association with pit bulls. Denver, Colorado actually put their breed-specific legislation into place to lower crime. "The simple fact is,if you outlaw the dog, what you often do is actually create a more desirable dog for people who are outlaws" (Zawistowski NPR; 2010). Another challenge to pitbull ownership is that "many insurance companies refuse to insure homeowners with Pit Bulls" (Cohen and Richardson 285). Some of those insurance companies that ask specifically if the potential customer owns a "vicious dog breed" include: Nationwide, Mercury, Century 21. Nationwide requires some breeds to have passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification (CGCC). The CGCC is a test that is adminstered by a registered evaluator with the AKC, and it tests the dog on ten diffferent sceneros. Pit bulls are on a short list of of high risk dogs that insurance companies deem aggressive breeds: Rottweilers, Pit bulls, English bull dogs, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, some mastiffs. Owners of these breeds will denied homeowner's insurance, and could be dropped if the dog is purchased after the policy is purchased on the grounds that it doesn't meet the underwriting guidelines.

Reclaiming the Breed

Modern "Pitbull" Celebrities

MOVIES

1984 "Frankenweenie"

Disney; A Tim Burton film

1993 "Homeward Bound"

Michael J. Fox voices a"Chance", the APBT.

1994 "The Little Rascals"

BOOKS

Oogy: the dog only a family could love - Larry Levin - 2010

Oogy, a Dogo Argentino (mastiff), was left for dead. The puppy was discovered after a police raid, his face was badly torn, and his ear was just a nub. He was cared for by the Ardmore Animal Hospital, not expected to live. He survived his surgeries and was able to enter the lives of the Levins. Levins learn that he was used as a bait dog (an animal that is used to train the fighting dogs to attack). Oogy's story encompasses the struggles and joys of those who own bully-breeds. Oogy is an inspiration because he has survived what life has thrown at him.

Click Oogy for video, narrated by Larry Levin; Amazon.com

TELEVISION

National Geographic Channel's

"The Dog Whisperer"

Junior and Daddy - Daddy was a rescue from the rapper Redman. He was a model animal at Cesar's Dog Psychology Center. He recently passed away. Junior was apart of a social project that Cesar conducted to show that it didn't matter the breed-type, all puppies are capable of becoming well-rounded, calm, submissive dogs.

Animal Planet's

"Pit Boss"

Shorty Rossi & Hercules - Shorty Rossi runs a Pitbull rescue, where he places them in good homes. Hercules is a licensed therapy dog. Shorty Rossi, in addition to the rescue agency, he works to improve the image of the pit bull.

Animal Planet's

"Pitbulls and Parolees"

Tia Torres runs Villa Lobos in California. It is a pitbull rescue facillity that rescues, houses, trains and adopts pitbulls with a twist - she hires parolees to help get them on the right track. Her mission is to "rescue" and her hope is that "one day [she] won't have to" (Pitbulls and Parolees).

Target Dog!

Although it isn't a APBT, the Bull Terrier is one of those breeds lumped under ther title of "pitbull" in Breed-specific legislation.

[Curious if there are Targets in Denver, CO or Miami, FL?]