Why Do We Love Our Game Pit Bulls?

By Tom Garner

Ever wonder why so many of us (or so few) are drawn to and build our lives around the “pit bull”? There are a number of reasons why people gravitate to these animals.

My list would certainly include;

• An appreciation of their physical/ athletic excellence
• Their unrivalled capacity for unconditional love of humans, and
• The pit bull’s unparalleled gameness, i.e., "the willingness to self-sacrifice in order to achieve an objective."

The latter of these, gameness, attracts fans to a degree that far exceeds what we would expect to see from a simple intellectual appreciation of a good principle at work. A real game dog is revered on a level that can best be called “spiritual”.

Why does gameness hold such a fascination for some of us humans? The attraction is so powerful and so widespread; it defies logic and sense of proportion to suppose that there is not some powerful, innate, instinctive human-nature mechanism at work here. I think we must look deep within our minds (souls) to find the root of our appreciation of this behaviour.

Historically, the construct defined by "gameness" has played a huge role in the survival of the human species. Take away our “willingness to self-sacrifice in order to achieve an objective” then mothers would not lose sleep to nurse their babies and fathers would not risk physical injury to defend their families from aggressors. Parents would not rouse themselves from inadequate sleep to go to work in an unpleasant job day after day without a powerful ”feel good if you do, feel bad if you don’t mechanism” in place, directing our behaviour. With just a moment's reflection it is easy to see that gameness happens all over, is played out on small and grand scales in our daily lives and gameness is essential to the survival of animal species of all kinds. Even a mouse or a bird will risk life and limb to fend off an attacker that threatens their little ones.

In early man, the basic instinct to protect and care and to provide for our children and our mates evolved and expanded as our minds developed the capacity to generalize through conceptualization. We were able to expand our sense of family to include others with whom we shared some significant characteristics. In some capacities, our tribes came to be afforded the same considerations as family, under certain circumstances. There was much tactical advantage to be gained from this tendency. Then looking at 10 soldiers working collectively, in unison and with as much or more concern for each other as for themselves, could easily defeat 20 men acting as individuals. Thus those of our ancestors who were inclined to self-sacrifice for the objective of promoting the greater good were, ironically, more likely to survive and the genetic basis for their "gameness" instinct was passed along to their offspring. In this manner, the genetic basis for the gameness construct in humans has become stronger and stronger.

Some might ask, given the above view, why so many people in our world just can't relate to the value of gameness. My guess is that while the 10 soldiers from the same tribe prevailed in battle, there was probably one or two who ran and hid when the battle kicked off. As their tribe survived, so too did they. And they reproduced. And their genes are alive today in numbers and they fear those of us who embrace and live the gameness construct.

You know that good feeling you get- that warm and fuzzy feeling in which the hairs on your arms and neck stand up and tears come into your eyes when you see an act of extreme self-sacrifice for a great cause? It could be at a good movie, or a man fight, a soccer game or anywhere heroic self-sacrifice for the greater cause is on display. That feeling is your brain releasing endorphins and other feel-good chemicals in appreciation of the scenario you have witnessed or contemplated. This genetically-based, bio-chemically expressed, overwhelmingly good feeling is at the heart of successful social functioning. Without this genetically encoded response directive and subsequent, biochemical, feel-good reinforcement, good Samaritans wouldn’t pull people out of burning houses, or drowning children out of submersed cars.

This same instinctive connection is why we feel good when we are with our game dogs. We see our game pit bulls as perfect, living and breathing manifestations of our sacred principle. Nowhere in our daily lives do we see such an iconic, pure embodiment of the gameness construct as in our pit bulls. They have this status by definition; the standard for the breed demands gameness and any dog that falls short of the requirement of gameness likewise falls short of the name "pit bull".

To further illustrate the power of the gameness construct within the human mind, consider how this model plays out in religion, particularly Christianity. Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for the objective of giving the possibility of eternal life to humanity. Jesus Christ was dead game. How many millions of people have undergone life-transforming changes after contemplating his willingness to sacrifice himself in order to achieve an objective? Don't underestimate the power of the gameness construct to attract and engage the emotions of good people! Sociopaths? Not so much!

The animal rights extremists and their media pawns have intentionally attempted to bastardize and distort the true meaning of the concept of gameness. They twist the meaning to suggest that it means aggression, or desire to attack. I am embarrassed for them at their ignorance and their unabashed desire to distort the truth. It is ironic that those among our fraternity who have the greatest instinctive appreciation of the "willingness to self-sacrifice in order to achieve an objective" construct would simultaneously be the better members of society and the bigger fans of a game dog. Never-the-less, our detractors would quickly denounce fans of gameness in the pit bull as antisocial and disturbed. A little ignorance goes a long way. A little ignorance coupled with a team of media professionals and a large budget can result in the slaughter of large numbers of the noblest animals to ever inhabit our planet. Ask Floyd Boudreaux and Pat Patrick and Ed Faron.

As fans of the incredible, game pit bull, we must bring to bear the same resolve for them that we expect from them. Like them, the best of us have a script that is indelibly written in the very core of who we are. It is prime and indivisible and immutable. It screams “I WILL NEVER GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT THE COST”. Get in touch with your core and your script. Know that your love for your game dog comes from a very good place deep inside. Without this place, humanity might well not exist. The next time you are walking your game pit bull and someone asks “What kind of dog is that?” Respond with pride, “That’s a pit bull, the best dog known to man.”

