American Pitbull Terrier Myths...........

Theses facts were obtained by us from numerous sources and from first hand experience

Aren't Gamedogs VICIOUS

FACT: There is no scientific proof that genetics cause a breed of dog to be aggressive, vicious or dangerous. Irresponsible owners are to blame for the behavior of dogs that are aggressive, vicious or dangerous..

Don't Gamedogs have LOCKING JAWS?

FACT: No.Although certain dog breeds such as the Rottweiler and Gamedogs have the reputation of having stronger jaws than other breeds, valuable scientific studies showing significant differences in jaw strength among breeds does not exist. In summary, the classification of dog breeds with respect to their relative danger to humans makes no sense, as both the complex antecedent conditions in which aggressive behavior occurs, and its ramifying consequences in the individual dog ecological and social environment are not considered.

Don't Gamedogs have to be TRAINED TO FIGHT?

FACT: "Aggressive behavior in dogs is a species-specific trait which is firmly established genetically, because it has been highly influenced by natural selection during evolution as well as by artificial selection through man. However, the fact itself that the aggression level of members of certain breeds may be increased (or decreased) through artificial selection does not prove that aggressiveness itself is a highly hereditary trait. In most cases, dogs that are selected for higher levels of aggression are raised in a very aggression-stimulating environment, which then in turn imposes the wrong impression of a genetically based hyper-aggression. (Stur,2000) Zur Frageder besounderen Gefahrlichkeit von Hunden auf Grund der Zugehorhrigkeit zu bestimmten Rassen. http://www.hund-und-lter.de/arbe...icht.html. In these situations environmental factors are ignored and blame for aggressiveness is placed on the genetic make-up of the dog. Blaming the genetic make-up of the dog is wrong.

Aren't TREADMILLS used to get dogs ready to fight?

FACT:Believe it or not, treadmills are not for people that are too lazy to exercise or training their dog to fight. Treadmills provide many benefits beyond what can normally be achieved from walking a dog. For example, dog show handlers use treadmills to perform gait analysis. The treadmill allows the handler to study the gait of a dog and make corrections while the dog is in movement.Also people in the larger metropolitan areas use treadmills to achieve the proper exersise needed for their dogs.

For most pet owners, exercise is the key to good health, good mental agility and longevity. Additionally, it is important to understand that most pet dogs were bred to perform daily tasks, alongside humans, such as pulling sleds, operating equipment, herding sheep and performing rescue operations. If a dog does not get adequate exercise (adequate may be more than you might believe), this instinctive energy will build up and demand an outlet. So if your dog's chewing the couch and indulging in a little excessive barking, it may very well be that he's bored and under exercised.

Will a Gamedog that shows aggression towards other animals go after humans?

FACT: Believe it or not, Pitbulls are actually very loving dogs. They have to be, because if they're in a scrap, the owner should be able to calm them down quickly and easily. Also, during the dogfights of the middle ages, the people were in the ring with the dogs and if a dog got injured, it was immediately removed and multiple people treated its injuries like a top of the line trauma center. Therefore, the pitbull could NOT be human aggressive since it was handled by many people. If it showed any aggression towards humans, it was summarily culled and never allowed to breed. Remember, aggression towards other animals is different from aggression towards people.

Don't SCARS on Gamedogs always mean that he "has been fought"?

FACT: Many Gamedogs that wind up with scars and are given an automatic death sentence. In most cases, this is a unfair decision on the powers to be. Gamedogs can show up with scars for many different reasons. They are intense, active creatures and can get into all sorts of trouble.They may have been on the streets and scrapped with other dogs without any prompting from an irresponsible owner ... He may have started those fights, or tried to avoid them, or anything in between. He may be an active dog that ran through a thicket while just running in the woods, They might have gotten to close to a wild animal like a a raccoon, or he just may have got his scars from wrestling with the other dog in the house and it may have gotten a bit to serious.

Should people trying to adopt be wary of RESCUED ADULT GAMEDOGS and only choose rescued pups?

FACT:Many People actually prefer taking adult Gamedogs into their home over pups. Puppies are a lot more work. Its also a lot harder to know what the personality and temperment of a pup is going to be like as a mature Gamedog (really high strung or just mellow? (and or dog-aggressive or dog tolerant).

Should an animal aggresive Gamedog be euthanized?

FACT:There is no scientific proof that Pit Bulls, or any other breed of dog is dangerous. The Foundation's "The Washinton Animal Foundation Inc."collective experience and research has found the American Pit Bull Terrier is a "terrier" All terriers have animal prey drive, this does not make them dangerous or vicious.

Is animals that show up with bite marks ' BAIT DOGS' ?

FACT: While no one likes people who would abuse animals,This is another one of them major misperception, the so-called 'bait dog' Being a stray on the streets is not an easy life and when a dog shows up with bite marks from another dog, It's safe to assume that that animal got into a tussle somewhere along the way. It's anyones guess if that stray received its injuries from fighting for food or just starting a fight with another dog from or being jumped by other loose stray.But the bottomline is there is no way to really tell.

Are American Gamedogs unpredictable around CHILDREN?

