El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-24
(By Frederic ]. Haskin

M though dog fighting as a public
sport has been relegated to the
/, realm of things too brutal to survive,
one need only watch the advertising
pages of the journals devoted to dogs
to realize that the fighting dog still
lives and that many a strenuous match
in the pit is pulled Off every week in
the various cities of the United States.
There are champions galore advertised
Hundreds of breeders make a speciality
of breeding fighting dogs and the best
pedigree a fighter can have is that both
sire and dam have come from strains
that have dominated the pit through
years gone by. There are also manu-
lecturers who turn out treadmills and
other equipment for the training of
fighters. and these find such frequent
sale as to indicate that dog fighting
has not been abolished, but only driven
to cover.
AS in every other field of sport,
whether worthy or unworthy, science
has entered largely into the training of
fighting dogs. and the best dog for COM
bats is a cross between an English bull
dog and an English hound, the product
being known as a bull terrier. The
manner in which dogs are trained for
their pit encounters reminds one of
the weeks and months of hard work
which the pugilist assigns to himself
before ne enters the prize ring.
Once National Sport.
Dog fighting as a national sport was
introduced in the United States more
than 80 years ago and it flourished in
all parts of the country until late in
the seventies when the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to animals was
successful in its vigorous campaign for
the suppression of public matches in
most states. Aside from their moral
effect upon the spectator, professional
dog fights have revealed q phase of
human nature that is seldom associated
with the idea Of a real sport" for
trickery and knavery are rampant in
the dog pit.
Tricks of Promoters.
Some of the methods which rival dog
fanciers have adopted to gain an unfair
advantage of their opponents have be-
come almost historic and the trickery
of the promoters has been permanently
reflected in the rules which are fOrmu-
lated to govern all such contests. Some
of these are amusing as well as unique
For example. dog fighter must taste
his own dog before he puts it into the
dog pit. The word taste" is used in its
litreal sense, for once upon time a
cheating scheme discovered that if he
or rubbed arsenic soap in its hair that
the opposing dog would be poisoned
after biting the treated or fixed ami
NAL. Some poisons make the dogs sick,
others cause them so much pain that
they are unable to open their jaws to
bite their antagonists, and they soon
lose courage and flee.
By requiring each dog challenger to
taste his own animal it is guaranteed.
that there is no poison in the hide But
as a further precaution. each fancier is.
supposed to wash his opponents dog
after the two animals are placed in the
ring. The animals are washed in warm
water and afterward in tepid milk, and
then are carefully dried The men who
are allowed to remain in the ring to
hold the dogs and to hurl them at each
other, are carefully searched prior to
the contest to see whether any instru-
ments are concealed about their cloth
ing with which they could cripple the
dogs. The owners keep their eyes upon
each others every movement up TO the
final moment Of the preliminary ar
engagements, for fear that at the last
second red pepper will be sprinkled on
the back of the opposing dog
Training Fighting Dogs
Training for fight is a strenuous
period of six, or eight weeks for the
bull terrier. He is put through his
PAGES as regularly as the prize fighter
spars plays hand ball or runs. The
dogs exercise consists chiefly of walk
ing to the leash, and OF working out
from one to two hours on tread mill
Every precaution is takep against the
animals contracting a cold and his diet
is regulated with the greatest precision
Instead of gunpowder and saitpetre,
the traditional delicacy OF the bull ter
rier's menu, the fare consists chiefly OF
calves feet and Sleeps head, boiled
and mixed with bran, and dry toast,
cut in thin slices mixed with fine steak,
which has been rare broiled Water
and other liquids are taboo. not more
than one tea-cup of water being allowed