Title: Off the Chain
Release: 2005
Genre: Documentary
Run Time: 52 Minutes
Studio/Publisher: Bobby J Brown
Rating: 73%
The American Pit Bull Terrier has become synonymous with viciousness and danger in North American culture. Once admired as intelligent family pets and used to advertise a variety of products from phonographs to children’s clothing, Pit bulls are now associated with fatal human attacks and the shadowy world of dog fighting. The latter has spawned the equally controversial derivative industries of pit bull supplies and Pit Bull training, as well as a fierce sect of activists dedicated to pit bull rescue and fighting the growing number of laws blindly restricting the ownership of Pit Bull Terriers.
Off the Chain is a graphic hour-long documentary detailing the origin and evolution of both the dog breeds collectively referred to as “Pit Bull Terriers” and their human admirers. The film begins with a historical overview of the use of bulldogs for bull baiting, a popular form of British entertainment during the 18th and 19th centuries. Once England banned the practice, dog vs. dog fights were arranged and Bulldogs were subsequently bred with Terrier breeds to produce the Pit Bull family.
The documentary follows the migration and breeding of the American Pit Bull Terrier, its short-lived status as an all-American dog and eventual decline into violent status symbol. In the latter [present-day] stage, the film-makers give equal air time to the breeders who engage in dog-fighting and the activists / police who oppose them.
The dog-fighting participants wear disguises and defend their activities as sport. After proclaiming his love for the breed, Dog Man Tucson – a participant in and strong advocate of dog fighting as a sport – explains in detail the ad-hoc surgeries dog owners perform on injured pit bulls. Dog training, which begins with the mild baiting of baby pit bulls, can be as innocuous as treadmill exercises or as extreme as standing on a dog mid-fight or filing teeth to a sharp point. Steroid injections have also become popular among breeders, though even the breeders in the film admit that it is easy to damage or kill the dog by administering the shots improperly.
The mid portion of the film is extremely gory and will not appeal to most viewers. Hidden camera video clips of fatal fights and post-match executions are interspersed with still shots of dead and mutilated dogs.
Fortunately, Off the Chain moves beyond the carnage to explore the fascination with and motivation for dog fighting. Most people correctly identify the macho aspect of Pit Bull ownership – having the baddest dog on the block can be good for street cred. However, money seems to be a greater motivator for dedicated breeders – American dog fighting events take place in remote or secluded areas, charging entries fees between $20 and $50. Owners have waged upwards of $500,000 on a single match (which can be as short as 5 minutes) while tournament-winning dogs can provide further revenue through breeding. Dog fighting is a billion dollar, worldwide industry with a mild level of social acceptance in Mexico, Japan and Italy. The latter nation’s matches can take place in an arena with a seated audience dressed as though they were attending an opera.
The last word goes to the Pit Bull activists, who challenge the “love” professed by the pit bull trainers and detail their efforts to adopt the [very few] rescued dogs who represent a minimal risk to society. The featured advocates (including Pit Bull Rescue Central) offer recommendations on curbing malicious dog training such as breed-specific, graduated licensing for dog ownership.
Off the Chain requires a strong stomach to watch and will not be to everyone’s taste. If there is a bias in the film it is against the dog fighting industry, but observing the brutal training and disposal of young pit bulls makes pure objectivity impossible. Watch with caution.
Very interesting. At what time period was the pit bit considered the “family dog?” I only remember it as being an aggressive dog.
Hi Emilia:
The Pit Bull’s family dog status seems to have peaked during the first half of the 20th century. Buster Brown’s dog was a Pit Bull as was the dog from the Little Rascals. Pit Bulls were also used in silent films (often as a companion to a child) and as war dogs (spy detection). The dog used in the RCA ads (listening to the phonograph) was allegedly also a Pit Bull.
Oh yes, wasn’t the name of the dog on the Little Rascals Petie (or maybe that was the owner’s name)? But over the years some dogs have been bred to be more aggressive even if that was not the original purpose of the dog.
