So often I hear that pit bulls are aggressive, vicious, and are bred for dog fighting. These stereotypes have given these poor dogs a bad reputation and have led to many of these dogs to be euthanized. As a dog lover, knowing that not all these dogs have a loving home breaks my heart. So, I want to set the record straight about pit bulls once and for all when I say that pit bulls are not the problem- you are.

1. Pit bulls have a lower risk for dog bites.

Many people tend to believe that pit bulls will attack at any given moment and are a huge threat to society. However, according to research done by the Center For Disease Control (CDC), Malamutes and Chow-Chows had the highest rating of dog bites.

2. They are not born dangerous.

With any dog, if you do not raise them properly, it can lead to aggression. If a dog is raised with positive interactions with socialization between both other dogs and humans, owners will see a much better outcome with their dog. Since pit bulls are normally chained up outside and isolated, of course they'd grow up to be more aggressive than others.

3. They are not bad with kids.

Ok, not every dog is good with children. But back in the day, pit bulls were considered "nanny dogs" meaning that this breed would look after children and protect them. Also, pit bulls have a very high temperament. When tested, pit bulls were proven to be one of the breeds with the most tolerance. They fall right under labs- one of the most beloved dogs.

4. Pit bulls do not have a lock jaw.

Compared to any other dog skeleton, it is clear that pit bulls do not have a locked jaw. Dr. Lehr Brisbin stated that a pit bull's jaw is no different than any another dog breed.

With all this in mind, it can be concluded that the breed of a dog does not matter- the way you train them is what matters. If you train a dog to behave properly and give them positive reinforcements, then the dog will turn out well behaved. But if you train a dog to be hostile towards others, I wouldn't expect your dog to turn out loving.

If you continue to believe that pit bulls are a huge issue even though it's been proven time and time again that they're gentle animals, then you are the reason that these stereotypes exist, not the innocent dog breed.

This is a photo of my aunt's pit bull, Malcolm.