Pit Bull Blog

by Lindsay Biddle

I realize as I’m writing this that a lot of what I’m going to say is going to sound like sour grapes.  I suppose a little clarification is in order.  Prior to 2008, Loki and I did performance events exclusively and I know there are days when my dog is not going to be performing as she should, or times when I made a stupid mistake that cost us that leg we were working for.  Losing doesn’t bother me, when it is to a better dog that is clearly deserving of the win.  We live to compete another day. 

What I have a problem with is watching a dog leave the ring with its tail tucked while the handler is carrying the blue ribbon.  What breed are we looking at when we see that?  I don’t know about you, but when I’m in the breed ring, I am there to compete against American Pit Bull Terriers.  You know the one; that bold, fearless breed which was designed to look death in the face and challenge it.  I speak of the breed whose temperament is described as such: 

“The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. … extremely friendly, even with strangers. … Disqualification: Viciousness or extreme shyness.” - excerpt from the UKC Standard 

“Confident and alert.  Interested in things around them, in control of their space, not threatened by anything in their surroundings.  Gentle with loved ones.  Faults: Shy or timid.” — excerpt from the ADBA standard 

Even the APBT’s little brother, the AmStaff, has this written about temperament: 

“…keenly alive to his surroundings … His courage is proverbial.” - excerpt from the AKC standard for the American Staffordshire Terrier 

So when I take my happy, up-beat, judge-kissing dog into the ring and we are going up against a dog that will not gait without bellying down, that is a no-brainer for me.  Every dog can have a bad day, and I am not saying to disqualify these dogs that are showing fear and apprehension in the ring.  However, the judge’s job is to evaluate which is the best dog on that given day.  If a dog will not stack up without cowering, will not gait without being coddled along, it is not the best dog that day.  Its type may be beautiful, and there may be promise of a bold, courageous dog later on, but the dog should not win that day.  To allow the practice of putting up cringing, beautiful dogs over their faulted, outgoing competitors is a travesty. 

Just how important is temperament?  Well, in our breed it should be key.  The APBT is a gladiator.  How would you feel sharing space with an incredible warrior-like machine that was so petrified with fear that it might decide to nail you first before you can hurt it?  Let’s face it; when the fear gets bad enough, any dog can be pushed into biting.  Our breed may be required to have a round eye, well-turned stifle, low tailset, but it is the temperament that plays such a huge role in making the APBT what it should be. 

When I go into the ring, I try to keep notes on who was doing the judging and what they picked.  Its not that I avoid judges who put up a different kind of dog, but more that I have had more than enough of judges who are so wrapped up in physical beauty that they forget the big picture.  At this point, I have a list of judges that I’ve liked — most of whom have not picked my dog, by the way, but were fair in their judging and explained why they picked the way they did - and those that I will avoid in the future.  Some of the reasons I’ve noted for avoidance include “K.S. - dumped Terra for fearful puppy,” or “J.H. - yelled ‘no’ at squirmy puppies.”  (The latter was ridiculous, but the former is the real bite.) 

I went to a show in May of 2008 in Oklahoma.  There were some very nice dogs there, and we did our share of losing all weekend.  In 3 of the 4 shows, I could not tell you who I lost to because losing to good APBTs is not noteworthy to me.  However, when we went in the ring for puppy female against a very pretty but very scared little bitch, you would have thought we had that win in the bag.  The dog we were going up against was not a happy camper.  There was no way the judge could have evaluated her movement since she refused to gait.  My goofy girl wasn’t an old pro, but she did gait around the ring with her head and tail up, and she did greet the judge with a wiggle rather than a cringe.  That’s the way it should be with puppies.  Imagine my disgust when the judge handed the blue ribbon to the other female who was overall terrified by her ring experience.  

At the UKC APBT Nationals this year, I was again showing my girl.  She took senior female and was going up against two others for Best Female.  One was a very nice breeder/handler girl that I figured would take the win.  The other was a cute little female with lots of white that was just not comfortable being in the ring.  She did not want to gait and kept bellying down.  So you would think that my girl would have taken the reserve win after the beautiful B/H bitch.  Nope.  We left the ring with nothing as the judge was telling the handler of the white dog “(couldn’t hear what she said first)… but I like it.” 

