It is a mistake to stereotype a dog based on its breed. Their behavior has more to do with how they’re raised than their genetics… but that hasn’t stopped many dogs from suffering from a poor image.
Pit bulls, in particular, have long had a bad reputation for being vicious and aggressive. This reputation has had a real negative impact: pit bulls are the most common dog breed in dog shelters.
But they don’t deserve it. Most pit bulls are as gentle as any other dog, can be kind to children and other animals, and are loyal to their owners. A police officer has seen with his own eyes how people stereotype these dogs, after an “arrest” changed his whole perception.
In 2018, the Texarkana Texas Police Department received a call about a “vicious dog” loose nearby. Officer Travis Frost responded, and found the dog lying on someone’s lawn. Based on the call, he naturally expected the dog to chase or attack him.
“Travis said he left the door to his patrol unit open so he could return quickly if the dog was naughty and chased after him,” an officer wrote.
The dog did indeed run towards him…but he was happily wagging his tail. The officer was able to pet the dog, who gladly accepted his help. The dog jumped into the patrol car, happily taking the front seat. Agent Frost was no doubt relieved to see how easy this mission was now: he and the dog got along like old friends, taking pictures together. The dog enjoyed the ride, looking out the window.
But there was a lesson to be learned: Frost realized that someone automatically assumed this dog was “vicious” because of his appearance, and felt bad that such a nice dog was being stereotyped by his breed.
“While you should always be careful around any dog you don’t know, you shouldn’t automatically assume that all pit bulls are bad dogs,” Officer Frost said, according to a Facebook post. “They can be really affectionate like this guy was this morning.”
Fortunately, everything worked out for this pit bull: it turns out that he has a family of his own, and that he had just left.
The owner did microchip the dog, but the information was outdated, making it more difficult to track them down. But soon he was picked up at the local animal care center. It is clear that this dog has a caring owner who raised and trained him properly, which is the most important thing.
