MYTH: It's All About How They're Raised

Though often said with good intentions, the sentiment that "it's all about how they're raised" implies several untrue and damaging beliefs about pit-type dogs and the people that love them.

All dogs are individuals. They are complex beings with feelings, emotions, and individual needs. Their past may give us context to their current behavior, but it's only one piece of a complex puzzle.

In this article:

1. What are we actually saying when we say, 'it's all about how they're raised?'

a. Dangerous implication #1: Dogs who have experienced trauma cannot be good dogs.

b. Dangerous implication #2: If a dog displays fear, aggression, or another unwanted behavior, it's the human's fault.

• Genetics

• One scary event can have a lasting impact

• Training takes time

c. Dangerous implication #3: "Bad" humans create "bad" dogs.

2. Changing our language.

What are we actually saying when we say, 'it's all about how they're raised?'

Dangerous implication #1: Dogs who have experienced trauma cannot be good dogs.

We often don't know much about a dog's background, especially when they find their way into a shelter or rescue as an adult. Unfortunately, many people are afraid to give a dog with an unknown history or known history of trauma a chance because they may not have been "raised right."

We should be careful not to jump to conclusions about a dog's past; a dog who is afraid of new people or experiences may have simply been under-socialized, not abused. A dog with physical wounds likely received those injuries while living on the streets, not because they were a "bait dog" or were beaten by a human. Creating a false narrative can be harmful to that dog's chances of finding a forever home, especially when it gives the impression that the dog was not "raised right."

Of course, there are instances in which we know that a dog has experienced significant trauma. It's true that not every dog who has experienced horrific cruelty can be safely placed in a home, but in many cases, these dogs can go on to live as happy, loving family dogs.

In 2008, 22 dogs, known as the 'Vicktory Dogs,' were rescued from Michael Vick's dog fighting ring and taken to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. After living horrific lives full of abuse, neglect, and trauma, many of these dogs were able to go on to live normal lives in family homes.

More recently, Bark Nation, an organization in Michigan that exclusively takes in victims of cruelty and neglect, mainly from suspected and confirmed dog fighting rings, has successfully placed hundreds of dogs through partner organizations and their own foster and adoption programs. Many of these dogs enter their shelter with physical wounds, emaciated, and scared, yet go on to become happy, beloved members of the family just like any other dog.

A responsible rescue or shelter treats every dog as an individual, regardless of their past, and determines where and how a dog is placed based on that dog's individual needs.

Dangerous implication #2: If a dog displays fear, aggression, or another unwanted behavior, it's the human's fault.

If you've ever loved a dog that struggles with reactivity, extreme fear, or other difficult-to-manage behaviors, you know that it's a complicated situation. You've likely felt guilt, shame, and the judgement of others. Surely, you did something wrong to make your dog act this way... right?

Even when we "do everything right" from day one while raising a puppy, things don't always go as planned. We cannot control things like genetics, random and poorly timed scary events, physical and mental health, and experiences with other dogs and humans, all of which can contribute to fear, aggression, and unwanted behaviors.

Genetics

It's true that genetics can play a role in a dog's behavior, but this has much less to do with breed than it does individual family lines. A 2022 study of 18,385 dogs published in Science found that, "Breed offers little predictive value for individuals, explaining just 9% of variation in behavior... For less heritable, less breed-differentiated traits, like agonistic threshold (how easily a dog is provoked by frightening or uncomfortable stimuli), breed is almost uninformative." The study concluded that "dog breed is generally a poor predictor of individual behavior and should not be used to inform decisions relating to selection of a pet dog." Simply put, making an assumption about an individual dog's behavior based solely on that dog's breeds or perceived breed mix is unfounded.

When we zoom in on close family relationships, however, we may find more connections between genetics and behavior. For example, puppies born to a mother dog that experienced significant stress during pregnancy may be predisposed to fear and anxiety. Dogs that suffer from either genetic or acute disorders that cause pain and discomfort are also more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior. 

One scary event can have a lasting impact

Random and poorly timed scary events can 'poison' a related (or seemingly unrelated) interaction or experience, especially for a young puppy or a dog who has recently undergone a big life change, such as joining a new family.

For example, a car backfiring on the street may result in a dog forming a lasting negative association with walking down the sidewalk. A scary incident with an off-leash dog approaching may result in a negative association with unknown dogs.

 

We can’t always control the interactions that our dogs have with other people and animals. Other people, both children and adults, can do unpredictable things or have very different ideas about how to "handle" a dog, like striking a dog that jumps up to say hello. Even if we immediately remove our dog from the situation, these events can have a lasting impact.

Remember: even if an event doesn't seem "that bad" to us, we don't get to choose how much something affects our dog. 

Training takes time

Whether you've brought home a puppy or adopted an adult dog, training takes time, especially when we are modifying a behavior that is based in fear or frustration, like barking at other dogs while on leash. Making the assumption that someone "hasn't trained" their dog or has "done something wrong" to cause their dog's "bad" behavior is unfair and incredibly unproductive.

Dangerous implication #3: "Bad" humans create "bad" dogs.

"When the dogs were kind of working-class, average Joe, all-American dogs in the 1920s, that was one thing. But when the dogs became associated with the urban poor, then there was this move to ban them and to eradicate them." - Bronwen Dickey, 'Friend or Fiend?'

 

The link between systemic racism and the perception of bully breeds is incredibly complex, but there is a clear correlation between the association of pit-type dogs Black and Hispanic communities and a growing hysteria around those dogs.

By the 1960s, pit-type dogs were increasingly associated with marginalized people, specifically young Black and Latino men and the urban poor. No longer were these dogs respected war heroes; they were "killing machines," demonized by the media for their violence and "will to kill."

Of course, myths such as pit bulls having "locking jaws" or "attacking out of nowhere" are just that - myths. In fact, there is no reliable evidence that pit-type dogs are any more likely to be involved in a bite incident than any other breed of dog. The inaccuracy of perceived breed based on visual identification, even by trained professionals, is just one of the many issues with Breed Specific Legislation and other breed-specific bans.

We continue to see the affects of racism and classism in the animal welfare industry at large, and especially when it comes to pit-type dogs. There is an ever-present narrative that dogs must be "rescued" from "bad people" in "bad neighborhoods" - Black, Latino, and urban poor families - and placed with "good people" - white, middle class, suburban families. Little consideration is given to the societal barriers that prevent many people from providing care for their dogs - financial hardship, the housing crisis, inequitable access to resources. The result in an increased number of animals finding themselves in an overcrowded animal welfare system, rather than remaining with a family that loves them, but needs a little help.

Changing our language.

When someone says, "it's all about how they're raised," they are usually trying to say, "not all pit bulls are bad," or "we shouldn't make an assumption based on a dog's breed." They likely aren't thinking about these dangerous implications and how it can affect pit-type dogs and the people that love them - but that does not negate the negative impact of their words.

 

Our language matters, especially when we are advocating for a breed that is so often villainized. The next time that you are tempted to use this phrase, consider instead saying, "all dogs are individuals." Let's look at the individual in front of us without making assumptions based on appearance or their past. It's something that we all deserve, human and canine.

Love pit bulls? Check out our Pit Bull Awareness Month collection.