"The American Pit Bull Terrier may well be a vanishing breed. Today, this loyal, courageous breed is facing a hostile media, an unforgiving court system, and potentially, its own death" (Palika 4). Liz Palika also states that "fighting traits have made the breed a favorite among people who encourage aggression in their dogs. This encouragement along with a lack of good training, poor socialization, and ignorant breeding practices have caused numerous disasters with Pit Bulls as central players" (4). Joe Stahlkuppe adds that a few American Pit Bull Terriers are uncontrollable and risky, the same as a few canines of other pedigrees are uncontrollable or risky (7). To say that the vast majority of American Pit Bull Terriers are out of control is certainly not true. There are many different factors that contribute to the bad reputation of the American Pit Bull Terrier; there are also many good qualities about this breed.
             Ian Dunbar finds that historians have found evidence that draws APBTs back to early Greece (i). Fenstermacher adds that "writings that date back to the early 1100s speak of contests where bulls and bears were baited by dogs" (6). He also states that bull baiting was a sport in which one or many dogs would enter a ring, and try to pin the bull by grabbing onto the bull's nose. If the canine were not fast enough, the bull would send the dog flying through the air, sometimes killing the dog (6). "The object of the 'sport' was to get the dog to pin the bull. This usually took many attempts, so breeders bred for dogs that would keep going back at the bull, no matter how many times he was thrown or how badly he was injured" (Fenstermacher 6). Jacqueline O'Neil emphasizes that the dogs owner wanted the dog to battle even if the dog was overmatched, the dog would fight with willingness, a trait still found in APBTs today (24). Bull baiting, bearbaiting, ...