[9361]

I have always read that the pit bull went from a quietly talked about breed to an all out bad guy in the media. And I heard that it occurred sometime after the banning of dog fighting. I heard this was due to people getting out of the fighting sports just turning their dogs loose, but don't know if it's true or not. Do you think that the banning of dog fighting brought a lot of attention to a little known sport... thus the thugs saw it and decided they needed to get a pit bull? I just wonder when the first pit bull attacks were reported in the media and how all of the myths such as locking jaws got started.

 

[Celestial88]

I'm not sure. I watched a documentary a long time ago that said it started after a report on the news showed images of dog fighting.

And DMX having his dogs barking and lunging at each other in his videos didn't help either.

 

[circlemkennels]

I'm not sure. I watched a documentary a long time ago that said it started after a report on the news showed images of dog fighting.

And DMX having his dogs barking and lunging at each other in his videos didn't help either.

did you watch "Off the Chain"... i know they show that DMX video in it (IMO stupid movie that made no sense) i think people are just afraid of what they dont understand... after people saw pics/videos of dog in pits then it terrified them of the thought of them running loose.. JMO

 

[KMdogs]

Well at one point in time the APBT was considered the American dog. Many people owned them for their loyalty to the family members and at this time in history not all were dogmen or fighters.

IMO it slowly started to turn probably in the late 60's and 70s, the more the demand was the more BYB's started popping up across the country and thats when HA APBT and other genetic flaws started popping up more heavily.

In the 80's (i believe) a Sports mag publicized on the cover a "vicious pit bull" with large bold lettering "BEWARE OF THIS DOG", for the life of me i can't remember the mag that produced this but ive seen pictures of, ill try and find it again. Even though in the public eye things had already started turning against the breed once this was published every person wanting to establish a reputation of being "bad" and "tough" wanted this dog because of the pictures and misinformation it had provided.

in the mid 80's on up to early 00's underground pit-fighting started on a huge rise and of course, majority hurt the breed. BYB's also had a huge impact producing horrible "examples" of the breed.

Another thing is in the early 90's American Bullies started rising up as well, which as you well know added (still does today) confusion on what exactly is an APBT and in my opinion right around the time AmBullies started gaining popularity is when people started believing more and more that APBT were huge, muscular vicious man eaters.

the 1970s - 1990s was the biggest hit for the breed. Now, everyone wants one because they feel they are qualified to rehab the image but honestly most don't even or know what an APBT is and the large portion of others don't have enough knowledge or understanding of the breed to even own one... which in return is counterproductive.

 

[Saint Francis]

I think that the APBT has always had a bad reputation since day one because of its use in dog fighting. Dog fighting wasn't accepted by everyone, even when it was legal. People just looked at the dog as an extension of the owner and deemed it just as evil. It is similar to how people feel about handguns; they hate handguns even though it is the human that pulls the trigger every time. "Punish the deed, not the breed" is the slogan that attempts to clarify the issue, in pit bull terms All my opinion of course

 

[L4NE4]

I think that the APBT has always had a bad reputation since day one because of its use in dog fighting. Dog fighting wasn't accepted by everyone, even when it was legal. People just looked at the dog as an extension of the owner and deemed it just as evil. It is similar to how people feel about handguns; they hate handguns even though it is the human that pulls the trigger every time. "Punish the deed, not the breed" is the slogan that attempts to clarify the issue, in pit bull terms All my opinion of course

Completely agree with you. I am an avid shooter and huge supporter of the second amendment. I always tell my friends that I probably make a lot of democrats very uncomfortable... I have a pitbull, own lots of guns, and go to church. (no offense to democrats here, dont need to start a debate).

