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| Aggression |
Pit Bulls: The Matter of Genetic Causation The following article was prompted by this one, written by behavior analyst Kellie Snider: Pit Bulls. RPB response, here: An entry in the Bravo! Animal Behavior blog talks about Pit Bulls' tendency to fight, and suggests that the behavior is operant instead of genetically influenced. You can read that blog, here: Pit Bulls: the Matter of Genetic Causation Kellie is a behavior analyst and animal trainer who has done some new and interesting research on aggression treatment (her new DVD, Constructional Aggression Treatment, is available through Tawzer and Dogwise.com). I've been a fan of Kellie's for a few years now, and I think she is bright, optimistic, and realistic about animal behavior and modification, and talking about things that aren't common knowledge (yet) in the dog world. I am happy she is spending some time focusing on Pit Bulls, as we need qualified professionals such as Kellie to speak and shed light on a subject that is plagued by mythology: and you don't get more mythological than common assumptions about Pit Bulls and aggression. It can be very difficult to get to the meat of the matter when it comes to Pit Bulls and aggression; many people speak without knowning, and the world is filled with self-proclaimed experts - either for or against Pit Bulls - that are coming from a place devoid of real knowledge or education. We all would do well to listen to and at the very least consider when those with true credentials - like Kellie Snider - have something to say. We've all heard the ol' battle cry from the Old School: Pit Bulls fight and it's genetic! This line of thinking leads one down a path paved with withered and fading stones that read, "It's in their blood, and it's something they instrinsically enjoy", and "It's not about environment, it's about genetics!" But Snider, coming from a behavioral school of thought that teaches all behavior is learned and the product of consequence, challenges this notion of aggression as the product of genes. Instead, she believes certain behaviors often seen as instinctual are actually learned behaviors, conditioned into the animal by its environment and the animal's ability to physically perform those behaviors in the first place. So, a Pit Bull fights because it's physically capable of doing so and receives some benefit from fighting. Hence it continues to fight. If a Pit Bull was built with a body less capable of successfully completing dog-aggressive behavior, that behavior would be less likely to occur or be non-existent. It's an interesting concept: birds only fly because they have wings, not because it's "genetic". Aggression is just a behavior, and all behavior is modifiable. If aggression only occurs because of enviromental influences, that means it is not genetic. If it is not genetic, it is unfair and unethical to single out or ban breeds simply because they happen to be a member of a certain breed. If Pit Bulls are more prone to dog-aggression than other breeds, it is because they are physically more capable of receiving environmental rewards from aggressive behavior than other breeds. If a breed is more likely to show aggressive behavior not because of an Aggression Gene, but because their phsyical genetic design makes them more likely to be able to obtain reinforcement for aggressive behavior, isn't the resulting conclusion the same? A Pit Bull, designed to be a combat animal, is likely to be better at and therefore able to receive more reinforcement for and therefore more likely to practice, combat behavior. Conclusion: Pit Bull = more likely to be dog aggeressive than Golden Retriever. I don't think anyone who has spent considerable time with lots of Pit Bulls and has studied the breed extensively is likely to give up the idea that there is a tendency in the breed to be dog-aggressive, short of Goddess herself flying down from heaven and telling them so (and even that's iffy). Call it genetics or whatehaveyou, it's there, and I seen it wit me own two eyes! (Actually, if you ask me - and I largely buy into behavioral science and its teachings - I think there is a compulsive aspect to dog-aggression in some members of the breed, that goes beyond mere learning, and touches down into the realm of obsessive compulsive disorders; think the genetically-influenced tail-chasing in Bull Terriers). But the old reasons given for dog-aggressive behavior in Pit Bulls need to be challenged and fanciers need to reach beyond the material and evidences normally cited for reasons why Pit Bulls do what dey do, and is what dey is. At the end of the day, I don't know that owners of Pit Bulls need to know anything other than that their breed is likely to show dog-aggressive tendencies, and they should take recommended precautions. But one thing is certain....we have so much to learn about behavior, aggression, and the impact of environment as well as genes, on us all. |
Here - the truth about Pit Bulls and aggression! This page
under construction, please check back as we continue to
update and add information.
under construction, please check back as we continue to
update and add information.
Aggression & Behavioral Genetics Resources