American Pit Bull Terrier

The Pitbull appears toward the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century. During the 19th century, in England, Ireland and Scotland, breeders began experimenting with crosses between bulldogs and terriers, looking for a dog that would combine the playful spirit (Gameness) of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the English Bulldog. Indeed, historically this dog was created to fight other dogs in arenas or pits. These fights to the death were very popular at the time, they were hotspots in New York. End of 19th – beginning of 20th century, two clubs were formed with the specific purpose of registering and recognizing different dog breeds: the United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeders Association. The United Kennel Club was founded in 1898, and was the first registry to recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The UKC, at a time when fights were still widely accepted as a sport, was responsible for registering dogs and publishing regulations for fights. The purpose of the UKC was to register competition dogs. The registered owner was assigned the first identification number identifying and authenticating his purebred dog. In 1835, the British Parliament enacted the Cruelty to Animals Act. These are provisions aimed at prohibiting dog fights against bulls. Nevertheless, new games were developed. Notably, Rat-baiting, which consists of placing the dog in an arena with a large number of rats. Bets were made on the number of rats killed in minimal time, and the time it would take the Pit Bull Terrier to kill each rat. Later, when fights were declared illegal, the UKC became a registry for all breeds, focused on work and performance. The UKC is now the second largest registry in the United States, with strict regulations that ban anyone found guilty of participating in dog fighting. Around the mid-20th century, this dog became more commonly domesticated. In America, some farmers and breeders used their Pit Bull Terrier to ensure the protection of their cattle and pigs, semi-wild dogs and puma. It was also used for hunting, herding and driving cattle. Finally, this dog was used during World War I and World War II as a means of delivering messages on the battlefield.