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| About The Pit Bull Breed |
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| Fanciers of pit bulls all disagree on the exact history of the breed. Ideas about the breed's history and uses run from the romantic to the absurd. The reason is simple - none of us were there, thousands of years ago, at the beginning. However, a few things are known as fact: |
| 1) The bulldog and mastiff came from the same common ancestor, gripping dogs used for thousands of years in many cultures to hold dangerous wild animals while hunters killed them. |
| 2) The bulldogs of the middle ages resembled the breed we know today as "pit bull", and like the dogs of today, varied in size from quite small to bull mastiff size. |
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| 3) Through history, the term "Bulldog" referred to a type of dog, not a breed, just like "coonhound" or "pointer" describes a type of dog, of which there are now many varieties. Through history, "Bulldog" was a name used for any dog showing bulldog "type" or doing the work of a bulldog. |
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| Like most performance breeds (those bred for a purpose, not to a physical standard), the pit bull varies in appearance. They always have. Magazine ads for "purebred pit bulls" from the turn of the century show dogs ranging from pure white 100 pound specimens from which the "American Bulldog" was developed, to brindle dogs weighing as little as 15 pounds from which the Boston Bull Terrier was developed. Pit bulldogs were most commonly crossed with mastiffs or terriers, and this shows in some strains. Large, phlegmatic, heavy headed pit bulls show the mastiff influence, while small, thinly built, sharp nosed dogs show the terrier influence. Most purebred pit bulls, however, fall somewhere in between these two extremes. The true pit bull has existed in his present state far longer than most breeds. The average pit bull owner can trace their dog's written pedigree back to a time before their neighbor's "purebred" dog even existed as a breed! I find it amusing that the AKC continues to state that the "breed of the pit bull does not exist" and yet it has existed, in its present form and with written pedigrees, longer than 90% of the AKC recognized breeds. |
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| The pit bull has had a variety of jobs through his long history, first as a gripping dog for hunters, then as the work-mate of butchers. When you realize how large, strong and unfriendly most bulls are, you realize that ancient and medieval butchers had need of a strong, absolutely fearless dog which would, when bidden, race out and become a "living nose-ring" by attaching themselves to the noses of out of control bulls. Quite a job! This was the only way at the time, that a runaway bull could be controlled. No wonder good bulldogs were held in high esteem. No other animal on earth could do such a thing. From this work came the contest known as "bull-baiting" in which butchers and gamblers would set their dogs on a tied bull to determine who had the better bulldog. The dog which could grasp the bull by the nose and not be shaken nor thrown off, and which could subdue the bull by pinning its nose to the ground, would be the winner. Don't be fooled by the myths which have sprung up around the show-bulldog, the one about "bulldogs" needing or having severely shortened noses in order to hang on. Nothing could be further from the truth! A dog with a shortened nose, then as now, has trouble breathing and biting. Have you ever watched a boxer dog trying to do schutzhund? They have a very difficult time just getting a grip on the sleeve. Look at old pictures of dogs from the age of bull-baiting - they had normal noses. |
| When bull-baiting was outlawed, certain types of people still wanted to watch animals injure and kill each other, so dog fighting became popular. Since a dog fight is much easier to hide from the police than a bull-bait, dog fighting has remained to this day the most popular way for enthusiasts of animal fighting to get their kicks. |
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| From his history as a hunter's gripping dog, butcher's bull-baiter and gambler's dog fighter, the pit bull has inherited a strong desire to test his mettle against other animals. Many pit bulls are friendly with other dogs, and many live with cats and livestock, but it is not unusual for some pit bulls to be intolerant of other dogs. Despite the good intentioned advice of dog trainers who have little experience with bulldogs, or who fail to understand the dynamic nature of the breed, training and early socialization has only a minor effect on how dog aggressive a specific pit bull will become once it matures. Genetics play a much larger role. I recently had the opportunity to raise an entire litter of eight pit bull pups from birth to their present age of two years. These dogs were raised in the same environment, exposed to the same experiences and heavily socialized. The scale of dog aggression within this litter runs from a completely passive dog which will not show aggression to any animal to a dog which will grab any strange animal on sight, and everything in between. This is genetic expression at work - not the effects of socialization. It is important, therefore, that a person wishing to purchase a pit bull have a good understanding of the genetic background of the dogs from which their puppy will be bred. Find a breeder who breeds the type of dog you want. For those wanting an attractive, good natured family pet, it is possible to find breeders who specialize in large, oversized dogs which are often quite phlegmatic in character. These are often beautiful, blocky, wonderful dogs, though they are not really typical of the performance bred pit bull. These big dogs are very suitable for the first time pit bull owner who wants an even tempered family dog and the look of a "big, blocky" pit bull. True pit bulls are not big, nor terribly blocky, but the heavy, large dogs are very popular with novice owners. Some people feel they want only a "game-bred" dog, not even knowing what that really entails. If you live in a neighborhood, do you really want a dog which may spend its waking hours trying to grab every dog it sees? If your kid leaves the front door open just once, and the dog gets out, do you really want the law suits and hassle if it kills the neighbors poodle? When many of these "game-bred" fans ends up with the type of dog they thought they wanted, they decide pit bulls are "dangerous" after all. This is a case of foolish people - not dangerous dogs... These types of owners (and the breeders who sell them the dogs) are responsible for the majority of "pit bull incidents" and for dogs which show up in rescue and animal control shelters. Many, many people also equate "game bred" with dogs which will make good guard dogs. Nothing could be further from the truth. More often than not, "game bred" dogs are softer with people than show bred dogs. |
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| What can you expect from a pit bull? You can expect a medium sized, active, intelligent and faithful dog. You can expect a dog who will need hard daily exercise, EVERY DAY (rain or shine). You can expect a dog which will probably not get along well with other dogs, especially of the same sex. Do not buy a pit bull "to keep my other dog company". Many foolish people have come home to dead or injured dogs when they have left two pit bulls, or a pit bull and another breed together unattended. DO NOT leave pit bulls (or members of other strong, capable breeds; I recently heard of a woman who came home to find her cane corso had killed her rottweiler) together unattended, no matter how well they seem to get along. This applies to all breeds, and yes, many, many pit bulls live in peace with other dogs all their lives. This is just advice for novice people who may not "have a feel" for their dogs yet. |
| This is "Doc", flying low. Doc recently earned his French Ring "Brevet" title in fine style. Doc is proudly owned and trained by Tom Eberhard. |
| You can expect a well bred, stable and sound pit bull to not be much of a guard dog. While some dogs may protect you if the need arises, it is NOT a breed trait to be defensive of your car or home. They love people, and are glad to see them. Most pit bulls greet strangers like long lost friends. If you want a snapping, snarling guard dog, don't get a pit bull. I suggest a cane corso or fila instead; they will snap and snarl and do a much better job of guarding your property. I have a rescue cane corso and Dobermans for just that purpose. |
| Pit bulls are healthy dogs. They can easily live ten to fifteen years. Make sure you are ready for that kind of a commitment before you get one. |
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| Rescue dog Arial and her owner's son, Ryan. The pit bull is wonderful with children when bred correctly and reared correctly. |