Dog fighting: A Nasty Work

Abstract

Aim of this paper was to review dog fighting which happens almost all over the world. Generally, two dogs, often of a pit bull breed, are put into an area to fight and sometimes kill each other. Dog fighting can involve high stakes, and carries with it the same sociological dangers of other gambling, particularly illegal gambling, and activities. They are generally unsocialized to any other dogs and to most people. However, many professional fighters invest much time and money in conditioning their animals. They are frequently given quality nutrition and basic veterinary care. On the contrary, the street fighters usually make little investment in conditioning or training their animals. Instead, they rely on cruel methods to encourage their dogs to fight, including starvation, physical abuse, isolation and the use of stimulants or other drugs that excite the dogs. Dog fights are organized in places of variety of locations and at any time. In rural areas, they may be impromptu events in a barn, outdoor pit, back alley, or carefully planned and staged enterprises in a location specially designed and maintained for the purpose. On the other hand in urban areas, fights may happen in garages, basements, warehouses, abandoned buildings, back alleys, neighbourhood playgrounds, or even in the streets.

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RESEARCH OPINIONS IN ANIMAL & VETERINARY SCIENCES
Review Article
Dog fighting: A nasty work
Orhan Yilmaz
1*
, Fusun Coskun
2
and Mehmet Ertugrul
3
1
Ardahan University, Vocational High School of Technical Sciences, 75000, Ardahan, Turkey
2
Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 40100, Kirsehir, Turkey
3
Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 06110, Ankara, Turkey
Articlehistory
Received:20Apr,2015
Revised:21May,2015
Accepted:
24May,2015
Abstract
Aim of this paper was to review dog fighting which happens almost all over the world.
Generally, two dogs, often of a pit bull breed, are put into an area to fight and
sometimes kill each other. Dog fighting can involve high stakes, and carries with it the
same sociological dangers of other gambling, particularly illegal gambling, and
activities. They are generally unsocialized to any other dogs and to most people.
However, many professional fighters invest much time and money in conditioning
their animals. They are frequently given quality nutrition and basic veterinary care. On
the contrary, the street fighters usually make little investment in conditioning or
training their animals. Instead, they rely on cruel methods to encourage their dogs to
fight, including starvation, physical abuse, isolation and the use of stimulants or other
drugs that excite the dogs. Dog fights are organized in places of variety of locations
and at any time. In rural areas, they may be impromptu events in a barn, outdoor pit,
back alley, or carefully planned and staged enterprises in a location specially designed
and maintained for the purpose. On the other hand in urban areas, fights may happen in
garages, basements, warehouses, abandoned buildings, back alleys, neighbourhood
playgrounds, or even in the streets.
Keywords: Canis familiaris; pit bull; blood sport; illegal sports; animal fight
To cite this article: Yilmaz O, F Coskun and M Ertugrul, 2015. Dog fighting: A nasty work Res. Opin. Anim.
Vet. Sci., 5(5): 219-223.
Introduction
Domestic livestock animals serve humanity by
giving plenty of products including meat, milk, egg,
honey, floss silk, wool, fur, skin, feather, intestine,
work, amusement etc (Ertugrul et al., 1993). Moreover,
some animals have been and continue to be used for
fighting by some mentally abnormal people. In various
regions of the world, there are popular animal fighting
events including fighting of bull, camel, cock, cricket,
dog, horse, partridge and ram (Anon, 2014a). For
centuries usually dog fighting has been principally
enjoyed by men. Unfortunately, the popularity of this
activity has increased. There was little initial
interference from the law, since it was possible to fight
two dogs in any hollow or shed without attracting much
attention, for dogs fight with relatively little noise. They
can easily be removed after the fight, carried away in
sacks if their condition was likely to draw suspicion
(Drable, 2014). For example in USA, dog attacks and
bites are not so common (Hussain, 2005). Although
more than 20 fatalities happened each year in USA
because of dog biting, there was no report that a man
did during dog fight, but the dog ((Lockwood, 1995).
Maybe the 20 fatalities because of dog biting seem as
tragic but at least 8000 humans were killed by other
*Corresponding author: Orhan Yilmaz, Ardahan University, Vocational High School of Technical Sciences,
75000, Ardahan, Turkey; E-mail: zileliorhan@gmail.com

Res. Opin. Anim. Vet. Sci., 2015, 5(5): 219-223.
220
human each year which was 200 times more than dog
biting deaths (Lockwood, 1995). The fight may end in
one of four ways: first a dog's failure to scratch;
secondly the owner's calling the fight (analogous to the
manager of a boxer throwing the towel into the ring, a
signal that the fighter has quit); thirdly the death of one
or both dogs, or fourthly one of the dogs jumping the
pit. The aim of this paper is to summarize dog fighting
in the world as an unwanted job.
