Dog History: The Pit Bull Terrier

Most modern Pit Bulls are believed to be descended from European
bull dogs and different breeds of mastiffs that were once used
in farm work. The mastiffs were known for their strength and
power, so they were primarily used to help farmers with their
bulls when it was time to bring them in from the fields.

The mastiff became known as the bulldog. The dog’s main purpose
was to protect the farmer from being gored by an enraged bull.
The dog usually accomplished this task by biting onto the bull
and hanging on until the bull relented. Since these dogs were
used for protection from angry bulls, they had to have
tremendous strength in their jaws and bodies. They also had to
be stubborn enough to hang onto a stampeding bull, no matter
what the bull did to them, to protect the farmer they worked for.

As time passed, these dogs started being used in bull and bear
baiting. During this time it is believed some bulldogs were also
bred with terriers to help make them better suited for these
sports. By mixing with the terrier breed, the dogs were smaller
and a great deal more agile than the regular bulldog. They also
had more muscular bodies, which helped to enhance their damage
producing ability. These sports were most popular in England
around the early nineteenth century. In the year 1835, English
Parliament banned the sports of bull and bear baiting, stating
that it was much too cruel to the animals involved. The sport
lost popularity, and eventually died completely out after a few
years.

Dog fighting soon took the place of the previously banned bull
and bear baiting sports. Breeders began trying to produce dogs
that were geared to be excellent fighters. They tried to enhance
the dog’s agility, strength, and musculature to make them more
formidable opponents. Breeders also tried to breed the most
intelligent dogs, so they would be less likely to make mistakes
in fighting, and also so they would only be aggressive toward
other dogs, not humans they may encounter. One of the rules of
dog fighting was that the owner of the dog had to be able to
enter the ring during a fight, pick his dog up, and take it
completely out of the fighting ring without the dog biting him.
If the dog bit the owner during this time, the dog was
immediately killed.

Also in the 1800′s Pit Bulls started becoming popular pets, not
just for dog fighting and farming. The dog became a mascot
during World War 1 and could be seen on many war posters, which
helped to increase its popularity. They were popular because of
their high intelligence and devotion to their masters. In the
early 1900′s pit bulls began being used in movies as well.

The Pit Bull is a dog with a very detailed history, and is still
quite popular today. The breed does receive a lot of negative
criticism, but with the right owners, still make terrific pets.