10/27/2020
Interesting (and perhaps surprising) info for Pit Bull Awareness Month. Let's talk about "BAIT DOGS." 😱
Have you ever heard of a "Bait Dog?" It just SOUNDS disgusting, and even HEARING those words causes a rush of emotions to surge through your body, doesn't it? Have you ever stopped to wonder where the heck that term came from? 🤔 You'll be surprised to learn the FACTS!
⚠️CONTENT WARNING: *Serious subject matter on an emotionally charged topic.* ⚠️
Our goal is not to shock, but to provide factual information rather than continuing the spread of falsehoods. The myths we bring to light have been far more of a disservice to this wonderful breed than the truth could ever be.
For over a decade, AllBreeds K9 has researched a multitude of historical avenues regarding our canine counterparts. One of the more involved projects has been the historical research of the American Pit Bull Terrier, and the dogs of their ancestry who contributed to their creation. We have gone into this project by putting personal opinions aside in an effort to search for the unbiased truth.
Even though the FACTS are traceable and well-documented, much of the information circulating today (often found on pet pit bull social media pages) is presented as truth, but actually has no merit, basis, or traceable origin. Why is it that we continue to ignore, overlook, or discredit the veracity of this incredible breed? 🤔 All the while social media pages, immersed in fairy tales, have a few thousand (and up to tens of thousands of) followers are spreading misinformation that gets millions of "shares," the gap between knowledge/reality and myth widens. 🤦♂️
The problem is that we cannot learn to move forward, and we cannot do right by these dogs if we are trapped by the lies that perpetually plague this breed. You may see the thousands of shares of inaccuracies ...but what you're NOT seeing on social media is the more complete picture - the thousands of dogs out there who have been negatively affected by this epidemic, who, as a result, were set up for failure from the start.
What do ➡YOU⬅ feel created this gap in knowledge when it comes to these dogs? Is it that the reality just too difficult to face? Or, even though it doesn't change it, do we just not *want* to believe it? *Prefer* to ignore it, maybe? Has it been so washed out by fantasy that the truth has virtually disappeared?
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY
Now, as much as we may not like it, it's important to understand that combat sports have had a documented history since even before ancient Rome. Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I were so fond of bear baiting that they had a purpose-built ring on the grounds of White Hall Palace to entertain guests. Abe Lincoln was an avid c**k fighter and also mentioned in an article about fighting dogs. Teddy Roosevelt even had a ratting pit in the basement of the White House! Animal fights were advertised and reported on in magazines like the Police Gazette and Dog Fancier, and match results were recorded in the Library of Congress.
In these less-civilized times, combat sports were a common form of entertainment with THOUSANDS of spectators from varying social statuses coming together to watch. - Even in more recent history (early 1900’s), it was not uncommon to see families, men, women, and children in attendance by the hundreds at an advertised event.
With the vast amount of information that's out there, with all of our research and that of other Pit Bull historians, the term "bait dog" doesn't appear ANYWHERE in documented history until 1981. - And it's quite shocking to hear where we've been able to track the first mention of the term to.🧐
SO WHERE *DID* THE TERM COME FROM?
Back in the 1970's, Animal Activist organizations started shining the spotlight on the underground activity of dog fighting. Yet instead of learning from those who were actually *involved* in the activity, the ASPCA sent a survey out to more than 11,000 American Humane Societies and law enforcement agencies gathering second-hand information and assumptions in an attempt to reverse engineer what goes on in the dog fighting world and why. With these bits and pieces of opinions and incomplete truths, they comprised a book, published in 1981, called "Dog Fighting in America: A National Overview," and thus, in this book, it seems we've found the first documented mention of the terms “bait dog” and “bloodletting” (another supposed practice that cannot be traced to any known documentation).
Just to be perfectly clear: With all the books written on the topic by those actually involved, NOT ONE publication throughout history EVER mentions the use of bait dogs.
Shortly thereafter, media announcements started to tell people not to leave their dogs outside or they could be stolen by these sociopaths to use as bait dogs.
MORE HARM THAN GOOD
While the dogs themselves were easy enough to find, they typically stayed within the confines of those who were familiar with and understood the breed. However, once they started to gain national attention with exaggerated (virtually mythical) reports of being "vicious" and "dangerous" towards people, these dogs suddenly skyrocketed in popularity. Our personal interviews with multiple sources found that inner-city gangs and drug dealers starting purchasing Pit Bulls in an effort to add protection for illegal activities they were involved in. Since, unlike animal aggression, human-directed aggression isn't a typical breed characteristic, it wasn't long before these dogs failed to live up to their expectations and provide the security they were hoping for.
Finding a different "use" for the dogs, a street-level interest (which was non-existent prior to the public condemnation of fighters) was born and sent dog fighting into a whole new level of popularity.
One can make a strong case that the spread of this misinformation (both regarding bait dogs and dog thieves) and attempt to demonize the activity even further by adding more of a “shock factor” with more lies seemed to have launched dog fighting into one of its most popular decades in history.
Research actually shows that, historically, these dogs were typically treated like top athletes. But now, instead of giving these animals the care and attention done so at a "professional level," the misinformation presented to the country resulted in amateurs taking for fact what they pieced together on the news and read in the papers. Consequently, the abusive practice of using "bait dogs" was born.
- And to think, it was not even part of the activity the media & activists were looking to crucify to begin with!!
THINK ABOUT IT
Let's take a moment to focus and truly ponder the rationale behind the concept of a "bait dog." What purpose would it serve?
If a Boxer were training for an upcoming match, would the athlete's coach tie an opponent's hands behind their back, and expect the Boxer's skills to improve? That just doesn't make sense, does it?!
It's the same for dogs. This myth was built for disaster from its inception.
WHY DOES IT MATTER
Nowadays, the term "bait dog" is overused, and done so to create an emotional response in people. Some dog adoptions are made successful once dogs with unknown histories are labeled as bait dogs.
The term implies a certain amount of baggage, which is easily used in an attempt to excuse behavior. This is also where we start seeing a major turn, as groups shift towards “Animal Rights/Activists,” and away from Animal *Welfare.*
Ironically enough, many of those that reported on "bait dogs" have also quietly changed their position statements on the subject and are now asking people to stop perpetuating the myth and categorizing dogs as "bait dogs.”
We at AllBreeds understand that this myth (and many others that we've debunked) are quite controversial, but spreading misinformation has proven to cause more harm than good!
If you've read this far into the post (and we hope you all have!), please know that we are happy to open up a mature discussion on this, and any other Pit Bull-related topics. Please feel free to post your comments or questions below!
Behavior, Obedience, Canine Good Citizen, Puppy Kindergarten, Dog Daycare, Overnight Boarding, Sports, Fitness & Athletics.
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