Honored judge, if you like fear over the “keenly alive” animal the APBT is supposed to be, you would be doing the breed a favor if you surrendered your judge’s license.  Conformation shows are intended to evaluate breeding stock, so presumably most dogs who go on to win their CH or GRCH go on to also be bred.  By encouraging this animal to go on and win more, you are also encouraging the procreation of fearful dogs.  

Judges only have a few minutes in the ring with each animal to get a good feel for what they’re about, and yes, they might miss something.  However, if a dog is clearly broadcasting that they want nothing to do with the judge or anything around them, that should be the eliminating factor right there.  If they are simply having a bad day, they will live to show another day and any handler with sense will understand why they lost.  But it is flat ridiculousness to allow that dog to beat out another that is having a very good day and is exuding the love of life that the APBT is supposed to have. 

So there you have it, my beef for the day (or decade).  Judges, quit making excuses for fearful dogs in the ring, or for human-aggressive dogs for that matter.  This breed is not intended to be gorgeous but untouchable.  If you have a ring full of dogs with correct, outgoing, happy, space-owning temperament, then you decide which has the tighter feet, better front angulation, flatter head planes, etc.  But if an APBT is petrified, who cares how beautiful it is?

by Lindsay Biddle

(Warning, the following is pure satire.  Don’t read if you’re freakishly sensitive.)

 

Don’t get a Pit Bull unless you have at least 10 years’ experience in the breed.

Don’t get a Pit Bull if you’re under the age of 30 because you have to have financial and hormonal stability in order to cope with one of these dogs.

Don’t get a Pit Bull if you’re over the age of 40 because you have to be young and strong in order to handle the breed’s strength and exercise requirements.

Don’t get a Pit Bull from a breeder because you’ll be supporting the misery and suffering of puppy mill dogs and you know you’d be just as happy with a nice pit mix from the shelter.

Don’t get a Pit Bull from a shelter because you have no earthly idea if it’s well-bred or descended from a long line of man-biters.

Don’t get a Pit Bull mix, like, ever since it might be mixed with chupa cabra and you never mix chupa cabra and Pit Bull unless you want to lay waste to a few dozen cities.

Don’t get a Pit Bull if you have kids because they’re just too much dog to have around the young ones.

Don’t get a Pit Bull if you live alone because the dog will be neurotic without a minimum of 5 people around it at all times.

Don’t get a Pit Bull if you rent since it is impossible to get a landlord to allow this breed.

Don’t get a Pit Bull if you live in the city because all the hand-walking in the world would never keep one of these dogs happy.

Don’t get a Pit Bull in the suburbs because legions of soccer moms will run you out with pitchforks.

Don’t get a Pit Bull if you live in the country because there are just too many yucky bugs and these dogs have sensitive skin.

Don’t get a Pit Bull if you want it to be a companion for your current dog.  Might as well get a wolf to keep your steak dinner company.

Don’t keep a Pit Bull without exposing it to other dogs because you will cause inner scarring on its delicate psyche and fail to fulfill its needs as a social pack animal.

Don’t keep your Pit Bull at home because it needs socialization and exposure to lots of different situations and people and stuff.

Don’t take your Pit Bull outside because the world is a scary place full of diseases and just ew.

Don’t socialize your Pit Bull around children because those things are just annoying.

Don’t expose your Pit Bull to too many different people because then you’ll never have a dog suitable for guarding your collection of rare vinyl albums.

Don’t crop your Pit Bull’s ears.  That’s just cruel.  How would you like to have your ears lopped off with hedge trimmers?

Don’t leave your Pit Bull’s ears intact.  They just look silly and they might be at a disadvantage if they ever encounter one of those ear-pulling disciplinarian-type grandmothers.  Or a bear.

Don’t neuter your Pit Bull before 5 years of age because you will rob it of vital hormonal juiciness it needs to grow up big and strong.

Don’t neuter your Pit Bull later than 5 months of age because it might get testicular cancer.

For the love of all that is good, don’t breed your Pit Bull.  This is the canine equivalent of murder and jaywalking all rolled in one.

Don’t ever use a retractable leash with a Pit Bull.  What do you think you’re walking, a poodle?

Don’t use a quick-release collar on a Pit Bull because its just not strong enough and the dog will surely break loose and wreak havoc.

Don’t use a spiked collar on your Pit Bull unless you really dig pain.

