Breed Prejudice: More or Less with Educated People?

This is where to talk about Pit Bulls!

Postby JCleve86 » May 31st, 2006, 11:21 am

Reposted from another forum...I'd like to get everyone's take on it

I was talking with my microbiology lab partner about dogs (somehow...lol) and how I do volunteer work with rescues. My instructor overheard me and we chatted about it, and she asked which breeds I usually worked with. I braced myself, prepared to give the pit bull speech, and told her "I mostly work with pit bulls, but I do other breeds too," at which point she started telling me about a friend of hers who saved "an adorable little pit bull puppy" a while back, and of her friends "bull terrier, some kind of pit bull mix" dog that they called "the flying sausage dog" since he was shaped like a sausage but incredibly athletic. I was surprised, and than began to wonder...maybe the difference between her and Joe Blow is that she's educated, particularly in the field of science, and may know that many of the myths surrounding the breed (locking jaw, etc.) are physically impossible. Plus, part of any secondary education is learning to read between the lines, considering your source of information, etc. etc. etc.

SO...what has your experience been? Have you noticed less prejudice against the breed in more educated crowds?

NOTE: This is NOT a slight on uneducated people, as obviously anybody who has the motivation can learn about the breed, and of course teach themselves plenty of these concepts (discerning between credible and non-credible sources, etc.) on their own. It is merely an observation that got my mind going. Nobody is allowed to get offended or I'll have to hurt ya. :thumbsup:
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Postby cheekymunkee » May 31st, 2006, 11:33 am

SO...what has your experience been? Have you noticed less prejudice against the breed in more educated crowds?


Nope, not one bit. Educated folks can be just a prejudiced as non-educated ones can be. They *might be a bit more willing to learn about the breed but they are just as closed minded.

ETA:
I work with a man who has his masters. He has met my dogs & thinks they are the exception, not the rule. He asks me on occasion of my dogs have eaten anyone yet, this is from someone who was bitten pretty severely by his dalmation. He's kidding about the "eaten anyone" part but he still does not believe the breed in general is like MY dogs. I work with several people who believe that my dogs are the exception as well, I still count them as successes because before they met MY dogs they thought ALL pit bulls were killers on 4 legs.
Last edited by cheekymunkee on May 31st, 2006, 11:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Maryellen » May 31st, 2006, 11:40 am

i have found out here its even.. i have spoken to educated people who can go either way, and non educated people also.. nothing changes, its all how they are raised, and how they see the breed... i talked to a 9 year old kid in the hospital, who was raised with the breed, who lived in a super fighting area, who moved out of that area, who says fighting is stupid.. i have also met people who say otherwise.. ihave met people who love pits and thats all they own, and i have met people who hate them. but when they see rufus in the hospital, they actually questionme.. and say they didnt knw the breed can be good...which gets their minds thinking, could they be good dogs too? i think it has alot to do with your background, where you live, what you grew up with, how much you believe the media, and what your actual experiences are, and more..

i mean, i was bit by my neighbors collie 2x, but i still love the breed... i think it has to do with the persons mindset.. that will determine a love or a hate i think.
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Postby concreterose » May 31st, 2006, 12:10 pm

I think that people are just people and the amount of education doesn't have any bearing on their prejudices. There are people that I work with that have their masters degrees or higher that think my dogs are awesome, and their are people that are 'polite' (because I'm a colleague) but it's obvious that they think I'm a weirdo because I own this breed. I know people that have a low socioeconomic status that love this breed, and people in the same category that think they will turn on you, have locking jaws, etc. It really just depends on the person and their experience, and open-mindness (or lack of).
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Postby rockermom » May 31st, 2006, 12:23 pm

I think depends on several things. It helps if they are dog people but not always. If they have ever met a pit bull or two close up and saw the real bull definately has changed many views including my own. Educated in general, definately does not matter. Educated on the breed or have had good experience with the breed is the ticket. Bad experience or one that has hit close to home can tarnish the whole image.
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Postby mnp13 » May 31st, 2006, 12:36 pm

I have found personally that the higher educated people tend to be more close minded. It's as if they feel that because they have a PhD, if they believe what they have read in the paper then it must be true because they are to smart to fall for a line of BS.

