The ASPCA's public stance on pit bulls: "Sadly, pit bulls have acquired a reputation as unpredictable." Yet the ASPCA teaches and warns their employees that, "pit bulls give no warning before an attack." This directly acknowledges the unpredictable behavior of pit bulls. They add that the behavior is, "different than normal dog behavior." The ASPCA knowingly and falsely perpetuates the myth that all dogs are equal to the general public despite telling their employees the opposite and despite having considerable evidence that shows otherwise.

Introduction

• Pit bulls can undergo a great deal of stress in the shelter from confinement
• Cases of experienced handlers who had developed good relationships with the dogs over a period of months still being attacked without warning or obvious provocation

History of the Breed
Goals of changing the fighting bulldog breed

• Maintain certain characteristics of original bull-baiting bulldog
• Add traits that would make the dog a more effective fighter in the “pit”

History of the Breed
Selective breeding began in Staffordshire, England

• Coal mining area of England
• Bull-baiting bulldogs crossed with various terriers
• New breed = Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Staffordshire Bull Terrier = Pit Bull Terrier

• New breed
• Sport of organized dog fighting grew
• Further attempts to create even better fighting dog
• Bred outside of Staffordshire, England
• Bred for fighting in the “pit”

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

• Bite style

1. Hold, SHAKE, and tear bite style
2. Increased muscle and tissue damage

• Ignore signs of submission from other dogs
  

1. Different than normal dog behavior
2. Fight to the death

• Agility and athleticism

1. Agile to avoid serious injury during fight
2. High level of endurance and athleticism

• Aggression toward other animals

1. Aggression toward other dogs
2. NO aggression towards humans (except when attacking shelter workers)

• Give no warning prior to attack

1. Different than normal dog behavior
2. Shows no signs, just attacks

• "Gameness"

1. Most sought after trait of all fighting dogs
2. Refers to willingness to continue fighting despite physical pain and suffering
3. "Deep Game" = "Dead Game"

Today’s Pit Bulls

• Various names

1. Staffordshire Terrier (AKC 1935)
2. American Staffordshire Terrier (AKC 1972, Am Staff)
3. American Pit Bull Terrier or Pit Bull Terrier

• Professionally bred fighting dogs

1. Aggressive and athletic traits mentioned earlier

• Beloved family pets

1. Staffordshire Bull Terrier came to America in late 1800’s
2. Attempts to remove aggressive traits

• Pit Bull mixes

Pit Bulls Have High Pain Threshold

• “The American Staffordshire Terrier has an extremely high pain threshold when excited, and can injure itself with its own strength without realizing it”

-Medical and Genetic Aspects of Purebred Dogs, 1994, Clark and Stainer, editors

Fighting Classifications

• The Professional

1. Owner makes substantial investment (time and money)
2. Travels the country for fights
3. Knowledgeable about law enforcement investigation techniques
4. Dogs on performance enhancing steroids
5. Dogs on chronic ABS therapy
6. $$$ from high stakes matches and stud fees

• The Hobbyist

1. Local fighting circuit
2. Owner spends minimal time and money training and conditioning the dog
3. Gambling is the main focus

• The Street Fighter

1. Usually associated with other forms of illegal activity
2. Local street gangs
3. These dogs can be aggressive towards humans and more likely to cause fatal attacks to people than other fighting types
4. These dogs frequently kept in substandard conditions
5. May show obvious signs of physical abuse
6. Dogs used for "other" reasons:

• Used as guard dogs
• Used as “dangerous weapons”
• Used as drug carriers –Build endurance

Training and Conditioning of the Fighting Pit

• Bait animals

1. Can be killed or found injured and abandoned
2. Fighters have been known to steal neighborhood pets to use as bait animals
3. Types of animals
   

• Cats
• Rabbits
• Weaker dogs
• Used to build confidence during training
• Used to reinforce aggression

• Strenuous endurance activities

1. Homemade treadmills (many hours per day)
   
2. Spring Poll

• Reinforces the hold, shake and tear bite style
• Muscle building conditioning for hind legs
• Strengthens force of dog’s bite

Caring for Pit Bulls in the Shelter

• The care of aggressive pit bulls in the shelter should be restricted to 1 or 2 staff (or volunteers) who have been trained in animal behavior and restraint techniques.