Another dog that has a bit of a “rough” reputation is the Rottweiler, a German herding dog. Apparently the breed got a bit of notoriety when the late Princess Diana called her rival, Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Rottweiler on account of her face. But Camilla took it in stride and started answering her phone with “Rottweiler residence.” Then of course Pope Benedict was nicknamed “God’s Rottweiler” on account of being German and for the fact that the Rottweiler is a herding dog, and of course the Pope is herding a large flock himself. Rottweilers have to be kind of tough because herding an ornery bull, for instance, can’t always be easy, so the dog has to keep the flock in line. A Catholic friend jokes with me that Pope Benedict “wants to burn the heretics at stake,” so I guess Pope Benedict is keeping the flock in line…
fucking make me sick doing that to dogs!
look at the pain they are in do u sick people that do this not have any fillings!
Get your facts right dumb ass. You don’t know a bamb thing about the game.
Hell yeah thats what am talking about!!!!!
lovelace’s ch king 0.38-1.17-0.41 11-17-08
lovelace’s 2xw crook 1.17-0.54 10-13-08
lovelace’s 2xw seven 0.44-1.09 10-13-08
king beat t garners money at 52lbs in 0.38 mins
crook beat p patrick’s randy at 48 lbs in 1.17 mins
seven beat p patrick’s miles at 55 lbs in 0.44 mins (scratched back twice)
Dog fighting is fucking bullshit and should not happen because of th epain the dogs are going through how would you like to be thrown against an extremely vicious human and have to fight the to the death.
I just saw all about Dog Man Tucson on tv and made me sick! Let Tucson ever come to Amsterdam and I will beat him till he likes it!!
They should throw his ass in a cage with some raging pitbulls! I would pay good money to see it live!!!
The problem is NEVER in the dog! ALWAYS the owner!! And probably the owners owner, or daddy, who raised him wrong!
Les – Amsterdam.
Emilia Liz:
You need to get your facts straight sweetie b/c Pit Bulls have always been family dogs so before you start running your trap about pits
Every time I hear someone say the pit bull is a naturally dangerous breed I want to just shake them. It’s quite obvious that too many people these days are influenced by popular media and believe every no-knowledge reporter that says the pit bull (amongst other large breed dogs) are naturally dangerous and aggressive. NO DOG is naturally aggressive, not one. A dog BECOMES aggressive because of training and abuse by the owner. I watched this film a year or two ago and instantly I wanted to try and locate that sick bastard Dog Man Tucson and let him feel exactly what he put his “little black dog” through to the nth power. When, during the last scene, they said he got arrested and basically received zero punishment I was completely enraged, especially since that poor dog had to be euthanized because it had become too aggressive to be adoptable. This is precisely why I have lost my faith in the justice system, it’s a system that no longer cares for the victim and is more concerned about protecting the criminals than punishing them.
I was a police officer for 8 years and I have encountered a LOT of dogs, both strays and family pets. Amongst those dogs were a great deal of pit bulls and I tell you, you would be hard pressed to find a sweeter, nicer dog. One of my own two dogs is a pit bull mix and he’s absolutely adorable. Sure, he’s a bit hyper, but it’s a playful kind of hyper where he just wants to jump and lick everyone. There is not one ounce of aggressiveness in him. I wish more people would take these reporters that talk about how pit bulls are naturally aggressive to task on their facts. I recall that a mother and daughter once brought a puppy into my police station that they had found on the street. After I told them that adopting the puppy might be possible after I brought her to the vet for a checkup and an effort to locate an owner, they were very excited. When I told them that the dog was a Rottweiler mix, however, the mother instantly became concerned and scared and actually looked at the puppy (which I estimated to be maybe 5 or 6 months old) like it was about to attack her. I then had to take probably ten minutes explaining to this woman that Rottweilers, nor any other dog for that matter, was a naturally aggressive dog and that Rottweilers in particular are outstanding family pets. This is exactly the kind of crazy paranoia that the media is projecting upon the public with improper facts and convoluted statements that have zero truth in them. This movie does an excellent job of telling the truth about pit bulls and how they are forced into dog fighting and MADE into aggressive animals because of training and abuse. I really liked the history of the pit bull that the movie talks about, including how the pit bull was an American icon until the thugs and rappers and hoodlums decided it would be fun, profitable, and beneficial to their street cred to fight them. Even today, every single rapper and thug talks about their pit bulls or displays images of aggressive pit bulls on their albums (see Michael Vick and DMX, rot in prison the both of you, we don’t want you). What a lot of people don’ know is that the number 1 Customs Agent K-9 dog is in fact a pit bull that was rescued from a dog fighting operation.
