the bull-and-

The bull-and-terrier (aka the half and half) was considered to be more of a type of than a breed of dog. It was for the most part a cross between the Old English and The Old English . These were originally used as hunters as well as a gladiator in the bull and bear baiting arena.

In 1835 Britain started to introduce strict animal welfare laws that prohibited these types of blood sports. It was at this point that became so popular simply because it was much easier to hide two dogs fighting in a back alley or basement.

Until the 1930s, there was 3 main types of bull and terriers. The Walsall type, that to my understanding also had some blood thrown in the mix, the Darlaston type, which had more of the terrier blood, and the Cradley Heath type which had more of the bulldog blood.

In 1935, the Cradley Heath type became recognized as the Staffordshire . The other two eventually faded away once this new standard was imposed. However, decades earlier in the 19th century, the Walsall type was carried by immigrants to the United States where it was a major factor in the creation of the American Pitbull Terrier through specimens such as Lloyd's Pilot and the Colby Bloodline combined with Irish strains. See, when the bull-and-terrier type was on the rise in , Ireland was breeding another cross of old Irish with different terriers and sight .

The finished products of these crosses through selective breeding were designed to hunt and bait animals but the primary focus became dog fighting. Here at battle bred k9s, we do not support or condone any illegal activities but for the sake of this article, I feel like it's necessary that we cover the topic of dog fighting and how it works. after all, we can't claim to love our bully breeds if we can't respect where they came from. so, let's take a look.

As far back as Ancient Rome, people have pitted their dogs against one another for sport. Today, this 500-million-dollar industry is still rising due to its popularity in so many parts of the world, underground or not. According to my studies, there is two main classes of dog fighters. Street fighters and professionals. In most cases, the street level dog fighters are a lot less organized, and use the sport (if you want to call it that) for more of a status symbol. Professional dog fighting on the other hand, is a highly secretive and organized subculture. They even publish magazines with fight results and advertising for breeding kennels, training supplies, and so on. There are dog fighters in America who still make a living in the dog fighting arena even after it became a felony in every state. Dog fights usually take place in what is called a pit which is a box that has four walls which are two to three-foot-high and 8 to 20 feet long. The handlers first exchange the dogs to be washed in the same water. This ensures that there is no poisonous or deterring substance applied to the dog's coat. Once the dogs are dried and placed in their opposite corners, they are held by the owner or handler in place until given the signal to begin.

This is always a tense moment. The minute the 2 dogs lock eyes, they declare war! Some dogs let out howls and screams just waiting to be released. When the referee gives the signal, the dogs are released. They collide like freight trains. The handlers are allowed to get as close as they want to cheer on their dog but they cannot interfere in the match physically or the match is called. The fight will continue until one dog can no longer fight. This is usually because it refuses to fight, tries to jump out of the pit, is seriously injured, or dies. Now if the referee calls a "turn", this means that one dog turned away from his opponent. At this point, the fighters are returned to their scratch lines and re-released. At this point, the handler can provide bottled water to the dog in some cases. Cajun rules also allow the dogs to be broken up to be "unfanged". This happens when a dog’s teeth are stuck on its own lip.

Dog fights can go on for hours. So many dogs die from pure exhaustion more than anything. Alot of dogs die after the fight from shock. But if a dog has 3 wins, he is crowned a champion. 5 wins make him a grand champion.

I have mixed feelings about dog fighting. and before you jump down my throat, let me explain why. I can understand the thrill of being able to call your dog a champion in any activity the dog is involved in. A lot of these dog men put in so much money and time to raise not just one dog but sometimes even a whole family of dogs in an attempt to create perfection. We also have to remember that in the early years of the sport, the life of an animal was considered cheap in comparison to where we are today. I personally don't believe dog fighting is necessary anymore. Call me soft, but I couldn't raise a dog myself and put it into the box to risk its life for bragging rights or money. I am however, pretty fascinated with the sport of hog . With this sport, you can see what your dog is made of, there is less risk of severe injury, and the meat can be used to feed your yard. Win win win.

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