Human Aggression, Animal Aggression, Culled Man-biters and The Desecration of Truth

There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths. Moreover, since he is aware, however dimly, that his opinions are not rational, he becomes furious when they are disputed.
Bertrand Russell

"Back In The Ole Bulldog Days These Manbiters Were Eliminated Immediately."
I hear this over and over again, so let me just ask who, specifically, ever culled a game "man-biter" back in "The Ole Bulldog Days?"
Earl T never minded feeding man-biters, even though his wife's legs were covered with bite scars. Some of Tant's dogs would just as soon eat you as look at you. I understand Burns' dogs were even worse.
I'd like to see someone step foot on V Jackson's yard if he wasn't around.
Carver kept his share of "man-biters," as did many many other famed dogmen.
In most cases, if a dog was good enough to win, it was good enough to live, regardless of who it wanted to have for dinner.
ROCKY ALEXANDER, APBT historian and former APBT breeder

Pit bull advocates are fond of saying that the American Pit Bull Terrier is no more aggressive than any other dog, and in fact they are LESS aggressive towards humans than most other breeds. They claim pit bulls make horrible guard dogs, stating their pit bulls would lick a burglar to death. They attribute the pit bull's love and docility of humans to the dogman's need to handle them in the pit and after the match, if they earned medical care, therefore, any pit fighter that was aggressive towards humans was culled. Or so the story goes. There are two problems with this claim. First, it minimizes animal aggression and exculpates pit bulls when they randomly flex their genetic muscle on unsuspecting animals. And second, it is patently false. This blog will only address the claim's lack of validity.

The pit bull evangelists have a litany of factually challenged, emotionally charged slogans ready to use in their online war of disinformation, each more ludicrous than the other. One of their favorites is "the dogmen culled man-biters". In the Nanny Dog and the ATTS myths, there was almost a kernel of truth at the core of the myths. Yes, the Little Rascals' Petey did appear to be the primary care taker of a group of neglected, poverty stricken, mischievous children and yes, the pit bull does score higher than many traditional family breeds of dogs thanks to the sociopathic machinations of the pit bull apologia.

In contrast, the man-biters were culled and the pit bulls were not bred for human aggression myths were created from thin air, complete fabrications. There is not a sliver of truth in the myth that dogmen culled man-biters. Not only weren't human aggressive pit fighters NOT culled, but a talented man-biter was heavily bred, his stud services were in high demand and the stud fees commanded a premium. The progeny of man-biters are still sought out long after he or she has passed away. This Italian game-dog website lists their choice for the Best Ever fighting dogs, three of the five are known man-biters and the other two trace their origins to the others on their "Best" list. Some famous man-biters have their own facebook fan pages. If you happen to be a 10x winner with 3 kills and scratching on the carcass, people tend to overlook a little thing like the danger she poses to people and she is also likely to be nominated for the cover of this month's International Sporting Dog Journal. Some famous man-biters not only have a facebook fan page, they have their own promotional merchandise too.

BadRap, Karen Delise and other pit bull advocates like to lay the blame of the current trend of breeding human aggressive pit bulls for protection on the 1987 Sports Illustrated Magazine. They believe the magazine turned the pit bull from loving nanny dog into an unstable meth lab soldier, forever tarnishing his image. But pit bulls have always been used to guard/watch property. This is not new to the contemporary backyard breeders who are attracted to the pit bull's thug image. It has been done in America since the beginning. Ads placed in the early 1900's prove this. Even the treasurer of the APBT club was peddling a human aggressive pit bull. And the oldest, most respected name in the history of the APBT, Joseph L Colby wrote in 1936, "As a watchdog he is unexcelled. This book could be written five times on this one subject, in regard to the American Pit Bull Terrier as a watchdog."

But there are APBT facts and then there are the comfortable myths the pit bull apologia tell themselves and others to conceal the fighting dog's true image and hopefully improve it. The fact is, if a dogman liked what he saw in the pit, the dog lived and it was bred with the hope of producing more high performance pit dogs. I have not found a single account of a great fighting dog or even a potentially great fighting dog who was removed from the gene pool prematurely because of poor temperament and a tendency to bite the hand that fed it. I have not found a single account of a great fighting dog or a potentially great fighting dog whose owner elected not to breed because of an aggressive temperament towards humans. The media accounts of the most famous fatal pit bull attack are oddly silent on the subject of the man-killer's fate.

This 1976 match report acknowledges the existence of man-biters and recommends the use of muzzles, not bullets to manage the problem.

July-August 1976
4th Match C. Beasley vs Starsky & Hutch M65 Ref. B. Clouse
Beasley's red and white handled by Joe Alvarado. Hutch handling a black. At the scales, while weighing the red and white, who is a bad man-eater, Alvarado lost control of the dog and headed right for Earl Maloney and bit him in the chest. Bill Carr kicked him loose and was bitten himself, very bad, just above the rib cage. That big crazy dog then headed for the crowd with his mouth wide open. Some one could have been seriously hurt if Bill Carr hadn't intercepted again, this time getting bit on the leg, through his boot. They finally got the dog under control and the match was on. Alvarado got fouled out for some bad handling in his corner and the Winner: Starsky & Hutch's black dog.
It would be a good idea to muzzle know man-eaters to prevent something like this from happening again.
Reported by Bobby D. Smith

One aspect of this particular pit bull myth that I find especially perplexing is that the group of people who most aggressively promote the man-biters were culled and pit bulls are people lovers who will only lick you to death myth are often the very same people who go to great lengths to SAVE every man-biter from euthanasia. This bizarre phenomenon is currently playing out in Godfrey, Illinois with a pit bull named Precious. After one unprovoked attack on another dog and three unprovoked attacks on humans, the battle is on to protect this man-biter at all costs, including condemning the victim, her parents and further endangering the community.



"Earl T never minded feeding man-biters, even though his wife's legs were covered with bite scars."

Surely, if a dogman had a prized pit fighter that did not exercise discretion between human and dog flesh, they would take extra precaution with it to ensure that no yard accidents occurred, especially in light of Colby's freak accident.

