A common mistake when confronting false/negative information is to repeat the damaging statement when defending against it.
A classic example is when a politician is accused of cheating on his taxes. On the 6:00 pm evening news his photo is shown along with the sound bite: “I did not cheat on my taxes.” In his attempt to refute the allegation, the subject (the politician) becomes closely linked with the negative allegation (cheating on taxes), and the public subconsciously stores this negative association in their mind.
Well-meaning pit bull advocates do this all the time, to the detriment of the dogs’ reputation and public image.
Ever heard the following statements: “Pit bulls are not vicious”; “Pit bulls are not monsters”; or “Pit bulls are lovers, not fighters.”
While these commonly-used slogans appeal to fellow advocates/owners, they leave a negative odor with the general public and with legislators who are pressured to legislate pit bulls differently than other dogs. Never mind that the word “not” is thrown in there — in effect, the term “pit bull” becomes linked with scary images like “vicious, monsters, fighters.”
If we want to open hearts and change minds to pit bulls, we need to help the public build positive associations with our dogs: family pets, companions, friends.
Here’s how we can re-word the above phrases to say the same thing, only in a positive light: “Pit bulls make great pets”; “Pit bulls are family”; and “Pit bulls are lovers.”
See the difference?
Let’s challenge ourselves to ditch the negative associations (even though we mean well!) and teach the public to associate pit bulls with positive images!
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