Don’t use a martingale-style collar.  That’s almost as bad as a choke chain or a prong collar (which are both the Devil) and will surely throttle your dog to death if you turn your back.  In fact, don’t use a collar on your Pit Bull at all because it’s just not worth the risk.

Don’t be so stupid as to leave your Pit Bull collar-less.  Its, like, against the law and just, well… stupid.

Don’t put your name on your Pit Bull’s tags because then a stranger might read them and be able to call your dog by name, and everybody knows that a Pit Bull will never go with a stranger that doesn’t know its full and proper name.

Which reminds me, don’t use nicknames with your Pit Bull.  The breed has an image to uphold, you know.  While we’re at it, don’t ever put cute froo froo stuff on your Pit Bull, like bandanas or sweaters.  Nobody’s fooled, and these dogs don’t get cold anyway.

Don’t register your Pit Bull with the city because the super-secret covert ops agents will swoop down on your home and carry your dog off in a black helicopter.

Don’t own an unregistered Pit Bull or you make baby Jesus cry.

Don’t thump your Pit Bull on the head.  Not sure why anybody would need to be told this, but it’s sound advice at any rate.

Don’t play fetch with your Pit Bull because you will surely hurt its joints as well as the joints of innocent bystanders.  Besides, it involves letting your Pit Bull off-leash which you definitely don’t do.

Don’t bike with your Pit Bull because they will eventually pull to the wrong side of a telephone pole and you will die. 

Don’t own an untrained Pit Bull ‘cuz that’s just as bad as leaving a machine gun on your front lawn.

Don’t take your Pit Bull to group classes because it will definitely grab another dog and create massive media headlines.

Don’t show your Pit Bull in UKC dog shows because it will definitely break that silly little shoestring leash and wipe out the surrounding dog population.

Don’t show your Pit Bull in ADBA dog shows because we all know that those are just a cover for prostitution and drug smuggling.  Nobody shows their dogs unless they’re into something illegal.  I mean, duh.

Don’t weight pull with your Pit Bull because PeTA will so get you for that.

Don’t do obedience with your Pit Bull because these dogs just aren’t that smart.

Don’t do agility with your Pit Bull.  See any above line about machine guns or mass genocide.

Don’t bathe your Pit Bull any more than once a year because you’ll dry out its coat, or any less than once a week because that’s just gross.

Don’t speak in any other language except English to or around your Pit Bull because that’s deeply offensive to their cultural heritage.

Don’t post on any Pit Bull-related message boards because the CIA, FBI, ATF and any other associated letter people will swoop down and take your computer, you naughty thing.

Don’t get any of that paraphernalia stuff (treadmills, springpoles, etc.) because, yeah, just because.

Don’t get a blue-nose Pit Bull because they are fake.

Don’t get a red-nose Pit Bull because everyone knows that red is recessive to black and without strong pigment your dog will spontaneously combust in the sunlight.

Don’t get a black-nose Pit Bull because those are just boring to look at.  If you’re going to get a Pit Bull, you might as well make a statement.

Don’t teach a Pit Bull to open the fridge and get you a beer.  They will eventually become alcoholics and you’re just being lazy.

Don’t leave a Pit Bull without a job to do, unless the only job available is beer retrieval.

Don’t try to explain the theory of relativity to a Pit Bull.

Don’t let a Pit Bull ride loose in the car because they will eventually ask to drive, and the breed can only legally drive in southern California.

Don’t let Pit Bulls ride in any vehicle manufactured by Chrysler as you would be trusting their life to chance and that’s just not right.

Do as I say, not as I don’t.

Don’t put your Pit Bull on a chain as it automatically qualifies you for inbred hillbilly freakdom.

Don’t let your Pit Bull live in the house because it will go to their head and it’s important to keep the breed in a constant state of submission.

Don’t dress your Pit Bull up for Halloween as they will surely be abducted when they go out trick-or-treating.

Don’t feed your Pit Bull high-protein food because they don’t need all that.

Don’t feed your Pit Bull food that costs less than $2.00 a pound, cheapskate.

Don’t feed raw foods to your Pit Bull because they’re genetically engineered to do better on kibble and blood makes them go crazy on a full moon.

Just don’t get a Pit Bull.  You heard me, don’t.  I’m watching you, little mister.

Unless you’re a little missy, in which case, don’t.