Some Thoughts by Indian Sonny

..The most maligned and “Endangered breed”: is the American Pit Bull Terrier. The alledged purpose of today's society is to protect and save animals. Everything from whales to goldfish; elephants to mosquitos; everything except the Pit Bull. This attitude against the Pit Bull defies logic, belies their alledged purpose and can only be described as “Organized Genocide” of an innocent breed. 

The Pit Bull was developed as a companion and gladiator. Unfortunately the word gladiator, which simply means one who will fight to defend, has had a sinister connotation attached to it by bleeding hearts who still believe the moon is made of Swiss cheese and mentally live in the land of OZ.

From his inception, the Pit Bull has faithfully fought to defend his master from ill intentioned scoundrels. All surviving animals have fought to defend themselves, however, this admirable quality has been developed in well-bred Pit Bulls, to a greater degree than in any other man loving animal.

As recently as 20 years ago the Pit Bull was a relatively forgotten and unknown dog. About this time so called nonprofit “animal welfare agencies” were desirous of raising even more money to fill their greedy pockets and what better means to accomplish this self-serving goal the to misinform a misguided public. Just as scoundrels in other money raising schemes have duped a trusting and unsuspecting public, these “activists” swindled many well meaning people throughout the country on the pretext of preventing horrible cruelties to animals, which existed only in the IMAGINATIONS of these AUTHORS of MISINFORMATION. They created horror stories about vicious atrocities taking place with Pit Bulls. Every dog or cat that suddenly strayed from home became the victim of the depraved Pit Bull owner. Even pigeons were brought in these blood curdling fabrications. Their heads were reportedly pulled off and the spurting of the blood poured over the heads of Pit Bulls, presumably to make them blood crazed and even more vicious. Ripley’s believe it or not could not have $old more sinister tales to grieve stricken “Lost pet owners”. 

Suddenly, the Pit Bull was cast into the limelight. People who never before heard of a Pit Bull were intrigued by these hair raising stories. Same people were repelled; sickos and opportunists were both driven and stimulated. Pit Bulls fell victim to the cruel methods of being raised under horrible conditions, to enhance the blood crazed characteristics fabricated by the activists. Opportunists began breeding cull stock to meet the demands of a warped and growing market. Little or no care was taken to select individuals who possessed the great traditional qualities of the Pit Bull. Rather than gameness and character being bred for, it became big bigger biggest mean meaner and meanest. As a result of the unprovoked intentional conspiracy against the Pit Bull by “animal activists” , a few ill bred Pit Bulls have bitten people. These bite victims should liable and lay direct blame, for their tragic experience, on “animal activists” for having created a prevented and an unprecedented demand for Pit Bulls through contrived , sensationalist media coverage which implanted horror stories in the minds of irresponsible, feeble minded people who have, in some cases, allowed such attacks to occur. It is totally out of character for a well bred Pit Bull to bite a person without provocation. This can readily be documented by researching the past hundred years of recorded Pit Bull history. Surely if biting people was a common characteristic, their history would have recorded it.

Sadly, because of the exaggerated media coverage and misrepresentation which invariably have a magnet effect on troublesome thrill seekers, a market exists for culls which enable opportunists to cash in at the expense of the Pit Bull’s reputation. To illustrate the depth of the negative humane inspired breeders have had on Pit Bulls, let us examine the size of today’s ill bred, biting Pit Bulls. It is generally accepted history that the Pit Bull was produced by cross mating a 15 to 20lb Terrier with a 25 to 45lb Bulldog. This size held up for 150 years. Human opportunists, driven by blood curdling fabricated accounts set out to produce a dog that would be “3 times bigger” and “3 times meaner” they succeeded. Check the size today Pit Bulls accused of attacking people. Incredibly, within the span of 20 years, Pit Bull are being marketed solely on the premise that “Big is better”, “Mean’s the thing”. What a tragic mutation of a great breed bought about by SELF-SERVING PREVARICATORS MASQUERADING AS CRUSADERS FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS

The Pit Bull fighting ability and gameness have, in recent times been used to depict gim an a crazed, blood thirsty killer. Nothing could be further than the truth. Instead these attributes exemplify the qualities that made the founding pioneers of thes once great country standout from all other nations. How fitting that the Pit Bull’s name include the title “AMERICAN”. If the Pit Bull were human with these same attributes, he would be heralded as a WORLD CHAMPION and as a true champion is self assured, endowed with pride and courage, not given to unprovoked attacks on lesser opponents, so to is the Pit Bull.

The hatred of humane leaders against the Pit Bull has been responsible for policies and legislation enacted which in many instances, prevents any Pit Bull from being adopted once he has had the misfortune to be taken to an “animal shelter”, for any reason. He is condemned to death without having done anything wrong. The integrity of the Pit Bull’s character has brought him into sharp contrast with influential foes steeped in unholy compromise and questionable values. Must the Pit Bull die simply because humane leaders have rejected him to promote their own financial interest? Others beware if there are successful in this unwholesome attempt. Who or what will fall victim to their next despicable money raising scheme?

Regrettably, not only are courage and commitment, once the measuring stick of America, no longer held in high esteem, they are not even understood.

(Edited) Indian Sonny – 1986

(From Save the Bullied Breeds)