 

[Sadie]

The biggest mistake behind this breed is dog men letting these dog's go into the hands of the general population. That was the start of it all. Bulldog's don't belong in the hands of the general population the general public never needed fighting dog's as pets even though they were family dog's they were still bred for one purpose and that was blood sports. It's not a matter of them being fought because dog men are not responsible for the APBT attacks on humans or the constant attacks on other dog's the general pet bull owner's are. Dog men knew these dog's and what they were created for so they knew how to properly maintain them and could keep them safe they bred the dog's to a standard and they culled what needed to be culled. Where they messed up at was putting them in the hands of novice owner's who really don't understand this breeds genetic make up. As a result the breed became popular and when something becomes popular amongst the masses you are bound to have a great deal of idiots mixed into the equation. These dog's became over bred by the inexperienced idiots , and the breed slowly began to fall apart. Dog men should have never allowed these dog's to go into the hands of the general public they are fighting dog's first and foremost and need to be with people who understand and respect that. Now we have people trying to create a false image for this breed, taking them to dog parks, breeding them to arse backwards standards. Trying to turn them into spoodles because they can't handle them for what they were bred to be. It's completely screwed up and I for one appreciate those left still breeding these dog's to the standard for which they were created.

 

[aus_staffy]

Well at one point in time the APBT was considered the American dog. Many people owned them for their loyalty to the family members and at this time in history not all were dogmen or fighters.

IMO it slowly started to turn probably in the late 60's and 70s, the more the demand was the more BYB's started popping up across the country and thats when HA APBT and other genetic flaws started popping up more heavily.

In the 80's (i believe) a Sports mag publicized on the cover a "vicious pit bull" with large bold lettering "BEWARE OF THIS DOG", for the life of me i can't remember the mag that produced this but ive seen pictures of, ill try and find it again. Even though in the public eye things had already started turning against the breed once this was published every person wanting to establish a reputation of being "bad" and "tough" wanted this dog because of the pictures and misinformation it had provided.

in the mid 80's on up to early 00's underground pit-fighting started on a huge rise and of course, majority hurt the breed. BYB's also had a huge impact producing horrible "examples" of the breed.

Another thing is in the early 90's American Bullies started rising up as well, which as you well know added (still does today) confusion on what exactly is an APBT and in my opinion right around the time AmBullies started gaining popularity is when people started believing more and more that APBT were huge, muscular vicious man eaters.

the 1970s - 1990s was the biggest hit for the breed. Now, everyone wants one because they feel they are qualified to rehab the image but honestly most don't even or know what an APBT is and the large portion of others don't have enough knowledge or understanding of the breed to even own one... which in return is counterproductive.

:goodpost:

The biggest mistake behind this breed is dog men letting these dog's go into the hands of the general population. That was the start of it all. Bulldog's don't belong in the hands of the general population the general public never needed fighting dog's as pets even though they were family dog's they were still bred for one purpose and that was blood sports. It's not a matter of them being fought because dog men are not responsible for the APBT attacks on humans or the constant attacks on other dog's the general pet bull owner's are. Dog men knew these dog's and what they were created for so they knew how to properly maintain them and could keep them safe they bred the dog's to a standard and they culled what needed to be culled. Where they messed up at was putting them in the hands of novice owner's who really don't understand this breeds genetic make up. As a result the breed became popular and when something becomes popular amongst the masses you are bound to have a great deal of idiots mixed into the equation. These dog's became over bred by the inexperienced idiots , and the breed slowly began to fall apart. Dog men should have never allowed these dog's to go into the hands of the general public they are fighting dog's first and foremost and need to be with people who understand and respect that. Now we have people trying to create a false image for this breed, taking them to dog parks, breeding them to arse backwards standards. Trying to turn them into spoodles because they can't handle them for what they were bred to be. It's completely screwed up and I for one appreciate those left still breeding these dog's to the standard for which they were created.

:goodpost: Totally agree with both of these statements.

Edit: I'll just add that this was an excellent question by SGH. We're always talking about how these dogs aren't HA so it's interesting to see where the bad reputation started.

 

[00 S/C Lightning]

Excuse my question or ignorance. If the dogmen hadnt let the dogs out to the general public would we be here?

Again just a question, no ignorant intent

 

[aus_staffy]

Excuse my question or ignorance. If the dogmen hadnt let the dogs out to the general public would we be here?

