Blood Sport: A Look Into The World Of Dog Fighting

Dog fighting is an inhumane, cruel, sadistic "sport" in which two dogs fight until one of them can no longer continue, this sometimes means to the death. These dogs are trained, and conditioned from the start knowing nothing other than to fight. Their life both in and out of the pit is one of abuse, neglect cruelty, and brutality. In order to stop something as deplorable as this we must fully understand it.

Dog fighting is a contest in which two game dogs are matched against each other in a fight. A game dog refers to a dog's willingness to continue what it is doing, despite the threat of injury. They are selectively breed, conditioned and trained from early ages to develop this gameness. The match goes on until one or both dogs can no longer continue. This means that a dog is either too injured to continue or is killed. The dog that still shows interest in continuing the fight is dubbed the winner. Fights can last from a few minutes to a few hours. They are contained in a pit, a small arena enclosed by plywood walls. These fights are used for entertainment. With organized dog fighting large amounts of money can be generated. The match itself may have an entrance fee, and bets and wagers are usually placed on the fights. Breeding game dogs also stems a flow of money, this included the  seling of puppies and stud fees. Pit Bulls and Pit Bull type dogs are most often used in these fights. However any dog could potentially be a fighting dog. A dog's breed is not what makes it a fighter, it's how the dog is raised and trained.

Dog fighting has long been practiced in many countries through out the world. Ancient Romans pitted dogs against one another, and against other animals in gladiator rings.  Dog fighting has its roots in bull bating. This was a sport in which bull and terrier dogs, cross between bulldogs and terriers, were forced to attack bulls in rings. The bulls were usually attached to pols to limit their movement. The object was for the dog to immobilize the bull by biting and holding onto it's snout. It was after this practice was outlawed that dog fighting came to be.

Fighting dogs do not lead normal lives. They are usually kept in deplorable conditions. Some are housed in small dirty kennels, lacking the proper shelter, food and water. Others are kept on short heavy chains. They are kept with other fighting dogs, but just out of their reach as to increase their dog agression. Large heavy chains are commonly placed around their necks to increase their strength, sometimes weights are added to these. They live, sleep and eat in their small confined area among their own feces. They endure the harsh elements, extreme heat and cold with out adequate shelter. Both male and female dogs are used in fights, and since these dogs are bred, trained and conditioned to fight, breeding becomes tricky. The dogs are often muzzled and the female is restrained so she cannot move or fight the male.

Training

From the beginning these dogs are born with one purpose, to fight. Those who don't show the potential will either be killed, or used as a bait dog for training the ones who do. It can take up to two years to fully train a dog for fighting. The dogs are often beaten to increase aggression. They are made to run on tread mills, cat mills and jennies (which are similar to horse walkers). They pull, tug and hang from objects suspended from the ground to increase upper body and jaw strength. Bait animals are used in training. These can be other dogs, cats, or rabbits. The dogs are teased with the bait and eventually are allowed to kill it. Sometimes the bait animal will be restrained, or confined in a small area so it can not escape. A bait dog, sometimes an "unfit" fighting dog, will have it's muzzle tied shut while the other dog is allowed to attack it. Young pups face their first fight or "roll" at about 15 months of age. This last about 10 minutes and is a way to determine if a dog has potential to become a fighter.

A dog fighting arena can be found in both urban and rural areas. Both the poor and wealthy alike indulge in this spectacle. Fighting rings can be found in barns, fields, basements, garages, empty buildings, anywhere a pit can be constructed.The arena is a small square usually about 16ft by 16ft. The plywood walls are about 2 1/2- 3 feet high and the floor is usually carpeted to provide traction. In organized fighting there is a scratch line drawn diagonally from one neutral corner to the other.

These matches can last for a few minutes or go on for hours. The injures from these events are usually severe. Dogs can die from blood loss, dehydration, shock, exhaustion or infection, hours or even days later. Since dog fighting is illegal they receive very little if any treatment. What treatment they do receive is very basic and primitive.

There are two main types of dog fighting, both of which are cruel and inhumane. The forms are organized fighting, which has went more underground, and street fighting. As with anything not all dog fighters can be classified into one category or the other, there can be a blurring of the two forms.

Organized/ Underground Dog Fighting

Unlike street fighting there are specific rules followed in a turn based match. Dog men, the men who breed and fight game dogs, pit their dogs against one another to determine which dog possessed the most gameness. An organized match while still cruel is not a fight to the death. Before the match begins each handler turns his dog over to the opposing handler, the dogs are then bathed to insure that there are no chemicals on the dogs fur. The dogs are then returned to their handler and are prepared for the match. The match begins with each dog facing his or her own corner. They then face their dogs at the referees command. The match officially begins when the dogs are released, they must cross their scratch line in the allotted time and make contact. The dogs fight for holds, they usually grab and ear, shoulder and try to wrestle the opponent to the ground. When one dog shows signs of not wanting to continue, perhaps it turns it's head of body away from the other dog a turn is called. The handlers then retrieve their dogs at the first possible chance when the dogs are not in holds. They will take the dogs to their corners and face them into the corner until the referee commands "face you dogs". At this point the dog that turned is released first and must cross the scratch line in 10 seconds to prove he still wishes to continue. If the dog that turned does this the fight continues. The dogs then scratch in turn until a winner is decided. While these dogs are bred, raised and trained to fight other dogs they are to have NO human aggression. Both in and out of the ring, before, during and after the fight these dogs are exposed to a lot of human contact. In the middle of a match the handlers may have to separate their dogs, thus they cannot have human aggression.

The strict set of rules for a match are know as Cajun rules

1: Size of the pit, optional; but to be a square with sides atleast 2 feet high, and scratch lines 12 feet apart.