How much more evidence do we need that dog fighting is an evil activity and should be completely eliminated from the planet?
there are no bad dogs just fricking bad owners pitbulls are the best family garud dogs ive got three little girls and the dogs are beautiful with them but if any facker trys to step on my yard them let me no i love these dogs and i would argue with anyone hows says diffrent but this make me sick to see my favorite dogs like this i would love to have 5 mins alown with one of these frickin idiots i would make sure he wouldn’t do this again.
i dont have a pitbull , but my friend does , and its huge i mean its the biggest pitbull , ive seen head like a basketball , but its as soft as a puppy, and it wont hurt anyone who doesnt hurt it , he has a 6month old baby cousin and that dog plays with him.Also he is a family dog , but also a guard dog , he has been through the correct training , and we have put him to the test, me myself pretended to break into his house , witha guard on , and the dog broguht me down and bassically laid on me untill my friend got their. he didnt hurt me he jsut used his wait to pin me down and was perfectly fine with me after , theese dogs this breed are pefect their in no league to anyother dog and shud be treated with the upmost respect. thankyou:)
you people make me sick!!! i cant believe you would put a DOG thru so much PAIN i have to agree with jesse how would you like to be thrown in with a VISIOUS dog that you trained to kill and fight to the death. i bet you wouldnt like it that much if it was you!!!! you people need to think about the dogs and what they feel do they really want to do this or are they being forced to
i work at a shelter and pit bulls come in everyday whether they are about to die or have broken bones they need our HELP people have got to stand up and STOP dog fighting dogs loose there lives every day because of some dumb ass person who thinks its fun to put dogs thru HELL just to get money please STAND UP AND TAKE A RISK whats it gonna cost you a couple of min.
PLEASE THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING
wtf this is ridiculous i’m bout to cry lord help my lil’ creature nnnnoooooooooo! well im gonna be president then make my pitbull buddys into my kitchen pals u know it might sound crazy but my pit can kae some pretty good chicken noodle poop! u smell me!
I work as a professional dog trainer, and I will tell anyone that pitbulls are some of the easiest dogs to train. I have no fear or apprehension when it comes to dealing with them. They’re extremely lovable and the aggressive ones, which come from bad situations or abusive homes 99% of the time, can usually be trained into the nicest family dogs you’ve ever met. People only hear pitbull horror stories, but what people don’t understand is dog psychology. Every horror story I’ve ever heard could be traced back to the human that actually caused the problem long before the dog attacked. Every dog deserves a second chance and a loving home.
OMG………..THIS IS BULSHIT i have 2 pitbulls that i would do anything 4 but not make them fight against eachother i think anyone who has made a pitbull fight 4 their own pleasure is sick twisted and demented andi would like to see you be put in as much pain as you put these poor inasent dogs through you dumbasses make me want o puke it broke my heart to see two pitbulls in the back of that truck dead beacuse they were forced against their will to fight and theywould want this to stop and if you think this is funny i would lie to see you make two dogs fightin front of me and i would stick YOU YA YOU IN WITH HEM AND I WOULD HOPE THEY TEAR YOU TO SHREDS the things these poor dogs go through beacuse of you nasty scury freakinbg rude as can be jerks you are soo lucky i dont know you o else you wouldnt see tomorrow OK
I agree with half the people on hear, learn the truth before you speak the lies! Pit Bull HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FAMILY DOGS! Petey from the little rascals was pit, helen keller owned a pit, some of the most famous people in HW own PB’s. Get your damn facts straight little miss emilia, because when you speak like that you sound just as ignorant as the people in the documentary. morons. i’d love to throw them into a tank of gators, not even pits. I wouldnt want to hurt the animals with the site of such an evil creature being thrown in with them. PB’s are the MOST LOYAL and AFFECTIONATE breed out there scoring and 85.3% on temperment tests around the world, higher than golden retrievers, labs and beagle together. So F U because you are moronic and close-minded as well as ignorant bastards … grow up and do some research, PB’s are chosen by dog fighters because of their loyalness and eagerness to please, you can beat a pit till its last breath and starve it beyond recognition and it will still cover your face with kisses trying to win you over. Thats WHY people choose them as fighters, and whoever still goes around saying that they have locking jaws and were bred to be human aggressive, check out my site and research the web a bit, if you want to get then name of my site e-mail me, dollfacedisaster1984@yahoo.com
*hate mail* is MORE than welcome because i WILL put you in your place and leave you speechless.