Again just a question, no ignorant intent

No, I don't think we would be, Jimmy. Then again, we wouldn't have as many (if any) "breed saviours" as we do now either. Many (not all) of those people I feel are doing just as good a job of endangering the breed as those who advocate BSL. Nor would we have the rabid media coverage of any dog attack that can even be loosely associated with "pit bulls".

 

[Celestial88]

This is proving to be very interesting.


Oh and yeah I saw that video, I don't remember it that well it was awhile ago. But I did remember several false statements, myths, etc.

Although it is a good documentary if you're dealing with someone who doesn't believe dog fighting is real.

 

[Saint Francis]

Well, I am personally glad that the general population got a chance to own this breed...or I wouldn't be owning one currently LOL!!! It was inevitable anyway because no one group actually "owns" this breed. I do believe the APBT should be bred to the standards though EDIT: You beat me to it Jimmy!!

 

[00 S/C Lightning]

Lol st. francis i agree with sadie though. If what she said never came to be outside their runs there wouldnt be a bad rap

Personally i think the fight is worth fighting

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

HOW much of an affect do you think the rap game brought to the breed? IMO..DMX was a big one about fifteen years ago. I had never seen so many pits in Boston until rappers started putting them in there videos. There were others besides DMX but he is the main one that sticks in my mind because of the "whats my name" video. Seems to me that all the attention these dogs got in rap videos started making them popular in the hood and urban areas. Around Boston it is the urban areas where most dog attacks occur. I hate DMX. He has been in trouble for animal neglect and abuse at least twice that I can remember. Here's the wonderful video with the pits.

 

[Saint Francis]

Jimmy, I agree also, but only to a certain point. Actually the point is moot as it stands and we will never know what would have happened if the "dogmen" kept them more closely guarded. These same dogmen were no saviors either, they were human beings with the same character flaws that we all possess. Like I said, it was inevitable that John Q Public learned to love this breed, there's no shame in that. And while I respect the history of the breed and the trait to fight that was bred into them, it's only a very small part of why I own one. I don't believe I'm tarnishing the APBT by not strictly adhering to the dogmen's practices. There's just too much enjoyment to be had with this breed. Obviously the APBT isn't for everyone, and that's a fact, but you will always have the misguided doing what they do, and that's a fact as well. If Jurassic Park really existed, we would all be tempted to get a dinosaur LOL! It is what it is. We are all hypocrites to some degree, myself included. When you really think about it, what breed hasn't seen this happen over time? And YES, the fight is a good one

 

[Sadie]

Honestly like I said what business does the public have owning a fighting dog? NONE! They didn't need to ever be placed in the hands of the public EVER! Am yes I am glad I have my dogs yes but I would gladly save the breed by going back in time and changing the way these dog's were leaked into the hands of NON dog fighter's we wouldn't have the issues we have today and the breed wouldn't be in danger of being outlawed everywhere in the world. These dog's were not made to be house pet's or show pet's they were bred for blood sports. That is the reality of this breed. Now all we can do is care for them and love them and keep them safe the way dog men of the past did. Most people nowadays can't even bare the thought of accepting what these dog's were bred for they want to hide their past or ignore it. That does the breed no good when their owner's can't accept them for what they are .. the bleeding hearts and pet bull owner's wanting to change these dog's instead of embracing them for being bulldogs. We can't properly care for them if we can't acknowledge their past and the reason for their existence. I love my dog's enough that I would gladly give them up to save this breed from the destruction that the idiots have caused this breed from irresponsible owner ship and bad breeding. Dog men might have fought these dog's but they were not the ones who caused the bad media press and tarnished image the general public did!!! When they were breeding and fighting these dog's they were the All American Dog! People may not want to point the finger's at themselves it's much easier to just blame dog fighter's for everything. But all you have to do is look at the bigger picture you don't see dog fighter's making headlines for their pit bull's mauling some kid or getting out the yard. You don't see dog men making headlines for taking their bulldogs to the dog parks or their bulldog's attacking and killing another dog. Dog men made sure they kept their dog's on chains, they culled the bad seed's, and they matched their dog's with fellow dog men. When dog fighter's make headlines it's for getting busted for matching dogs. It's not because one of their dog's killed a human, a small child, or another person's dog.