THE STATISTICS - FATAL DOG ATTACKS IN THE U.S. FROM 1965 - 2001 *

FACT: Victim Profile
79% of all fatal attacks were on children under the age of 12
12% of the victims were the elderly, aged 65 - 94
9% of the victims were 13 - 64 years old

The age group with the highest number of fatalities were children under the age of 1 year old; accounting for 19% of the deaths due to dog attack. Over 95% of these fatalities occurred when an infant was left unsupervised with a dog(s).

The age group with the second-highest number of fatalities were 2-year-olds; accounting for 11% of the fatalities due to dog attack. Over 87% of these fatalities occurred when the 2-year-old child was left unsupervised with a dog(s) or the child wandered off to the location of the dog(s).

Boys aged 1 - 12 years old were 2.5 times more likely to be the victim of a fatal dog attack than girls of the same age.

This study inpart shows the truth behind all dog attacks in general is small children, UNSUPERVISED children are the major cause of all dog bites period.You have to use commonsense and take responsibility when owning any breed of dog.The major flaw in this study is that Gamedogs and Pit Bull Type* dogs were all bundled in one catagorie.That would be akin to saying "cat's and cat type felines and including Lions in the study"

Don't all American Gamedogs want to chase CATS?

FACT: Knowing your individual dog's limits with small animals, Proper training and being a responsible dog owner will make all the difference in the world between success and tragedy -- And should apply to all dogs as well as Gamedogs!

MYTH: American Gamedogs bite more people than any other breed.

FACT: It is hard to nail down, as accurate records by breed are very seldom kept. Those records available show what a myth this is. Farmers Branch, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, has kept accurate records since 1980. During a 7 year period from 1980 through 1987, this is what was recorded. Total bites: 1,593. Gamedogs, 30 bites, or 1.89% of the total. Other studies tend to show the same results and because of so many mongrels that have similar features to the American Gamedog , it seems reasonable to assume that the figures are actually much lower.

MYTH: American Gamedogs are born mean.

FACT: The American Pit Bull Terrier is rated as one of the top 5 breeds in this country. It is shown exclusively in the ADBA and United Kennel Clubs in the Conformation and obedience ring. According to the American Temperament Test Society (POBox 4093, St Louis, and MO 63136 Phone 314-869-6103, in the 24 years of testing over 185breeds of dog, the Pit Bull rates at 83.1%. This is higher than the national average for all other breeds of dog. This means the Pit Bull has the best over all temperament. The ATTS tests dogs everywhere in the country, and is recognized by the AKC and UKC. The Pit Bull is used for Search and Rescue and Therapy. Our Foundation "The Washinton Animal Foundation Inc."uses them along with other breeds for bite prevention and responsible ownership classes in the Washington School Districts. Two US Presidents owned Pit Bulls and countless famous people own them. In our country more families own the Pit Bull than any other dog breed in existence

MYTH: American Gamedogs have 1600 P.S.I. in jaw pressure.

FACT: Dr. 1. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states, "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of "pounds per square inch" can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data."

MYTH: American Gamedogs lock their jaws to the death.

FACT: Again from Dr. Brisbin: "The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of Gamedogs show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of "locking mechanism" unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Gamedog ." These dogs love to bite and pull and will as all other dogs let go on command..With this said most Gamedogs will hold on until they can get a better hold,but thats only the tenacity of them.

MYTH: All American Gamedogs are bad and should be banned.

FACT: On July 17,1987 on ABC's "Good Morning America" program, Mr. Marc Paulhaus, S.E. regional director of the Humane Society of the United States stated: "Serious dog problems tend to be cyclical in nature."

I tend to agree that serious dog problems are cyclical in nature.

MYTH : The Humane Society of the United States

FACT: In the name of being humane the HSUS has killed upwards to a billion animals including our breed of dogs that range in the millions.Lets just hope that no one is ever that humane to us. Euthanasia is the single largest cause of death for dogs and in the U.S. The HSUS classify 10 million to 12 million of them as "surplus" and kill them. That’s a million a month.

MYTH: When American Gamedogs taste blood, it makes them mean

FACT: This is by far the dumbest one that has come down the pike . When a dog gives birth, just like any species, there is alot of blood. By nature the mother removes the fetal membranes, severs the umbilical cord, licks the puppies clean, and eats the after birth. If tasting the blood were to cause her to go on a killing rampage, she would kill her pups, and the breed would cease to exsist(Common Sense).

MYTH: When American Gamedogs mature their brains grow too big for their head, causing them to go crazy.

FACT: Truth is if it really was possible for an anyone or anythings brain to grow too big for it's own head, it would kill them.Going crazy would be the last thing you would have to worry about.

Conclusion

What we believe has happened here is very simple "bad breeding habits."The dogs being bred for profit and status,and not bred using the strick standards that has been adhere to in the pass.Novice breeders worrying about color,size of head,and people thinking bigger means better.People breeding what they concieve to be the flavor of the month.Putting dogs in the wrong peoples hands for the almighty dollar even when they knew it wasn't best for the over all breed.In our opinion it's not the people that have matched their dogs in contests in the past that's taking it's toll on this breed of dogs today,it's the ones that have never done anything with the dogs thinking they are a novelty that have taken the toll. Facts are there was never a problem with this breed of dogs for hundreds of years when in the hands of real dogman and real dog people.Then in steps the novice and the people that claim they know whats best for the breed and it has been nothing but problems for this Nobel Breed.