Rules
Among animals world, it is well know that dog is a
loyal animal. Humans abuse this quality of the dog
(Kalof and Iliopoulou, 2011). A dog's bond to humans
is analogous to child-parent and chimpanzee-human
attachment behaviour, because the observed
behavioural phenomena and the classification are
similar to those described in mother-infant interactions
(Topal et al., 1998).
Dog fighting is described as “The act of baiting
two dogs against one another for entertainment or gain”
(Evans et al., 1998). It involves placing two dogs in a
pit until one either quits or dies. Dog fighting is almost
universally illegal. Generally, two dogs, often of a pit
bull breed, are put into an area to fight and sometimes
kill each other. Dog fights usually last until one dog is
declared a winner, which occurs when one dog fails to
attack under the rules of such events, one dog dies, or
one dog jumps out of the pit (Iliopoulou, 2014). Dog
fighting involves high stakes, and carries with it the
same sociological dangers of other gambling,
particularly illegal gambling, activities (Anon, 2014b).
In some organized fights, the fighting dogs are weighed
to make sure they are approximately the same weight.
Handlers will often wash and examine the opponent's
dog to remove any toxic substances that may have been
placed on the fur in an attempt to deter or harm the
opposing dog (Anon, 2014c).
When a fight begins, spectators place bets with one
another which dog will win. There are some strict rules
for fights. The dogs continue fighting until one of them
makes a "turn," which is defined as turning the head
and shoulders away from the opponent. When the
referee calls the turn, the handlers then handle their
dogs when they are out of "holds," which means they
are not biting each other. The dog who made the turn
must "scratch" to his opponent. Scratching is defined as
crossing the scratch line, which is drawn in the centre
of the pit, and attacking one's opponent within a
specified amount of time usually 10 to 30 seconds. If a
dog fails to scratch, his opponent is declared the
winner. If the scratch is successfully completed, the
fight continues. From this point on the dogs are handled
only when they are out of holds, and the dogs are
required to scratch in turn. If a dog fails to scratch in
turn, he is declared the loser. The fight may end in one
of four ways: first a dog's failure to scratch; secondly
the owner's calling the fight (analogous to the manager
of a boxer throwing the towel into the ring, a signal that
the fighter has quit); thirdly the death of one or both
dogs, or fourthly one of the dogs jumping the pit
(Forsyth and Evans, 1998; Anon, 2014c; Gasimzadeh,
2014). Fights can last either just a few minutes or
several hours depending on condition of dogs. Both
animals may suffer injuries, including puncture
wounds, lacerations, blood loss, crushing injuries and
broken bones. Although fights are not usually to the
death, many dogs succumb to their injuries later (Anon,
2014c).
Dog fighting events also help to spread some
diseases such as Canine babesiosis and Babesia
gibsoni. C. babesiosisand B. gibsoni spread during dog
fighting because of non-vectored transmission by blood
exchange during fighting and biting (Irwin, 2009).
Training
According to fighting dog trainer fighting dogs
must be kept isolated from other dogs, so they spend
most of their lives on short, heavy chains, often just out
of reach of other dogs. They are generally unsocialized
to any other dogs and to most people. However, many
professional fighters invest much time and money in
conditioning their animals. They are frequently given
quality nutrition and basic veterinary care. The dogs are
exercised under controlled conditions. The maintaining
condition of fighting dogs may also make use of a
variety of legal and illegal drugs, including anabolic
steroids to develop muscle mass and encourage
aggressiveness. Narcotic drugs may also be used to
increase the dogs' aggression, increase reactivity and
mask pain or fear during a fight. Young animals are
often trained or tested by allowing them to fight with
other dogs in well-controlled rolls. Any dog may be
discarded or killed, if the dog shows little inclination to
fight. Some fighters will use stolen pets as bait dogs or
sparring partners. There are many other common
techniques used in the training and testing of dogs, but
these methods vary widely among different fighters and
may range from systematic to haphazard. In USA the
street fighters usually make little investment in
conditioning or training their animals. Instead, they rely
on cruel methods to encourage their dogs to fight,
including starvation, physical abuse, isolation and the
use of stimulants or other drugs that excite the dogs
(Anon, 2014c).
In USA fighting dogs are commonly conditioned
from a very early age to develop what dog-fighters refer
to as “gameness.” Dog-fighter applies training by
depending on his level and experience on dogs. In USA
the methods are commonly used to train the dogs:
Treadmill: The fighting dogs are run on the treadmills
to develop cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

Res. Opin. Anim. Vet. Sci., 2015, 5(5): 219-223.
