No matter how you feel about the pit bull category of dogs, it would be hard to argue that there’s any other type of dog with the foolhardiness to charge a full grown bison. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is up to you.
Okay, there are probably plenty of dogs that would do something this stupid. Pit bulls, though, were essentially bred to bother large animals, so it’s not too surprising that we see one charging a bison in this classic viral video.
To be super clear, the history of pit bulls as a breed type is more complicated than just bothering large animals. They were originally bred from the Old English Bulldog, popularly used in the sport of “bull baiting”. Essentially, these dogs were made to attack bulls, bears, or other large animals until they literally couldn’t do any more, whether from exhaustion or injuries.
Following the banning of the sport, the bulldog breed was crossed with terriers to create animals better suited for dog fighting. Since then, breeds that fall into the “pit bull” category have been used and bred for a multitude of different tasks, most of which are perfectly safe for both humans and the dogs.
Keep your dogs on a leash in any wilderness area, including National Parks, and do not let your pets approach or even come near bison, moose, bears, or any other animal. Also, check to make sure that your pups are even allowed in any wilderness park before trying to bring them in! There are a lot of national parks and state parks that are fully dog free!
Be a responsible dog owner, please! Let’s be very clear, this was the owner’s fault. The pit bull was just acting on instinct in this situation, and should not be blamed.
Related: Teen Gored By Bison In North Dakota (Second Bison Attack In A Week)
Image Credit: Calvin Tastsey via YouTube