When the name Pit bull Terrier‚ is mentioned, immediately a person thinks of Dog Fighting and a people killer.  Yes, the American Pitt Bull terrier does come from an indisputable history of dog fighting since the 19^th century.  The breed has a genetic predisposition of aggression, as they were bred for the sole purpose of fighting in Pitts ‚Äì hence the name.

The Majority of the time this breed of dog is used as protection, and in dog fighting.  The People who have this dog for the sole purpose of companionship are in the minority. This dog has extremely powerful jaws.  Pit bulls are very muscular and agile dogs, and have enormous strength despite his size.  To make the breed look more aggressive, the ears are cropped and tails docked, fortunately this is no illegal to perform in South Africa unless there is a medical reason and this must be performed by a registered Veterinarian.

The JSPCA has found on numerous occasions that people, who adopt a Terrier Type breed, want the dog for the wrong reason such as used by security companies or they return the dog a week later as, he just doesn't fit in with the family or the owner cannot handle him.

These dogs are not natural people killers‚ however they have a natural aggressive tendency toward other dogs and animals.  The ideal owner of a pit bull must be an extremely responsible person, who is committed to the care and training of the dog.  The owner must be very aware of the dogs genetically predisposed aggression. 

These dogs are very energetic and loving animals, but they can sometimes overwhelm young children which can often be misunderstood by parents as aggression towards the child.  Even saying this, no matter how much training you give your Pitt bull, you will not eliminate dog aggression however when combined with responsibility and vigilance, training can bring the natural predisposition of aggression under control in on-leash situations.

If there are other animals at home, and you have a pit bull, extra care should be taken to prevent tension over food, treats and favoured toys. These items are often "triggers" for fights between dogs sharing the same house. Due to their fighting heritage, many pit bulls do not recognize signs of submission given by a dog they are fighting with, and this could lead to disastrous consequences.  Many breeds have dog aggressive tendencies, and leaving any such breed unsupervised with another dog, especially a dog of the same sex, can lead to a tragedy. 

Some Pit bulls will never show aggression towards other animals however they are in the minority.  Pit bulls will commonly start developing signs of aggression between the ages of 8 months and 2 years, although it can develop at any age and can come on either gradually or quite suddenly.

Unfortunately as with all breeds of stray dogs, the history of a Pit bull / Terrier type dog is not known and the following questions must be asked to decide the homeability of the animal:

• Has this dog been used in fights?
• Has this dog been trained to fight but never actually been in 1?
• Did he come from an owner who trained and socialised him?
• Or, was he abandoned because the owner didn‚Äôt know how to handle him and was therefore unable to ‚Äúbreak‚Äù the predisposed aggression through giving another outlet for his energy?
• General Behaviour of the animal.

Other factors that affect the adoption of any breed of dog, would be:

• Are there any other animals on the property and if so how many and of what breed / species are they?
• What are their sexes and have they been sterilized?
• Would obtaining another dog be against the Municipal by-laws (number of animals allowed on a property)
• The General Health of the animal.

On doing plenty of research and speaking to various animal behaviourists – It was unanimously agreed that the terrier breed of dog is NOT a breed for everyone – however it should not be judged because of the bad reputation that has been caused due to irresponsible owners.

Keeping all the above in mind, the JSPCA exercises extreme caution when adopting out any of the terrier type breeds of dogs.  We do not want to place any person, child, the adopted terrier or the other animals at risk, because of the predisposed aggression.  This behaviour, - due to ignorance of the owner - makes it extremely difficult to find a suitable home for the animal.