I, also, agree with half of the ppl on here!!! I’ve been around pits my entire life…and have nvr had one so much as growl at me!!! i love pits and its the only type of dog i will ever own!! they are loyal, sweet, loving, and very passionate about their owners!! Pits are almost always provoked when they attack but the news and shit nvr tells u that part! They are very territorial dogs and are very eager to protect what they feel is theirs, such as THEIR owner…and THEIR property! My mom had one for 13 yrs while i was growing up and she even slept with me and followed me everywhere…to make sure i was ok!! I, now, own a 5 month old blue pit, Bella, and she is amazing! She minds well, shes loving, and shes great with my godson and my friends kids! i wouldnt trade her for nething in the world! I completely agree with everything Ashleigh said, except about teh locking jaws part… pits do in fact have locking jaws which are almost imposible to pry open… i have researched this. SO FOR ALL YOU IGNORANT PPL OUT THERE THAT JUDGE PITS BASED ON THE NEWS AND WHAT OTHER IGNORANT PPL SAY…RESEARCH FOR THE FACTS B4 U JUDGE AND DONT B STUPID….LEARN FOR URSELF!
what the hell how can u even put the clips and pics on the web i love pits how can u people have a innocent dogs to fight for there lives so u can have money what about the dog u people dont give a f*** u sick f***s
for one, my pitbull is the best companion i’ve ever had. i don’t care what anyone says about having a pitbull around small children and other animals. my cat loves Baby. They wrestle and Baby barks and chases her, but the most she does is nod her with her nose. Baby is a puupy and she is very hyper and is in the teething stage, but what dog doesn’t go through that. i love how people say that because my dog is a pitbull she’s born to bite, but every dog will chew on shit, including people. thats why you teach them from an early age not to. Yes, she’s WAY stubborn, and doesn’t like to be told what to do, but she listens and she knows who’s boss.
i think if we were given a chance for pitbull rehabilitation, that all pits would have chance at having a well deserved good life with a loving family. i read in an article that people just don’t want to try…and you wonder why nothing ever gets done about it, because people are fucking lazy.
I guess that people who are making these fights are week and soft. That’s why they are using their dogs to do that for them. If they were man enough they would fight themselves. I also have a dog, and in any case they are animals, and it is their instinct that they have to fight sometimes for meat, or for a bitch. But, it is pointless to fight for show.
I have just watched off the chain and I felt sick to my stomach, I could not watch the dog fighting its is so so sad and I feel so bad for these dogs. How can they watch when thier dog is there bleeding to death so weak and they still encourage it to fight. I would have no feeling whatsoever about killing these bastards, they give nothing to society they are sick men with a blood lust, if they can do this to animals god knows what they would do to a human. Anyone who finds that entertainment needs serous help and is evil.
I’m from London,UK. I have what me and my partner believe to be a pitt bull they are a banned breed in the UK due to the dangerous dogs act, we did not realise he was a pit we were told he was a Staffordshire bull terrier cross bullmastiff until I started looking at Pit pics on the net and believe me he is a spitting image. He is the most lovable dog and we love him to death, but we have to be so careful when we take him out for walks as if he is spotted by a dog warden he will be taken off of us and destroyed no questions asked. Our dangerous dogs act goes by pit bull “type” so any dog what they think looks like a pitt will be destroyed. Does not matter whether he has never harmed a fly. there was mass hysterior in the UK a few years ago about dangerous dogs, but no one ever talks about the owners and it drives me insane.