Thanks to the dogman's need to boast, we can lay two more myths to rest. First, the myth of the responsible dogman. Second, dog aggression does not equate to human aggression.

The life and times of legendary pit fighter and known man-biter, Gr Ch Gambler's Virgil ROM has been well documented and provides evidence that these are myths.

Here is Virgil on the chain and posing with puppies, cats, women and children.


















Virgil's heir and the heir to Virgil's legacy.

What do these photos say? These photos tell me that the line drawn between animal aggression and human aggression is an arbitrary one, as is the line drawn between irresponsible and responsible dogmen.




A quote from an interview with Diane Jessup in 2001:

Jessup believes that much of dog behavior comes from their genes. “I truly believe that a dog is about 90% genetics,” says Jessup. She believes that many of the aggressive pit bulls put down in the nation’s shelters are the victims of generations of indiscriminate breeding.

I don't know how the pit bull expert arrived at 90% or how accurate it is but i tend to agree that the number is high. Whether it is 75% or 95%, I don't know but it is my opinion that it is closer to 100% than 0%. Jane Berkey and Ledy Vankavage would like everyone to believe that genetically determined behavior of pit bulls hovers around the zero percent range. That is irresponsible, self-serving and just plain crazy.

Pit bulls have been bred for so long and so intensively for the pit, that their hard-wired violent tendencies don't always discriminate between dogs and people or dogs and cars or strangers and family members. Hard wired behaviors are true of many breeds of dogs, not just pit bulls and is probably best illustrated with the border collie. The border collie breed is not quite as old as the APBT, yet it is so hard wired to herd sheep, that if there are no sheep to herd, it will herd whatever is available. I have read accounts of border collies (and aussies, cattledogs, shelties) herding a variety of non-sheep animals and inanimate objects such as ants, cats, dogs, chickens, horses, rabbits, frogs, shadows, light, shoes, vacuum cleaners, tumble weed, leaves, snow, cars, carpet fuzz and HUMANS. No one is surprised when a border collie herds ants. And more importantly, no one tries to claim that it is the owner's fault for not properly training or socializing their border collie! The border collie's inability to refrain from treating children like sheep, often makes them a poor choice as a family pet, as they tend to nip while herding. The same cautionary approach should be taken with gripping dogs.

We recognize the border collie's hard-wired instincts to herd and it is dangerously foolish to deny the pit bull terrier's hard-wired instincts for violence.


"I will challenge you to show me the ped with no famous manbitters in it."
~ anonymous dogman

The following are a few pedigrees of known man biters and their first generation of REGISTERED offspring. As noted with the pedigree of human aggressive Lil Bit, not all offspring are registered, so the number of man-biter offspring is potentially much greater than indicated below.

Yellow John 66 registered offspring
Zebo 90 registered offspring
Art 63 registered offspring
Bolio 106 registered offspring
Angus (descendant of Spook & Eli) 9 registered offspring
Anderson's Spade 4 registered offspring
Mesquite Sam 1 registered offspring
Golden King's Silver 19 registered offspring
Zeljko's Yellow 3 registered offspring

Bullyson 129 registered offspring
The remaining man-biters listed below all trace their roots back to Bullyson.
Lil Bit
Virgil 336 registered offspring
Honeybunch 44 registered offspring
Buster 101 registered offspring
Tornado 9 registered offspring
Darla's Queen 7 registered offspring
Chinaman 189 registered offspring
* Chinaman sired the greatest producer of all time Frisco. It is irrelevant whether or not Frisco was a man-biter, he passed on Chinaman's (and Bullyson's) DNA on to his 1182 registered offspring.

Yacuza's Mr Indian 83 offspring
* Mr Indian is a pit fighter in the Balkans and his roots trace back to Bullyson, Bolio, Zebo and Yellow John. He is described as man-biter and a wall jumper.

Mr Indian

These 18 man-biters produced at least 1265 puppies.


links

Godfrey, Illinois

pitbulls.org

Diane Jessup 2001 interview

Pit Bulls by Gary Wilkes

Dogmen Conversations About Man-biters and Man-Eaters

Man Eaters by Gary J. Hammonds

Manbiter Discussion

Dogmen Conversationsions About Man-biters and Man-Eaters

Man Biters

Dogtrotter

Gambler's Virgil Stud fees

Dog Fighting and Pit Bulls

John P. Colby: the fountainhead of the American Pit Bull Terrier within the United States

1909 Dog Bite Fatality: John P. Colby's Fighting Pit Bull Kills Nephew

The American Pit Bull Terrier, Joseph L. Colby, 1936

Are Pit Bulls Different? An analysis of the pit bull terrier controversy - Randall Lockwood and Kate Rindy

Diane Jessup and man-biters

Tom Garner Kennels: Chinaman

Chinaman bloodline discussion

A few historical references to human aggressive pit fighters

1976 match report

Fairy Tales from the Pit

Locking Jaws

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth will make you mad."
Aldous Huxley

Pit bull advocates are fond of the misleading expression "they're just dogs". This erroneous claim is delivered with the intent to minimize the unique danger that fighting dogs present. The naive and the dishonest claim that pit bulls do not possess a distinctive bite style but honest and experienced dogmen know the truth, and that is why they recommend that all pit bull owners always have the proper tools close at hand in the event they need to disengage their pit bull from another dog.

It is a fact that pit bulls were bred to grip dogs, hogs and cattle and it is also a fact that they continue to be bred to grip dogs, hogs and cattle. Pit bulls are reluctant to release their prey, whether it is a rope, a hog, a dog or a person. They grab and hold, or in other words, they grab and lock.

On occasion you will see a more elaborate locking jaw myth, "Pit Bulls can hold on with their front teeth while chewing with their back teeth." I have not been able to track down the origin of this myth but I suspect its author was a pit bull advocate trying to further bury the truth in the absurd.

