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(L) BW Lightsy with his
Search & Rescue pit bull,"Puller" speaking on SAR techniques.
(R) Bandog Grip, SchH I,
WDS, in training for her French ring title at 7 years old.
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SEARCH AND
RESCUE: Several pit bulls
have excelled at this important and interesting activity. To learn more
about the use of pit bulls is Search & Rescue, visit Kris Crawford's
great site at: www.forpitssake.org To get involved contact your local
law enforcement office to find local SAR groups. Only dogs which are
completely dog-friendly will be welcome. |
One of Kristine
Crawford's two Search & Rescue certified bulldogs. This beauty is Dakota.
That's Kris in the copter.
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RING SPORT:
Here is a very complex dog
sport originating in France. Dogs are tested in three areas, agility,
obedience and bite work. The agility is not set according to a dog's
size, so pit bulls must jump the same as the taller malinois. The jump
sizes are huge. This is not "Your Mother's Agility" like you see on
Animal Planet championship coverage. Obedience is by far the most
difficult I have seen anywhere. It makes schutzhund obedience look like
a walk in the park. The bite work is awesome, with dogs biting on a body
suit instead of a sleeve, and being required to show tremendous amounts
of control. Ring Sport is particularly suited for pit bulls as each dog
works alone, with no other dog on the field. No excuses for owners of
dog aggressive dogs! |
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Here is Dan Butty's
amazing American Staff "Tunny" who has earned the Mondio Ring Brevet AND the
French Ring Brevet. Very worthy titles indeed. One impressive dog.
Paul Galan's pit bull
"Tango" co-owned with Howard Burgess has earned the Mondio Ring Brevet
title. Very few dogs earn these exacting ring titles. Some people try and
say the "brevet" is not a real title. I find that this attitude usually
comes from people who have never been able to even earn a brevet. Believe
me, a Ring Brevet is more than equal to a SchH I title!
Bandog Dirk at 14 months
learning to bite the suit.
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believe Ring sport will continue to grow in popularity as more and more
people discover this challenging and exciting sport. National ring clubs
need to work hard to present a positive picture to new members, and keep
in-fighting and doggy-politics to a minimum in order to ensure the
future of this sport. I have also run into more decoys (mostly Western
Canadians) who are terrified of pit bulls in ring than I ever did in
Schutzhund. Strange indeed. Ring sport in America should also divorce
itelf from the typical European mishmash of nonesence concerning which
breeds can enter, and the restrictions on altered dogs! Sport is sport
guys! Let the BEST DOG WIN! |
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Bandog Dread, SchH III,
IPO III, stops the bad guy on a Schutzhund escape exercise His average
bitework score while earning his titles was 96 (V)
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SCHUTZHUND: This is a German
sport that developed at the turn of the century as a breeding
suitability test for German shepherd dogs. Today the sport is still
dominated by the breed for which it was developed. Other breeds have
competed with great success, and malinois are now often taking the top
honors at national level trials. In the US, there are two clubs which
sanction schutzhund (SchH) trials. The oldest is the United Schutzhund
Clubs of America, which, despite its sport orientated sounding name, is
strictly a German shepherd breed club. USA happens to allow some other
breeds to compete in its trials (but not at the very top championship
level). Pit bulls were banned from USA trials some years ago, the result
of typical doggy-politic garbage, due mostly to one bouvier handler who
felt threatened by the bang-up job pit bulls and American bulldogs were
doing in the sport at that time, and to certain Am Staff people who
petitioned the club to only allow dogs called "American Staffordshire
terriers" to compete. It is possible to enter a pit bull in United SchH
Clubs of America trials, however you must call your dog either a "mixed
breed" or an "American Staffordshire", a thing I was never willing to
do. (No disrespect intended to Am Staffs, they are a fine breed, but
they are not my breed.) The other club offering schutzhund trials is the
DVG (abbreviation for a hellish and long German name) and they allow all
breeds to compete. |
Kate Lamont's dog
"Conrad" SchH III. Kate has long been a real force with her dogs.
Schutzhund
trials test the dog in three areas, tracking, obedience and bite work. While I
have competed and enjoyed SchH for over 20 years, I have always had the
complaint that SchH is repetitive, boring and unimaginative. The obedience
routine is nothing more than a heeling marathon, and the bite work is variations
on one or two components of protection work. Also, because of the hard, rigid
sleeve and the long distances involved in the attacks, many more dogs are
injured in schutzhund than ring. Bandog Brittania lost both top canine teeth to
schutzhund work, one at a decoy certification seminar. Bandog Grip suffered a
serious head injury while competing in a trial and has been unable to grip
without pain since that time. Numerous pit bulls have been reported to have
suffered neck injuries. In ring sport the dogs impact just as hard, but into
soft, not rigid material. Tracking can be very difficult for those of us who do
not live near vast fields upon which we can daily tread. A SchH title is a
worthy accomplishment, and my critique is not meant to belittle any dog which
has been titled. Believe me, I have titled to the SchH III, FH level, I know how
tough it can be, and have no respect for those who belittle the sport without
ever having titled a dog. I'm just stating that schutzhund has enjoyed the
position of being "the only game in town" for a long time, and I think ring is a
better sport, and will give schutzhund a run for its money among serious dog
trainers. It takes months if not years of hard work to earn a schutzhund or ring
title, and any handler can be proud to earn one. A worthy accomplishment for our
dogs.
