Pit bull history
Pit bull history
The origin of the pit bull varies depending on the source. However, pitbullregistry.com recognizes the following as the most valid account for the pitbull. The bulldogs date back to Roman times with bull baiting. The dogs during this time were wild and aggressive. In the 18th century, two fighting bulldogs emerged--the Blue poll of Scotland and the Alunt from Ireland.
By the early 19th century, because of selective breeding, a dog similar to the American pit bull emerged. However, due to a slow-moving economy and a law which prohibited low-income individuals from owning sporting dogs, bull baiting diminished. By the mid-1830's, bull baiting was completely banned. As a result, people looked to other alternatives.
One was called ratting. The dog was placed in a pit with rats and the more rats the dog killed, the higher it would score. This is where the word "pit" in the American Pit Bull Terrier came from. When the UKC was founded in 1898, the American Pit Bull Terrier was the foundation dog breed. During WWI, the American pitbull was so popular that it became the canine mascot during the war. Another piece of trivia is that the first dog to cross America in a car was a pitbull named Bud, whose goggles were donated to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
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Pit bull history