InformationHistory of the Pit Bull:
This is a quick overview of the history of the Pit Bull family. When I say "Pit Bull" or "Pit Bull family"
I'm using it as a generic term for all the different breeds of dogs
considered to be in the "pit bull family". Such as: American
Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire
Bull Terriers, or any mix of those listed. So, to start,
we're going to begin with their history. The ancestor of the present day Pit Bull family
was originally bred in the
British Isles in the early 1800's, which is ironic because
they are now banned by the country that bred them. They
were used to "bait bulls" which was used as entertainment by the
struggling middle and lower classes. That's how
they became known as "bull dogs". A bull dog is any dog that
performs the work of a bull dog. In 1835 bull baiting was deemed
to be inhumane and illegal and was soon replaced by dog fighting.
The best fighting dogs were considered to be heroes and the trait of
dog aggression was selectively bred into the dogs. Along with dog
aggression they also added a very strong bite inhibition so that no
owners or handlers would get bit on accident. That's how they
became known for there love of humans.
Immigrants soon started to make the
journey to America bringing with them there possessions, family, and,
of course, their dogs. There fighting abilities were soon overlooked as
they were entrusted to protect family farms and help work around the farm.
Pit Bulls had quickly worked there way into the fabric
of the new country. They quickly lost there dog fighting imagine
and gained more of an all-American image. They were thought of as
friendly, caring, loving, and hard working dogs, which they still are
today by the people that know about the pit bull family. They show up in hundreds and hundreds of pictures from the
beginning of the 19th Century, with women, men, children, and families.
They were on all kinds of advertisements in magazines, posters, and
even World War I propaganda. They were depicted as the mascot of the
U.S. Military and the most decorated war dog of all time was none other
than "Stubby" an APBT, who ended up earning the rank of
"Sergeant". Today many families still own and love their Pit
Bulls just as they did back at the turn of the century.
What are some characteristics of the
pit bull? Pit Bulls have generally been a well muscled dog between 25
and 75 lbs., due to the different purposes for the dogs early on in
history. They have deep rib cages with muscular large font legs and slimmer,
more athletic hind legs. The massive heads and wide heavy bodies
recently seen are not a normal trait of the Pit Bull and for the
most part would have been unusable at the turn of the century.
Most of them do not possess the stamina and athleticism needed to work on a farm
or to be a fighting dog. They are mainly used for shows and
by fans of their overall look and build.
Why would you want to own a Pit Bull?
Pit Bulls are known for there incredibly loyal and intelligent
demeanors. They are people pleasers and love nothing better than
to be around people and have friends to play with them. They are used in
all types of job fields now. Everything from Search and Rescue to
Therapy dogs to Drug Dogs. But, you would never read about that in a newspaper.
The news only shows the bad things happening and you hardly ever hear about
anything good on the news nowadays anyways. If a pit bull saved 3 lives
you probably wouldn't hear about it, but if they accidentally bit
someone you'd hear about it for the next 3 weeks. Pit Bulls have
a bad reputation now and it's because of the owners, not the dogs.
Not all Pit Bull owners are irresponsible, but there is
definitely not a shortage of irresponsible owners, and that's what needs to change.
For more information on the Pit Bulls history visit our what's a pit bull? page.