221
Catmill or Jenny: This device looks like a carnival
horse walker with several beams jetting out from a
central rotating pole. The dogs are chained to one beam
and another small animal like a cat, small dog, or
rabbit, is harnessed to or hung from another beam. The
dogs run in circles by chasing the lure. Once the
exercise sessions are over, the dogs are usually
rewarded with the bait they had been pursuing.
Springpole or Jumppole: It is a tool that a large
pole with a spring hanging down to which a rope, tire,
or animal hide is affixed that the dogs jump to and
dangle from for extended periods of time. This
strengthens the jaw muscles and back legs.
Flirtpole: A handheld pole with a lure attached.
The dogs chase the lure along the ground.
Chains: Dogs have very heavy chains wrapped
around their necks, generally in lieu of collars; they
build neck and upper body strength by constantly
bearing the immense weight of the chains.
Weights: Weights are often affixed to chains and
dangled from the dogs’ necks. This builds neck and
upper body strength. Generally, dogs are permanently
chained this way. However, sometimes the trainers run
them with their weights attached.
Bait: Animals are tied up while the dogs tear them
apart or sometimes they are confined in an area to be
chased and mauled by the dogs.
Drugs, vitamins, and supplements: Dogs are given
iron/liver extract; vitamin B-12; provim; magnum
supplement; hormones of testosterone, propionate,
repotest, probolic oil; weight-gain supplements;
creatine monohydrate; speed; steroids of winstrol V,
dinabol, equipose; and cocaine. The dogs are trained
against one another and against older, more experienced
dogs. In the early stages of training, the dogs are incited
to lunge at each other without touching and engage in
quick, controlled fights called rolls or bumps. Once the
dogs appear match ready, they are pitted against
stronger dogs to test their gameness or tenacity in the
face of exhaustion and impending defeat. If the dogs
pass the test, they are deemed ready to fight (Gibson,
2005).
Place
Dog fights are organized in places of variety of
locations and at any time. In rural areas they may be
impromptu events in a barn, outdoor pit, back alley, or
carefully planned and staged enterprises in a location
specially designed and maintained for the purpose. On
the other hand in urban areas, fights may happen in
garages, basements, warehouses, abandoned buildings,
back alleys, neighbourhood playgrounds, or even in the
streets (Kalof and Talor, 2007; Anon, 2014c,d). In USA
two dogs are put into a square pit, which measures from
3.5 to 6 meters on each side. The pit is surrounded by
walls between 0.6 and 1.2 meters high and usually
made of wood, plywood, hay bales, or chain link. There
are two handlers and one referee in the pit with the
dogs. During dogfight spectators surround the pit, the
sides of which are wooden and three to four feet high.
The dogfight starts when the referee tells the handlers
to pit their dogs, at which time the dogs are released
and attack (Forsyth and Evans, 1998; Anon, 2014c).
Types of fighters
There are three types of dog fighters including
street fighters, hobbyists, and professionals. Hobbyists
and professionals often decry the techniques street
fighters use to train their dogs. Such techniques include
starving, drugging, and physically abusing the dog.
Street fighters are frequently associated with gang
activities. They fight dogs over insults, turf invasions,
or simple taunts like "My dog can kill your dog”. These
type of fights are often spontaneous, unorganized,
conducted for money, drugs, or bragging rights. Urban
street fighters generally have several dogs chained in
back-yards, often behind privacy fences, or in
basements or garages. The dogs are often found by
police and animal control officers either dead or dying
after a street fight. Due to the spontaneity of a street
fight, they are very difficult to respond to unless
reported immediately (Ensminger, 2010; Boucher,
2011; Anon, 2014b,d).
The second types of fighters are hobbyists. They
fight dogs for supplemental income and entertainment
purposes. They typically have one or more dogs
participating in several organized fights and operate
primarily within a specific geographic network.
Hobbyists are also informed with one another and tend
to return to predetermined fight venues repeatedly.
The last types are professionals. Professionals
breed generations of skilled "game dogs" and take a
great pride in their dogs' lineage. Those fighters make a
tremendous amount of money charging stud fees to
breed their champions. They also earn the fees and
winnings they collect for fighting them. Professionals
also tend to own a large number of dogs which are
sometimes 50 dogs or more. In USA professional
fighters also use trade journals to discuss recent fights
and to advertise the sale of training equipment and
puppies such as Your Friend and Mine, Game Dog
Times, The American Warrior, and The Pit Bull
Chronicle. Some fighters operate on a national or even
international level within highly secret networks
(Gibson, 2005; Ensminger, 2010; Anon, 2014b,d).