There is no physical locking mechanism in the jaws of a pit bull, their jaw physiology is no different from any other breed. What is different about pit bulls is their psychology, which is why you can not train even the most biddable dogs like border collies or the easy peasy lab to hang on a rope. The jaws of a pit bull do not technically lock but pit bulls often grab hold of their target and refuse to let go - sometimes even after they have expired. They are hard-wired for this behavior.

The gripping reputation of the bulldog is as old as the bulldog. President Abraham Lincoln used the bulldog's tenacious grip to describe General Grant, "The greatest thing about him is cool persistency of purpose. He has the grip of a bulldog; when he once gets his teeth in, nothing can shake him off." Ralph Waldo Emerson " 'T is the bull-dog bite; you must cut off the head to loosen the teeth. " Jack London described the bulldog grip in White Fang as the "clinging death". And Oliver Wendell Holmes referenced the unique bulldog bite style in a poem.
Stick to your aim; the mongrel’s hold will slip,
But only crowbars loose the bull-dog’s grip;
Small though he looks, the jaw that never yields
Drags down the bellowing monarch of the fields!

Here is what pit bull breeder, expert, advocate Diane Jessup has to say on the unique bite style of bulldogs.

There are aspects of ring sport which put the bulldog at a disadvantage when competing against sheepdogs like shepherds and malinois. The sport requires the dog, at times, to bite and then quickly release and retreat - something no true bulldog is willing to do. Also, biting the leg, which is considered preferable, takes more training for a bulldog who will naturally shun the extremities in favor of the more "courageous" bites to the body. A bulldog is bred to grip the head of its prey - whereas a sheepdog nips the legs. Therefore sheepdog breeds have a natural advantage in this regard.

It is not uncommon to have to resort to lethal means in order to stop a pit bull from attacking. Each month, the media reports one incident after another of pit bulls attacking other dogs, horses, livestock and people and refusing to let go even after being, kicked, beaten, stabbed, tased, pepper sprayed and shot. In October 2009, a pit bull had to be given a lethal injection after it killed one small dog, injured another small dog and then hung on to the owner's hand for 20 minutes. In August 2010, shelter staff were forced to give a pit bull a lethal injection when they could not stop it from attacking another shelter dog. In Alton, IL a pit bull was shot when it attacked a police officer serving a warrant. Its jaws had to be pried off of the officer's foot AFTER it was killed. In 1891, a bulldog redirected on a little boy and it had to be killed to stop the attack and loosen the grip. In May 2012, police fired 2 rounds into a pit bull during an attack on another dog. The pit bull was not fazed, the police fired another dozen rounds killing it. In Malaysia, a bull terrier bolted from a house and attacked a jogger. A good samaritan driving by saw the attack and stopped to assist the 74 yr old man. He beat the pit bull with an umbrella until it broke and still the animal remained undeterred and kept its jaw locked on Yip's neck. And the dead game little female pictured below had to be pried off of her opponent, after she died.



Those of us who have first hand experience of their locking jaws know the truth. Anyone who follows pit bull attacks in the media and still believes their jaws do NOT lock is lying to themselves. Anyone who tells you that pit bulls are "just dogs" is either lying to you or is ignorant of the true nature of gripping dogs.

If pit bulls are just like every other dog, why do they come with these special handling instructions and tools designed exclusively for pit bulls and with warnings against their use on normal dogs?

Demonstration of break stick


*Notice how this large, healthy, strong man struggles to disengage his own dog from a toy. Now imagine how difficult it is for the average person struggling with an unfamiliar pit bull who is latched onto their screaming beagle.

Advice on the proper use of the break stick use

Proper Break Stick Usage
Keep in mind that most dogs fight differently than pit bull dogs. A pit bull's inherent reaction in the heat of a fight is the one of a Terrier with a prey. The pit bull will work to get a solid grip and then hold and shake. This is quite different than most other types of dogs who do a lot of random biting, growling and barking but will most likely quit when their opponent shows signs of submission. In many cases, a non-pit bull fight will be a lot of noise and snapping jaws, usually resulting in little damage. Since a pit bull will firmly grip and hold its victim, break sticks have been designed to break their grip. This is the safest, easiest and most effective way to stop a pit bull fight. NO responsible owner should be without one.
(http://www.myspace.com/kbda/blog/262842586)


The way fighting dogs should be separated depends on the individual dogs as well as their typical breed characteristics. For example, pit bull specialists advise use of a strong "breaking stick" inserted into the mouth of bull-breed dogs, but not for other kinds of dogs.
(http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_FightsBetweenDogs.php)


Remember that Pit Bulls do not have any special mechanism or enzym that allow them to "lock their jaw", but they were bred to have an unmatched determination and to never give up.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE A BREAKING STICK ON ANY OTHER BREED OF DOG
(http://oldschoolreds.com/page14.php?category=21)


Do not attempt to use a break stick on other breeds of dogs.
(http://www.pitbulltalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21741&start=20)


Do not attempt to use a break stick on other dog breeds.
(http://www.pbrc.net/breaksticks.html)


Do not use a break stick on breeds other than the Pit Bull.
(http://www.realpitbull.com/breakstick.html)


Please do not attempt to use a break stick on other breeds of dogs.
(http://americangamedogkennels.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/1848970-what-is)


This item is not for use on average cur dogs, doing so may cause serious harm to both you the user and the dog your trying to use it on.
(http://catchdogreleasetool.jigsy.com/how-to-use)


Break sticks are for breeds that grab and hold.
Do not attempt to use a break stick on other dog breeds.
Attempting to use a break stick on other breeds could result in serious injury to the person using the stick. Since other breeds will unpredictably snap and bite instead of getting a grip, you are far more likely to be bitten. You also should not attempt to use a break stick with other terriers. While all terriers grab and hold, pit bulls are far less likely to redirect their bite on an intervening human than, say, a Jack Russell Terrier. For the same reason, you also need to be very careful when separating your pit bull from another breed. Your pit bull will probably not bite you, but you might get bitten by the other dog.
(http://www.game-dog.com/archive/index.php/t-51537.html)


The American Pit Bull Terrier
Cynthia P Gallagher
Wayne Hunthausen, D.V.M. Consulting Veterinary Editor
customer reviews 4.5 stars

Chapter 6 Training and Behavior p 107
Tips on Break Stick Usage
The following are some tips on how to use a break stick appropriately, without causing injury to yourself or your dog.

