Pit Bull ReporterÓ

A magazine for fanciers of the American Pit Bull Terrier and other bull terrier type breeds

It is an unfortunate fact that in virtually every competitive human endeavor there are always some who will cheat to win. It is for this reason that the washing of dogs precluding a match is necessary. In this article I will try and instruct students of the breed how it was done and why.

In "Cajun rules" which were the most commonly used in the last half of the twentieth century, instructions are given in what materials are to be used in the washing of dogs. Often these rules are modified when BOTH SIDES are in agreement on how to do so and we will address some of that subject later. For now we will see how to get started.

First, the proper materials must be ready and waiting to be used immediately after the weigh-in is finished. The dogs do not need to be boxed for another three hours waiting for someone to scare up the proper items so the washing can get started. For one thing many experienced dogs will realize what is about to happen when they are washed (some even know as soon as they arrive at the pit area!) and will "fire up" in expectation of the coming event. A dog that is fired up and re-boxed for a long period of time will leave a lot of his "peak" in the box! No one wants that to happen to his dog as it will definitely take the edge off and reduce his energy and strength once the battle is engaged.

So, the "promoter" or person who was supplying the site for the match, is to be responsible for getting the wash tubs and WARM water ready BEFORE the dogs are even weighed in (the dog's OWNER/HANDLER should always have the final say in how warm or cool the water is that his dog is washed with! ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR DOG!) Principals are responsible to bring their own towel with which to dry THE OTHER DOG. Why use your towel on the other dog? Simple, the easiest way to put a "rub" on your dog would be to have it applied to your towel before you towel off your wet dog with it. If you let them use their own towel why even bother with a wash? Since there is nothing you can put on the OTHER dog with your towel to help your dog, using your towel on him and vice versa is the preferred method. It is also specified in Cajun Rules.

I suppose at this point we should explain exactly what a "rub" is. A rub is any foreign substance (usually some kind of poison) that is applied to a dog's coat or skin (which will be ingested by the opponent during combat) with the intention of making the opponent sick and giving that dog an unfair advantage. Keep in mind that the other dog's handler is not the only one present who might have an interest in poisoning one dog or the other. Any unscrupulous character might be tempted to give a dog he is betting a large sum of money on an unfair advantage, so the dogs must be carefully watched at all times and protected from anyone and everyone present.

A "pill" given to your dog in a hamburger ball while he is caged and waiting for his match is even more effective than a rub. Never leave your dog unattended at the motel or pit site! He should be watched constantly and no one allowed near him for any reason that is not a trusted member of your entourage. On the same note one should be very careful when walking the dog out at a motel or pit site that the ground has not been "salted" with toxic "surprises".

Obviously the whole idea of the wash is to remove any foreign substances from the combatants so that if any are present they will not give either dog the advantage. To my mind foreign substances also include applications such as flea powders, sprays, spot ons, lineament and bug repellents. I personally am loathe to use such substances on a dog in keep but many are not so picky and so, in my opinion, both dogs should always be washed so as to remove these substances if there is any chance they are present.

A chemical substance that seems to be popular in some circles these days to counter a rub is DMSO or dimethly sulfoxide. This chemical is a powerful solvent of almost any substance and has the additional property of carrying a substance through the skin and into the bloodstream almost instantaneously upon application. The idea is that if a dog has a toxin on his skin intended to get in the other dog's mouth and DMSO is applied the dog will immediately suffer the effects of the poison himself and any rub will be exposed and "neutralized" so to speak, before the battle even begins. I personally would not EVER allow this substance to be used on my dog. Why? Because I know too much about it.

Some people are extremely allergic to DMSO, my veterinarian being one of them. He will refuse to see any dog that has had the substance applied to it within three days because if he is even in the room with DMSO he will break out in hives and have difficulty in breathing. Therefore, since it is entirely possible some dogs could be likewise allergic to it I would not recommend the substance be used before a match unless both dogs are "tested" with it long in advance of the event to ensure neither is allergic to it. Even then, it is a complete unknown as to how this powerful substance might affect the dogs' performances.

And don't forget, if the other side has "control" of the DMSO bottle, any substance that is added to it will be absorbed into your dog's bloodstream upon application. So let's say they washed their dog first and used some clean DMSO on him with no effect. If you agree to it's use your side should immediately take control of the DMSO to be used on your dog next to preclude anyone adding a little something to the bottle after it is used on their dog! (Or better yet, each side could bring their own, but then how does the other side know it is really DMSO and not just water?) What better way to poison your dog? A depressant could be added, for instance, making your dog very groggy about the time you step into the pit! Or, of course, something a bit more malevolent might be used also. (By the way, DMSO would also send any poison it contains into the washers skin as well as the dog's and rubber gloves don't seem to slow it down very much.)

