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- From: mbur@nyx.net (MAC)
- Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs.info,rec.answers,news.answers
- Subject: rec.pets.dogs: American Pit Bull Terriers Breed-FAQ, Part 1/3
- Followup-To: poster
- Date: 29 Oct 1996 10:19:19 -0700
- Organization: bulldawgs.
- Lines: 589
- Sender: mbur@nyx10.cs.du.edu
- Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
- Expires: 31 Dec 1996 14:42:34 GMT
- Message-ID: <dogs-faq/breeds/apbt/part1_96.11@rtfm.mit.edu>
- Reply-To: mbur@nyx.net (MAC)
- NNTP-Posting-Host: nyx10.nyx.net
- Summary: This is a faq answering questions about the canine breed American
- Pit Bull Terriers.
- Posting-Frequency: monthly
- Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.pets.dogs.info:2424 rec.answers:25061 news.answers:85556
-
- Archive-name: dogs-faq/breeds/apbt/part1
- Last-modified: 1995/07/18
-
- This is a regularly posted faq and appears every thirty days in
- rec.pets.dogs.info, rec.answers and news.answers.
-
- The most recently posted ASCII version of this file is available via
- anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu in the directory
- pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/breeds
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- History:
-
- 15DEC94-
- 13APR95: Original document created by authors.
- 15APR95: Initial posting to the net.
- 25APR95: Authors decide to make "guard" section more
- comprehensive.
- 09MAY95: Approval by news.answers.
- 18JUL95: Authors section updated.
- 25OCT95: Still no revised "guard" section.
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Unless otherwise noted, this article is Copyright (c) 1995 by
- Michael Bur. It may be freely distributed in its entirety provided
- that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for
- profit nor incorporated in commercial documents without the author's
- written permission. This article is provided "as is" without express
- or implied warranty.
-
- Michael Bur (aka MAC)
- Internet: mbur@nyx10.cs.du.edu USmail: PO BOX 966, Greenbelt, MD 20768
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
-
-
-
- The American Pit Bull Terrier(APBT) FAQ
-
-
- Table of Contents
-
- * Authors
- * Disclaimer
- * Introduction
- * History
- * Socialization, Training, and Recreational Activities
- * Health
- * Frequently Asked Questions
-
- + Do APBT's really have locking jaws?
-
- + My Vet said the APBT and American Staffordshire
- Terrier are the same thing. Are they?
-
- + My Uncle's Friend's Wife's step-brother said that APBT's
- are born mean and can't be trusted. Is this true?
-
- + Did Hellen Keller really own a "Pit Bull"?
-
- [*]+ Do APBT's make good guard dogs?
-
- + What are some activities that I can do with my
- APBT?
-
- + What exactly is "gameness"?
-
- + What is a "breaking stick", and how do I use one?
-
-
- * Miscellaneous
- + The Rules.
- + Match overview.
- + Performance vs. Conformation.
- + Supplies.
- + APBT's and the law.
- + Where to find breeders.
-
- * References
- + Books.
- + Periodicals.
- + Breed Clubs.
- + Breed Rescue Organizations.
-
-
- [*] - Section is currently being re-worked.
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Authors
-
- The primary authors/editors of this FAQ are Scott Bradwell and
- Michael Bur. Mikel Bartol also wrote or helped write several
- sections. This FAQ, however, is the result of a collaborative
- effort. Others have contributed a great deal through discussing
- and debating the material contained in this document. These people
- are(in alphabetical order): Aaron Dial, Paul Dunkel, Bryan Hinkle,
- Tim Mason, Carl Semencic, and Geoff Wright. Also, in the interest
- of keeping information within this document as accurate as possible,
- reputable dogmen was contacted for feedback regarding this FAQ.
- These people have a national reputation for having bred and campaigned
- some famous dogs in the past and we could not have presented 'inside'
- information without his/her help. Furthermore, the authors wish to
- acknowledge and thank both Carl Semencic and Richard Stratton whose
- books were drawn on heavily in the formation of this document. The
- current maintainer of this FAQ is Michael Bur. All comments should
- be directed to him at mbur@nox.cs.du.edu.
