Pit Bulls are definitely the most sold and purchased breed of dog in America. Pit Bulls, or more specifically the American Pit Bull Terriers, are still preferred by Americans for their agility, strength and faithfulness, in spite of the recent bad press Houston dog training.
Pit Bull breeders are usually well-equipped with the knowledge of genetics and the technique of dog breeding. Pit Bull Terriers may be bred to be silver, blue or the rarer merle colored; or they could be bred to have blue glassy eyes or red noses. Its a mix and match process to produce qualities that may be desirable enough to fetch a huge price. This kind of breeding is called show breeding.
Breeders widely advertise their puppy and adult Pit Bull dogs on the net. The rarer the dog, the higher the price. Blue coated dogs and merle coats are much in demand. Plus, there are seasonal trends that buyers look out for in Pit Bulls like wide mouths, shorter statures or drooping cheeks. A merle or a blue puppy could fetch something like $5000.
However there are some Pit Bull breeders who breed their dogs to be more aggressive and tenacious so that they could be used in dogfights. Bets are laid on dogs in these events and though this is an objected activity, it still goes on discreetly. When a breeding farm labels its dog as ‘game-bred’, it means that the dog has been bred specially to fight. This nefarious activity has brought several dog breeders a lot of heat.
Breeders also provide studs for mating. Studs are male dogs that mate with female dogs to produce sturdy puppies. People who breed their dogs with hired studs in their backyards do what is known as backyard breeding.
Breeders also provide other products that may make dogs more agile, increase their reproductive abilities, increase their stamina, etc. Most of these products work on dogs in the same manner as steroids work on humans.
Animal lovers generally hold dog breeders in contempt. According to them, dog breeding is something that is against the rules of nature, and is of course injustice done to dogs. Breeding a dog just for its color, or eyes, or some other trait is considered to be cruel. Some breeding farms inject their dogs with vitalizers that increase their libido. These vitalizers often interfere with the hormonal balances in the animals. Also, while hybridizing breeds of dogs, the individuality of the breed is lost. It is more gracious to opt for a rescue Pit Bull than to buy a dog that has been bred to pander to the sensibilities of humans.