FROM BOARDOGS.COM a site in Au about hunting wild pigs with a blade while dogs hold them. Over the years this family of dog has been the subject of many allegations, involving mauling, dog bites and so on. Now I am not saying that they cannot be bad dogs, but like any breed of working dog they need to be worked. Most people get working breed dogs and let them stay couped up in town yards not taking the time to give the animal sufficient exercise. Nor do they socialize their dogs enough! This in most cases results in poorly behaved dogs regardless of the breed.
The American pit bull can be as short as 15 inches or as tall as 20. It’s weight can also vary a lot depending on the line of the dog but should ideally be no more than say 30 kg they come in a range of colours including red, black, brown, brindle, buckskin, white and a combination of all colours combined. Their head is often very blocky due to their very powerful jaw muscles. They are a very active dog and are more suitable for a strong owner that has the time and attention to give to a very demanding dog.
They do make great dogs for hunting feral pigs and their eagerness to please is sometimes unbelievable, they don’t have very good eye sight compared to other breeds but often have good scenting ability. They will try their best to hold any size pig and will not go down easy but because of their size they get knocked about on larger boars a fair bit, but chances are if you got your pit bull collared up, the boar ain’t going to get away from him. Pit bulls can be hunted in a team with other dogs but has to be well socialized with other dogs from a very young age; they can be very head strong dogs but with correct training this can be eliminated.
Pit bulls bred for hunting feral pigs purchased from a reputable breeder can be just like any other dog in a pack as a lot of the dog aggression has been bred out through selective inbreeding (line breeding). They can and will start going in and grabbing any pigs at a very young age, I have seen dogs just 5 -6 months old jump from the Ute on to the ear of a boar about 55-60 kilo and hold the boar long enough to be dispatched. They do handle heat very well and have a huge tongue to allow the cooling of their body a lot quicker than some breeds and do not tend to over heat easily. They are best hunted when they are ripped into condition and not have an ounce of body fat on them, just pure muscle. They have a lot of stamina and will last a good while before needing to have a break, most times you have to tie them up for them to rest or they will keep going. I have personally seen pit bulls called off pigs that are about 100 meters away and these dogs just literally let the hog go and come back to owner, so it all comes down to they way they have been bred, what they have been bred for, and the amount of control the handler has over his/her dog, they love nothing more than hunting feral pigs and I have seen some get very badly injured from boars and literally die while hanging onto the pig and wagging their tails right until the end.
Here is a little about the make up of the modern day pit bull. Much of dog history is speculation, and quite akin to the piecing together of puzzles. Because of this, opinions vary about exact details of breed origin. We are fortunate in that the American Pit Bull Terrier, and its chief ancestor the bulldog, have a fairly well-documented history. Even so, debate occurs when trying to establish something as simple as whether or not the Pit Bull is the original bulldog. As far back as one cares to go in recorded history, one will find reference in both word and art of molossoid dogs that were used for fighting, hunting, and war. There were different "types" of molossi, spread about the world, used for similar functions and these dogs evolved into our modern day mastiff and bulldog breeds. It is unknown if these types sprang up individually, or from one main ancestor.
Some believe that this type of dog originally came from an area close to China. British Chief Caractacus was defeated by Emperor Claudius of the Roman Empire in 50 AD. The Romans were so impressed by the fierce fighting dogs they met when they landed in Britain that they began importing the dogs back to Rome for use in the great arena, along with the animals they already possessed for such uses. It seems reasonable to assume that the British dogs were at some points crossed into the Roman dogs. Ancestors of these dogs were exported to all parts of the continent, including France and to Spain where they became renowned fighting dogs. Later some of these dogs found their way back to Britain. A variety of breeds of mastiff/bulldog type were scattered about, and most likely contributed to the creation of the bulldog that was to be one of the main ingredients used in the development of the Pit Bull.
They were an animal-aggressive breed, but were routinely used in pairs to bait animals and hunt, so overt aggression towards others of their same species was not an extreme trait. However, the jobs the bulldog was typically required to perform would have demanded agility and the ability to avoid the antics of an enraged bull. As already pointed out, bulldogs came in a variety of sizes and shapes, so breeding down the size to be more compatible with the pit would not have been a difficult task, even without looking outside the gene pool. Examining works of art from all points in history, one will discover dogs that look remarkably similar to today's Pit Bull. while the APBT is probably made up mostly of old bulldog blood, at least some terrier blood *was* indeed introduced, if only by virtue of the fact that quite a bit of cross-breeding went on among the gamedog fanciers of the time who were not so much interested in purebred dogs as they were in dogs with fighting ability, and would therefore breed accordingly to dogs that were game, regardless of pedigree.
The breed known as the American Pit Bull Terrier was selectively bred specifically with the idea of it becoming the ultimate canine gladiator. But by virtue of the fact that so much of the breed was made up of versatile bulldog blood, the breed also proved adept at a number of non-fighting activities, including those which the bulldog had been used for. Also, the traits bred for in pit dogs were surprisingly ambiguous in their usefulness, specifically the trait of gameness (which was also present in the bulldog). Gameness is defined as the willingness to see a task through to its end, even under penalty of serious injury or death. Gameness was the trait most cherished in a fighting dog for obvious reasons, however this same trait proved useful in other areas--a dog who had the tenacity to hold a wild bull or boar, steadfastness to protect his master's home and property, and extreme tolerance for pain which made for a very stable dog less likely to bite out of fear or pain was terribly useful in rural old England, Pit Bulls were imported to America shortly before the Civil War, and used in much the same manner as they were back in England. But in the USA the breed solidified and was named--the American Pit BullTerrier. Strains of the fighting dog that remained in England later came to be known as Staffordshire Bull Terriers. There is speculation as to how closely related the Stafford and Pit Bull are as a breed, but the most convincing case is made up of claims that they are a similar breed, developed during the same time, made up of similar but seperate strains of bulldog and terrier blood. Cousins, but not brothers. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier became recognized as a breed by the English dog registry, the Kennel Club, in 1935.
In America, the Pit Bull flourished. It was one of the most popular breeds, highly prized by a wide variety of people. The Pit Bull was used to represent the US in WW1 artwork; popular companies like RCA and the Buster Brown Shoe Company used the breed as their mascots. A Pit Bull named Petie starred in the popular children's television series, Our Gang; a Pit Bull mix named Stubby became a decorated WW1 hero. Pit Bulls accompanied pioneer familles on their explorations. Laura Ingalls Wilder of the popular Little House books owned a working Pit Bulldog named Jack. Famous individuals like Theodore Roosevelt and Helen Keller owned the breed. It was during this time that the Pit Bull truly became America’s sweetheart breed, admired, respected and loved.
Today the Pit Bull has evolved into a marvellous working and companion dog, used for purposes as varied as those it originally performed. Pit Bulls are employed as police/armed services dogs, search and rescuers, therapy animals, and livestock workers. They compete in all manner of organized dog sports, from herding to agility to conformation to obedience and the bite sports like Schutzhund and French Ring. They make loving pets for children and seniors, and everyone in between. They are indeed one of the most versatile breeds on the planet. Much of this is owed to the activities it once performed. The harshness and physical demands of the activities moulded a strong, healthy, stable animal, one anyone should be proud to own.