* Keep break sticks in a handy place that you can access quickly in the event of a fight, such as by the door to the backyard.
* Familiarize yourself with the break stick and how to use it before you ever need to use it. A real dog fight is no time for on the job training.
* Realize that if the fight is between 2 APBTs, the break stick may not succeed in disengaging them. Have alternate methods available, such as a garden hose to douse them water.
* Don't use a break stick on breeds other than the APBT. Their anatomy is different, and you might inadvertently injure the dog while trying to invert the stick.

So, according to THIS pro-pit bull author of this highly rated pro-pit bull book, pit bull anatomy IS different from other dogs. It should be noted that this author consulted with a veterinarian. So much for experts.


You can view examples of locking jaws in action at Staffordshires online and on craven desires, but be warned, these videos are graphic.


http://americasdog.blogspot.com/search/label/bulldog%20grip

http://cravendesires.blogspot.com/2012/02/for-historical-purposes-only.html

bite force video

Reflections on HB14

As pit bull advocates celebrate the recent passage of HB14 in Ohio, which repeals regulations on pit bulls by removing them from the definition of "vicious dog" in state law, a recent article in the Toledo Blade caught my eye. The article, titled "Move doesn't fix problem, Lucas County warden says" explains that simply removing pit bull regulations won't increase adoptions automatically; there are more pit bulls flooding the Lucas County pound than there are homes for. Despite the fact that the Lucas County pound intends to "loosen" requirements for rescue groups to take pit bulls directly from the pound, they still anticipate the continued euthanization of pit bulls, due to lack of homes. Which got me to wondering.... who in Ohio, is breeding pit bulls, if so many of the dogs end up homeless?

There is widespread agreement amongst dog lovers, humane advocates, and trainers as to what constitutes a responsible, ethical breeder of purebred dogs. The rubric for the ethical hobby breeder is defined quite clearly by hundreds of dog advocates, breed clubs, trainers, and humane groups and can be found easily in an internet search. Ethical breeders breed to "improve" the breed. They don't breed frequently, and have a well defined breeding program. They breed only titled dogs, and only to parents who have been screened for all genetic defects common to the breed. They require puppies going to pet homes to be sold with a spay/neuter contract. They belong to a breed club, and compete in some way in conformation or performance activities. Puppies are sold with the agreement that if the owner cannot keep the dog, it can be returned to the breeder at any time during the dogs life. They are there as a resource for puppy buyers, to provide help and advice on behavior, training, and health issues for the lifetime of the dog. Prospective puppy buyers will be carefully screened, and may be required to provide references. Puppy temperaments will be evaluated and the breeder will carefully match puppies to the right family.

In the case of working dogs, the breeder will not breed to any physical standard, but makes the dogs performance in the "work" he was bred for the basis of the breeding program. In the case of hunting dogs, the breeder will often have dogs titled as field trial champions. Breeders of working dogs will also screen prospective puppy buyers, and will refuse to sell a high drive, working dog to a "pet" home where it's need for exercise and meaningful "work" will go unmet. Again, dams and sires will be screened for any genetic defects common to the breed.

Breeders who fall outside of this description are "for profit" breeders, often called "backyard breeders". The goal of breeding the dog is simply to make money from selling the puppies. Obviously, there is a problem in Ohio with so many unwanted pit bulls flooding rescues and animal shelters... and that problem can be traced right back to the breeders, whose right to continue breeding pit bulls was defended and supported by the Ohio legislature. So who, exactly, are these people?

Imagine that I am a responsible dog owner who has decided that I want to purchase a pit bull puppy from a reputable breeder. I have researched what to look for in a breeder, and know exactly what I want. I do not want to rescue a dog; I have heard how "wonderful" pit bulls are at dog sports like agility and obedience, so I want to buy a registered dog from a breeder that I can "socialize" and start training from puppy hood. I decide to start my search on the AKC website, in the breeder classified listing, for an American Staffordshire Terrier. No Ohio breeders are listed. I then take my search to the national breed club listed on the AKC website.... The Staffordshire Terrier Club of America. I look at the national breeder listings here.... no Amstaff breeders listed in Ohio. I then tried to find a regional AmStaff club, based in Ohio, or even the midwest. No luck there.

I decided that I would try finding an American Pit Bull Terrier breeder from the UKC national website, based out of Ohio. There is only one name listed, with a phone number. Under "Health Screenings", there are "none listed". I google the name and phone number, hoping to get a kennel website, or at least find the breeder's name listed under UKC show results, but nothing comes up. This makes me uncomfortable, so I continue my search. I locate the national bred club..."The National American Pit Bull Terrier Club of America". I search for breeder listings, but none are listed. I search current events, looking for Ohio shows to try and find a kennel...no shows are listed in Ohio.

I next try to find a local breed club, and find the name of "The New Central Ohio American Pit Bull Terrier Club" listed on-line, with a name and phone number. However, I can find no website, or other reference to this club, no show listings, etc. I find no evidence that this club actually exists, so I move on.

I finally find myself at the ADBA registry, the American Dog Breeders Association. This is the breed club dedicated to "preserving" the American Pit Bull Terrier in its "original" form.... the registry for "game-bred" dogs, the dogs from fighting bloodlines. While the registry publicly condemns the "sport" of dog fighting, I am uncomfortable with this groups desire to "preserve" the trait of dog aggression that has proven so deadly to innocent pet dogs across the country. Since I am looking to be able to compete in dog sports, a game bred dog may be a bad choice for me, since a dog aggressive pit bull would be dangerous to have in off leash competitions and at dog shows. Still, I decide to see if I can find a local breed club to get more information....but none are listed in Ohio. I then turn to the breeder classifieds, where there are two litters listed in Ohio. Neither listing gives a breeders name, just a phone number and e-mail. I try to google what appears to be the kennel name of the sires and dams with no luck. Again, I am looking for a "responsible" breeder, who is proud to put his name and kennel out there, and show the public what his dogs have accomplished. However, I find another dead end.

