Do you believe Pit Bulls are still used for fighting?

Question

I think that there is a correlation between dogs trained for fighting, and attacks on humans or other animals. Dogs used for fighting are desensitized to attacking and harming other animals, including weaker humans. Once they get that taste of blood they want more.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

For those who wish to attack my question and me, I worked for animal control for 6 years, I am educated.

I am posing a question to get people's opinions and encourage a civil discussion.

I agree that any dog will bite, that dogs of any breed trained to fight will, and that any dogs allowed to run in packs tend to gang up on unsuspecting humans and smaller pets.

ainawgsd, I agree with what you are saying 98%

The taste for blood statement is there because I have heard it so many times and wanted others perspectives.

Are you aware that puppies are used to teach them to fight? They place the puppy in the middle and turn the dogs loose to kill it?

I agree that they are bred for fighting and that the better fighters are selectively chosen to continue their bloodlines.
I disagree that they are not trained, they are taught to fight to the death or until the owners pull them apart.

Greekman, here in MO they do use puppies to train or condition their dogs to fight. I won't argue the rest of what you say, but this I do know to be true

Answer 1

Yes pit bulls are still used for fighting. Only winning fighters are bred. The puppies are trained and handled from an early age, puppies not aggressive enough in the litter are culled, puppies aggressive towards humans are culled. There is a HUGE difference between human aggression and dog aggression. Some dogs, particularly some breeds are just not able to socialize around other dogs. That does not make them dangerous to humans. My friend has two wonderful pits that were originally from fighting lines, we found this out after looking up the dogs in their pedigrees online, we found a site that explains fighting rules and regulations and has a history of winning dogs and their pedigrees. One of the main things that we got out of the site was that any pit bull used for fighting is NEVER allowed to be human aggressive. It is imperative that they are able to be handled by several different people before and after fights. As far as we understood them they are not allowed to be muzzled while handled, weighed etc. In most fighting rings that go by the "rules" the dogs usually don't fight to the death. They're too valuable. They also have to be able to break the dogs up during the fight... WITHOUT being bitten. I have seen a few people get bitten while breaking up fights at various places, one of the dog parks I hate in my area and once at the park I frequent and love. These people only get bitten in the heat of the moment, I've yet to see a dog actually look at a person breaking them up and try to bite them. It's usually when people stick an arm or leg in between two dogs going at it. This is the idea while fighting, if someone gets bitten, I'll call it "accidentally" during a fight, that's one thing, but if the dog LOOKS at the person and lunges that dog is usually culled.

I have seen and heard awful things concerning dog fights, and I think it's one of the most horrendous things than someone can do to an animal. But the fact is, that people whos dogs are vicious and human aggressive are MADE that way by the people who own them, either by training and abuse or by VERY poor breeding and selection of dogs that are human aggressive, it's a status symbol, most human aggressive dogs are used as guard dogs, in MANY cases they are guarding drugs. When a vicious dog gets out on the street and attacks somebody, I would go with 8 out of 10 that those people have made the dog that way for a reason. I also don't believe that there is such thing as an unprovoked attack on otherwise 'friendly' dogs, and "family pets". Usually there was something else going on and the owners don't own up to it because then they're guilty, so they blame it on the dog suddenly turning.

A few stories just to make my point.
2 years ago i went to a 4th of July party at the lake, this lake is becoming the "nice" area to live now, about 10 years old it was mostly trailers and not so nice people (not that all people that live in trailers are trash, by any means), anyway, at this party in a "nice" house there was a trailer next door and two boys outside in full view of the party. They had a 4 or 5 month old puppy out in the open on a chain, they were tormenting him. After several of us started yelling at them and told them we were calling the cops they took the puppy inside, after they went in we heard screaming from the dog. The cops took about 30 mins to get there and ended up calling animal control and seizing the dog (made for an interesting 4th). I'll guarantee you, that if we had not called them, those boys (about 15 or 16) would have made that animal vicious, their parents were not around, and the cops mentioned to us they had had problems with those people before. If that dog grew up in that situation and eventually attacked those boys or some other innocent person, it would have been the dogs fault. Nobody and i mean NOBODY is going to admit they've done something to that dog. It would have been called a loved family pet that suddenly turned. I would bet you money on it.

Another incident in our area involved two kids a 15 and 7 year old. They were playing in a basement where a dog was kept. They began roughousing and the dog attacked the 7 year old and did some SERIOUS damage. The family and children said the dog was unprovoked and that they had never had a problem with the dog, ever. The papers reported it, it made all the headlines and not a single word was mentioned about the drug bust when the cops investigated and found 100kilos of cocaine.... we heard about it, and looked it up on the county website, because I said that there was probably something behind the attack and, DUH there was. Of course there was NOTHING about the drugs in the papers, it was all about the "pit bull turns and mauls 7yr old."
Another story in the Ontario Sun (I think) was about a mother whos 2 year old was bitten by their "family" pit bull. She admitted that she left the child alone in a room, which she had done "a hundred times before", except this time there was a bone. She said the baby must have tried to take the bone. UMM HELLO! the mother was charged with nothing and the dog was euthanized. Can we say child endangerment. Nobody should leave ANY young child alone with ANY dog, no matter the breed or how much you trust the dog. If that dog had wanted to kill that baby the child would be dead. They are strong dogs, they can do serious damage, but no more than any other large dog.
If my dogs jumped my fence and attacked the little boys that used to torment them every day after school, before I realized what was happening...just so happens that was their "outside time". They would never admit that they had been tormenting my dogs for months. Their parents would stick up for them and my dogs would be killed (which I wouldn't disapprove of btw, I don't want my dogs biting ANYONE), but the point is that those kids wouldn't be in trouble, and their parents wouldnt be held responsible for teaching them not to torment dogs. There is ALWAYS a reason behind the attack. Whether it gets mentioned or not is a completely differnt story. People lie to stay out of trouble and blame it on the dog every time. And it just so happens that many of these irresponsible or criminal owners pick pit bulls as their choice of breed.
Ving Rhames' dogs attacked their caretaker, ONE story I saw about the incident mentioned they were Fila Brasilliaros, every other story insinuated pit bulls were involved.
Pit bulls are the most misidentified dogs in the country. Many other breeds are often mistaken for pits and there's nobody to correct them. Does anyone remember that the woman who had a face transplant had her face ripped up by a labrador? No...

