Bait Dogs Are Still Adoptable

The other day I heard someone explaining why somebody would ask if a dog’s teeth were ground down. A dog whose teeth are ground down would not be able to fight back and defend themselves, making them perfect bait dogs for dogs being trained to fight. 

I have seen so many injured dogs on Facebook lately, also dogs up for adoption that were once a “bait dog.” Some people may think that "bait dogs" are far and few between, but that's not the case.

There are laws against dog fighting, but just like everything in life, the criminals keep hidden. Rescues do their best to help the dogs in the shelter, but there are people out there that adopt these dogs with the intention of using them as bait dogs.

There are different stages training fight dogs, requiring two types of "bait":

1. The first stage requires a submissive "bait" dog that does not fight back at all. This poor baby may even be tethered and unable to defend itself. This starts the fighting dog’s aggression. Sometimes, a fighting dog will eventually end up in this position if they are injured, old or ill.
2. The second stage requires a dog that responds to aggression with aggression and puts up a fight. This could be one that has flunked out of training at an earlier stage, one that has been injured, or one that has lost other fights.  

People want to ensure that the bait dog loses so that the fighting dog can build confidence. To ensure this, the bait dog is usually starved and dehydrated. 

Dogs that have been used as bait will sometimes find themselves in shelters when law enforcement breaks up a fighting ring.

Please understand these dogs are still adoptable, they just need the love and trust that they should have always had for their lives. 

Remember the story about Murphy? He was a bait dog that was rescued by a man named Jim.

This poor boy went from being attacked on a daily basis by other dogs, having to defend himself just to live, to thinking he had to keep defending himself to live and, then, being scheduled to be put to sleep. 

Thanks to Jim, he is doing well.

Please do not overlook these babies. They need to know that they are allowed to have food and water daily, not starved to become weak. They deserve to know what love and care is.  

Would you like to give a dog a second chance? Find a new pal through Get Rescued in Gulfport or, to adopt a Rottweiler like Murphy, check out Florida Rottweiler Rescue. 

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