-
-
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Disclaimer
-
- This FAQ contains information that may seem disturbing or distasteful
- to some readers because it refers at various points to the subject of
- pit fighting. A prospective owner might reasonably ask, "I definitely
- don't want my next dog for fighting purposes, so why should I even have
- to think about all that?" The answer is that if you are considering
- this breed as your next pet, it would be irresponsible NOT to know
- about this aspect of the APBT's breeding history. To comprehend both
- the admirable qualities and the potential drawbacks of this breed it
- is important, particularly for first-time dog owners, to understand
- the specific qualities for which it was selectively bred. Ignorance
- is always dangerous, and in this case it is particularly so.
-
- The authors want to stress that the presentation of this material is
- for academic and historical purposes. We in no way condone the activity
- of dog fighting as it is a felony in most parts of the United States.
-
- Now, let's talk bulldawgs!
-
-
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Introduction
-
- The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a descendent of the original
- English bull-baiting Bulldog and has historically been bred with
- working/performance goals in mind. The challenge of describing the
- American Pit Bull Terrier inevitably invites a long sequence of
- superlatives. The APBT is a supremely athletic, highly versatile,
- adaptive, gushingly affectionate, eager-to-please, all-around family
- dog. In courage, resolve, indefatigableness, indifference to pain,
- and stubborn perseverance in overcoming any challenge, the APBT has
- no equal in the canine world. Although the APBT was once used as a
- national symbol of courage and pride, the breed is largely
- misunderstood today.
-
- Even though the APBT has historically been bred to excel in combat
- with other dogs, a well-bred APBT has a rock-steady temperament
- and, contrary to popular belief, is NOT inherently aggressive
- towards humans. However, as adults, some APBTs may show aggression
- towards other dogs. This fact, along with the APBT's strength and
- determination, should be taken into account when considering if the
- APBT is the right breed for you. As with any companion dog,
- socialization and consistent fair-minded training is a must from a
- very early age.
-
- Although some APBTs may be suspicious of strangers, as most dogs are,
- and will protect loved ones if necessary, in general they do not
- excel in protection/guard work. If your main reason for getting
- a dog is for protection/guard work, perhaps a Rottweiler, German
- Shephard, or a Doberman Pinscher would suit you better. Or, if you
- really like the bulldog phenotype, look into an American Bulldog.
-
- There are several types of dogs that are commonly called "Pit Bulls."
- Primarly, these are the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American
- Staffordshire Terrier (AST), and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT).
- All three of these dogs share common ancestry but have been
- subsequently bred emphasizing different breeding criteria. Due to
- this divergence, some people feel that they are now different breeds.
- Others choose to view them as different "strains" of the same breed.
- Neither view is wrong, as it comes down to how one defines what a
- "breed" is. This FAQ is primarily about the American Pit Bull Terrier,
- specifically those dogs of relatively recent game-bred ancestry.
- Some of the material may ring true for the AST and the SBT, but the
- authors are biased toward the APBT from performance-bred lines, and
- this bias will be clear throughout the FAQ.
-
-
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- History
-
- Among enthusiasts, the history of the APBT is as controversial as
- the breed itself is among the misled public. The breed's history is
- a recurrent subject of lively debate in the magazines devoted to
- the breed. In fact, this FAQ was hotly debated among the
- contributors before it reached its final form, and still everyone
- isn't 100% happy!
