Human-baiting is a
blood sport
A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves wikt:bloodshed, bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Acti ...
involving the
baiting of
humans
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
against
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
s. There are at least three known documented cases of human-baiting, all of which occurred in England in the 19th century.
Gentleman and the Bull Dog
''
The Sporting Magazine
''The Sporting Magazine'' (1793–1870) was the first English sporting periodical to devote itself to every type of sport.
Its subtitle was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the ...
'', vol. XVIII, documented a fight between parties labeled simply the ''Gentleman and the Bull Dog''. ''
The Sporting Times
''The Sporting Times'' (founded 1865, ceased publication 1932) was a weekly British newspaper devoted chiefly to sport, and in particular to horse racing. It was informally known as ''The Pink 'Un'', as it was printed on salmon-coloured paper ...
'' also reported on this fight, which occurred in 1807. The story illustrates the outcome of a large, mastiff-like dog charging its opponent. Despite the handicap of a muzzle, the dog was the winner.
Physic versus Brummy
On 6 July 1874 the ''
Daily Telegraph
Daily or The Daily may refer to:
Journalism
* Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks
* ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times''
* ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...
'' published an article, written by
James Greenwood, in which he reported on 25 June 1874 to have witnessed a fight between a man and a dog. Greenwood recounted the tale in his 1876 book, ''
Low-Life Deeps
A low-life (or lowlife) is a term for a person who is considered morally unacceptable by their community. Examples of people society often labels low-lives include aggressive panhandlers, bullies, criminals, drug dealers, freeloaders, hobos, ...
'', in the chapter called "
In the Potteries". On July 11, 1874, ''
The Spectator
''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world.
It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...
'' published an article called ''The Dog-Fight at Hanley'' that described the circumstances of the brawl.
The fighter, named Brummy, was a middle-aged dwarf about tall, with oversized features, and bowed legs. He had apparently agreed to fight the dog for a bet, on his theory that no dog "could lick a man". His opponent was a white
bulldog
The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.[Hanley, Staffordshire
Hanley is one of the Federation of Stoke-on-Trent, six towns that, along with Burslem, Longton, Staffordshire, Longton, Fenton, Staffordshire, Fenton, Tunstall, Staffordshire, Tunstall and Stoke-upon-Trent, amalgamated to form the City of Stoke ...]
, in a large guest room, its windows closed and its floor covered in sawdust, with the ring cordoned off by a line.
During the fight Brummy was bitten deeply several times on his arms, and the Bulldog was dealt several heavy blows to the head and ribs. After ten rounds the Bulldog's head was heavily swollen, it had lost two teeth, and one of its eyes was closed. The fight lasted until round eleven when Brummy knocked the dog out.
This story was reported on by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', which stated that the story is probably false, though noting that the ''Daily Telegraph'' insisted on its veracity.
East End Club
In 1892, another human-baiting occurred between the human combatant James Oxley and a fighting dog named Crib. The following is extracted from a contemporary report:
[Homan, M. (2000). ''A Complete History of Fighting Dogs'', pp. 101–104. Howell Book House ]
See also
*
Venatio
Venatio ( la, venatio, "hunting", plural ''venationes'') was a type of entertainment in Roman amphitheaters involving the hunting and killing of wild animals.
History
Venatio was first introduced by Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, who celebrated his G ...
References
Further reading
* Fleig, D. (1996). ''History of Fighting Dogs'', pp. 119–124. T.F.H. Publications.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Human-Baiting
Baiting (blood sport)