The Pitbull has been called all kinds of names by all kinds of people
accused of being stupid and dangerous,
but no dog breed is inherently violent and there's more to the pitbull breed
than meets the eye.
The history of dog fighting can be traced back to the Roman empire. However,
dogs weren't initially made to fight one another.
They were made to fight bigger fiercer beasts like bulls,
elephants, bears and even human gladiators.
Usually the dog breed used for these fights was the English Mastiff.
But after a while, this breed was replaced by the old English bulldog.
After Rome invaded England in 43AD bear and bull baiting
became popular in England and even queen Elizabeth I was
said to have bred her own Mastiffs in order to entertain foreign guests with
the sport.
The baiting sport involved tying the bull or bear to an iron stake to
restrict their movement.
Then the dogs were released to bite and scratch the bull until it tired.
Watching the bull or bear get tired until it collapsed from injuries or
fatigue,
or sometimes both provided sadistic entertainment or the struggling
masses who would resort to anything to relieve their suffering at the time.
The sport also helped to tenderize the meat as the bulls were often killed for
consumption after the fight. With time,
the sport started to lose its appeal for a number of reasons that included
concerns for the animals as well as money issues.
And so by 1835,
England passed a law that placed a ban on all blood sports in the country.
Sadly,
although people thought the bulldog would go into extinction since it no longer
had any purpose, others found a new purpose for the breed,
dog on dog fighting.
Even though it was illegal by reason of the law that was passed,
it was tougher for the authorities to nip this activity in the bud.
This was because dog fighting needed a lot less space than bull baiting.
And so the sport truly thrived in Britain. When the sport first started,
the old English bulldog,
which was used for bull baiting were also made to carry out the dog on dog
fights, but watching two bulldogs have a go at each other was rather boring.
Bulldogs are heavily built, stocky dogs with stamina,
strength and persistence. They were purposely developed to pin and hold bulls.
They weren't bred for agility or speed, which was made for an interesting fight.
As a result,
breeders started to cross the bulldog with terriers.
Terriers had the speed and agility that bulldogs lacked as they were bred to
assist in chasing prey.
Hence by combining the terriers speed and agility with the bulldogs brute
strength and persistence,
breeders hoped to build the ultimate fighting dog called the pitbull.
Other dog breeds developed from this breeding process include the Staffordshire
bull terrier and the American Staffordshire terrier.
Although dog fighting was outlawed in the United States in 1976,
this horrific sport still continues today in
different forms., Street dog fighting hobbyist dog fighting,
professional dog fighting,
and an emerging category where celebrities organize their own fights.
And according to the HSUS there are over 40,000
people all over the United States right now, still organizing dog fights.
Now many people are of the opinion that the reason pitbulls are used for such
fights is because they are inherently more vicious than other non bully breeds.
But of course, this is not true.
There are more obvious reasons that dog fighters choose pitbulls for their
sports.
Pitbulls have natural strengths that make people take advantage of them and
manipulate them into participating in blood fights for sport. They are strong,
athletic, and tenacious,
and tend to react to other dogs invading their space.
But there's an even bigger reason Pitbull's are singled out by dog fighters for
their sick games. While breeding the old English bulldog to become a fighter,
breeders made sure to develop them such that they didn't direct their aggression
towards humans.
The gamblers needed that bite inhibition heightened since they would have to
enter the fighting pit to handle their dogs from time to time.
They had to make sure that doing that wouldn't put them in danger.
And so if a dog bit a human, they would usually cull the dog. As a result,
dog fighters use traits that make Pitbull's so lovable against the breed.
Pitbull's have a fierce sense of loyalty and always do everything to please
their owners. Ironically,
these are the very same traits that make them good fighting dogs.
And so more unscrupulous people use them for their sadistic activities
leading to the bad rep that Pitbull's get in the public.
But as is obvious,
the Pitbull's reputation is more a result of human greed than the animals
inherent viciousness.
I hope you don't let public misconceptions prevent you from getting this
extremely sweet and lovable dog if you want to.
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