-
- Although the precise origin of the APBT is not known, we can
- reliably trace its roots back at least one hundred and fifty years
- or so [1] to England. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries
- the sport of bull-baiting was very much alive and dogs were bred
- to excel in this endeavor. The same type of dog was also used by
- hunters to catch game and by butchers and farmers to bring down
- unruly cattle. These dogs were called "bulldogs." Historically,
- the word "Bulldog" did not mean a specific breed of dog per se,
- but rather it was applied to descendants of the ancient Mastiff-
- type dogs that excelled in the task of bull-baiting. The "bulldogs"
- of yore were much different from, and should not be confused with,
- the loveable clowns of the show ring today. The old, performance-bred,
- working bulldog was closer in phenotype and spirit to the APBT and/or
- the modern American Bulldog. The use of the word "bulldog" applied
- to APBT's persists even today among APBT fanciers.
-
- When bull-baiting was outlawed in England in 1835 the sport of
- matching two dogs against one another in combat rose in popularity
- to fill the void. One point of contention about the history of the
- APBT is whether these pit fighting dogs were essentially a new breed
- of dog specially created for this popular pastime. Some authors,
- notably Richard Stratton, have theorized that the APBT is
- essentially the same breed as the Renaissiance bull-baiting dogs,
- largely unmixed with any other kind of dog, specifically terriers.
- These authors consider the present name, American Pit Bull Terrier,
- a double misnomer, since, in their view, the breed is not of
- American origin and is not a terrier. They explain the popular
- attribution of the breed's origin to a cross between bull-baiters
- and terriers as a retrospective confusion with the breeding history
- of the English Bull Terrier, which is a totally distinct breed
- that was never successful at pit fighting but whose origin is
- well-documented. Other authors who have researched the topic,
- such as Dr. Carl Semencic, argue that the APBT is indeed the product
- of a cross between bull-baiting dogs and terriers and that the breed
- simply did not exist in its current form during the Renaissance.
- They would argue that when we think of the terriers in the APBT's
- ancestry, we should not envision modern-day show dogs like
- Yorkshire Terriers, but instead working terriers (probably now
- extinct) that were bred for great tenacity in hunting. The
- problem of proof, which hangs over the discussion of any early
- breed history, is compounded in this case by the extreme secrecy
- of the breeders of pit dogs. In the 19th century pedigrees, if
- committed to paper at all, were not divulged, since every breeder
- feared letting his rivals in on the secrets of his success and
- replicating it. In any case, by no later than the mid-19th century,
- the breed had acquired all of the essential characteristics for
- which it is still prized today: its awesome athletic abilities,
- its peerless gameness, and its easy-going temperament.
-
- The immediate ancestors of the APBT were Irish and English pit
- fighting dogs imported to the States in the mid-19th century.
- Once in the United States, the breed diverged slightly from what
- was being produced back in England and Ireland. In America,
- where these dogs were used not only as pit fighters, but also as
- catch dogs (i.e., for forcibly retrieving stray hogs and cattle)
- and as guardians of family, the breeders started producing
- a slightly larger, leggier dog. However, this gain in size and
- weight was small until very recently. The Old Family Dogs in
- 19th century Ireland were rarely above 25 lbs., and 15-lb. dogs
- were not uncommon. In American books on the breed from the early
- part of this century, it is rare to find a specimen over 50 lbs.
- (with a few notable exceptions). From 1900 to 1975 or so, there
- was probably a very small and gradual increment in the average
- weight of APBTs over the years, without any corresponding loss in
- performance abilities. But now that the vast majority of APBTs
- are no longer performance-bred to the traditional pit standard
- (understandably, since the traditional performance test, the pit
- contest itself, is now a felony), the American axiom of "Bigger
- is Better" has taken over in the breeding practices of the many
- neophyte breeders who joined the bandwagon of the dog's popularity
- in the 1980s. This has resulted in a ballooning of the average
- size of APBTs in the last 15 years--a harmful phenomenon for the
- breed, in our opinion. Another, less visible modification of
- the breed since the 19th century was the selective intensification
- of genetically programmed fighting styles (such as front-end
- specialists, stifle specialists, etc.), as performance breeding
- became more sophisticated under competitive pressures. In spite
- of these changes, there has been a remarkable continuity in the
- breed for more than a century. Photos from a century ago show
- dogs indistinguishable from the dogs being bred today. Although,
- as in any performance breed, you will find a certain lateral
- (synchronic) variability in phenotype across different lines,
- you will nevertheless find uncanny chronological continuity in
- these types across decades. There are photos of pit dogs from
- the 1860s that are phenotypically (and, to judge by contemporary
- descriptions of pit matches, constitutionally) identical to the
- APBTs of today.