There is an American
Staffordshire organization called FAST (Federation of Staff Terriers) which also
offers schutzhund titles under the auspices of the AWDA. Again, these trials are
open only to those who are willing to call their pit bulls "Am staffs".
Bandog Grip earned her
IWPA Working Dog Superior by pulling 1930/1930/2070 lbs. and earned the
silver medal for the IWPA's largest region first season pulling
Here Dread is being
directed from behind, acceptable by IWPA rules This takes A LOT of training!
Here Dread is pulling 2,550 lbs.
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IWPA WEIGHT PULL:
The International Weight
Pull Association offers weight pulling contests for all dogs. These are
well run and safe tests for your dog. The rules have been designed to
keep dogs safe, and I consider this a really worthy test of a pit bull's
gameness. Each dog is harnessed and hooked to a cart (or sled in the
snow) upon which increasing increments of weight are added. Each dog has
60 seconds to pull it 16 feet without the handler touching the dog or
crossing a line which is in front of the dog. Dogs cannot be "baited".
The dog that pulls the most weight across the line wins. If two dogs
pull the same amount, the dog which did it the fastest wins. Dogs can
earn three titles, the Working Dog (WD) for pulling 12 times their body
weight at four different pulls. The Working Dog Excellent (WDX) for
pulling 18 times their body weight at four different pulls, and the
Working Dog Superior (WDS) for pulling 23 times their body weight at
three different pulls. (Note: At some different organizations, a metal
rail system is used, which, being much easier for the dog, allows much
higher weights to be pulled. Surface and tire pressure makes a huge
impact on how much a dog can pull at an IWPA pull). Titles for pulls in
snow require slightly less weight. Good pullers can go on to compete for
regional and even national ranking. A great sport!
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| WARNING:
In the past few years a number of really, really pathetic people have
started using cattle prods and shock collars to force ungame dogs to
pull. This is now so common, that at the 2000 IWPA national pull off,
pullers told me that they were openly approached by the winners
suggesting they should torture their dog into pulling more weight. This
is absolutely unbelievable, and I would think that if the IWPA does not
move to correct this trend very soon, groups like PETA will (and in this
case should) stop it for us. Isn't it sad that it is always a sorry
bunch of idiots that ruin it for us all? I can't think of a better way
for someone to say "my dog is not game and I am an idiot" than to use
force in this sport. |
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Some organizations such as the ADBA and the AAPBA hold "baiting
contests" which are called weight pulls. At these, the dogs are hooked
up to a rail like system and then teased with stuffed toys, frisbees,
hides - whatever makes the dog go crazy. The dogs throw themselves
against the harness which risks injury and in no way is to be compared
to a real weight pull. At some of these pulls, depending on the
organization holding them, the dog is given multiple chances to pull,
and other competing dogs must stand around, cooling down, way too long
between pulls. My suggestion is, if you are interested in pulling,
contact the IWPA and go watch some pulls. The IWPA does not allow
pulling in the summer for safety reason, the season is September to
April I believe. |
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Heather Ringwood's
agility titled English import Staffordshire bull terrier. Wyllum is one of
the greatest dogs I have ever known.
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AGILITY:
A fun and exciting sport for
those with dogs which are under control around other dogs. There are
trials put on by the AKC, the UKC, the North American Dog Agility
Council (NADAC), the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA).
Dogs compete based on their shoulder height, and most organizations
offer three levels of competition. Handlers direct their dogs to climb
over, jump over or climb through obstacles on a course which is timed.
Dogs are off-lead and excited, and other dogs are all around the ring,
so you can see that only well directed and trained dogs would be
feasible for this sport. Many pit bulls and staffie bulls are currently
competing and doing really well. This is a great sport for those who are
really intune with their dogs. |
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Pat Cook and Rollo, UD,
without doubt the best obedience team ever to grace the ring. Rollo is
quite a dog. Tough, stable and beautiful! Pat is quite a trainer!
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OBEDIENCE:Any
pit bull can be shown in obedience, papers or not. In fact, most of the
serious dog sports (agility, weight pull, ring, SchH) do not require a
dog to have papers. AKC obedience trials are open to all AKC Am Staffs,
and any dog which can pass the ILP board as looking enough like an Am
Staff to pass as one. In order for a pit bull to receive an ILP it must
be spayed or neutered and conform to the AKC American Staff standard.