How to build in all weather dog house

If your dogs live mostly in the backyard, you will need a proper dog house for them, not just any dog house will do, it has to be one, that will keep your dog cool in hot summer months and warm in the winter season, what i have found out, is that the best dog house for this purpose, is one that is made out of "treated" plywood (a little on the expensive side, but it sure is worth it), insulated and the kind of dog house that the whole top comes off , so its easy to maintain and clean, below I am posting a very good blue prints and a picture on how to make a proper dog house. Enjoy

Make your own parting/break stick

Go to Wal-Mart to the house wares dept. and get a Poly Cutting board that is 1/2" thick. It will cost about $3. Cut it into 2" x 12" pieces, with skil saw, or table saw. You should be able to get about 14-16 pieces. Then take a sharpie and draw grips for your hand on one end, and taper it to a point at the other. Then cut out with jig-saw, and smooth it up with #4 grit sandpaper.

You can have 14-16 sticks for less then $5, and about an hour of your time.

By Stillwater.

Best way to contain a bulldog

There are many debates, as to whether its humane or not to teether a dog, in my humble opinion, its a lot better for a dog to be in a chain set up, out in the fresh air, then, being crated in a tiny box for 8hrs + waiting for its owners to come home and its also better than the nicest kennel set up, because, in a chain set up, they have much more square inch to play in.

If you have more than one bulldog in your household, male and female or both males or vice versa, you are going to eventually need to separate those dogs when there is no one to supervise them, or you will have a bad surprise when you come home from work, the proper way to contain bulldogs in my opinion is via a chain set up, many wanna be thugs, try to act tough and use a tow chain that is like 40lb, that is ridicoulous and stupid, what you need to have a solid chain set up for your dog is, a 2″ nylon collar (preferably from stillwater), a good heavy duty swivel, about 4 “S” hooks, two “O” rings, a heavy duty chain, I use 10 footer and a quarter in width, when getting your chain, keep in mind the longer the chain, the heavier it will be on the dog and then all you need is your car axle, you can get all your hardware at most hardware stores, at 1st i tried home depot, couldn’t find much of what i was looking for, Ace is much better for bulldog hardware, the car axle, you can get at any junk yard, they are cheap, i got mine for $5, just ask, for a used, non functioning rear car axle, because there are alot of use axles that are working properly , those are for cars, and you dont need lol. You can buildt your chain set up with less than $20,Below I will post some pics , showing how a correct chain

set up looks like. Good luck.

How to separate a dogfight

There are several ways to separate a dog fight, it depends a lot on what breeds are involved in the fight, if you are by yourself or there is people around to help you untangle a full on fight and if you have the proper material to break a full on dog fight, I will start by explaining how to separate a dog fight, of dogs who fight for dominance only (no bulldog blood), and you have a human helper around , both dogs are locked and in a full on fight, what you do is: calmly you and buddy look for 2 leashes, for each dog, loop as best you can around each dogs neck, then, both buddy and you mount each dog , like if you were riding a horse lol, with both hands, close to the upper neck of the dog, holding as firm as possible, so the dogs do not cause, deep wounds by pulling and thrashing, be patient and wait, as soon as one of them , tries to re grip (they always do), pull that one dog away, with all your might, at the same time your buddy is firmly holding the other dog.

Separating a dog fight by yourself is much more hard work and if you don’t know what you are doing, and do it fast, you could loose a dog, both dogs or get seriously hurt, basically what you do is, the same as if you where with a buddy, up to the part where you lasso a dog, you would lasso one of the dogs, and even if both dogs are in a full on fight an locked, by pulling on one of the dogs, you drag both dogs to the nearest pole or something similar that will hold the dogs, while in action, once you have one of the dogs tied up successfully , hold the other dog by the upper neck, with both hands and wait till it re grips, once it opens its mouth to re grip, pull hard, your done.

When dealing with the American pitbull terrier and similar breeds that have a strong jaw , its best to use a breaking stick, as most of them will not open their jaw, even if their dumb life depended on it lol, the proper way to break up two bulldog breed dogs, is best and easiest when you have a buddy around, you would proceed with the following, you and buddy, would, look for two breaking sticks , each for a dog, next, you and buddy, each mount each dog like you would a horse, with one hand hold the dog by the neck, with the other free hand, try and pry open the dogs mouth, this procedure is not to difficult, what you do is, find an open space, on the side of the dogs mouth, stick the breaking stick, a quarter in deep, don’t pull up an down, what you do is, move the break stick like revving a motorcycle, and that bulldogs mouth should open in no time.

(Please note, these examples mentioned up above, have worked for me personally, I have learned how to separate a dog fight from dogmen, personal experience and reading plenty of books)

By J.R