Ultimately, I simply google "American Staffordshire Terrier breeders, Ohio", to see what I can find. I am encouraged to find a web page of AmStaff breeders, with four listed in Ohio... but none of the kennels can be found on-line, and although I can find some names of conformation champions in on-line pedigrees with two kennels, the information is dated; there is no indication that these kennels still exist. I do get several on-line classified ads for back yard breeders, or individuals with limited command of the english language looking to sell their pit bull which they can no longer keep, sell puppies, or stud out their male pit. I decide to try googling "American Pit Bull Terrier breeders, Ohio". I find a back yard breeder of hideous looking "American Bullies", selling untitled dogs with no health screenings...even though the OFA current data suggests that Amstaff and APBT suffer from some of the worst rates of hip dysplasia of ALL dog breeds. About 25% of the dogs tested... by their responsible breeders who actually test... are dysplastic. Imagine the rates of HD in these, bow-legged, cow-hocked monsters known as "American Bullies"?

I decide on one last try, and google "pit bull terrier breeders, Ohio". I get more back yard bully breeder/puppy mills selling puppies over the internet to anyone with a credit card. And of course, plenty of on-line classified where teenagers are trying to get 50 bucks for unvetted, six week old pit bull puppies. More of the same on Craigslist, where young women and wanna-be gangstas are trying to unload their pit bulls because the landlord is threatening eviction. So what can we conclude from this exercise? Does this mean there are NO responsible pit bull breeders in Ohio? Not exactly. I am quite sure there are a few kennels breeding and showing Amstaffs or APBTs that would meet the criteria of responsible, ethical breeder. But it appears that an average person looking for a "responsible breeder" of pit bulls would be unable to find them. It means that the handful of "responsible breeders", if they do exist, are in no way contributing to the crisis of unwanted pit bulls in Ohio. Most pit bulls being bred in Ohio are the product of unscrupulous back yard breeders, whose ONLY goal is to make money, and who are ignoring the health and temperament problems that plague the breed. Sadly, that is the best case scenario.

According to Pet-Abuse.com, a clearinghouse for information on animal cruelty cases across the country, there have been numerous cases of organized dog fighting across Ohio in the past decade. Game-bred pit bulls from fighting bloodlines can command top dollar in the underground world of dog fighting; judging from the number of large scale dog fighting rings that have been discovered in Ohio, dog fighters are also breeding pit bulls that end up in the Ohio shelter system. Add to this the fact that drug dealers in Ohio, like everywhere else in the country, are using pit bulls for guard dogs, and it becomes clear where all the homeless pit bulls are coming from.

So, who is breeding pit bulls in Ohio when thousands of pit bulls are euthanized in shelters each year across the state for lack of homes? We have the dog fighters, who are trying to breed animals that are so aggressive they will race across a pit to slaughter another dog in an unprovoked attack. We have criminals, gang members, and drug dealers, breeding human aggressive guard dogs. We have back yard breeders breeding macho dogs as thug fashion accessories. And we have the lazy, the uneducated, and the clueless kids who think they can make a few bucks selling pit puppies to their friends. None of the people breeding pit bulls care about the welfare of pit bulls... they don't care about breeding dogs that are healthy, and they don't care about breeding dogs with safe temperaments. The public has been asked to believe that the types of individuals breeding pit bulls in Ohio are somehow producing wonderful family pets, even when its obvious that many are selecting for aggressive temperaments, and the rest are ignoring temperament altogether.

Pit bull advocates who successfully lobbied the Ohio legislature to pass HB14 have not scored a victory for pit bulls... they have scored a victory for pit bull breeders. By removing insurance and containment restrictions, its easier for more amateur dog fighters to become involved in this underground "sport". Its easier for more young men who lack the drive and ambition to get an education and a real job to make money breeding "Monster Blue Pits" with bad hips and sketchy temperaments. Demand for hard looking dogs amongst irresponsible, transient youth will continue to feed the cycle of acquiring and abandoning pit bulls. Rescue groups that celebrate the passage of HB14 won't be celebrating when they realize that most families looking for a pet still don't want a pit bull. Insurers still won't sell policies to pit bull owners, based on their actuarial data; landlords still won't rent to pit bull owners because of liability issues. Home owners associations, condo boards, and military bases will still restrict them. The criminals, thugs, animal abusers, gang members, kids and losers who are breeding them will continue to create dogs with unstable temperaments. Pit bull attacks will continue to make headlines, as unstable dogs are adopted out into pet homes whose owners are unprepared to deal with them. Rescue groups and shelters will still be flooded with dogs that no one wants, and will continue their desperate attempts to market the dogs and make them more popular, while lowering their standards on who can adopt. In the end, permanent homes with responsible owners who contain, train, and manage the dogs appropriately will remain rare, and the cycle of acquisition, abuse, and abandonment will continue. Instead of addressing the problem at its source, and working for meaningful change to end animal suffering, pit bull promoters instead protect and support the very people who are hurting the breed they claim to "love". Until some animal welfare advocates have the courage to stand up and address the real issue of pit bull overpopulation by advocating restrictions on pit bull breeding, the number of homeless pit bulls euthanized will likely increase after the passage of HB14.

And that is definitely not worth celebrating.

Branwyne Finch

Psychopathia Canis

Shaped by dog-fight enthusiasts, they are "a perversion of everything normal dogs should do. What they've created is a canine psychopath."
RANDALL LOCKWOOD, PhD





The following is an excerpt from a book written by behavioral geneticist David T. Lykken.

Chapter 2
An Animal Model: The Bull Terrier

Having owned two bull terriers over the years, I have found my acquaintance with this breed more useful to an understanding of criminality than the perusal of most texts on the subject. The bull terrier was created as a fighting dog in the early 19th century by cross-breeding the English bulldog, for its strength and resolution, with the white English terrier, for its agility and grit. The bull terrier's quickness and tenacity, his powerful jaws, his relative fearlessness, and high pain threshold made him a formidable gladiator. But this breed's unusual appearance and lively personality proved attractive to many dog fanciers and for the past 100 years or so the bull terrier has been bred primarily as a companion animal.