That means red nose dogs are out. You can try, but probably will be
discriminated against. UKC trials are open to any dog registered with
the UKC, and I believe they have an ILP like program also. I don't care
much for the UKC, so don't know much about them. You'll have to contact
them directly. Schutzhund clubs now offer obedience only titles also.
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Amy Morris and Petey
show the world what an obedience trained bulldog should look like. Petey
multitasks; he competed at the IWPA Nationals his first year pulling (and
pulled 2,290 lbs for a WDS leg) and also is preparing to compete in
obedience.
Dread earning his AKC
Tracking Dog title
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TRACKING: Tracking
tests are available through the AKC for AKC registered or ILP dogs, and
through SchH clubs. The schutzhund sport now offers tracking only tests
for all breeds. So you can compete from beginning level to the most
advanced, and not have to do bite work if you don't want to (or your dog
doesn't want to!) Tracking is fun, but a rather solitary sport. It is
not to be confused with search and rescue, where the dog moves about
much more freely, nose high in the air. Tracking, as developed by the
Germans, is much more dull and precise! Dogs are scored not on how well
and how quickly they complete the track overall, but rather on how
meticulously they keep their noses to each footstep, and how slowly and
calmly they move down the track. It is more difficult to get a dog to do
this than you might think, for it goes against nature. Tracking, like
the obedience and protection phase of schutzhund, is used also to
determine the dog's suitability and temperament for training. If you are
interested in training for tracking, you will need to contact the local
AKC obedience club and see if they offer classes, but you will have more
luck contacting a local schutzhund club and working with them.
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Dread herding ducks
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HERDING:
Because I titled Dread in
duck and sheep herding and trialed him a time or two on cattle, as well
as earning "Herding Certificates" (not really a training title) on
several other pit bulls, people often call me requesting information on
this activity. To be truthful, it is not something I would recommend,
for two reasons. First, herding trials are not for the faint of heart. I
have seen stock animals killed and injured during training and trialing.
It is not uncommon for the AKC type "herding" dogs, such as German
Shepherd, Rottweilers and Bouviers to attack and bite the animals. While
I have great respect for the herding instructors I worked with, I am too
"soft" to see animals injured for no real good reason. I have not seen
this type of injury when people are training "real" (non-AKC) herding
dogs such as real border collies, McNabs and kelpies. To each his own;
herding remains a fascinating and worthy sport when done with real
herding dogs, or "non-traditional" breeds that are under strict control.
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Bandog Dread was one of
only 3 dogs (out of more than a dozen) to pen the sheep at this herding
trial in the pouring rain
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own dog, Dread, injured a sheep, not during a trial, but in the parking
lot of a trial when, a sheep, racing away in a panic with two other
sheep, rounded a car and ran right into Dread at the same time I
shouted, causing Dread to react to the "attack" with a firm nose grip.
(The sheep survived and was fine). If you are bothered by the sight of
frightened animals running about, this is not the sport for you. Second,
pit bulls are BULL dogs. They are not bred to work sheep. To ask a
bulldog to work sheep requires that the dog control thousands of years
of genetic whispering that tells him to grip and hold. Dread and a
couple other of my pit bulls did this for me, but it took a very special
and close relationship, and it was, to be honest, putting them in a
difficult situation. The only reason I did it was because in the late
eighties we needed some good PR, and herding got some. I would not do it
again. If you are interested in herding, I would recommend you stick
with ducks, as they do not challenge the dog. Also, look for a trainer
who is willing to work with your breed, and then don't be surprised as
many people have, when the dog grips an animal. They are gripping dogs.
If you have a very close relationship with your dog, and your dog is
cool headed, you may be able to trial. Last I heard, the Australian
Shepherd Club of America had banned "non traditional" breeds in a move
designed to keep Dread (who was placing over their "Aussies") out of the
trials. After he retired I didn't pay any attention to whether they
opened it up again or not. There may be some club out there that allows
nontraditional breeds to compete. |
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Bandog Thriller and
Bandog Brittania (and a Great Dane) visit a nursing home
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NURSING HOME
VISITATION: This is
something you can do either alone or with a group. Basically it is
taking a well mannered and calm dog into a nursing home and letting it
visit with the residents. I have done some of this in the past, and went
as part of a group. The dogs were either taken from room to room,
allowed to wander at large, or were taken to a main room where they
performed some tricks to amuse the residents. Needless to say, a rowdy,
hyper dog will not work in this situation, as they scratch the elderly
people. I found that my more sensitive dogs were depressed after an hour
of working, and needed a break. It can be heartbreaking work in some
nursing homes. I much more enjoyed putting on little shows for
retirement homes, which you can easily do with your dogs and kids. The
residents would love it. |
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Bandog Erin Fay on the
spring pole
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SPRINGPOLE:
My favorite thing to do with
my dogs! I have had many springpoles over the years, and currently have
one big one outside, and a little one inside! A springpole is any device
which holds a piece of burlap or like material suspended in the air, and
which is hooked to a spring (I use wheelbarrow innertubes) which gives a
little when the dog tugs. This in turn is hooked to something solid
overhead. My current outdoor springpole is sixteen feet high, and the
bag hangs suspended about five feet up from the ground. When the dogs
hit it, they swing out, sometimes to a height of twelve feet or more
above the ground, just like a rope swing. The dogs are CRAZY about it.
