I regularly get calls from folks asking if my dogs are gamebred. I always pause when I hear these words, reflecting on which of several ways I might answer this question. The reality is that if a dog isnt gamebred, it isnt a pitbull. Gameness is the willingness to persevere in the face of adversity. Without this desire to persevere, it isnt a pitbull. Gameness is a non-negotiable cornerstone of the pitbull breed standard. Sometimes the caller is ready to pounce on a positive answer, filled with humaniac misinformation and spin. The assumption is that admitting to breeding for gameness is equivalent to breeding for fighting purposes. Nothing could be further from the truth. My take on gameness has changed little since 1985 since I wrote the following little essay that elaborates on my feelings about the breed, and in particular provides context for understanding gameness and being gamebred. Why Love a Pit Bull? by Tom Garner Often in the course of my daily activities I am asked to explain how a mental health professional and humanist (not humaniac) can be so involved with and appreciative of dogs whose instincts urge them to love all competition and to fight their own kind when challenged. Perhaps I invite such questions, as I proudly display an 11 x 14 picture of my stud dog CH Pedro beside my childrens pictures on my office wall. At any rate, the consequence of these questions is that I have spent considerable time pondering this apparent conflict and will happily share my conclusions with anyone who cares to read further. Now most of us sense that there is something noble about having the courage to stick by our convictions. In fact, this wonderful country we live in would certainly be vastly different were it not for the convictions and courage of our ancestors. Our heritage practically demands that we place a premium on convictions and courage. But how does this relate to our dogs? Well in my estimation a bulldog that doesnt start, has no convictions. One that starts and quits has no courage, and one that starts and sticks with it can eat the same thing for supper that I do. But why is it necessary to experience pain and injury in demonstrating courage and convictions? This is the nature of life, my friends. Ask Nathan Hale who died for his beliefs. Ask the mechanic who daily busts his knuckles to provide for his family. Ask the secretary who suffers migraines from stress but regularly gets the paperwork out on time. Ask the doctor, who accepts the pain of self denial for eight years to complete his degree. Ask our president who took a bullet to the chest but didnt run home and hide. Ask yourself. Pain is the hand-maiden of achievement, and the triumph of will and perseverance over the forces of pain and fear, is the essence of all achievement. This is a scenario which permeates all of life. The props and actors may change but the story remains constant. Why then are so many people capable of accepting this struggle in some settings, but not others? I suspect that many of these people do not have a good philosophical understanding of themselves, of life, and certainly not of our dogs. Many people could not do an adequate job of contemplating their navels. Many outsiders view our acceptance of pain as a love of pain. Nothing could be further from the truth. I for one would be perfectly content if our dogs could do their thing without pain or injury. But that wouldnt require a great deal of conviction on their part now would it? Unnecessary pain is certainly an evil. That is why my dogs sleep in heated houses in the winter, eat good nutritious food, are kept free of parasites and get all of the love and affection I can muster. I love life especially fruitful life, in all its forms. I love it for myself, my family, you and your family, my dogs and even for my philodendron. Even the hapless fly who mistakenly enters my house doesnt get mashed. He gets relocated to a more appropriate spot in the universe--outside. To prevent a living entity from actualizing its potential is a crime against nature. To do so out of love is a terrible mistake. To clip an eagles wings so he could never fly and run the risk of a crash would be absurd, but this manner of thinking if often applied to our dogs. Ernest Hemingway repeatedly demonstrated his belief through his novels that life comes to be meaningful through fighting the good fight. I too contend that the most meaningful element in living a full life comes from having a purpose and the courage to fulfill it. Nowhere in my experience have I seen these qualities more clearly displayed than when our dogs are simply being themselves.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 02:34:27 +0000
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