History of the American Pitbull Terrier
As told by, and to, The Raven
We will now embark on a visual journey and informational journey. Where I can give credit I will, and when I generalize that means I might not remember,or care to sight my source. I reiterate when I say this is my personal history with this breed and what I tell you can easily be proved, or is common knowledge. The rest is my personal experiences. Mostly I want to dispell some Myths and tell some truths. Its all about the American Pitbull Terrier and his rich history with the common folk, mostly hill people, from the North to Mid East regions of the United States and imparticularly The Appalacian Mountain Ranges of VA right up through PA and into New York.
Well, as I understand it these dogs where originally brought here from England and Wales and they were an all purpose farm dog with the heart of a lion that could take care of your cattle or your kids. This is where I think the association of the Pit and The Lower Classes was born. These lower class usually uneducated folks from the heath or country(hence the word heathen) depended on their dogs sometimes for their very existance. Alot of us want to ignore the past and deny the history of the pit fighting dog, but if we ignore that we will be doomed to repeat past mistakes, and may pay with the demise of our breed.
The history is very important if you want insight into the mind and general character of this knoble creature. If you hope to keep him, you and all the creatures around him happy, you better honestly try in ernest to understand him,or you will add to the awful stigma we have doomed him to bear.
First and formost !!! If you are the type of individual who is easily bullied by your dog. A person who spoils and babies your dog and treats him like a human child, DON'T EVEN THINK OF IT!!! STAY AWAY FROM BULLY DOGS. This IS a dominant dog breed and if you do don't take control from the begining you will be in trouble. He will be master of your house NOT YOU.
Myth.......
Pitbull terriers are aggressive with small animals naturally. Bull pucky.....Take a look at these pictures and tell me how dangerous this 75 pound monster with a 22 in head is to small animals
I have found in my personal experience to be a big fat myth. The only dogs I had trouble with were dogs that had been cat baited (see glossary)or that were expected to attack by their owners. Lets not set him up with more problems than he has,because you DO have enough to contend with already.
Not a Myth.......
Within the APBT breed there IS a propencity toward dog on dog aggression, and the owner is RESPONSIBLE for the behavior of their own animals.
Please try and understand. We were STARVING in those hills these animals died to feed us through some pretty hard winters and times where we had no idea where ,how , or even IF we would survive.He fed us with his very blood. And one thing is evident to this day, we hillbillies loved those dogs! We took our dogs to rings in hopes our dog would win a match that was sanctioned and even had referees. To feed us and our children it was a sport of human nessecity. Dog men back then still loved their dogs and they didn't want to lose a good dog worth big money. Two owners and the ref were in the ring at all times and is one of the reasons dog on human aggression was NOT tolerated. A dog showing this trait was killed immediatly,making this trait more rare among our breed than say, a chow, a Rott or even a Poodle. Ever see a standard poodle? These are some badass guard dogs!
We bred this dog for AT LEAST 2000 years that I know of to fight each other for either entertainment or capital gain, but really mostly survival, and that we CAN forgive. What I cannot, is the fact this still exists, and it aint about survival now. It is about blood thirsty barbaric scum that enjoy the evil and violence of this world. A horror movie LIVE.....blood gore death.....no rules, to the death fighting.
Dog aggression is STILL an intergrel part of owning an APBT and must be addressed. I have made some TERRIBLE misjudgments in my time and I am willing to share them with you in order you do not have to experience what I have, and pay with $$$$ to put someone back together, or worse your heart if your bully jumps on one of your buddies dogs and kills it or even one of yours. These dogs are NOT suitable for a community or household with a pack if that "game" gene pops up unexpectedly and by surprise your in for a terrible tramatic experience!!! IF you have any heart at all!!! Either decide to have 1 dog only, or be able to provide him with the proper facilities. Few people want to put this kind of effort into their dogs, but once you own a bully and nothing else will do after, you would be VERY surprised what you would be willing to do for him!
The following is a link for the story
Don't it make My White Dog Red?
Not a Myth!!.......
DO NOT try and keep two bully studs at the same time unless one is neutered! Or you have the proper facilities! i.e.......seperate enclosures and seperate fenced yards or good quality kennels. Please don't chain these dogs it promotes their natural predisposition for aggression! These dogs even if raised together will someday sort out who is top dog, and if you are not there, you risk coming home to a dead dog
Myth.......
It's all in how ya raise them! Yea, they were my thoughts too. That somehow if I took the dog out of the fight ring, that somehow I would no longer have a dog who wanted to fight, or LOVED to fight.I wished it was so and I nearly lost a dog because,I wanted it to be so. But it is not, alot of people are gonna be very unhappy about me saying this. The undeniable facts are this breed is mentally programmed and genetically encouraged to fight OTHER dogs.
Not cats, usually not smaller dogs (exception being if he is attacked by the smaller dog), usually dogs that will not cow down to him immediately or other dogs that show any aggression toward him. Males are the worst of the two, esp at sexual maturity, approx at one year to 18 months of age he becomes this butch testosterone making factory, and anyone who challenges him or doesn't give him his "Props" (total respect).......well, it's on lets say. Myth......
Pitbulls are crazy in the head and can snap on small children or people without warning. I find the dog is no meaner than it's owner usually. With the exception of ill bred dogs, ANY BREED is dangerous if ill bred! With the popularity of these dogs right now we ARE going to find more defects. As with the Doberman in the sevenities, and the Rottweilers and Jack Russels in the 90's our bully seems to be the dog of the new millineum.
Imagine a pit with a personality of a jack!!!!! I'd rather not as we have suffered enough at the hands of the irresponsible people and wanna be badasses.I am very sad to say this considering the damage done to the afore mentioned breeds.
Myth........
A pitbull is a one person dog after he has an owner he will never be loyal to anyone else.
This is the biggest whopper of them all. If anything it is the total opposite, I have been involved in many rescues of many types of animals and breeds of dogs. The easiest place and had the very LEAST trouble patterning on a new owner was the APBT.
The final .......
Not a Myth.......
and its a biggie.......
Once you own an APBT no matter how callous you may be against this breed,or the prejudgice you carry, he will win your heart and commit you to a life long servitude to him. (Raucous Laughter) Truely it is like the most powerful love spell ever cast and once your in love with a bulldog you will NEVER look back. Bully worshipers are like no other dog owner, other dogs simply don't exist for us. No one else could satisfy our discriminating taste. No one is smarter, braver, stronger and is richer in American History, after all THESE are the dogs that helped build America and for that alone we owe these dogs a debt of gratitude. As I look down at my red nose I realize....this dog could take care of my cattle or my kids how does it get any better than that? My first dog and my last the American Pitbull Terrier.
Most of this history is basically words of old school dudes that I have either spent sometime with while wandering through their states or information I gathered from a bunch of sadistic assholes namely fight promoters. Most is 30 years experience, some good, some bad, but all mine. Yes believe this pit fighting IS alive and well today and unfortunately enjoying a renasainance at the hands of individuals that get off on the pain and agony,of an animal that is bent on pleasing its owner to the death. This is for you guys........FUCK YOU. I wish there was a hell so you guys could go, cause you deserve it.
OK......
Sorry if I have offended I apologize to all the gentle folks but I've needed to get that off my chest for years.
The Raven 2004