October is Pit Bull Awareness Month

October is Pit Bull Awareness Month, and to help more people understand this sometimes controversial breed, 1800PetMeds has a handy information page to help separate fact from fiction.

On one side, there are responsible pet owners who train and socialize their dogs to be loving and loyal family pets. On the other side are the folks who either don't know or don't care about taking proper care of a pet, which can result in an aggressive dog that lives down to its stereotype.

When Mount Pleasant police had to shoot a pit bull last month, readers chimed in on both sides of the issue.

"It's stupid owners, not the breed. I have a pit mix and she is very gentle—loves people, dogs and cats. In fact, my little 5-pound dog is more aggressive then my Pit mix," posted Stormy Weather.

But C. Sanders thinks pit bulls are dangerous and unpredictable.

"Pit bulls are the most dangerous dog in the world. They are wired for aggressive behavior and represent a threat to humanity," reads the post.

And, it turns out, the term "pit bull" is just a term used to describe several breeds including the American staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier. Both are recognized by the American Kennel Club and make regular appearances in dog shows.

Among the "facts" disspelled by PetMeds' research is just who is doing the biting. Overwhelmingly, unaltered male dogs bite more than neutered or female dogs. Breed has nothing to do with it.

Media coverage also plays a part in the negative stereotyping, covering pit bull attacks with a vengeance and giving fatal attacks by Labrador retrievers a short mention.

In July, Racine-area dog owners formed a parade in downtown Racine with their pit bull dogs to give people the chance to meet and socialize with the dogs to start disspelling the myth of the "vicious" dog.

According to a story in The Journal Times, the event was created by Craig Hanson to raise awareness of the positive points about the breed.

“There is negativity,” Hanson is quoted as saying. “But the majority of the dogs, they’re a great breed. They’re loyal and loving."

More, the American Temperment Testing Society found that when it comes to good temperment, pit bull breeds rank higher than many other family dog breeds, coming in at 82 percent. Golden retrievers and the bichon frise, for example, came in at 77 percent.

Can you tell the difference between a pit bull and other breeds or mixes of dog? Follow this link to learn some facts about the pit bull terrior and see if you can correctly identify the pit bull from a collection of photos of other breeds.