Breed Confusion Can be Dangerous
Published May 26, 2011
Victoria Schade: Do Not Reproduce
Meet Mugsy.
He’s 12-weeks old, 33 pounds and he’s a … can you guess his breed?
I’ll bet a bunch of you said “pit bull.” You’re not alone – my shopper Mugsy the American Bulldog is frequently mistaken for a pit. Breed confusion is no big deal when you’re trying to identify a dog for fun, but things get serious when determining a breed could result in a death sentence for that dog. Many shelters euthanize any dog that looks like it might be a “pit bull,” but identifying one isn’t as easy as picking a stocky body, broad chest and cropped ears. I’m not going to dive into the tragic world of breed bias in this post (I’ve been there), but let’s consider for a moment how many dogs are being euthanized just because they look like a dog that could be a pit.
Think you could pick an American Pit Bull Terrier out of a lineup? Take the quiz on this page and let us know how you did in the comments section.
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Comments (12)
Fun little "puzzle". I'd love to send it to some friends and family members.
My husband and I recently adopted / rescued a pit-mix from our local animal shelter. We were told that he was owner surrendered (when his people lost their house due to the recession).
He is a Pit - mix (with what, we do not know yet) -- and he is 65-80 lbs., VERY gentle, not at all food aggressive, and he loves (not to eat but LOVES to try to play with) our two cats.
He has only been with us about two months, and he has loved everyone he has met so far.
I just wanted to share his story.
Well I thought I was soooo good at picking them out, but I didn't get it till my 5th try! Just goes to show ya. I have never had a pitt bull, but I don't think of them as anything other than a dog. I love all dogs. It's stupid, stupid people that have given them a bad name. Yes, they have stronger jaws and that's abused by HUMANS. It's sad.
What it boils down to is the owner. Just like the parent; and we know how many bad parents are out there, right?
Ca de Bou? Then picked pit bull. I own(ed) 2. Great dogs if you are a responsible owner. You have to think a little more outside the box with a pit. There are no bad dogs, just bad owners.
It took me 2 times, the first time I picked the patterdale terrier. The second time I picked the pit bull. I like pit bull's but I would never own one, my son's dog was attacked by a pit bull.
Got it. But it's a good quiz, I've just done a lot of work with different breeds. I don't have one, but I wish people would stop thinking of them as natural born killers. In 60 years they've gone from America's favorite dog to outcasts, because of idiots who try to look tough by abusing the dogs.
great article!