Dog fighting

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai...dm010000c.html

Dog 'preservation' group coordinates cruel canine clashes

Though it gets animal lovers barking mad, dog fighting continues in
Kochi Prefecture, according to Flash (10/11).

Dog fighting thrived in ancient Rome and people in 17th- and
18th-century Britain used to gamble on what they called a sport but
critics now lambaste for being too ruff, er, rough.

Japanese dog fighting, run by the Tosa dog preservation and registration
society, pits breeds like the Tosa, which originated in Shikoku, the
smallest of the country's four main islands, against a variety of
Western breeds including mastiffs, bulldogs, pointers and even great danes.

Dog fights in Japan match canines according to their size in fights that
continue until one of the two combatants submits and the judges perched
on the wooden picket ring that surrounds the fighting circle jump in and
separate the dogs.

Fights take place at the Tosa Fighting Dog Center with the dogs obeying
commands barked out by their masters sitting above them.

It's the masters' job to coordinate the clashing canines. The only way
they're allowed to do that is by issuing verbal commands, which the dogs
are supposed to respond to. Unlike other typical dog fights, this means
the audience must remain as quiet as possible during bouts.

Fighting dogs are taught to aim for their opponents' weak spots, like
the ears and legs.

If a dog barks or yelps, they are declared the loser, meaning the
pugilist pooches must also fight in silence, according to Flash.

Fights also end when one dog has clearly displayed its dominance over a
foe. At those times, a chunk of wood is shoved into the winning dog's
mouth to stop it biting any further. If that doesn't work, one of the
fight officials will jump into the pit while carrying a flaming brand
and wave it at the dogs until they separate.

In the fighting dog world, raising a powerful animal is said to serve as
proof that the trainer is a powerful person, the weekly says.

Japan can trace its fighting dog history back to the Sengoku Period
(1478 to 1605). Now, the only place in the country where dog fights can
occur legally is the fighting dog center located in a section of
Katsurahama Park in Kochi. Tourists pack the area and its adjacent
fighting dog museum, according to Flash. (By Ryann Connell)

September 30, 2005

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