The History Of The Pit

The Beginning. The history of the Pit Bull varies according to each source. The most common view is that the breed that we now recognize as the Pit Bull can be traced back to 18th Century England, where the breed was primarily used for the sport of Bull Baiting. Bull Baiting involved tying a bull to a post and letting the dog tear at it (ostensibly to tenderize the meat of the bull). This was outlawed in 1835, and the people looked for another source of entertainment...

Dog Fighting. Thus was born the 'sport' of fighting dog against dog. Due to their natural tenacity, the Pit Bull was the first choice. This is illegal now in most parts of the U.S., but unfortunately still carries on. An interesting point to note is the manner in which these fighting were bred: they Were specifically bred to eliminate human aggression from their gene pool. Although animal aggression was encouraged - even desired - a dog who showed human aggression was instantly killed. The dog had to be able to be handled safely in the ring, so a human-aggressive animal was not wanted.

Onto the U.S. When the Pit Bull first came to American with their immigrant owners, they found an instant niche. During the First World War, Wallace Richardson depicted the Pit Bull as the mascot for the U.S. in a propaganda poster. The poster depicted the national dogs of the rival Europe an countries dressed in their military outfits, while the Pit Bull dominated the center, declaring "I'm neutral, but not afraid of any of them."

The Middle Between the First World War and the 1940's, the Pit Bull was a desirable and well-loved family pet, not just because of its love and tolerance for children, but for its loving demeanor and out standing loyalty. In the 1940's the prominence of Pit Bulls in the media was raised with the arrival of 'Pete the Pup' in "Our Gang" and the “L'il Rascals". Of course, these days of a program were made involving a bunch of small kids hanging around a Pit Bull, there would be a national outcry. But the Pit Bull 'hysteria' did not appear until the late 1970's to early 1980's.

Today We all know the reputation that the Pit Bull now possesses. The killing machine, genetically wired to destroy, etc. This labeling came about in the late 1970's, early 1980's, when disreputable people began to see the Pit Bull as a hot commodity, and began breeding them with no concern for maintaining the genetic traits that had always made them such fantastic dogs, such as a lack of human aggression. These people began breeding Pit puppies as a way of making money, and these dogs were sold to anyone who had the cash. Now the Pit Bull was getting a reputation for being a violent animal - and the aggression was precisely what people wanted them for. You can make any animal mean if you work at it. And unfortunately people did.

This site is dedicated to promoting a positive image of the Pit Bull. The most important thing when owning a dog, any dog, is your dedication to raising, training and socializing it. This is especially critical with regards to a Pit Bull. The breed has sufficient stigma attached to it - irresponsible owners who fail to properly raise their dogs only contribute to it, while the true lovers of the breed constantly fight against it. The Pit Bull is a gem of a companion in the right and accountable hands. Please be responsible - they need our support now more than ever.