 

[00 S/C Lightning]

Jimmy, I agree also, but only to a certain point. Actually the point is moot as it stands and we will never know what would have happened if the "dogmen" kept them more closely guarded. These same dogmen were no saviors either, they were human beings with the same character flaws that we all possess. Like I said, it was inevitable that John Q Public learned to love this breed, there's no shame in that. And while I respect the history of the breed and the trait to fight that was bred into them, it's only a very small part of why I own one. I don't believe I'm tarnishing the APBT by not strictly adhering to the dogmen's practices. There's just too much enjoyment to be had with this breed. Obviously the APBT isn't for everyone, and that's a fact, but you will always have the misguided doing what they do, and that's a fact as well. If Jurassic Park really existed, we would all be tempted to get a dinosaur LOL! It is what it is. We are all hypocrites to some degree, myself included. When you really think about it, what breed hasn't seen this happen over time? And YES, the fight is a good one

:goodpost: i agree

 

[Sadie]

SF your missing the point dog men had a reason to keep fighting dog's the general population did NOT. It's not about their character it's about their ability to maintain these dog's and care for them the way they should be cared for. People today piss all over dog men you know how many member's have come on here and have no regards or respect for the creator's of these dogs? They wouldn't even take the time to pick up a book written by one of these dog men. They would rather spit on them first! The sad thing is most of the people who own these dog's now own them and have no respect for the dog men who created them or for the breeds fighting history. I read posts all day long from the same type of owner's coming on here and spitting on these dog men and this breeds past. Yet they claim to love their dog's so much by taking them to dog parks LMAO!!! These dog's are gladiator's that's what they are they are not toy poodles, they are not fu fu dog's that should live amongst other dog's in peace and harmony. The very people who claim they are trying to save them are the same people ruining them!!!! 99.9% of the population has no business owning these dogs. I feel very strongly about this for very good reasons.

PS Dog fighting back then was a sociably accepted event/sport where kids and their families would all go to watch for entertainment. It was not looked down upon until much later on down the line.

 

[motocross308]

i think alot of it happened in the 80s when they became popular ghetto dogs because homie wanted a fytin dog yo. then , unlike real dogmen , they did all they could to make them mean as hell to impress their friends. the ghetto is no place fo these dogs , they cant be contained like that .. with roped and makeshift kennels.. and you know darn well when one gets loose noone is gonna step up and take the hit when thier dog bites the crap outta a innocent kid.

 

[KMdogs]

Okay DMX didn't help but i can assure all of you that the image was destroyed LONG before his videos.

This breed hardly exists anymore, between people breeding turds that claim to be APBT, people breeding these "petbulls" and purposely mixing for profit, etc. I agree with Sadie 100% and i couldn't be happier that someone on this forum actually gets it!

The best future the APBT has is being bred as a working dog which at the moment hardly ANYONE does.

In fact i ask any one here, if you are not working your dog in some way or another, why do you even own this breed? Because you can? Because you want to restore the image? What?

If you are not at very (and i do mean very) least exercising your apbt (or apbt mix) at least a few hours a day why do you own one? Yeah i understand some days might be be bad weather, sick, etc but as a general rule. There is ZERO point in owning an APBT if you just want a family pet. ZERO. This breed (if well bred) has too much drive, too much energy, too much motivation to work to just sit around being a pet. It needs some kind of work or heavy exercise to be happy and well rounded.

Whether we like it or not whats done is done as to the dogmen releasing the dog and the image. Its up to responsible owners and breeders now to figure out exactly where we go from now. For me just allowing this breed to wither away just being a "family pet" should not be a buyable option. We should come together and figure out what to do LEGALLY with the drive, energy, etc and bred to it. The breed has and is forever changed from the days of baiting and fighting however that shouldn't mean this breed should change completely. We should hold on to whats left of the dignity of this breed and put them to good use.

Any dog my family has owned and any dog i will ever own will have a purpose, even if its fun exercise i want to ensure that they feel accomplished at the end of the day. I love my dogs just as much as any passionate animal lover but i also believe in the old days, a dog has a purpose. Not just another fashion or social statement.