-
- Throughout the 19th century, these dogs were known by a variety
- of names. "Pit Terriers", "Pit Bull Terriers", "Half and Half's",
- "Staffordshire Fighting Dogs", "Old Family Dogs"(the Irish name),
- "Yankee Terriers"(the Northern name), and "Rebel Terriers"(the
- Southern name) to name a few. In 1898, a man by the name of Chauncy
- Bennet formed the United Kennel Club (UKC) for the sole purpose of
- registering "Pit Bull Terriers" as the American Kennel Club wanted
- nothing to do with them. Originally, he added the word "American"
- to the name and dropped "Pit". This didn't please all of the
- people so later the word "Pit" was added back to the name in
- parentheses as a compromise. The parentheses were then removed from
- the name about 15 years ago. All other breeds that are registered
- with UKC were accepted into the UKC after the APBT. Another registry
- of APBTs is the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) which was
- started in September, 1909 by Guy McCord, a close friend of John P.
- Colby. Now under the stewardship of the Greenwood family, the ADBA
- continues to register only APBTs and is more in tune with the APBT
- as a breed than the UKC. The ADBA does sponsor conformations shows,
- but more importantly, it sponsors weight pulling competitions which
- test a dogs strength, stamina, and heart. It also publishes a
- quarterly magazine dedicated to the APBT called the American Pit
- Bull Terrier Gazette (see the "References" section). The authors
- feel that the ADBA is now the flagship registry of APBT as it is
- doing more to preserve the original characteristics of the breed.
-
- In 1936, thanks to "Pete the Pup" in the "Lil Rascals", who familiarized
- a wider audience with the APBT, the AKC jumped on the bandwagon and
- registered the breed as the "Staffordshire Terrier". This name was
- changed to "American Staffordshire Terrier" (AST) in 1972 to
- distinguish it from its smaller, "froggier", English cousin the
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier. In 1936, for all intents and purposes,
- the AKC, UKC, and ADBA version of the "Pit Bull" were identical since
- the original AKC stock came from pit fighting dogs, which were UKC
- and ADBA registered. During this time period, and the years that
- preceded it, the APBT was a well-liked dog in America. At this time
- the APBT was considered an ideal family pet. Because of his fun-loving,
- forgiving temperament, the breed was rightly considered an excellent
- dog for families with small children. Even if most of them couldn't
- identify the breed by name, kids of the Lil Rascals generation wanted
- a companion just like "Pete the Pup". During the First World War,
- there was an American propaganda poster that represented the rival
- European nations with their national dogs dressed in military uniforms;
- and in the center representing the United States was an APBT declaring
- in a caption below: "I'm neutral, but not afraid of any of them."
-
- Since 1936, due to different breeding goals, the American Staffordshire
- Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier have diverged in both
- phenotype and spirit/temperament, although both, ideally, continue
- to have in common an easy-going, friendly disposition. [2] Some
- folks in the fancy feel that after 60 years of breeding for different
- goals, these two dogs are now entirely different breeds. Other people
- choose to view them as two different strains of the same breed (working
- and show). Either way, the gap continues to widen as breeders from both
- sides of the fence consider it undesirable to interbreed the two. To
- the untrained eye, ASTs may look more impressive and fearsome, with a
- larger and more blocky head, with bulging jaw muscles, a wider chest
- and thicker neck. In general, however, they aren't nearly as "game" or
- athletic as game-bred APBTs. Because of the standardization of their
- conformation for show purposes, ASTs tend to look alike, to a much
- greater degree than APBTs do. APBTs have a much wider phenotypical
- range, since the primary breeding goal, until fairly recently, has been
- not to produce a dog with a certain "look" but to produce one capable
- of winning pit contests, in which the looks of a dog counted for nothing.
