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History of Pit Bulls

Understanding the American Pitbull

CHARACTERISTICS, HISTORY AND UNDERSTANDING THE AMERICAN PIT BULL

UNDERSTANDING THE AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER By the general public, little is known about the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT). What they do know has been presented in the form of sensational news stories recounting attacks by these dogs. Is the Pit Bull a monster in dogs’ clothing, or is it the victim of circumstances beyond its control?
Size: Males (20-23”) Females: (19-21”) Weight: Males (35-60 lbs.) Females: (30-50 lbs) Appearance: Compact and heavily muscled, the Pit Bull has a broad head with wide, strong jaws. Its tail is medium length, with a slight curl. The coat is short, dense and glossy with any coloring and markings acceptable by the breed standard. The Pit Bull’s ears are naturally uncropped. Characteristics: Intelligent, courageous, alert, dignified, eager to please, playful, responsive, resourceful, determined Origins: To better understand the breed, one must look to its past. The Pit Bull was bred first to be a hunter, then a catch dog, and finally a fighter. In “jolly old England”, bears and bulls were pitted against dogs in bloody competitions on which bets were placed. Eventually, society became concerned about animal cruelty, and bull- and bear baiting were outlawed, forcing fans to go underground. Since bulls and bears are large animals and were hard to conceal, gamblers began to pit dogs against each other. The Pit Bull found it’s way to America during the colonization of the States. The American version is larger and more robust than the shorter Staffordshire Bull Terrier of England. The fighter: Any dog can fight, but the Pit Bull was bred for drive, intensity and the determination to win. A Pit Bull may not start a fight, but has the genetics to finish it. Often, the Pit Bull is blamed for the fight, no matter who started it. The fighting gene can’t be easily trained or loved out of a dog as many as 45 different bloodlines exist today some more game that others as if the history comes directly from a fighting kennel or fighting lineage/bloodline or no lineage at all that gene can pass directly to the puppy .If a puppy comes from game/fighting lineages/fighting breeder it might be harder to socialise with other dogs Many people can buy a puppy blind sited without going into the history of the dogs lineages .. By nature, Pit Bulls are very good with people. Dog aggression and people aggression should not be confused. Unless a Pit Bull has been very poorly bred (by unscrupulous individuals usually using abusive methods) it should not attack people. In the ring, a dog was to obey its master and back off on command.A pit bull has the determination to please their owner sadly if a Pit bull is crossed with any other breed some people will still identify the dog as a Pit Bull.Mixing breeds can alter any dogs temperament and in most cases can be deadly for example crossing a Pit Bull with a breeds like Mastiffs or boerboels that are great dogs but have been bred for different purposes and traits.
The current trend on the streets is the Red Nose Pit Bull. Historically called Old Family Reds, the Red Nose was “developed” in Ireland. A true Red Pit Bull will have a red coat, copper red nose, red lips, red toenails, and red or amber eyes. These traits are recessive. The only colouring of a Pit Bull found less often is a white Pit. To attain the Reds, dogs were recessively bred. Reds are known for their “gameness” and therefore are popular in the rings. The watchdog bloodline is an old bloodline that consists mostly of blue nose dogs with large heads and strong ,agile bodies.The bloodline was designed to catch prey ,such as hogs .Bred from Carver lineages and Hank lineages they have loads of working capabilities and lots of energy and very stable temperaments .These original lineages are also known to make stunning house pets as they highly intelligent and are very social .As Pit Bull dog fighting progressed the newer bloodlines came about and became more streamlined towards fighting in the ring.

The Pit Bull at home: Believe it or not, the Pit Bull makes an excellent housedog. Its medium size, and coat which sheds very little, make it desirable to keep. Its temperament is sound and even. The Pit Bull is intelligent and eager to please, and therefore, is responsive to training. The Pit Bull can be rambunctious until they mature, sometimes not until 2-3 years of age. In order to provide competent ownership, a Pit Bull owner must recognize and accept that dog aggression is not uncommon with this breed. Owners must use common sense and make sure not to set their dog up for failure by putting them in the wrong situations. By taking precautions, such as never leaving a Pit Bull unattended with another dog, a Pit Bull and other dogs can peacefully coexist. The owner must, however, be committed to taking these, and other, precautionary measures to help keep the peace. A structured environment and a firm, but loving, hand will help provide the proper home for a Pit Bull with socialisation with all people and other dogs in this way teaching love and balance If you plan to lock any dog in a cage and not socialise it with the world while a puppy it would be like locking you in a double garage for ten years and taking you out into the world later on you might be unbalanced  In conclusion:   The Pit Bull has proven itself to be an excellent companion for anyone willing to learn about the breed. Unfortunately for these loving and lovable dogs, there are many who view them as a hazard and a threat to the community. The threat comes from the humans who are irresponsibly breeding and fighting these dogs . Viewing them as nothing more than a commodity does the breed a great disservice. The community needs to look beyond the reputation, past the bad press, and into the heart of a Pit Bull, and remain objective. Perhaps the bad press needs to be redirected to the people who are giving the dogs a bad name.

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