• Pits don’t always give the traditional signs of warning before they bite

• If being walked in a corridor, for example, no other dogs should be in close proximity

• Pit bulls should not be allowed to have unrestricted or unrestrained contact with other dogs

• When cleaning cages they should not be permitted to run free in the ward with other dogs, and should be walked and exercised by experienced personnel only

Pit Bulls Will:

• Climb fences

• Chew up stainless steel food and water bowls as well as bedding

• Many shelters use disposable paper food trays and large rubber buckets for water because the dogs can be so destructive

• Destroy copper tubing of automatic water systems and conventional cages

• Attack other animals through chain link fences

• They can break through conventional cage doors and destroy typical epoxy paint on the floors and walls

Pit Bulls Can Be Very Destructive
Water bowl destroyed by a pit bull



Pit Bulls Require

• Special housing considerations

• Isolation from other animals if dog aggressive or have a high prey drive

• Lots of exercise and attention

• Careful monitoring for weight changes

Housing

• Avoid typical mesh link fencing

• Use kennel or cage systems with guillotine doors

1. Important to minimize the need to handle aggressive animals

• Consider cement or solid metal cages with high cinderblock walls

1. Prevents dogs from climbing walls
2. Blocks their view of other animals

• Secure and padlock doors

1. To foil escape artists
2. To prevent dogs from being stolen

• Install a panic button
  

1. Install a panic button in rooms housing pit bulls along with other restraint equipment in any room housing pit bulls
2. In case of an emergency, staff will know to go to the assistance of other staff immediately
3. Pit bulls are tenacious when fighting, and they have very powerful jaws

• Housing within shelter
  

1. Avoid placing pit bulls directly opposite or adjacent to other dogs
2. Especially opposite other fighting dogs

• Staff should also be trained in ways to break up a dog fight

1. Methods to use on pit bulls that are fighting include bite sticks to pry open their jaws, poles, or water directed in their face and nostrils with a hose
2. In extreme cases where all else has failed, mace or pepper spray may be sprayed toward their face

Placement Suggestions

• Temperament test or otherwise evaluate their behavior before considering placement
• Placement must consider all characteristics and adopt to experienced owners only

1. May be dog aggressive and friendly to humans
2. May be people and dog friendly
3. May be dog and human aggressive

• Screen all adopters closely as for any adoption, and then for prior dog owning experience as well
• Sterilize all pit bulls before release from the shelter!
• Make follow up calls and visits Placement Suggestions

• Look at adopters environment to determine if a Pit Bull is a good match

1. Urban area, dog parks
2. Small children in the home
3. Other pets

• Dog may be OK until social maturity at 18-24 mos of age (then what?)
• Concern about adopting out puppies from known fighting lines
• Need experienced guardians
• Counsel adopters

In this author's opinion, the placement of dogs with a history of dog fighting should be strongly discouraged, if not outright prohibited

Observations About Pit Bulls
Pit bulls are often extremely well muscled, making diagnosis and treatment more difficult

• If excited, Pits may initially require high doses of tranquilizers
  

1. Some veterinarians report resistance to acepromazine
2. Others report sensitivity to ace
3. Be careful when sedating

• Gunshot victims may present as clinically normal

1. Show no outward sign of distress
2. Elicitation of pain can be an unreliable diagnostic indicator (show little reaction to normal pain stimulus)
3. In cases of cranial cruciate rupture, these dogs can be so well muscled it is difficult to elicit a drawer sign

• Temperament changes observed
  

1. As sick animals regain their strength, going from meek to aggressive
2. Staff frequently become very attached to these dogs during the initial stages of their recovery when they are very docile, affectionate and calm
3. As they regain their strength and vigor, they may revert to their normal behavior and sometimes become more aggressive
4. It is very difficult to make the decision to euthanize after the staff has bonded with an animal that has been rescued from an abusive situation

• Pit bulls often enter the shelter under heavy or over-sedation

1. Treat aggressively with warmth and IV fluids
2. Use extreme caution to avoid being bitten as they regain full consciousness
3. Although this may occur with any breed, a pit bull bite will cause more damage