Pitbull behavior understanding

In July of 2009, following the largest dogfighting seizure in US history, experts from the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team and the Humane Society of Missouri were tasked with the behavioral evaluation of approximately 500 dogs, including 198 puppies. Presented with this unique opportunity to gather information about the onset of intraspecific aggression in fighting dogs, we conducted repeated evaluations to track behavioral changes in the puppies as they matured. All puppies between the ages of six weeks and six months were evaluated at two-to four-week intervals over the course of three months. Predatory motor patterns seen in play directed toward a plush puppy model were reminiscent of the aggressive sequence observed in adult fighting dogs. However, the 34 puppies in our random sample rarely exhibited these motor patterns during play with each other, and few aggressive encounters were observed.