While laws have been on the books in most states since the 19th century that forbid dog fighting, until recently many law enforcement agencies did not seek to strictly enforce dog fighting laws. With the publicity surrounding a famous football player dog fighting case and the subsequent public outcry about it, many locales throughout the country have sought new ways to crack down on dog fighting rings.It’s unfortunate that dog fighting is one of the first things that come to mind when thinking about pitbull history. It is true that once bull baiting was outlawed, breeders sought ways to cross breeds to create a dog that would make an excellent fighter.That, however, speaks to the type of men those were rather than the type of dogs that pitbulls are today. When pitbulls first came to this country in the early 1800’s, they were used as farm dogs, not fighting dogs. They guarded the frontier homes of early pioneers and proved to make loyal and gentle companions for the entire family.Throughout pitbull history there have been those who abused the dogs by using them to fight, it wasn’t until recently that the public at large began to apply certain judgments to the entire breed of dogs based on the bad behavior of men. It only takes a glance through some of the icons of American marketing and media to find several examples that serve as proof that pitbulls were not always feared and