No one is going to change their mind if they don't want to listen, but our dogs usually speak for us. All three are from random sources, not "hand picked". Connor from a dumpster, Ruby from a horrible BYB, Riggs from a responsible breeder. We have the range and all three have excellent temperament. I've used that arguement sucessfully a few times.
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Postby usurpers26 » May 31st, 2006, 1:37 pm

Couldn't agree more or have said it better myself.

mnp13 wrote:I have found personally that the higher educated people tend to be more close minded. It's as if they feel that because they have a PhD, if they believe what they have read in the paper then it must be true because they are to smart to fall for a line of BS.
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Postby Malli » May 31st, 2006, 2:08 pm

I haven't noticed it leaning either way.
I think I've actually run into more lower income, less educated people who understand. I think lots of it has to do with more exposure, personally. Lots of the people I have spoken to know lots of Pits, so they know what they are capable of (either speaking of aggressive and violent issues or the opposite, fun loving and hugable dogs)


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Postby luvmyangels » May 31st, 2006, 2:24 pm

I don't think it is so much as being educated as it is being open minded and doing proper research so that you are educated about the breed. For example: I have family members that have a PhD and their Masters and both think I am absolutely nuts for bringing a Pit Bull into my house with two young kids. Of course I try my best to explain to them about the breed and what a great dog I have.
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Postby dogcrazyjen » May 31st, 2006, 2:34 pm

I too have expirienced more prejudice from well educated, upper class (monitarily) folks. They tend to have not met pit bulls, so believe the hype. Many poorer folk I have met have had pits, or lived near them, so have good memories of them.

Again, tendancies.
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Postby Vanessa » May 31st, 2006, 4:30 pm

I find that the education level doesn't seem to matter around here as to who is predjudiced against pitbulls. I have had bad experiances with pretty much everyone. :( But i have also had good ones with lots of people too. I think it depends on open mindedness and sensitivity to animals.
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Postby luvmyangels » May 31st, 2006, 4:36 pm

luvmyangels wrote:I don't think it is so much as having a higher education as it is being open minded and doing proper research so that you are educated about the breed. For example: I have family members that have a PhD and their Masters and both think I am absolutely nuts for bringing a Pit Bull into my house with two young kids. Of course I try my best to explain to them about the breed and what a great dog I have.
I am "The Rat Queen".

Have a great day!! :)

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The Rattie Bunch: Girls: Noodle & Raisin Boys: Gus, Melvin, Oliver, & Toby
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Postby luvmyangels » May 31st, 2006, 4:37 pm

luvmyangels wrote:
luvmyangels wrote:I don't think it is so much as having a higher education as it is being open minded and doing proper research so that you are educated about the breed. For example: I have family members that have a PhD and their Masters and both think I am absolutely nuts for bringing a Pit Bull into my house with two young kids. Of course I try my best to explain to them about the breed and what a great dog I have.


Oops. I guess I couldn't edit what I wrote. So it was rewritten in a quote. Sorry. Thought it sounded better written this way.
I am "The Rat Queen".

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Postby SpiritFngrz » May 31st, 2006, 5:29 pm

Not to generalize, but a lot of the PhDs I have worked with have NO common sense! Seriously, sometimes it's scary. Book smarts, but no street smarts AT ALL. Not everyone, and I hope I don't fall into that catergory myself.
My PhD advisor thinks I am crazy because I have a pitbull mix. I always tell everyone how awesome she is with everyone including kids. A lot of their responses is, well, it's the lab in her. And I have to come back and say no- the lab in her is the crazy, and the pitbull in her loves people!

Like the old cliched saying when speaking about pitbulls is, "I think how you're raised has a lot to do with it"
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Postby luvmyangels » May 31st, 2006, 6:03 pm

SpiritFngrz wrote:Not to generalize, but a lot of the PhDs I have worked with have NO common sense! Seriously, sometimes it's scary. Book smarts, but no street smarts AT ALL. Not everyone, and I hope I don't fall into that catergory myself.
My PhD advisor thinks I am crazy because I have a pitbull mix. I always tell everyone how awesome she is with everyone including kids. A lot of their responses is, well, it's the lab in her. And I have to come back and say no- the lab in her is the crazy, and the pitbull in her loves people!

Like the old cliched saying when speaking about pitbulls is, "I think how you're raised has a lot to do with it"


I have family members with PhD's that have no common sense but only book sense. So I do not take offense to that since it exists in my own family.
I am "The Rat Queen".

Have a great day!! :)

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