But what about the rub, you ask? It has always been my opinion that if you are so convinced your opponent is inclined to use a poison against your dog that you feel the need to resort to such desperate measures then you should not ever match into that person! Obviously, he is a crook and fiend of the worst kind and should be shunned by the entire fraternity. This will result in his eventual "retirement" and you, and the game in general, will be rid of one scumbag, at least.

There is also the problem of what to do if one side INSISTS upon using DMSO in the wash tubs. If that is to be an absolute requisite for a match into this person or combine then that should be stipulated BY THEM and agreed to by both sides BEFORE the contract is finalized and the forfeits put up! No one should be put in the position of being forced to agree to anything that is not stipulated in the rules without foreknowledge of the stipulation before he agrees to a match. So, if you are opposed to using DMSO on your dog and you may have heard that the other side may want to use it, ask them before the match is made and get things ironed out in advance. Conversely, if you are the type that insists upon using this powerful chemical on the dogs then you should warn any opponent of it far in advance of the actual event and especially in advance of the posting of forfeits. Failure to do so should result in YOUR having to pay the forfeit when the other side rightly refuses to use this or any other noxious substance not agreed upon in advance on his dog.

1. Warm soapy water (don't let the other side's "washer" get soap in your dogs eyes or ears! This is an old trick. There is another old trick of putting "birdshot" down your dog's ear canal which will work it's way to the eardrum and drive him crazy! At any time when the washer has his hands near your dog's ears put your thumbs in your dog's ears to seal the ear canals from the water and watch closely and "insist" that the washer not get soap in your dog's eyes! Remember that your first duty is to "protect your dog"!

2. Dogs should be rinsed in fresh, clear, lukewarm or cool (depending upon the weather) water and all soap removed. You don't want your dog biting into soap so use only "Ivory" bar soap (which is "pure" with no perfumes or deodorants like "Dial" and similar bath soaps contain) NOT DISHWASHING LIQUID which is so concentrated it is virtually impossible to remove from the dogs' coats. Biting into soap will cause your dog to run hot!

3. Many old timers like to rely on "baking soda" (sodium bicarbonate) which they feel will "neutralize" poisons on the other dog. I see nothing wrong with this as soda is harmless although it, like all other substances, should be washed off the dog before the contest.

4. Many washers also like to follow the soda with milk (an "antidote" to some poisons when swallowed and of some possible benefit in neutralizing toxins on the dog.) One caution here. I had an enterprising fellow use freezing cold milk, straight out of an ice chest (I am sure this was done intentionally) on a dog of mine once which freaked her out and probably contributed to her losing the contest. My fault. You be smarter. Ensure that ANYTHING put on your dog is not extremely hot or cold or smelly or sticky etc. etc. Protect your dog at all times.

5. There are other tricks used to gain an unfair advantage in the washtub. Tricks like giving your dog's kidneys (located just below the spine and directly behind the rib cage as you look down on a dog) a good, hard rubdown! The kidneys are very sensitive to pressure and a good HARD WASH on them will not help your dog in his quest to become a winner. If it looks like the other side's washer is doing anything unsportsman-like to your dog make him stop or assign another to finish the wash.

6. I can't stress this enough: always, after the wash is completely finished and the dog is rinsed thoroughly, TASTE THE DOG! You know where your dog likes to bite and the other side may too, so at the very least, taste those favorite areas for any sign of a foreign substance. If you find something then (as the rules state) you must appeal to the referee for a decision on whether or not to give you the forfeit.

You may have heard the old adage that: "the rub goes on after the wash". This makes sense, doesn't it? If the one side is so dumb as to not assign a "friend" to keep the other dog in constant observation after the wash it would be easy to put something on him, when no one is looking, on the walk from the tubs to the box, especially if the walk is through some dark woods. Right? You can get around this by insisting that the washers carry the dogs to the pit and hand them over to the handlers there in full view of the crowd.

There is an old trick of putting the "rub" in the hollow bottom of a soda can or beer bottle. The handler asks for a drink and his friend hands him "the" can. He surreptitiously gets the rub on his fingers while drinking and applies it to his dog on the next handle. Or it could be concealed in the hollow of a cowboy boot, between the heel and sole, easily reached while bent over the dog in his corner. One of your contingent should be watching the other handler at all times and indeed, Cajun Rules allow both sides to have a "second" in the other side's corner for just this reason. If you or your second see anything suspicious going on you should appeal to the referee to check it out and render a decision.

So, protect your dog at all times, before and after he is in the box. Folks, I have seen a spectator holding a dog's tail while he was standing between the handler's legs getting counted out! While the contest is going on trust no one whose loyalty you are not positive of! The outcome of the contest and indeed, even your dog's life may hang in the balance. (Ed.)

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