According to the media, and backed up by SPCA Inspector Jim Boyd recently, "professional" dogmen train their young dogs on other people's pets, stolen from their homes. 

Over the years there have been all kinds of horror stories about Pit Bulls and what happens on fighting yards. 

From teasing the dogs with kittens to make them work harder on the mill, to pulling all the teeth of a bait dog so it can't hurt the young dogs sooled onto it.  There was even one story that you check a dog's gameness by lopping off one of his legs with bolt cutters and if he still scratches he's game! He's also dead,  but we can't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

It is of course absolute rubbish, but those attracted to the breed by the media hype over recent decades, have believed the deliberate misinformation that has been so widely and persistently circulated and have consequently included such pointless cruelty in their 'training' regimes.

Michael Vick is a prime example of a clueless Johnny-come-lately, and the results of his ignorance and psycopathy were horribly evident in the emotional and physical devastation suffered by his dogs, one of which had all of her teeth professionally removed.  Vick went to jail, but where is that vet today?

The willingness of the media and others to perpetuate such myths under the guise of factual information presented to the public earns them a huge share, if not all, of the responsibility for what is happening to some of these dogs in cruel and incompetent hands today. 

The following is from an email sent to me by a dogman of many years experience (an Amercian Dog Breeder's Hall of Famer no less) in response to my question to him as to when such practices began appearing:

"Years ago some old-timers assured me they never heard of the baiting stuff till they read about it in newspapers. They all said that baiting was the best way to teach a dog bad habits. Media trade lies with others sources of fabrication, and in doing so further exploits their customers with sensationalism and more false rumors get read and get believed by newcomers who don’t know any better. They too believe what they read. In my view, that scenario is how lies become truths. I think both sides are completely twisted, but cruelty doled out by sadists is both unwarranted and unforgivable. I couldn’t be more glad that I’m far removed from all that mudslinging. Unfortunately for the dogs, those misunderstood animals have enemies on both sides of the intangible fence".

How easily suckered have you been by the media and politicians?

How obvious is it?

You teach your young dogs using bait dogs that they won't lose because they can't lose?

What a nasty surprise for them when they face an EQUAL opponent across the canvas with a full set of teeth.

Go figure.