Hello All

i kinda mean the busy bodys i know it wouldnt boder ne 1 on this site but think of people that already dont like pits they see one killin rats they will jus cause hassle for ye i meant more if the dog bite the rat and caught something that way

Welcome muzzle

Yeah I suppose on a personal level I like all my dogs to have a purpose. I do agility with them cause I believe it builds the dogs confidence and builds my ability to comunicate with the dog and the bond with the dog but I wouldn't exactly call that a job.

I thiink if you look at history it is the breeds that were promoted with utility in mind kept their stregnth while the breeds doomed by the kiss of death that is the show ring or lack of purpose have fadded into bad health or obscuirity.

Do people have experience or knowledge of any success within the breed as man trackers/ SAR or the like?

I think if someone has decided they dislike the breed then they've made up their minds but if a PB finds a lost child in the woods then people will have to recognise the usefullness of the breed, or at least stand back and question there preconceptions.

Jumper, Tracey thanks for the welcome, looking forward to reading through the old post and learning a bit before I decide on getting a PB.

Harry, as requested;

Suki, great link very interesting and thanks.

hey welcome to the site

Thanks very much Caroline.

muzzle wrote:

Suki, great link very interesting and thanks.

you're welcome. lots of good info in there.
as far as SAR dogs go, the pit bull has been known to get that title as well. two dogs come to mind for me: Cheyenne and Dakota. just as you like, and imo, as well, they were true ambassadors of the breed, and as i recall learning, became two of the first search and rescue dogs, (for PB's) combined with the first therapy dogs. so yes, their capabilities, due to their emense desire to want to please their owners, are great. ..hard for me to be impartial, tho!


ETA: some reading and a pic of Doc a SAR dog.
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(in the pit bull education)

also, the "Sporting Bull Terrier" (by Eugene Glass) has a whole chapter on ratting. esentaiily on 'matches' involving them, but it makes for some, (and to some) interesting, historical reading.

THE SPORTING BULL TERRIER

A Book of General Information
Valuable to Owners, Trainers,
Handlers, and Breeders
of Bull Terriers

Suki wrote:

also, the "Sporting Bull Terrier" (by Eugene Glass) has a whole chapter on ratting. esentaiily on 'matches' involving them, but it makes for some, (and to some) interesting, historical reading.

are u referring to the timed pit trials Suki; how many rats out of 20 that could be dispatched within 1 minute ?

lemme see if i can copy paste that....

yes, jumper, i was

it won't let me copy/paste.
but, according to the rules, each dog had to kill as many rats as he weighed. (and dogs weighing 1/4 of a pound over had to kill one more, so speed and wind are obviously critical components to winning the match.)

but it doesn't specify, an amount being dispatched, cuz it would depend on each dog's specific weight.
only that the smallest amount are to be put in the pit, first, then a card is drawn with the # of rats named on it, to be announced and that the rat catcher would have to make up the difference (based on weight). rules were that the owner, at the time the agreement was made, was to put down the # of rats that his dog would kill. then half of each persons rats was put in the pit, then there is a toss for the choice of rats. if the winner of the toss chooses the rats that are in the pit, his dog is 'to kill the first'.

a 5 lb dog would have to kill5 rats, a 10 lb dog would have to kill 2 extra, 15=3 extra, ...and any dog weighing 2,3, 4 lbs between any of the above listed wieights would be allowed 1 second of additional time. ex: a 17 lb dog kills 3 rats in 14 seconds. so, he is to have 2 seconds added to his time because he is 2 lbs above the specified weight (15 lbs).

so, i to answer your question, jumper, it would most likely depend on the dogs' capabilities..


it's a great book tho. on a visit up to Lou's house, he had one of the original copies on his dining room table, and we combed thru that book for a long time.
in fact, if you look at the top pic, the book is the green one, under Lou's yellow note pad.

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lots of new info

I never read the full rules for ratting before, sounds like a good book

love the pics, Lou must love to read

is that the Stratton book in his hand? oh and u look Gangsta

jumper wrote:

lots of new info

I never read the full rules for ratting before, sounds like a good book

love the pics, Lou must love to read

sorry so long-winded, jumper, but yeah, the short answer is, yup, that's what i was referring to. sorry, i went off...
happy you like the pics. wish i brought a better camera~that was a disposable one, so the quality sux. ah well....
tx...
and yeah, there's virtually no room on Lou's table~it's all books. he, himself is a walking encyclopedia=an AMAZING man.

Harry wrote:

is that the Stratton book in his hand? oh and u look Gangsta

nope, that was the Colby book. he was signing it for me.

and

thank you!!! i AM gangsta!!!!!