- There are some game-bred APBTs that are practically indistinguishable
- from typical ASTs, but in general they are leaner, leggier, and lighter
- on their toes and have more stamina, agility, speed, and explosive power.
-
- Following the second World War, until the early 1980s, the APBT lapsed
- into relative obscurity. But those devoted few who knew the breed knew
- it in intimate detail. These devotees typically knew much more about
- their dogs' ancestry than about their own--they were often able to
- recite pedigrees back six or eight generations. When APBTs became
- popular with the public around 1980, nefarious individuals with little
- or no knowledge of the breed started to own and breed them and
- predictably, problems started to crop up. Many of these newcomers did
- not adhere to the traditional breeding goals of the old-time APBT
- breeders. In typical backyard fashion they began randomly breeding
- dogs in order to mass produce puppies as profitable commodities.
- Worse, some unscrupulous neophytes started selecting dogs for exactly
- the opposite criteria that had prevailed up to then: they began
- selectively breeding dogs for the trait of human aggressiveness.
- Before long, individuals who shouldn't have been allowed near a
- gold fish were owning and producing poorly bred, human-aggressive
- "Pit Bulls" for a mass market. This, coupled with the media's
- propensity for over-simplification and sensationalization, gave rise
- to the anti-"Pit Bull" hysteria that continues to this day. It
- should go without saying that, especially with this breed, you should
- avoid backyard breeders. Find a breeder with a national reputation;
- investigate, for example, the breeders who advertise in the breed's
- flagship magazine, The American Pit Bull Terrier Gazette. In spite
- of the introduction of some bad breeding practices in the last 15 years
- or so, the vast majority of APBTs remain very human-friendly. The
- American Canine Temperament Testing Association, which sponsors tests
- for temperament titles for dogs, reported that 95% of all APBTs that
- take the test pass, compared with a 77% passing rate for all breeds
- on average. The APBT's passing rate was the fourth highest of all
- the breeds tested.
-
- Today, the APBT is still used (underground and illegally) as a fighting
- dog in the United States; pit matches also take place in other countries
- where there are no laws or where the existing laws are not enforced.
- However, the vast majority of APBT's--even within the kennels of
- breeders who breed for fighting ability--never see any action in the
- pit. Instead they are loyal, loving, companion dogs and family pets.
- One activity that has really grown in popularity among APBT fanciers
- is weight pulling contests. Weight-pulls retain something of the
- spirit of competition of the pit fighting world, but without the blood
- or sorrow. The APBT is ideally suited for these contests, in which the
- refusal to quit counts for as much as brute strength. Currently, APBTs
- hold world records in several weight classes. I have seen one 70-lb.
- APBT pull a mini-van! Another activity that the APBT is ideally suited
- for is agility competition, where its athleticism and determination
- can be widely appreciated. Some APBTs have been trained
- and done well in Schutzhund sport; these dogs, however, are more
- the exception than the rule (see the section on APBT's and
- protection/guard work).
-
- [1]- Actually one can trace the "Bulldog" history back further than
- that, but for this document that's far enough. Readers who are
- interested in more information on the history of the breed are
- encouraged to refer to Dr. Carl Semencic's book "The World of
- Fighting Dogs".
-
- [2]- Through out this document, unless otherwise noted, when we refer
- to the American Pit Bull Terrier(APBT), we are referring to the
- ADBA version which is more likely to be bred to the traditional
- APBT breeding standards. In general, the UKC version of the APBT
- is now being bred mostly for looks alone, and thus has much in
- common with the AKC AST.