Victims
The principal victim of dog fighting is absolutely
dogs. The dogs are born, bought or stolen for fighting
and they are often neglected and abused from the start.
Most of them spend their entire lives alone on chains or
in cages and only know the attention of a human when

Res. Opin. Anim. Vet. Sci., 2015, 5(5): 219-223.
222
they are being trained to fight and they only know the
company of other animals in the context of being
trained to kill them. Moreover, most of the dogs spend
their entire lives without adequate food, water, or
shelter (Gibson, 2005). During a fight a failure to
scratch is the most common way in which a fight ends.
Less common is the death of one of the opponents. The
least common ending is a dog's jumping the pit, which
means the dog literally jumps out of the pit in order to
escape the opponent. This is rare because a dogman will
not risk humiliation by bringing a cur dog (dog that
refuses to fight) to a fight. The dog that jumps the pit
will surely die at the hands of his owner. Even in some
cases a dog whose both front legs broken continues to
fight by sliding on his chest (Forsyth and Evans, 1998).
When a dog is not successful in a fight, a professional
may dispose of it using a variety of techniques such as
drowning, strangulation, hanging, gunshot, electrocution
or some other method. Sometimes professionals and
hobbyists dispose of dogs deemed aggressive to
humans to street fighters (Boucher, 2011).
Dog fighting is an entertainment for very few
people but enough to cause 16,000 dogs which equals
to 44 dogs per day each year to be killed by organized
dog fighting. Training of dogs for the fights contains
the destruction of other animals including cats. Dogs
rescued from fighting make poor pets and must often be
destroyed. Organizers of dog fights face prison terms of
five years and $250,000 in fines. In some jurisdictions,
even attending a dogfight can result in imprisonment
and fines. In victims of dog fighting there must also be
mentioned about bait animals. Bait animals are used to
test a dog's fighting instinct. Those animals are often
mauled or killed in the process. Trainers provide bait
animals from several sources including wild or feral
animals, animals obtained from a shelter, or in some
cases, stolen pets. Sometimes the animals are also
obtained through "free to a good home" advertisements.
A news reports was published by the Humane Society
of USA. According to a report the snouts of bait dogs
are wrapped with duct tape to prevent them from
injuring dogs being trained for fighting (Anon 2014c).
Their teeth are filed and their nails are cut until nothing
is left. Other animals, such as cats and rabbits are also
reported to be used as bait animals. Experts have said
small dogs, kittens and rabbits are more at risk of being
stolen for bait than larger animals (Anon, 2014e). In
USA not all rescued pit bulls are involved in the
practice of dog fighting, but John Goodwin of the
Human Society of USA says that many bear the
hallmarks of the industry that a fight-crazy disposition
and the scars to prove it. Rescued dogs are kept at
animal shelters until a judge makes a determination on
the dog's fate. Because fighting dogs have been bred to
attack and kill other dogs, almost all of them are
euthanized. There are no definitive figures on how
many fight dogs are rescued in USA annually, but
Goodwin informs that about 4 million dogs in shelters
are euthanized each year (Villavicencio, 2007).
The second victim is humankind who is mostly
involved in crime. Many of the practices associated
with the raising and training of fighting dogs can be
prosecuted separately as animal abuse or neglect.
Moreover, dog fighting naturally involves illegal
gambling. Dogfighters often face additional charges
related to drug, alcohol and weapons violations as well
as probation violations. Arguments over dog fights have
also resulted in incidents that have led to charges of
assault and even homicide. Other charges might include
conspiracy, corruption of minors, money laundering,
etc (Anon, 2014b). A shocking report proved that
children began to attend dog fighting events. Kalof and
Taylor informed in a case that almost all children
interviewed in the ninth grade classes in a high school
in Pontiac, Michigan had personally witnessed a dog
fight. Most of them believed that there was nothing
wrong with dog fighting. Those children were so
desensitized to violence that they did not perceive it as
morally wrong or cruel (Kalof and Taylor, 2007).
Conclusion
It is too difficult to understand that some people
defend dog fighting. According to those abnormal
people dog fights are necessary and should be carried
out (Gasimzadeh, 2014).This kind of people is rare in
community but they are always present in the
community and always will be. The most important
thing to prevent dog fighting is to inform related police
or gendarme forces. Also penalties should be more
increased.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank John Ensminger and Marc
Paulhus for their constructive comments, careful
scientific revision and English edit.
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