[ Post a Response | The WORKING PITBULL Board ]
Posted by Erik H
on 11/4/2009, 10:13 pm, in reply to "Re: How Do Pits Stack up?"
I think that your right about many pits loving to play tug and go after a spring pole but it's a little more complicated than just transfering them over to a sleave. While the pit bull may have the drive to chase and play tug there are several other components needed to make a good sport dog. PP sports are largely just one big obediance trial, just about every aspect of sport training come down to obediance, bite exercises are obediance routines that involve biting. Tracking is obediance, agility is obediance. Malinois hold a physical and mental advantage over pit bulls in these areas of training due to genetics, being bred for the work for several more generations gives them the proper drives and tractability. Physicaly they have a head start also due to genetics and the origins of the breed.
They have longer legs to aid in running and jumping, longer muzzles for clean breathing and fuller grips etc. etc. they are the ferrari of the k9 world. In pp sports the most important ability or trait that a dog needs to have is the ability to handle stress. Stress is put on a dog when it's being trained and when it is being trialed. The temperment of the dog and it's ability to handle stress can be taught to the dog to a certain extent through conditioning but conditioning will only take you so far as temperment is largely genetic.
Having said that it's more difficult to find an apbt that can handle the amount of stress that is needed to perform at a high level. Some apbt's will shut down with too much compulsion, some will loose focus when in the fight most often due to stress or just the sheer inate instinct to fight blindlessly. They get stuck in a fight/defense drive, early imprinting and proper training can help you avoid some of these pitfalls. If you have no choice but to use heavy compulsion you run the risk of it backfireing into added stress, creating conflict and confusion, avoidance, loss of drive etc. etc. The goal is clear communication between dog and handler no matter the breed and whether it be positive training methods or not.
In terms of pits competeing with mals in sport a lot of it depends on the handler/trainer and not just the breeds. Having the right handlers with the right dogs is essential to being able to compete with mals. Not saying that it can't be done it's just that the stars have to align so to speak for it to happen. I can see it happening more and more in the future with these dogs if we are allowed to continue to own and breed them and more and more people get into competitive dog sport training within the breed. It really takes a lot. It takes knowlegable people with time and money to breed and retain desired traits. It takes time and money most of all relentless dedication to stick with training, like I said earlier it's not just bite work it's all obediance. You have to have the drive and desire to come home from a long days work and put in that extra 10mins here 15mins there to work on training everyday in addition to the fun stuff on the weekends.
On the plus side I think that there are still some great trainers within the breed and others good trainers that support the breed. There are also many other aspiring trainers like myself that have good intentions and dedication. Another plus that I see that the pit bull has over the malinois is durability and a higher pain threshold. Malinois are light finely tuned machines that cannot handle the type of physical abuse that most pit bulls can. Not that I'm condoning any type of abuse it's just that the pit bulls fighting heritage has given it a unuique ability to either hide pain easier or not get hurt as easily as many other breeds. That quality may not be of much help on the trial field or in pp sports but when I compare the cream of the crop pit bull with all of the tools physicaly and mentaly to the cream of the crop malinois and I can choose either breed to help defend myself in a real life street fight I'm picking the pit bull everyday of the week.
--Previous Message--
: i think a APBT is to train in PP than people
: give credit. Theaching competion PP is
: really no different than you teaching your
: dog to get a spring pole or play tug. APBT
: convert to sleeves very easy and their
: willing to please their owner is like no
: other. and your biggest problem ain't gone
: be the dog it is gone be the judge. they
: judge pits and mals way different
:
: --Previous Message--
: most dont know how to find them but i
: believe
: they are equal in many ways and better in
: other ways than a herder .
:
: --Previous Message--
: If you can find a good apbt they are as good
: as any mal imho. It's just that there are
: fewer good working apbt's and harder to
: obtain than a good mal.
:
: --Previous Message--
: I know Leri has titled a Mal. Perhaps
: others
: of you have done so as well, maybe with
: other breeds. I am interested to know if
: you think the APBT can hold its own in
: protection sports or if working an APBT is
: just a goofy way to hone your training
: skills so you can work a "real"
: working breed.
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