Not everyone, however, is equipped with the patience and determination to cope successfully with a bull terrier pup. In dog obedience classes. where the herding and the hunting breeds keep their eyes on their masters, waiting for instructions and kind words, the bull terrier has a different agenda. He wants to romp and raise hell and he is relatively indifferent to punishment. With his great jaws he can reduce wooden chairs to kindling, destroy shoes and leather briefcases in a light-hearted moment, and create chaos in a hurry. The unsuspecting owner who just wants a dog around the house and chooses a bull terrier because he fancies the breeds' distinctive muzzle is in for a shock when he discovers that he has adopted a juvenile delinquent.

On the other hand, the bull terrier (Bully or BT to his friends) is outgoing. fun-loving and sociable, free of neurotic inhibitions. Polly Peachum, our first BT, matured to take a place in our affections like one of our own children and Slick Willy. the current incumbent, is making his way toward the same goal. Willie's pedigree shows that he is by Cry Havoc out of One Tough Cookie, which tells you something right there (about BTs and their owners). Because Willie is less than 1 year old, I am forcibly reminded each day of the parental attributes required to help him reach that goal of happy socialization. These include, on the one hand, my determination to be the boss, to refuse to tolerate unacceptable behaviors, and a willingness to take the time to enforce each lawful command. Little by little, as Polly did before him, Willy is slowly coming to realize that I am bigger and stronger than he is- that I am the Alpha dog in his pack-and that he will have to do what I say in the end. I have had to smack him a few times to get that point across; it is hard to hurt a bull terrier and Willy has never yelped nor appeared to be frightened, but when he is leaping and biting with youthful glee I do what is required to make him stop, now. and to display canine submission to superior authority.

Let me be clear that we really do like Willy; we enjoy his company when he is behaving himself and we enjoy playing with him and making him happy. We take him for walks and for rides and we let him watch television with us on the couch and he sleeps on my bed. The carrot is at least as important as the stick. Willy's obedience training is based largely on positive reinforcement; he sits and stays and comes because he's praised for doing it and wants to do it, and because he is gradually learning that, in the end, he will have to do it anyway. It is hard work to socialize a BT and it demands a certain amount of good sense and self-restraint. When Willy occasionally dashes out of the yard, willfully ignoring my "Willy! Come!," and I have to chase after him, often in my stocking feet, there is a strong temptation to belt him once I get my hands on him and it is difficult to say "Good boy, Willy" and bestow instead a friendly pat when finally he does come to me. But it would plainly be dumb to punish him when, his brief display of independence over, he does come to my command, just because I'm mad about his freedom dash which he has now put behind him. When Willy chews the top off a plastic bottle and floods the basement with a gallon of bleach, one has to be able to rinse off his feet, shut him up in his cage, and get out the mop with no more than a few muttered imprecations.

David T. Lykken

Lykken, D.T. (1995). The Antisocial Personalities. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers

the experts

the language of dogs, normal and psychopathic

Study Conducted by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Explains Why They Failed to Rehabilitate Vick Dogs and Why Fighting Dogs Will Never Make Good Pets

There has been a lot of press surrounding the new large-scale study conducted by Best Friends Animal Society and the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School of Medicine; in a nut shell, this study found that puppy mills inflict irremediable damage to pet dogs. It found that dogs used as breeders in puppy mills had long term psychological damage, regardless of how clean and well run it was. Here is an excerpt:

The results of the study indicate it really doesn’t matter if the breeding operation claims to be shiny and clean, abiding by the laws, or even whether or not they are licensed by the USDA,” McMillan said. “This study gives us strong evidence that the dogs kept in these large scale breeding facilities don’t just suffer while they’re confined there, but carry the emotional scars out with them for years even when they’re placed in loving homes. Many of the dogs show difficulty in simply coping successfully with normal day-to-day life.

There is no precise, legal definition of a puppy mill. It is generally accepted though, that they are large-scale commercial dog breeding facilities that operate for profit. It is generally understood that they will sacrifice animal welfare to maximize profits. In Defense of Animals notes that any breeder with 4 breeding animals that sells to wholesalers must obtain a USDA license, but that average puppy mills house 65 to 75 animals, though some house thousands.

The main contributing factor to the damage done to these dogs is poor breeding (inbreeding and over breeding), the isolation and lack of "normal" exposure to people, places, noise, etc. Even a small facility that keeps dogs in cages, inbreeds, over breeds, and limits stimulation and socialization can be damaging. The study admits that these dogs will often never be "normal".

So how is this different from what the Vick dogs experienced? The Vick dogs were kept like puppy mill dogs and in addition many suffered the added abuse associated with dogfighting. Federal officers reportedly removed about 54 apbts from Vick's property according to a transcript of his indictment. Of the 54 apbts, about 30 were found on chains in a yard.

Examples of dogfighter's yards show these are large scale

puppy mills designed to produce mentally damaged dogs

The Virginia Beach SPCA reportedly took Vick's 9 beagles, two rottweilers, and a cane corso according to other sources. The beagles had been kept in cages and reportedly had been used both as bait dogs and as blood sources for blood transfusions for the fighting dogs.

Read here about JR the rescued Vick beagle

Note that JR suffers from the exact

behavioral issues described in the BR study

Do you see any irony here? In fact, how is this different from what LOTS of pit bull breeders are doing with their "yards"? Vicks pit bulls were not pets, they were kept in isolated kennels, yet the public was told they all went on to assimilate easily and become normal pets! We all know that, in reality, thats not true. Read about Best Friend's Vick dogs: Shaky Mel, Handsome Dan, and the saga of Tug, Denzel and their victim, Beans). Then there is Sweet Jasmine, Sweet Pea and a third, nameless pit bull. Read their accounts and notice that these dogs were suffering in just the way the new BF study describes puppy mill dogs always suffer.