-
-
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Socialization, Training, and Recreational Activities
-
- APBTs are generally inclined to be extremely friendly and trusting
- around people. This is usually true even with dogs that have not
- been properly socialized around people. Still, you will want to
- take no chances. From the time your puppy is tiny, you should
- encourage friends, strangers, and neighborhood kids of all ages
- to pick her up and play with her. Try to make your puppy's
- associations with humans overwhelmingly positive. Walk your
- puppy through crowded public places, such as street fairs, to
- get her accustomed to the presence of lots of people. With this
- breed, human-aggressiveness is rare. Until fairly recently in the
- APBT's breeding history, this highly undesireable trait was kept
- out of the breed through brutal simplicity: a dog that displayed
- aggression toward people was shot on the spot, no second chance.
- As a result of this ruthless culling, today you're more likely to
- encounter the opposite problem: figuring out how to restrain your
- dog's insistence on licking every face that goes by. However, as
- in all breeds, there will occasionally be a human-aggressive
- individual--usually, but not always, the result of backyard
- breeding or neglect and abuse. Owning such a dog is, to say the
- least, a tremendous liability. There are various degrees and
- causes of human-aggressiveness in dogs. Sometimes the problem is
- classic dominance-aggression, and it can be nipped in the bud at
- an early age if you appropriately re-establish your dominance.
- In any case, at the first sign of a problem, you should immediately
- seek expert help from a behaviorist or trainer with experience
- specifically with this breed. For your own safety, the safety of
- your neighbors, and for the sake of the breed, you should not
- hesitate to euthanize such a dog if necessary.
-
- With APBTs, a much more common problem than human-aggressiveness is
- dog-aggressiveness. If you want to be able to take your APBT to
- parks and other public places where other dogs may be present, you
- must begin its socialization very early. Socialization with other
- dogs is important for every breed, but it is especially crucial for
- APBTs. Not all APBT's are naturally inclined to dog-aggressiveness,
- but many are. Early socialization is not a guarantee against the
- eventual development of dog-aggressiveness, but, combined with basic
- obedience training, it is often effective in countering the breed's
- aggressive tendency and permitting your APBT to enjoy the company
- of other dogs throughout its life. The socialization process cannot
- begin too early. Find other responsible owners of small puppies and
- non-aggressive adult dogs (all innoculated, of course) and make sure
- to have regular (daily, if possible) periods where the dogs can get
- together and play. Like human beings, dogs are social creatures.
- They are happiest in the company of their own kind. Yet playing
- with other dogs is not something that a dog is born knowing how to
- do; it is learned through experience: by imitiation a puppy learns
- the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.
- You should closely supervise your puppy in these dog play groups.
- Dog play consists of two primary actitivies: imitation of fighting
- and imitation of predatory chases. To a novice dog owner, these
- play activities may seem much more serious than in fact they are.
- Dogs can take a lot of rough play with plenty of barking,
- play-growling and play-biting, so long as none of the dogs feels
- threatened. You should look to see whether the dogs are exchanging
- top and bottom positions and taking turns chasing each other; this
- is an indication that they both accept the rules of appropriate play.
- A common problem with APBTs is that they play too roughly, and,
- not realizing this, frighten their play-mate into serious defensive
- posturing. Ideally, you should choose large, easy-going dogs for
- your APBT puppy to play with. If your puppy becomes too rough for
- her playmate, let her know your disapproval verbally and correct
- her by temporarily picking her up and ending the fun. Remember, a
- 10-week old pup is not a monster; she can't seriously hurt her
- playmates. The crucial formative period between 8 and 16 weeks is
- the time to socialize your APBT puppy most intensively. If you
- wait till she is 6 months old before exposing her to other dogs,
- it may be too late to socialize her safely, and you will be stuck
- with a dog that can never let off-leash in public places.
- Socialization will not always succeed in preventing your APBT from
- becoming dog-aggressive; but failing to socialize your dog will
- almost certainly guarantee that you dog will become dog-aggressive.