2: The referee is to be chosen before the dogs are weighed and washed. The referee is to conduct the match according to these rules. His decision is final.

3: The referee is to see the dogs weighed and if either dog is over the top weight that was agreed on he must forfit the match.

4: Oponents toss a coin to see who will wash first, each party is to furnish two clean towels and a blanket.

5: If requested to do so the referee will search the person named to wash the dogs and then have him bare his arm to the elbow and wash both dogs in the same warm water and rinse them each in his half of the warm clean water provided.

6: After the dogs are washed and dried they will be returned to their handlers. They are then imidently taken to their corners of the pit. The referee must search the handlers for means of foul play and see that he bares his arms to the elbow before he receives his dog. He must then keep his arms bare in such a manner during the match.

7: The dog's owner will be allowed to be near his dog at all times. Each owner will be allowed to name a man or himself to watch his opponent's dog and handler at all times to see that he is given no unfair advantages.

8: If either dog's owner, handler, or watcher sees anything wrong they must imidently appeal to the referee and get his decision. If any handler, watcher or owner violates these rules they will be declared the loser.

9: A time keeper is to be chosen outside of the pit.

10: The dogs are placed in opposite corners of the pit, Their faces are turned away from one another. Only the dogs and their handlers are inside the pit. The referee will then say, "Face you dogs". Each handler must always show his dog's full head and shoulders between his legs. The referee commands, "Let go". The handlers must never push or shove their dogs and handlers cannot leave their corners until the dogs meet together. The dogs must leave their corners on their own accord.

11: When one of the dogs turns his head and shoulders away from his opponent after the fight is in progress, "a turn" is called, whether they are in holds or free, the handler must then claim the turn and the referee must allow the claim if he believes it is a turn. The referee must call the first fair turn he sees whether the handler claims it or not and when the referee calls a turn he shall say, "Handle your dogs", each handler must pick up his dog as soon as he can without breaking a hold. Handlers carry their dogs to their corners. The referee will say, "Face your dogs". The dog that turned first must scratch first. In five seconds more the referee will say; "Let go", then the dog that made the first turn must be turned loose by his handler and this dog must go across the scratch line. If after he is turned loose he refuses to start at once or stops on the way over, or fails to reach his opponent the dog loses. A other handler is allowed to release his dog at anytime he sees fit after the dog whose turn it is to cross has started over. He must turn him loose when the dogs touch each other. .

12: If neither dog has made a turn and they cease to fight, after 60 seconds of no action the down dog is to scratch first, if he makes his scratch the fight continues and they will scratch in turn until the contest is decided. If the down dog fails to scratch the other dog is to scratch to win. If he fails to scratch the contest shall be declared a draw. No handler is to handle his dog until ordered by the referee, if he does, it will be called a foul and he must forfeit the contest.

13: After the dogs are together this time either handler is allowed to pick up his dog when they are not in holds, if ordered by referee. If he tries for a pick up and either dog has a hold he must turn him loose at once. If he catches his dog while free both handlers must handle their dogs at once. Take their dogs to their corners and proceed to do the same as in the first turn, except this time the dog that went across before is allowed to remain in his corner while his opponent makes a scratch. The dogs alternate in this manner until one of them is declared the winner.

14: If one of the dogs fangs himself, (gets his teeth hung in his own lip) his handler is allowed to un-fang him. If the dogs have to be separated for this they are turned loose again, both at the same time two feet apart in the center of the pit.

15: No sponging is allowed, and no towels or anything else taken into the pit by the handlers except a bottle of drinking water for his dog and a fan to cool him with. The handlers must taste their dog's drinking water in front of the referee to prove that it is not contaminated.

16: If the handler of either dog is seen taking anything from anyone outside of the pit he loses the match.

17: If either handler leaves the pit with his dog before the referee renders his decision he loses the match.

18: The handlers will be allowed to encourage their dogs by voice commands or clapping but must never touch their dogs. If either handler acts unfairly or out of hand he will lose the match.

19: If the police should interfere the referee will name the next meeting place.

Street Fighting

Street fights have little to no rules and are usually a fight to the death. Street fighters walk around with their dogs just looking for a fight. These men tend to be the cruelest in the world of dog fighting. Their dogs are tormented and tortured. Sometimes wagers are made on street fights, but mostly it is just a barbaric form of entertainment for these twisted individuals. The fights may take place in the middle of the street, in an ally, abandoned building, barn, anywhere they can manage. The dogs are let lose on one another to fight until one is dead or near dead. In most cases the losing dog is killed, if not dead already. They are left to die of their wounds, shot, electrocuted, set on fire or any other cruel way to dispose of the now "useless" creature. The "winner" may or may not survive. While they are alive for the time being they may later die of their wounds or of infection. These dogs while usually Pit Bulls, may have human aggression. A true Pit Bull is bred to have NO human aggression, but these kind of handlers don't care about the breed at all. All they care about is creating the biggest, meanest pit there is. These dogs are usually mixes and are trained to attack anything that moves.

After the match you are left with horribly injured dogs, and possibly dead or dying dogs. Their faces are ripped to shreds, bite marks and scratches can be found all over. Deep bleeding wounds and lacerations cover the body. The "winner" may receive some basic treatments but the loser most likely faces death, if not dead already. The losing dog has not only lost his reputation as a fighter, he has blemished the reputation of his owner. Because the owner feels that the dogs ability to win a match is a direct reflection upon his or her self the dog faces some of the cruelest deaths. The handler will wish to punish the dog for it's failure and horrific cruelty usually follows. They may abandon the dog and leave it to it's fate, or possibly shoot it. Others may electrocute the dog, set it on fire, strangle or beat it to death.