Mhorgana, who showed no drive to do anything, and certainly no desire to
play with the springpole until she was nearly 12 months old, will hang,
with no feet touching the ground, fighting the rag for fifteen minutes
at a time. Then she will drop down, jump back up and hold again for
several more minutes. She does this for about a half an hour a day. Give
it a try, its a blast! Does it make a dog mean? Hasn't yet! For more
information on how to make a springpole, please go to the springpole
page. |
Pride on a "fixed up"
Grand carpet mill. How she loves it!
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TREADMILL: Ah, my dog's other
favorite activity! I have two Grand Carpet mills, and my dogs are
absolutely obsessed with them. All they do all day long is pester me to
let them on the mills. If they get in the room where they are, they
streak to them and stand on them, waiting to be hooked up. I prefer
carpet mills to slat mills for a couple reasons. First, price. A deluxe
Grand Carpet Mill is about $300. A basic slat mill is about $800 to
$1000, and deluxe models can run $1500. Also, I have heard too many
reports of toenails caught in slat mills. And they are VERY noisy, which
neither I nor the dogs would really appreciate. I have two mills, side
by side. The sound of the other dog running encourages the dogs to go
fast. My dogs run for 4 to 8 minutes morning and night. They tend to run
full out, in a strong, hard gallop, and as the point of this exercise is
to relieve stress, boredom, etc, and tire them out as quickly as
possible, that works well for me. Some people tell me their dogs will
trot on the mill for 1/2 hour, but I would not want my dogs to do that -
I don't have the time! On a slat mill, a dog can run much longer, as the
resistance is much less, but the dog runs longer and doesn't really get
any more of a workout, so I don't really see the point unless you are
trying to build endurance. I always use a harness on my dogs but some
people report satisfactory results just using a collar. The only
problems I have had is with Grip, as she is plagued by foot problems and
is constantly ripping pads off. (Bred to a pure Sarona dog, she produced
pups with no such problems). Grand Carpet Mills can be reached at:
734.847.3759 |
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My Dobermans, Odin, SchH
I, WDS, and Soldat Lux love their boomer ball.
Butchie is obsessed with
his boomer ball.
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BOOMER BALL: Another activity
that my dogs are really wild about. A boomer ball is a hard plastic
ball about the size of a soccer ball (they make a bigger one now also,
which my dogs love even more). They can be purchased through local pet
stores or most pet catalogs. RC Steele has them. If you have a fenced
back yard (AND YOU BETTER IF YOU HAVE A DOG!) then get one of these,
pitch it out there and stand back. The dogs run it with either their
noses or their front feet. You might see some slight bleeding around the
nose on the more whacko dogs, but no real damage is done. These are
great toys. My dogs LOVE the new larger size boomer balls... See
"toys/books" section for ordering instructions. |
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Frisbee is something
almost all pit bulls enjoy
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FRISBEE:
toys were made for bulldogs! They love the prey-drive aspect of chasing
them, and their athletic bodies allows them to leap and jump well. I
have tried the hard nylabone ones, but they are too hard on the dog's
teeth when they catch them. Just use the cheapo ones, but expect to
replace them often! The soft-fabric ones work really well.
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Here a ten week old pup
operates a flyball machine. Some pit bulls have done very well at this fast,
fun sport. That's Arrow, my first dog, in the background. She was with me
from the time I was 14 till I moved into the house I'm living in now, at age
28. Rest in Peace my friend.
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FLYBALL: is a fast, fun sport
for those with well mannered and well trained dogs. Flyball competitions
are wonderful to watch, very entertaining, and the dogs LOVE it. The
point is for one team of dogs to compete against another team of dogs in
a relay contest. The dogs run down through a series of jumps, come to
the flyball box which the dog must hit with its foot, the ball shoots
out, they catch it and race back to the handler. This sport has been
featured as half-time entertainment at sporting events. |
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HUNTING: Hunting is the original use for the breed and its closest
ancestors. Today pit bulls are still used by some to catch and hold
hogs, bear, badger and other creatures. |
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RECLINER SITTING:
what pit bulls do best!
Try it - Dave and Butchie prove this is one thing ALL pit bulls can do
well! |
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