- Throughout the process of socialization, you never want to allow
- your APBT to imperil other dogs. You must keep in mind that
- sometimes even well-socialized APBTs, once they reach a certain
- age (usually between a year and a half and three years), can
- suddenly "turn on" toward dogs. To be on the safe side, every
- APBT owner should carry a breaking stick and learn how to use
- it properly. When you decide to buy an APBT, you must be clear
- that there is a possibility that your dog may eventually need to
- be isolated from other dogs, no matter how diligently you socialize
- her. This is one of the potential inconveniences of owning
- an APBT.
-
- Like socialization, basic obedience training should also begin early.
- With this breed, it is essential to have your dog completely under
- voice control. Contrary to a common misunderstanding, training will
- NOT "break the spirit" of an APBT. Dogs are hierarchical pack animals.
- Their psychological well-being depends on their knowing with certainty
- their exact status in the pack and on their having a definite lead
- to follow. This "pack mentality" is the instinct that made canines
- domesticable: a dog regards her human family as her pack and looks to
- her masters as the pack leaders. A dog that is never trained and is
- allowed to do anything it pleases will be perpetually anxious and
- confused, since this absolute freedom and the resulting uncertainty
- as to who is really the pack leader produces insecurity in a canine.
- It is mainly for this reason, and not for hunger alone, that lone
- wolves and lost dogs are especially unhappy; their freedom is too much
- for them to handle. The APBT is no different in this respect than any
- other breed.
-
- Another harmful myth about APBTs is that they require a different
- kind of training than other breeds: "The only way to get these dogs
- to respect you is to beat the crap out of them." In fact, APBTs
- tend to be very eager to please and emotionally sensitive, so that
- harsh treatment is counterproductive. APBT's really love being
- praised and hugged, and it is mainly by these positive means that
- your APBT will learn to anticipate what you want and do it eagerly,
- just like any other breed of dog.
-
- When you find an obedience class in which to enroll your dog, you
- will need to make a decision about a training collar. The APBT is
- the world's most pain-insensitive breed. Therefore, an ordinary
- chain choke collar may not be sufficient to get your dog's attention
- when she gets a mind to chase a squirrel. An ordinary chain choke
- make also do cumulative damage to your dog's trachea. In this case,
- you should probably use a pinch collar. Not only is it able to get
- a dog's attention better, but it is less likely to injure the dog's
- throat.
-
- Once your dog is properly socialized and trained, there is no limit
- to the actitvities that you can enjoy with your dog. APBT's are
- extremely versatile and tireless athletes. They have been known to
- excel at agility, fly races, tracking, and frisbee. Many excel
- at big game hunting. Having been bred for prolonged,
- high-intensity activity, they can run for hours and hours, and so
- they make great hiking or mountain-biking companions. Many have
- phenomenal leaping ability. Some can even climb trees. One
- competitive sport specifically designed for APBTs is weight-pull
- competitions, a regular feature of ADBA-sponsored shows.
-
- APBTs not only enjoy lots of hard exercise, they NEED it. An
- exhausted APBT is a happy APBT. If you won't have the time to
- exercise your dog regularly, you should choose another breed. You
- don't need a big back yard to provide you dog with sufficient
- exercise. One popular indoor exercise device that many APBT owners
- rely on is a treadmill. You can work your dog up to 30-45 minutes
- daily. Another stationary exercise device is the spring pole.
- This device is a simple solo tug-of-war machine that some dogs
- will play with for hours.
-
- Be careful not to push your puppy to overexertion while her bones
- are still growing. Puppies should be allowed to establish their
- own comfortable level of exercise. Serious use of a treadmill
- should only begin at a year and a half or older.
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- Health
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- On the whole, the APBT are a very healthy, robust breed. They usually
- do well at the vets, because they are not threatened too easily and
- have a high threshhold for pain. My sister, who is a veternian
- technician and has handled thousands of dogs, said that the easiest
- breeds to work with/on are the Labrador Retreiver and the Pit Bull.
- The only health problem that I am aware of in certain lines is
- demotectic mange. This can be treated with baths and topical ointment.
-
- As far as life span in concerned, 12-13 years is probably about average,
- although a 15-16 year old APBT is not unheard of.
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