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May
28
The Fighting Dog
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When I asked people for comments on the Tap or Die pit bull shirt a friend of mine wrote:
“just a word of caution, to people outside the loop, a pit bull on a shirt for a fight school may seem suggestive (to the condoning of dog fighting here at West Side) to those who don’t know any better. which would be the general public
this is a wonderful dog and likening it to a fighter won’t exactly help its reputation. this is just my opinion”
After I read this I called Austin and asked if I could use it in this blog. The pit bull is one of my favorite animals, not because of its reputation, but because it’s more than its reputation. I fell in love with the breed despite its reputation.
When I was in college I saved $300 to buy a bull mastiff puppy. He was beautiful—I named him Motown—he died shortly after of PARVO. (He had PARVO before I bought him, but wasn’t showing any signs—He died at the vet’s; it was sad.)
Weeks later somebody offered me a pit bull puppy, I was hesitant to take it because of the breed’s reputation. In the end, I couldn’t resist the puppy and I named her Haiti. She was one of the greatest dogs I have ever had the privilege of raising (even though she ate a $2,500 parrot, but that’s another story.)
If you notice the picture I use on the Tap or Die shirt, it isn’t of a aggressive, vicious pit bull; it’s of a happy dog, tongue lolling with bright eyes, just like my dog Haiti. I’ve come to know the pit as a great family dog that loves people.
The fact is, however, the pit bull was bred to fight– hunting dogs hunt, retrievers retrieve, herding dogs herd, and fighting dogs fight (or at least want to)—I don’t know what tea cup poodles do. I admire the attributes of the pit bull. It’s heart, athleticism, loyalty, fearlessness, and quite frankly it’s undeserved reputation. These things make it a perfect representative for MMA and jiu-jitsu.
I don’t believe in fighting animals, but I do believe and admire the character and attitude of the dog that was bred to fight.
