What exactly is “gameness”?
[The following is an exchange that occured on bulldog-l between Scott Bradwell and Wilf LeBlanc. The passages offset with “>”‘s are questions posed by Wilf.] Gameness in APBT’s is a canine virtue that is most akin to the human virtue of unflagging courage. It is a determination to master any situation and never back down out of fear. It was developed in pit bulls by many generations of selective breeding. It is what allows a pit bull to keep fighting non-stop for two or more hours, in spite of broken bones, torn muscles, blood loss, dehydration, and exhaustion. But it is also valued by APBT owners who would never think of fighting their dogs. It is manifested in the can-do attitude of pit bulls toward any type of challenge, whether agility competitions, climbing up trees, or protecting their family against an armed attacker, etc. (Yes, check out Richard Stratton’s books for photos of pit bulls actually climbing up the trunk of a big tree in order to nestle in the branches 15 feet off t
