Like many breeds The American Pit Bull Terrier has been used and bred for taboo and undesirable purposes. However this has followed the pit bull and haunted the breed with hysteria to this day. Many BSL Activist will quote old dogmen/dogfighter breeders to prove their point. So i decided to do research. Not only did i look into animal law studies i looked into a Bronwen Dickey interview i also did research many pit bull advocates would not wish to do. I have researched dogmen enthusiast sites. This chapter of my blog will look deeper into the subject of “what they were bred for” and explain the hype behind the sensationalism that fuels not only the media but bsl activism as well
First an interview with Bronwen
GROSS: So there are a lot of commonly held beliefs about pit bulls. Let me ask you about a couple of them. One is that they’re natural fighters and they’re hardwired to kill. Is that true?
DICKEY: No, there is absolutely no credible scientific evidence of that. You have specific subpopulations that have been used over time in the illegal pursuit of dogfighting, but they really can’t be held up as the standard for all pit bulls in America. That would be – in the book I kind of say it would be like using the Navy SEALs as a standard for all American men. There’s no evidence at all that this entire huge group of dogs – that there is anything different about them whatsoever.
GROSS: But weren’t pit bulls initially bred to be fighters?
DICKEY: Yes, that is true. The original bull and terrier dogs in the 19th century – or, you know, you can even trace it back further than that – but the original American pit bull terrier that started in 1889 in Massachusetts, it was originally a fighting dog, yes.
GROSS: So doesn’t it – wasn’t it kind of bred to have fighting abilities?
DICKEY: Well, fighting abilities are extremely complicated and rare. So the dog fighting investigators that I have spoken with over the years who have studied this, who have studied hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of these dogs and some have even gone undercover as dog fighters themselves, they stressed to me that if one dog in a litter – and this is a litter that has been actively selected for these certain traits – if one dog in a litter actually possesses the traits necessary to be a fighter then that’s considered a very high success rate. So fighting is not just one static thing. It’s a whole suite of very complex behaviors. And each one of those is different. And each dog will or will not display those at a different level. http://www.npr.org/2016/05/10/477350069/friend-or-fiend-pit-bull-explores-the-history-of-americas-most-feared-dog
And now a deeper look into the history from dogmen.
, J.P. Colby was considered the first “puppy peddler”, because he was the first breeder to sell his dogs to the public. In those days, it was not acceptable to sell to the public, according to the earlier fraternity
It takes 2 1/2 to 3 years to breed, raise, school and test a litter of dogs and, of course, many of them don’t make the grade,
http://www.gamedogshistory.com/bloodlines/
Throughout the 19th century, these dogs were known by a variety of names. “Pit Terriers”, “Pit Bull Terriers”, “Half and Half’s”, “Staffordshire Fighting Dogs”, “Old Family Dogs”(the Irish name), “Yankee Terriers”(the Northern name), and “Rebel Terriers”(the Southern name) to name a few. In 1898, a man by the name of Chauncey Bennet formed the United Kennel Club (UKC) for the sole purpose of registering “Pit Bull Terriers” as the American Kennel Club wanted nothing to do with them. Originally, he added the word “American” to the name and dropped “Pit”. This didn’t please all of the people so later the word “Pit” was added back to the name in
“The immediate ancestors of the APBT were Irish and English pit fighting dogs imported to the States in the mid-19th century. Once in the United States, the breed diverged slightly from what was being produced back in England and Ireland. In America, where these dogs were used not only as pit fighters, but also as catch dogs (i.e., for forcibly retrieving stray hogs and cattle) and as guardians of family, the breeders started producing a slightly larger, leggier dog. However, this gain in size and weight was small until very recently. The Old Family Dogs in 19th century Ireland were rarely above 25 lbs., and 15-lb. dogs were not uncommon. In American books on the breed from the early part of this century, it is rare to find a specimen over 50 lbs. (with a few notable exceptions).”
“To the untrained eye, ASTs may look more impressive and fearsome, with a larger and more blocky head, with bulging jaw muscles, a wider chest and thicker neck. In general, however, they aren’t nearly as “game” or athletic as game-bred APBTs. Because of the standardization of their conformation for show purposes, ASTs tend to look alike, to a much greater degree than APBTs do. APBTs have a much wider phenotypical range, since the primary breeding goal, until fairly recently, has been not to produce a dog with a certain “look” but to produce one capable of winning pit contests, in which the looks of a dog counted for nothing. There are some game-bred APBTs that are practically indistinguishable from typical ASTs, but in general they are leaner, leggier, and lighter on their toes and have more stamina, agility, speed, and explosive power.”
