- RedDoggy wrote:
- The only thing the pitbull was bred for other than fighting, back in the day, was breeding....
"Although the precise origin of the APBT is not known, we can reliably trace its roots back at least one hundred and fifty years or so to England. During the late 18th and 19th centuries the sport of bull-baiting was very much alive and
these dogs were bred to excel in this endeavor. The immediate ancestors of the APBT were Irish and English pit fighting dogs imported to the States. In America,
these dogs were used not only as pit fighters, but also bred as catch dogs (i.e., for forcibly retrieving stray hogs and cattle) and as guardians of family."
"The history of the pit bull far predates the time when bans on bull baiting caused blood sport fanciers to turn to fighting dog against dog. The very name "bull" or "bulldog" gives us the clue as to what the original purpose of this breed was."
"Like all purpose bred dogs, the purebred pit bull can come in a variety of colors, sizes and builds. Some strains show a touch more terrier infusion; thin and racy, with narrow heads, they may weigh as little as 25 pounds. Others are small, but very stocky, showing a clear connection with the smaller, stockier strain known today as Staffordshire bull terriers. And there have always been large, more bullmastiff orientated strains. Some of these dogs can, in a pure state, reach into the nineties in weight."
"Farmers and ranchers
traditionally bred and used their APBTs for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions.
Today, the American Pit Bull Terrier continues to demonstrate its versatility, competing successfully in Obedience, Tracking to include Search & Rescue (SAR), Agility, Protection, and Weight Pulls, as well as Conformation."
"The American Pit Bull Terrier is a working dog
historically bred for a wide range of working disciplines due to their intelligence, high energy and endurance. In the United States they have been used as search and rescue dogs that save lives, police dogs performing narcotics and explosives detection, Border Patrol dogs, hearing dogs to provide services to the deaf, as well as general service dogs."
"These American Pit Bulldogs were used for
all manner of work, including baiting, fighting, stock work, hunting, and farm dog. They were an agreeable animal, capable of extreme ferociousness but unwavering loyalty and gentleness towards humans. They were an animal-aggressive breed, but were routinely used in pairs to bait animals and hunt, so overt aggression towards others of their same species was not an extreme trait."
"The breed known as the American Pit Bull Terrier was selectively bred with the idea of it becoming the ultimate canine gladiator.
But by virtue of the fact that so much of the breed was made up of versatile bulldog blood,
the breed was also bred for a number of non-fighting activities, including those which the bulldog had been used for. Also, the traits bred for in pit dogs were surprisingly relevent in other arenas."
If you want to argue with all these breeders and historians, go right ahead, because they know more than I ever will and if you guys know more than them then I got nothing for you. My point still remains that the APBT was not
ONLY bred and used for the task of dog fighting. It was, and STILL is, the most complete dog breed and was bred and used for many different purposes, not only fighting. Im not trying to take anything away from the history of this breed in the pit, but it is also unfair to disregard the facts that this is a working breed that wasnt exclusively bred for fighting but also for other functional jobs. These working dogs still carry on today just as they did in the past, with all the traits of its ancestors still in tact when bred correctly, and are proven to be worthy of the APBT title.