The Pit Bull
The pit bull defines types of dogs with similar characteristics, not a breed. The breeds that represent
the all encompassing pit bull name are the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire
terrier. These dogs along with bull dogs and mastiffs are believed to have been bred over a thousand years ago as the “dogs
of war” fighting in fierce battles along side their human counterparts.
As fighting breeds spread from Asia to Europe the dogs were trained to fight other dogs and bait bears
for the entertainment of people. The more aggressive the animal, the more victorious it was in canine battles, the longer
it lived. The pit bull comes from hearty stock that worked hard at other tasks besides fighting. The breed became reliable
farm dogs working as stock dogs herding and protecting as well as hunting. With extreme loyalty and a gentle nature the pit
bull was prized by families. The aggression the animal exhibits was toward animals not humans.
When animal baiting became illegal in many countries dog fighting grew in popularity. The breeding of
the pit bull made it the perfect fighting dog. The website, realpitbull.com, has this to say about the breeding of the pit
bull in the 1800s, “The breed known as the American pit bull terrier was selectively bred specifically with the idea
of it becoming the ultimate canine gladiator.” The breed found its way to the United States just before the Civil War
and the dog performed many of the same duties that it did in England.
Today the pit bull is labeled as a most dangerous animal, but its past popularity as a reliable, gentle
dog with a fierce desire to protect is evident. Pioneers chose the pit bull to accompany them on the arduous trek across country.
Laura Ingalls Wilder owned a working pit bull named Jack that grew in fame within the Little House on the Prairie series of
books.
The Buster Brown shoe company used a pit bull named Tige and his little boy owner aptly named Buster
Brown as their mascot. The graceful woman who raised awareness of the disabled by surmounting her own deaf and blind challenges,
Helen Keller, kept a pit bull as her pet and was sent another most dangerous animal, an Akita, by the Japanese government.
The mascot of RCA was a pit bull; President Theodore Roosevelt owned one as did Fred Astaire. Pit bulls were the rage from
the turn of the century through the years following World War II.
Besides being a most dangerous animal, the pit bull performs civic duties such as police dogs, working
dogs within the armed services and search and rescue dogs. The breed continues to be used as a stock dog on farms as well
as a therapy dog. The robust nature of pit bulls makes them excellent canine companions for people of all ages.
Every breed that made the list of most dangerous animal in the dog world shares several common threads.
Each breed was bred to be aggressive. The Akita originated in Japan and is considered highly protective of the family especially
the children that it lives with. Like the pit bull it was trained and bred for blood sport and to work. An Akita, penned up
or chained for long periods of time, becomes bored, develops bad behaviors, and may become a danger.
