Investigating Animal Cruelty 35 dog (50–60 pounds) with a very elongated oval head. The breed originated around 1830 from crosses between bulldogs, Old English terriers and Spanish pointers. White bull terriers are more common, but a colored or brindled variety is also shown. These dogs have undergone considerable selection for good temperament to overcome their early history as pit fighters. The American bulldogs found mostly in the Southeast are larger animals (75–125 pounds) who may represent a hybrid of the American pit bull terrier and the bullmastiff. Since 1935, AKC animals have generally been bred to conform to standards of physical appearance, whereas the UKC and ADBA have been less concerned with conformation standards. Many UKC and ADBA animals continue to be bred and selected primarily for fighting purposes, although the UKC has had a strong official policy against dogfighting for a number of years. Aggression toward people The fighting dogs of the 19th century generally posed little threat to people. The animals were disqualified in the pit if they exhibited aggression toward a handler or the referee. Early in the 20th century, several former fighting breeds such as the bull terrier and English bulldog were specifically selected for good dispositions. As mentioned earlier, some AKC, UKC and ADBA animals descend from fighting stocks. Breed standards for the American Staffordshire terrier and American pit bull terrier make little or no reference to sound temperament, although an animal who attacks a person or a dog in the show ring may be disqualified. Many breeders of show- or pet-quality dogs try to produce animals with stable dispositions, and there are many examples of well-behaved dogs of these breeds. Despite the lack of breed standards for the American pit bull terrier in regards to temperament, it is highly uncommon for individuals engaged in organized dogfighting to possess or breed dogs that show signs of aggression to humans. In fact, many dogs seized from these operations have later been placed in new homes, become therapy dogs and passed Canine Good Citizen (CGC) testing. Selection, schooling and conditioning of dogs Often referred to as “organized fighters” are individuals who might own a dozen or more dogs, breed their own pups from stock proven to be game in the pit, fight their dogs on a national level to obtain champion dogs, maintain contact with established fighters around the country and enjoy substantial income from gambling and the sale of fighting animals. The primary quality for which fighting dogs have been selected is gameness. A dog that is game, as defined by those engaged in dogfighting, is an animal who is ready and willing and unyielding in combat. The puppies are most often subjected to an intensive culling process that involves keeping only those who they believe exhibit aggressive behavior towards other dogs. Dogs who survive their first 16 to 18 months become prospects and are schooled. During this stage, the trainer pits the prospect in a series of short rolls or combats against other dogs as a means of building confidence and exposing the puppy to a variety of fighting styles. For this reason, the dog is not usually pitted against an overly rough opponent. After schooling is completed, the trainer will want to ascertain each prospect’s endurance level, ability to take punishment and depth of gameness. This is accomplished in what is referred to as a game test, in which the younger dog is typically pitted against a larger, rougher dog until totally exhausted. The prospect is then required to scratch or rush to a fresh dog. A game test may last as long as an hour, and some variations require fights with more than one dog in succession. The few prospects who pass the game test go on to become match dogs. Specialized cases
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