"And another thing. I really do feel bad for the cow, but what do you expect from a breed whose original purpose, before dog fighting, was to bait bulls?? Where did you all think the name came from??"
I really do feel bad for other dogs and people when the Bull baiting genes kick in.
WELL FREAKIN KNOWN for being friendly...that's a good one!!!
If you had ever in your life bothered to research the breed you would know that bull baiting and man biting are two completely different things. Before these dogs were bred to fight each other, they were trusted to control bulls until they were to be slaughtered.
Back in the day, for a while the only way to get bull meat was from a "baited" bull. Don't ask me why, I have no idea why they would think it would be any better than regular meat. They were, at that time, nothing more than working dogs, much like most other breeds when they still had a use. They weren't supposed to be cuddly and happy-go-lucky because they needed to be strong, determined and no-nonsense about their job. They were so good at it that when bull baiting was outlawed, their owners loved the determination so much, they decided to make a new blood sport.
In order to do this, however, they had to selectively breed dogs to fit their requirements. One, the dogs had to be willing and able to fight without giving up despite great pain. Two, they had to be extremely trusting of people in order for their owners to be able to separate them when the fight was over.
This is all fact, the handlers would wash each other's dogs to make sure nothing was put in the fur to hurt the other dog unfairly. They had to be able to get in the middle of two raging dogs and separate them without fear of retaliation, or "redirecting aggression", which happens in most other dog breeds when they fight. The dog had to know the difference between dog and person, or the dog's career, and life, ended there.
The breed was "refined" to make an extremely dog aggressive dog that was also extremely trusting and accepting of people. Anyone working in dog rescues where these dogs are permitted knows what I am talking about. There will be a Lab that might have been hit alongside a pit bull that was fought, beaten, starved, kept on a chain, and mutilated, and for the most part, the Lab will always be the one shivering, biting out of fear, or displaying other such unstable traits. The pit bulls, although not every one, but most, will still be wagging their tails (if it hasn't already been cut off), dancing around like it's just another day. The really sad part is, when these dogs are temperament tested, even after all of this, they show a remarkable resillience, whereas other breeds tend to be more fragile.
"WELL FREAKIN KNOWN for being friendly...that's a good one!!!"
Yes. They were and are well known for being human friendly...to anyone who bothers to research it instead of relying on media hype.