Has your decision to adopt a pitbull been derailed because of pressure from others?

Are these dogs being unfairly passed over due to societal pressure?

flickr photo courtesy of mccoy77

There is a huge dichotomy when it comes to buying a pet from a breeder versus adopting a pet — and from there, a further decision is where to adopt from: a rescue or shelter? Needless to say, there is a a huge movement among animal lovers urging potential pet owners to "adopt, don't shop,",and that's a good thing.

It's a fact that there are simply too many homeless animals of all species (mainly dogs, cats, bunnies and the like), and in many cases, it's not just that these creatures don't have stable homes: we are continually working against their biology in many ways.

You see, we've invited them to live side by side with us in our homes. They are dependent on us for their basic needs, not limited to shelter, food and daily care but also their overall welfare, including good curation of their respective breeds as well as respect for their natural instincts and not trying to reign in their nature.

Pets also depend on us to get as handle on their reproduction. Respecting each breed (appropriate training methods, having a great understanding of the breed's behavior and needs) and good spay and neuter programs are crucial because they help hurdle the huge stumbling block that I referenced earlier — a battle against their most basic biology.

Animals are programmed by nature to keep the species alive and well, period. That means that they need to reproduce in mass quantities to do so and adapt stategies to cope with difficult situations. The latter is the focus of what I am getting at, and how it has tainted our view of shelter dogs, and one demographic in particular: pit bulls.

Ah, yes... the much maligned pit bull. It's no secret that this dog has been the topic of many blogs and articles throughout the region. Whether you refer to them as bully breeds, bullies, pit bulls... it really doesn't matter.

We humans have tried to mold dogs, in general, into things that they are not. For some ruthless and ill-meaning individuals, they use the qualities of a dog to serve their own needs (the American Kennel Club is guilty of this as well, with its penchant for creating the best-looking dog, but I'll leave them out of this piece), and in the process, these people tamper with the behavior, the breeds that comprise the term "pit bull" and, eventually, the legacy of these innocent pooches.

Because of that, dogs put in situations that are less-than-savory have had to resort to survival techniques that ensure their well-being. We don't see the majority of those, save for reports of attacks and dog fighting ring busts. Sadly, the term "pit bull," for many, is synonymous with viciousness, behavior problems and dog bite incidents.

Adoptable shelter dogs in many people's eyes are considered throwaways, damaged, and have been "someone else's problem, so that's why they are there" — or other nonsense like that.

The shelters of today make sure that the dogs that they deem as adoptable meet specific criteria. They work hard to match appropriate homes with each dog (even in fostering programs), and their track record is superb.

This includes pit bulls. But they are stigmatized.

The issue of shelter pets — and more importantly, pitbulls that are waiting to be adopted — along with a conversation I had a few months ago has had me thinking about an interesting dilemma a friend faced. T

he conversation centered around a friend being ready to adopt a dog after losing their previous dog weeks earlier. Upon visiting their local shelter, a pit bull puppy caught their eye; for many reasons, the dog seemed to be a great fit for them.

An experienced dog owner of several breeds, they decided to forgo adopting the puppy after realizing how polarizing the situation would be: family and friends made it clear that they would not welcome the dog into their homes. My friend wasn't sure how well the dog would be accepted if they were to bring the dog into the workplace.

With their previous canine companion, that had never been an issue.

With dogs being so very much a part of our social culture as well as our home lives, and the obvious stigma attached to pitbulls, I'm sure that this isn't an isolated thing.

If you've considered the prospect of adopting a shelter dog, has a pit bull been a candidate either by chance because they seemed like a great fit for your family, or by intent — but have you then decided to forgo the idea because of pressure from family, friends and society?

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Lorrie Shaw is lead pets blogger for AnnArbor.com and writes about pet health, behavior, pet culture and more. Catch her daily adventures as a dog walker and pet sitter or email her directly.