A perpetually terrified Sweet Jasmine bolted

away from her "responsible" owner, Catalina

Stirling, was struck by a car and died.

The HSUS, ASPCA, Best Friends, and other humane groups have previously been VERY careful when discussing commercial breeding operations, for good reason. MANY working dogs are raised in conditions that may constitute commercial breeding operations. Hunting dogs bred and raised on hunting plantations down south are very typically raised in outdoor kennels, whelped outside, and not treated or handled as pets. Some detection dogs used for security are kennel raised dogs...Some trainers stopped placing bomb sniffing dogs in homes, in part because they were using play drive for training, and the toy had to become a high value resource; in a family home, they were playing a lot, and lost motivation. Kenneling them allowed the rewards to be more controlled.

There is a very real distinction between working dogs, being used for a specific purpose, and pets, whose role is that of a companion animal. Working dogs who are kenneled and bred in commercial breeding operations are NOT pets, but they ARE afforded an opportunity to regularly engage in the type of meaningful "work" which they are genetically motivated to do. In doing this "work", they get companionship from their handler, appropriate exercise, and rewards, which may consist of food, playtime, affection, etc. Because of their innate drive and desire to perform the "work" which they were bred for, and the fact that this work allows them to form a close partnership with their handler, the quality of life these dogs have is often as good as, if not better than, many pet dogs.

On the other hand, the "job" of a pet dog is to be a healthy, friendly, biddable companion who can assimilate easily into our home and community. That is the "work" of a pet dog. The study makes it clear that commercial breeding operations do NOT produce dogs that are suitable for this "work".

One working dog that must also be highly companionable is the Seeing Eye dog. Long ago, The Seeing Eye recognized that they needed to raise their own dogs to develop dogs that have the best innate temperaments and that were physically very healthy. They also recognized that the had to raise the young puppies in families in order to produce mentally healthy, sociable, companionable and biddable dogs that were suitable for their work.

Companionable, biddable, working Lab puppy being

raised with a foster family as part of the Seeing Eye's

puppy raiser program

Dusty, a Seeing Eye dog in training, was living

with a foster family as part of the puppy raiser

program when a pit bull attacked him and he had

to be washed out of the program

So any kennel that claims to breed dogs as companions, yet houses them like livestock, can be labeled a puppy mill. Which begs the question....which type of breeder are these APBT breeders who run large "yards"? If both common sense and science show us that raising dogs on chains and in kennels does NOT produce a dog that makes a good pet, can we then assume these are "working dogs"? If they are "working dogs", what kind of "work" do they do? If you have 50 pit bulls on your property, on chains and in kennels outside, and are selling their puppies for huge sums of money, what kind of people are buying them? Since anyone looking for a pet pit bull can find literally hundreds of them in local shelters, with incentives thrown in such as reduced adoption fees, free or low cost training, s/n, shots, etc, why would someone buy one from a breeder? If pit bulls in pet homes are being abandoned by the tens of thousands and ending up in shelters, doesn't that mean they are failing at their "job" as pets? Doesn't it indicate that there is NO pet market for these dogs? So what is the real market for large scale pit bull breeders?

Why is it not OK for a pug to be raised in a kennel, but it IS OK for a pit bull to be raised in a "yard"? Why are the Vick dogs held up as success stories, when they show all the same symptoms as the permanently damaged puppy mill dogs? And if all these large scale breeders of fighting dogs are truly selling them as pets, why isn't Best Friends publicly condemning them for the damage done to these dogs?

So is Best Friends willing to take on the dogmen now? The Best Friends study concludes that dogs raised in large scale breeding operations will never be what our society considers "normal". We have no complaint with that conclusion. But at the same time that BF is paying for and promoting this survey, they also advocate for the placement of pit bulls found during dog fighting investigations. These pitiful victims of the dog fighting culture have been raised in isolation, have not been socialized, bred for an activity so violent that it is a felony in all 50 states, and they are inbred to an extreme. BF has successfully championed changes in state law to allow these most dangerous damaged dogs to be adopted into our communities.

Why isn't BF concerned with the breeding and husbandry practices of pit bull breeders? Why isn't BF concerned with the safety of the humans, pets, and livestock that will come into contact with the dogs bred and trained for dogfighting that they have placed in your neighborhood? Can Best Friends explain how dogs of a hundred different breeds are damaged by commercial breeders to the point where many never become normal pets, but pit bulls can be raised in yards, rescued from fighting rings by amateurs and, with hugs and kisses, become normal pets?

Can we ask Best Friends to publicly condemn dog fighters' commercial breeding operations? Who do you think is buying these old time dogfighter's dogs, and for what purpose? Can we conclude that dogs not bred by responsible breeders and raised and housed as pets will not be "normal"? Shouldn't that mean we should be looking at regulating large scale pit bull breeding operations? Shouldn't we demand that BF look at their own research and condemn the practice of attempting to rehabilitate fighting bred dogs from dogfighting busts? After all, they have just proven that these dogs can never become normal and safe companions in homes.

Authors: Branwyne, april29, snacksizeddog

Vintage Pit Bull Photos Prove What?

The tide is turning once again. The pit bull apologia recently went on a large scale cut n' paste spree, asking dull minded and lazy journalists to pop a pre-fab nanny dog blog into their columns. That spree has been sending several thousand people to the Nanny Dog Myth post in this blog. Thanks guys for putting the Truth About Pit Bulls blog on the first page of google results. It's so much easier to find now! And lo and behold, In the comments sections of those articles, we read with astonishment that the pit bull apologia is actually backing away from the nanny dog myth:

"While I do not subscribe to the "Nanny" dog theory (NO child should be left alone with ANY dogs)..."

"The term "nanny dog" should not be taken to a literal extreme."

And previously, from the KC dog blog:

"yes Lori, the pit bull haters use the nanny dog against us, because they know it's not true. It should be enough for us to say that pit bulls were beloved family pets (and at the same time they were commonly fighting dogs)... we have tons of photographic/written contemporary evidence for that, and we can throw that evidence in the haters' faces. When we exaggerate, we lose effectiveness... which is the point Brent is making as well."