Yes some people breed for the propensity to bite. A lot of fighting dogs are bred NOT to bite humans. Again there is a huge difference between human aggression and animal aggression. And lowlifes breed for one of the two. But that is NO reason to discriminate against the breed in general or responsible owners.

There is always reason for an attack on a human. Period.

And just so that idiots are not confused, I in NO way condone fighting or making a dog vicious or breeding for viciousness. That is wrong in every way shape and form.

Answer 2

Yes they are used for fighting. I believe that any dog aggressive towrds humans should be put down, especially pits and including 8 week old pups. APBTs are not "trained" to fight. Well not Truebred dogs. Purebred is different than Truebred! You dont train a pit you just allow it to fight. You have to train it NOT to fight! The taste of blood is strong but not irreversible at all. Yes the top dogs are bred for their abilities in the pit but how is that different from your best pointer or your best retriever? Not at all! It takes a hell of a dog to fight to the death for you. 95% of dogs are curs, dont ask if you dont know. A dog that will fight to the death wouldnt be in the news. Thats all for now.

Answer 3

Yes they are and it truly a shame. This is a great breed. Its was the #1 family dog, even Helen Keller owned one. But due to the spotlight held on this breed in the news recently those evil people ruining other good breeds to stay out of the light. If you have ever watched a dog fight there are people in the pits. showing animal aggression and human aggression are two different thing

Answer 4

Sadly they are still used to fight by cruel and inhumane people. But that does not always mean that after they are taken out of a bad situation, they will still be violent. I know this firsthand because I adopted a Pit that had been rescued from an owner who had been fighting him and 11 others. Of course this is not always the case. It's very sad. I feel the punishment for such activity should be increased. It's bad enough in the town that I work at that permits are having to be issued to even be able to own one.

Answer 5

Yes I believe that, unfortunately, in many regions pit bulls are still used for fighting. However, I think you may be over-simplifying things a bit here and anthromorphizing the dogs. The way you have stated your opinion, it seems that you are blaming the dogs for their behaviors. The real issue here is not aggressive dogs (most aggression can be controlled by responsible owners properly managing their dogs and environments), it is irresponsible owners. Owners that encourage dangerous behaviors from their dogs and let their dogs run at large to practice those dangerous behaviors unsupervised.

"Once they get that taste of blood they want more."
I have a REAL issue with this statement. It smacks of ignorance and has absolutely no basis in fact. It is reasoning like this that gets people thinking that breed bans are a good idea. My dogs are of a breed commonly targeted, they are both extremely well trained and safe in public...why should I have to give up my dogs because some uneducated person is unreasonably afraid of them? Not only is BSL unfair to the responsible owners and their dogs, but it has been proven time and time again to have NO effect on the number of dog bites/attacks in areas where it has been enacted. Yes, dogs that are rewarded in some way for aggressive behavior are going to be more likely and more willing to engage in aggressive behaviors in the futer...but this has NOTHING to do with "being out for blood" and EVERYTHING to do with conditioning and training. If a dog bites, they are more likely to bite again in the future if/because biting got the results they were hoping for, NOT because they suddenly develop a "taste" for blood.

Answer 6

They are breed that has a reputation for fighting because they are one of the most aggressive breeds;so its easy to train them to fight.I do think stupid people these days still use them for fighting.

I think when you train a dog to fight, your training them to fight, so they will fight anything! Its easier for a dog to fight what is weaker, just as it is for humans if one human were to fight another human or animal that was weaker than it would be easier for them. I do believe that once they get the taste of blood they want more; just like killing or vandalizing or even extreme sports, once you do it & like it you want more of it!

Basicly I think anyone or anything that is trained to fight will do it because its there first reaction and instinct cause thats how they are trained!

Answer 7

As the owner of a dog who was used as bait, and as a volunteer who had a potential home investigated to discover that the people only wanted our dogs for bait, I really must dispute the statement that puppies are not used as bait. Somebody needs to read up on what is happening in the US.
I live in the Chicago area, and there are plenty of incidents of bait dogs being used. It may not do anything to train the dog, but it happens all the same. You have to remember that the people who are in this business don't have the highest intellect to begin with.

Answer 8

Your first question about are they still being used for fighting-- Yes. In the southern states it is a problem and also in Detroit among other places.

Are dogs that are desensitized to fighting more prone to biting?
Yes, I believe so. I agree with you.

Answer 9

I believe that any dog, regardless of the breed, will fight if taught to do so...unfortunately Pitts are a choice dog for these pitiful people to train that way. Its sad..Pitts are great family dogs as mine are around other dogs, cats,horses,even chickens...not to mention all the people and children that are around...

Answer 10

yes they are but pit bulls are banned in britain i love the breed to bits. they are very nice, loyal and caring dogs, they are turned into monsters by the irresponsible people that want a monster dog but in the right hands they are loving, caring and gentle. the y fight e.t.c because of their loyalty to us they will do anything for their master even if it means getting killed or hurt in the process.