Dog Days

DOG DAYS


As I write this, it is the “dog days” of summer. Have you ever wondered about that term? I used to think that they were so named because dogs pant in the hot part of the summer. But that is not the reason for the name. Before clocks and calendars, people told the time of year and even the time of night by the constellations in the sky. “Dog days” got the name from the fact that the “Dog Star” (Sirus) quickly followed the sun in the night sky during the hot time of year in July and August. So the term comes from, if not exactly ancient times, Elizabethan or Shakespearean times. For those of us involved with dogs, all days are “dog days”, and this time of year gives me a chance to ruminate upon a long lifetime spent with dogs and the people who like them.

Of course, certain dog people and other people, too, would jump upon my description of the pit dog men as “people who like dogs”, but it happens to be true. I’ll let you in on a secret. Not all pit dog men are angles. Really! I admit it freely. My only point is that they are not so different from other dog people, and they do like dogs. I think that John Taintor Foote had it right when he wrote about a pit dog man (Jake Lavan) in his story Allegheny, “Jake, although he could watch a pit dog take it’s punishment in a fair fight, was tender as a woman where animals were concerned.” Not all pit dog men (or show dog people) are that way, but most of them are – even if it is hard for others to believe it.

Some will condemn me for allowing so much as a kind word for any pit dog man, but there are two reasons why I defend them generally. The first is that I am not about to be hypocritical enough to condemn the people that keep the breed the way it is and work to improve it. Anyone truly familiar with these dogs know that the best, brightest, and most healthy dogs come from game stock. The second is that I have known a lot of pit dog men in my time, and some of them were not only the best dog people, but the best of men too. I appreciate that fact because pit dogs are “good guys”, and deserve to have good owners who care about them and understand them. Generally, that is the case, and I am grateful for that.

Unfortunately, Bulldogs have a special appeal for the macho-type guys. It has always been this way. Only the macho types were called “street toughs” earlier, and it wasn’t a big problem because Bulldogs were but little known, and pit dog men liked it that way. Now, any time a bunch of drug dealers gets arrested with a bunch of scarred Bulldogs, it is called a bust “of the biggest dogfighting ring in the state.” One reason for that is the ignorance of the authorities about pit dogs and the political nature of the job, in that they want the most credit they can get. If a humane group was involved in the arrest in some way, you can be sure that there will be plenty of hyperbole. But my point is that the type of people who get busted in that way often have nothing, or very little, to do with bona fide pit dog men.

As with most dog people, every day is a “dog day” to me. I do have other interests and obligations, but the dogs are never far from my thoughts. I ponder all aspects of the dogs and out of this has come countless articles and several books. I long ago discovered that I am not alone in this respect. Other life-time dog men have confessed to me how they can be involved in their business or job and get a free moment and their thoughts gravitate to the dogs. That is not so much different from those associated with race horses or sled dogs, for that matter. That is part of my point. We are not so abnormal. But I can remember how, as a boy, I considered myself so fortunate to have, strictly by coincidence, come to know such a little known but very special breed. Now the breed could only be called “little known” in the sense that it is “little understood.” But that doesn’t matter to me. I am not about to let the frivolity of public opinion that these were very special dogs.

In pondering the dogs, I think about a recent animal, a female down from my breeding (partly). When they rolled her, she broke up the other dogs so bad that the dog people involved said that if every dog was like that, they would get out of the dogs. That, of course, got me to thinking. Why are we all breeding to the best dogs possible? Why work so hard to improve the breed if once the goal is realized, dog people have very mixed feelings about it (as I do)? I can remember Bill Lightner coming up with a dog that would kill others in short order. To my surprise, he didn’t want to match the dog. He had compassion for the other dogs and even the other dog men. I was astounded. But now I understand. (The dog, incidentally, was Lightner’s CITATION.) The dog he had was not typical. And let me tell you why striving for the ultimate dog makes sense.

Usually the gamest dog wins, and that is why the game dog is so venerated by pit dog men. However, there are occasional “freaks”, like the ones I just mentioned. These are dogs that have abilities far beyond the pale of the typical Bulldog. Pit dog men usually breed to the most successful dogs. But in the pit dog game, there is an arms race, of sorts, going on, beneath the surface, even if a lot of dog men don’t realize it. Because another kind of “freak” is the type of dog that is so tough other dogs can’t hurt him. They seemingly can’t even break the skin, let alone do serious damage. Yet another “freak” is the defensive genius that controls the head of the other dog, letting him bite nothing but air. An example of the bone-breaking type of dog would be the immortal WHITE ROCK. An example of a defensive genius would be BRADDOCK. An example of gameness and intelligence overcoming bone-crushing ability would be Sorrell’s DOGAN vs. CANNON. The point here is that all the traits get thrown into the mix so that we end up with iron dogs with unbelievable ability. It is for that reason that we seldom have dogs that can dominate. But one that could was the immortal TORNADO. She was the “complete package”, toughness, gameness, mouth, intelligence, and wrestling ability. I never saw her personally, but I have videos tapes that I have watched many times to my edification.

Shifting to people who own the dogs, I should hasten to add that not only pit dog people are involved. One of my most interesting conversations was with a guy who used them for stock dogs. He underlined in his comments how ironic it was that “pit bulls” were known as killers, for they had so often saved the lives of people, just on his place, by doing a job that might otherwise have gotten someone killed or maimed. (That generally consisted of getting rough stock out of thickets or canyons.) Trainers, too, work with these dogs, even though the dogs are not the best candidates for unquestioning “robot dogs”. The independence they need in the pit and the hunt makes them questionable candidates for competition training. Malinois and Poodles do better, generally, but I wouldn’t want either of those dogs. Nevertheless, some trainers stick doggedly with APBT’s, and I am glad that they do. They have to fight prejudice, too, and other trainers are worried about having a APBT off lead with their charges. That is understandable. And responsible trainers make sure they don’t use a dog that they don’t have under complete control.

Because of the fighting connection, there has always been a certain wickedness associated with the dogs, even when they were but little known. And yet, the dogs were used by trainers for movies. The Little Rascals series was not the first that featured one of these dogs, but dog men grinned inwardly that the infamous breed was being used with children on a series about kids for kids.

You would think after all these years of writing about these dogs, I would run out of topics, but it is just the opposite. I have too many things to cover in one article! In the future, I hope to take care of some of those. I want to cover further thoughts about family breeding versus best-to-best breedings. (As you have guessed, there are advantages to each.) A friend who was a protégé of sorts to Walter Komosinski has given me all kinds of information about this great dog man that I hope to assemble in an article. There are several sages of great dogs that I would like to tell, including even some untold short and tall stories. And I have to get around to telling the story behind the dig in “The Yearling” that I have been reminded that I never told. So prepare yourselves. The floodgates are open. I am always learning more about the breed, and I always want to share it. I suppose that connotes a certain arrogance on my part, but it does speak well on the complexity and fascination of the breed.

Richard Stratton


Gato
YIS

 

As always good post Gato.

 

Heck with the future, share your thoughts now on family to family vs. best to best breeding. Thats definately a topic worth sharing. In fact, start a new thread A.S.A.P., make sure it is clearly states that it is hypothectical, for historical, educational, and entertainment purposes, and in no way violates the animal cruelty act of 1976. (You don't want people to get the wrong idea.)

Nice fact about sirus.