Ah, look at that. Now the pit bull apologists are backing away from the nanny dog myth and pulling out old photographs as "proof" that pit bulls were always regarded as house pets who were safe and loving companions to children.

As blogger Digger astutely argued, they're "moving the goal post."

"This is what we call moving the goal post. If this is your new argument then you will have to acknowledge that the title is nothing special. Almost ANY breed of dog could be named or be known as a "nanny dog." Apparently all you need as proof by your criteria is a bunch of pictures of a certain breed with the child. ... Your argument is faulty and flawed, now you're just scraping at the bottom of the barrel in hopes that some form of copy-pasted information you throw out in your defense will actually work."

Supposedly, the existence of these old photographs with no provenance and no accompanying explanation proves several things:

1. The parents who let their children pose with an animal always have good judgment and would not put their children in a dangerous situation.

2. The dogs we see in those old photographs of pit bulls with the children were simply family pets and weren't used for dogfighting.

3. The dogs pictured were cherished and valued solely as devoted companions of the children they're pictured with, and the owners weren't dog fighters making brag photos of their most prized possession next to a child that was being used solely as a prop.

4. Capturing that one moment in time proves that a pit bull is safe.

First Point

Parents who let their children pose with an animal always have good judgment and would not put their children in a dangerous situation.

Nanny alligators and crocodiles:

Nanny bermese pythons:

Nanny lions and tigers:

Nanny Rhinocerous:

Nanny dog: Alfas Ch Brick Rom 5xw 1xl

Click at your own risk to see some extremely disturbing photos that demonstrate the above photographs lie if presented as proof of safety and good judgment.

Second Point

The dogs we see in those old photographs of pit bulls with the children were simply family pets and weren't used for dogfighting.

The following photos look like the many vintage family photos on pit bull apologist websites purporting to show pit bulls as simply family pets.

There is provenance and a written record of these photos, however. They are from the family scrapbooks of Gary Wilkes, an acclaimed animal behaviorist, trainer and author with over 30 years experience studying and training dogs. His grandfather was a dogfighter and the dogs seen above with the family fought in the pit. One of them attacked a man and caused the man to lose his leg. After that, the family got rid of the dogs. He wrote an insightful and instructive article about about pit bulls and why regulation is necessary.

Third Point

The dogs pictured were valued and cherished solely as devoted companions of the children they're pictured with, and the owners weren't dog fighters making brag photos of their most prized possession next to a child that was being used solely as a prop.

Do any of these children look like they're with their devoted and beloved companion? All three children look somewhat worried and afraid. The dogs aren't attentive to the children either and seem to be attentive to someone off camera. Could the children be afraid of taking a picture? Sure. Could they be scared of a dog they don't know? Sure. Is there anything to indicate more than a dog that is sitting on command next to a child that does not look comfortable or relaxed for a very short period of time? No. Supposing anything more would just be guessing and spinning tales.

"This is little Mudd & our fine dog Jack"

--from inscription on third photo

Are these photos of a child with their dog, or photos of a valuable asset with a child being used as a prop? These photos show the dogs front and center literally and figuratively. Can we know the the motives and priorities that prompted these portraits? No.

Fourth Point

Capturing that one moment in time proves that a pit bull is safe.

A few portraits really do seem to convey affection between a child and a pit bull.

This boy really seems to like his pit bull.

This boy really seems to like his pit bulls, too. However, these pit bulls killed a 10 year old boy after this photograph was taken.

And these photos seem to show a boy with his well-loved and cared for pits, as well.  But a couple years after these photos were taken, one of his pit bulls  viciously killed him:

These old photographs can't prove that the pit bulls in the photos were safe or that it was good judgment to let those children pose with the dog. These old photographs can't prove that the photos are of family pets and companions of the child. We can't tell by looking at many of these brag photos if the owner was showing off a child and their pet or showing off a valuable and prestigious fighting dog with a child. No one can know how many pet pit bulls later "turned on" and attacked after their portrait was taken.

These old photographs prove exactly nothing. And often when we know the story that surrounds the photos, we find the photo, if used as proof of a cherished, loyal, safe family dog, is an outright lie.

UPDATE: :

After this photo was taken in South Africa, this boy's pit bull jumped over its fence and killed an elderly man with no provocation on the man's own property:

Accessed: 2012-07-27. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/69TnlcDoV)

UPDATE: 

This small child was killed by his pit bull very soon after this photograph was taken.  The mother judged this pit bull as an individual and believed this individual pit bull was a nurturer:

Accessed: 2012-07-27. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/69TntcgNx)

UPDATE:

These young men are showing us a photo of one of their pit bulls with one of their babies.  The photo was taken before their dogs killed a woman.  They are inadvertently proving that even if you raise a pit bull to be a family pet, it still might go on to launch an off property, unprovoked fatal attack.

UPDATE:

June, 2013  - After this photo was taken, this boy was killed by his pit bull.  His mother said, "It was like one best friend turning on the other,” said Tilema Selu. “He had no signs of being hostile. In fact, we felt confident that it was a protector of our children.”  Selu said her son, Nephi Selu adored the pit bull mix that killed him at his grandparents’ home in Union City on Monday.

Accessed: 2013-06-22. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/6HZXxvwyS)

UPDATE:November, 2013 Photo of Lexi Branson hugging her pet dog that was later to kill her.  "Neighbours said the family had the dog, named Mulan, for only around two months after picking it up from a local rescue centre...Family friends said Ms Hudson had been told the dog was safe around children. The animal apparently attacked Lexi without provocation."

Accessed: 2014-03-28. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/6OPiWuEjk)

UPDATE: March, 2014 Photo of 4 year old Mia DeRouen with the 130 pound pit bull that later killed her.  Both the dam and the sire of this massive pit bull were UKC registered American Pit Bull Terriers.

Accessed: 2014-03-28. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/6OPne9Hlz)