” Then we have another strain known as the pet and show type UKC American Pit Bull Terrier. He has been crossed with American Staffordshire Terrier blood and/or not bred from or to “game” stock for several generations.
http://www.gamedogshistory.com/the-game-bred-american-pit-bull-terrier-as-family-guard-and-defense-dog/
In general, the UKC version of the APBT is now being bred mostly for looks alone, http://www.gamedogshistory.com/history-apbt/
“These “game” bred APBTs can be encouraged to tolerate and avoid fights with other dogs. A good example of a “game” bred dog who is good with other dogs is my newest dog “CH Peter-built.” For those of you who do not know him let me state that he is a fighting Champion and a five time winner at that. Well guess who old Peterbuilt’s best buddy is. None other than our four-year-old attack trained German Shepherd, “Cornbred.” These two dogs were not brought up together as we just purchased “Peterbuilt.” This kind of ruins the theory that “game” bred APBTs are “kill crazy” and will destroy other dogs after getting the “taste of blood.”
http://www.gamedogshistory.com/the-game-bred-american-pit-bull-terrier-as-family-guard-and-defense-dog/
And now an interview with Stratton i found.
Question: I notice a tendency among some APBT breeders to breed very large dogs, 70 and 80 pounds or more. I also know that most of the really game old time imported dogs from Ireland were small, in the 30 and 40 pound class. Do you think it is possible to retain the gameness while increasing the size?
Answer: Generally speaking, the larger dogs do not run as game as the smaller ones. Gameness is not really related to size, per se; however, the most reputable and capable breeders have usually had a definite predilection for smaller dogs. Hence, the smaller dogs have usually been better bred.
Question: Regarding the gameness of the American Staffordshire Terrier, I have a Pit Bull, but I sold a Staff to a guy who uses him for board hunting, and he really goes after those hogs. Isn’t that gameness?
Answer: Okay, one more time around the mulberry bush on this one! I have tried to stress that the American Staffordshire Terrier should be considered a different breed because of a difference in expectations in terms of deep gameness. Fighting a boar or a bull (or a lion for that matter!) does not necessarily test deep gameness. Now, of all the things I have written, I think saying that the American Staffordshire Terrier is the thing that has upset the most people. But, it is hardly a novel point of view. For over thirty years, the most reputable Pit Bull breeders have held the same opinion. However, both the United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeders Association register Staffs as APBTs. And to be perfectly frank, I don’t find the situation to be more than mildly alarming. The top breeders usually will not even breed outside their own strain, let alone to a Staff! So, it is difficult to see the harm in it all. I have stated the facts as I see them for their academic interest more than anything else and I am not on an anti-Staff or anti-show campaign.
Question: Hypothetically, if you had a game Staff, would you still consider it a separate breed?
Answer: In my opinion, it should still be considered a separate breed, because statistically its progeny would not be game. I know that some people are having a hard time going along with the idea of a Staff being a separate breed. However, the definition of a breed is (in part) “having consistent inherited characteristics,” so from the point of view of APBT enthusiasts, the Staff is a separate breed. The Staff people, on the other hand, think in terms of appearance alone, and consequently, regard the APBT as a Staff.
another quote from Richard Stratton: “A pit bull will not always start a fight. But he most assuredly will finish it.” Keep that in mind the next time you hear of a pit bull beating up another dog. He, most likely, didn’t start that fight…http://therealapbt.blogspot.com/2013/11/richard-f-stratton-more-questions-and.html?m=1
And now a look into animal law psychology studies and bsl studies
Regardless of the official title, these dogs are arguably among the most loyal and most abused of all dogs in American culture.
Generally, pit bulls are remarkably gentle and are fiercely loyal toward humans. This quality has made them particularly attractive to dog-fighters because they will withstand considerable abuse and neglect at the hands of their owners and will remain loyal and non-aggressive toward humans.
https://www.animallaw.info/article/detailed-discussion-dog-fighting
https://www.animallaw.info/article/pit-bull-bans-and-human-factors-affecting-canine-behavior
So in conclusion the name Pit Bull or why they are called pit bulls is a moot point. Calling the entire breed a “Fighting Breed” is an exaggeration. Claiming they love to fight is a LIE. BSL only ensures the wrong people will continue to have them and breed them
Dogs R Dogs 