History is a good thing

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER

In order to give a full history of this breed we must first go back to the early 19th century, prior to the existence of the cross bred bulldog and terrier. It was the cross between the Bulldog and the terrier that resulted in the Staffordshire Terrier, which was originally called the Bull-and-Terrier Dog, Half, and Half, and also the Pit Dog or Pit Bullterrier. Later, it became known in England as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and is the dog breed that ultimately started the American Staffordshire and American Pit Bull Terrier breeds.

Until the early part of the 19th century, the Bulldog was bred in England for the purpose of bull baiting. Bull baiting was a cruel sport in which a tethered bull, brought to market for slaughter would be attacked by bulldogs with the notion that the meat would be tenderized, prior to slaughter, by the bulldog's attacks. The contention that the meat was tenderized during these brutal bouts was not based on any fact and indeed served no real purpose other than to line the pockets of the men who trained their dogs to participate in these sadistic blood-matches. During these matches the dog would assault the bull, avoid the stomping hooves and slashing horns, grab on to a nose or ear, and hang on until the bull collapsed from exhaustion or lack of oxygen. Many of the dogs were crushed by stomping hooves, disembowelled by slashing horns, and tossed through the air causing broken legs, backs, and skulls when they hit the ground.

On the whole, both the dogs and the bulls suffered greatly. Every class of person from commoners to royalty enjoyed these spectacles as a means to divert themselves from the violence and diseases of their day to day lives. Mass public outcry finally forced Parliament to take a stand and ban the practice of bull baiting in 1835.

Once bull baiting was banned, dog breeders who appreciated the fierceness, courage, and tenacity of the bull dogs turned their attentions to breeding dogs for the purpose of dog fighting. They began with the bull dog, mixed in some terrier blood for gameness, and produced the Bull and Terrier, a dog that met all of their expectations. The Bull and Terrier was bred for aggression to other dogs, unrelenting bravery, a high pain threshold, a superior blood clotting ability to aid him when wounded, a willingness to fight to the end, and an unmatched affection for people.

These attributes were exploited by man, and these dogs were encouraged to fight each other in pits. The outcome of these matches depended upon the challenge issued. Sometimes the fight lasted until one dog was either pinned or chased from the pit, and other times the fight was not to be stopped until one of the dogs was dead. In any case, this is an example of man abusing the gift of the dog as a loyal companion by allowing these animals to suffer injury in order to gain the praise of their masters. An interesting fact to mention here is that the original breeders of these fighting dogs held one attribute to be absolutely necessary, devotion to people. If a pit dog ever turned on, bit, or showed aggression to a human it was put down immediately. This led to the breeds overwhelming people friendly personality and truly kept the breed from being an outright danger to man.

These dogs found their way into America as around 1870, as all-around farm dogs and frontier guardians. They excelled in their service to mankind on the frontier and soon earned a reputation as one of the finest dogs a man could own. To increase the dog’s usefulness in relation to his new frontier lifestyle, breeders of the Bull and Terrier began to selectively breed for a larger dog. The Bull and Terrier dog became adept at just about anything he was tasked with to include: herding, livestock protection, vermin removal, weight pulling, watchdog, and family companion. In all, things were good for this breed as it was loved and respected as a true family companion and faultless dog. Eventually, these dogs began to assume other names such as Pit Dog, the Pit Bull Terrier, the American Bull Terrier, and even the Yankee Terrier.

The United Kennel Club recognized the Bull and Terrier Dog as the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1898. Buster Brown shoes put it's mascot in every shoe with the image of Tige, an American Pit Bull Terrier, to enhance its image as a sturdy, dependable shoe. RCA used Nipper, a pit bull of unknown ancestry, to illustrate the clarity of sound emulating from it's phonograph by showing the pit bull being fooled into thinking he was actually hearing his master's voice and not a recording. The breed was also used to illustrate American neutrality without fear in 1914, the toughness of Levi jeans, and as a "defender of Old Glory". Then in 1917 came Sgt. Stubby, a pit bull of unknown descent, who became a war hero for saving several soldiers lives, and capturing a German spy, while serving in the trenches of France with the 26th Yankee Division. About two decades later came a sturdy white pooch with a patch over one eye named Petey, who played alongside a lovable bunch of kids called 'The Little Rascals'. The American Pit Bull Terrier was now an international icon representing America to the world. The dog’s popularity was at its highest and people recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier as the sturdy, strong, and lovable animal that it is.

The AKC shunned breeds called "pit bulls" until 1936, when it recognized the American Pit-bull Terrier under the alias Staffordshire Terrier, named after the miners of Staffordshire, England, who had a hand in the development of the original English fighting breed. Originally, 50 Staffordshire Terriers were accepted into the AKC. One of the original dogs was none other than the famous Petey, from the Little Rascals. The name was changed in 1972 to the American Staffordshire Terrier to distinguish the breed from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier of England, the ancestor to the American dogs, which was recognized by the AKC in 1974. The British version of the dog is 14-18 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs up to 45 pounds. The American cousin is 18-19 inches at the shoulder and weighs up to 80 pounds. The UKC's American Pit Bull Terrier is preferred to range from 30-60 pounds with the females generally, but not necessarily, smaller than the males.

Since acceptance into the AKC, the American Staffordshire Terrier breed of dog has been bred separately from the UKC's American Pit Bull Terrier. This has resulted in two separate breeds. This can get confusing, so let me explain. The AKC does not recognize the American Pit Bull terrier as a pure bred dog. The only bull terrier breeds recognized by the AKC are the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier. On the other hand, the UKC does recognize the AKC's American Staffordshire Terrier as an American Pit Bull Terrier and allows them to be registered with the UKC. Confusing? Yes. This subject is the source of much dispute, but as much as I try to avoid controversy about which breed is which, I guarantee you that I will offend someone

Today the American Staffordshire Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier are wonderful family dogs, capable of anything their owner’s demand of them. Neglect and bad training has been a cause for severe damage to the reputation of the breed and has resulted in the deaths and mutilations of a few people. There is a growing movement around the world to improve the ownership of these dogs and to educate people as to the true value these creatures hold as companions to people.

The Bull Terrier breed has a long history as a dog of the common man, and it is from his basic stock that the AKC's American Staffordshire and Staffordshire Terriers, and the UKC's American Pit Bull Terrier developed. Throughout history man has depended upon his dog for many things; protection, hunting, and most importantly companionship. The Bull Terrier breed of dog has displayed the highest level of service to mankind yet society has labelled him a killer and a vicious beast who's only reward for his sacrifices should be banishment and death.