I see so many young kids that all have bull terrier dogs that just use them for fighting or to look cool, they dont have a clue how to train the dog and encourage them to fight and become agressive. I want to beat these kids myself none of them give a dam about the dog a lot of them are starved or tortured for fun and it makes me sick. the people who are in charge of the dangerous dogs act have probably never owned a dog in their life and dont have a clue about bull terrier breeds. They deed should be punished not the breed, and all these dog fighters make me sick they should get the death penalty for what they do, they have no place in society and no brain cells, too many people get away with cruelty to animals ands it makes me sick.
I think anyone with a dog should have a licence and anyone seen with a pitbull should be questioned licence shown and even shown where and how the dog lives. Its quite obvious just looking at the kind of thugs that have pits are using them to fight or for some kind of status symbol, I would not have a problem someone asking me about my dog but I cant take that risk with him cause he would be taken away from me and I would be heartbroken. But its becasue of these thugs who dont give a sh*t about the dog who have made it bad for everyone who loves and cares for the breed. Stupid ignorant people who are scared of dogs and dont have a clue are also to blame for the bad press. Our dangerous dogs act should be reviewed and tougher laws on the thugs who harm and train these dogs to be agressive they should be monitored and not allowed any dog or any pet for that matter. the authorities should have some common sense on who are bad dog owners and who are loving responsible and look at each case individually if your dog has never harmed anyone or anything that should be taken into account and the temprement of the dog should above all be noted.
sick, anyone that supports this should be hanged.
anyone who encourage such vile fights with theses creatures are evil animals.
bastards every one of them.
people you don’t leave animal to be hanged or punished if i had a mean dog i would have a vet putt it down not leave it to suffer
I am a Pit Bull lover, and will own nothing else. I brought my children home from the hospital to them and the only problem I ever had with them, was no one but me or my husband could touch the children in front of them! My Pits loved children to no end and would defend them or ANY other child out there. Believe me a total stranger found out the day she hit her child in front of myself and my dog (who I was walking at the time). The dog growled at the women until she removed her hands from the child.
Again, it’s the HUMAN and NOT the dog. Love and good training makes this breed the best of the best. They are loving, protective, and loyal to a fault.
Who ever said that pitbulls are aggressive and mean dogs by mature are ignorant. Everyone thinks they are mean dogs because the media hypes them up to be. I read a article about “America’s dog” a golden retriever that killed 2 dogs and hurt a child. Do you know how long that article was? A paragraph!!! If it was a pitbull it would be a 2 PAGE story. Any dog can be aggressive and mean if they are trained to be mean or neglected. It us the owner’s fault that any dog no matter what breed they are to attack. On the show Pitbulls and Parolees had a news reporter change her mind about pitbulls. She had a stray pit in her yard and he was lovable, and did not hurt anyone. My oitbull goes in the SUBMISSIVE position when any dog barks at her. But they are very vicious dogs right? Please people educate yourself and others before judging.
I thunk Micheal Vick and any other person who fights dogs should be thrown in a pen and get the same treatment they gave those dogs. Oh and the guy who thought dog fighting is a sport should have been drowned at birth!!!! It shows how big of a coward he is. He us too scared to fight so he would rather make a living thing that will listen to him no matter what. Why you ask cause a dig is loyal to their owners!
I love pit bulls they are smart funny and the mist lovable dogs. Because I raised her right. If BSL does passs pitbulls are not the only dogs that will be gone. According to bsl any dog that had aefium build short coat muscular and strong jaws will b put down. Might as well say bye to mastiffs bulldogs labs and more dogs.
i hate the 2nd pic it is mean.
i have two pitbull’s and i love them,great with kid’s,i think maybe we should take these people that like to fight these dog’s and let the dog have a crack at them, then we can bet on the dog, laugh and just have a great time, stuiped s.o.b’s!!! it’s just great we live in america and can still find dumb ass evil money hungry people that would do anything for money, i pray for there soul,s the day the lord god return’s!!!!!!!
wtf man tey should not do this.. it is too bad killing dogs..
All you dog fighting pussies have no dick
Real men knuckle up to prove they have cojones
I’m coming to put a bullet in all your motherfucking heads with less mercy than you show these dogs.
No joke cocksuckers.
Full-Auto.
BITCH.
i have no feelings for these peole thay r sick!
getting money and drugs from something so cruel these people should be tied up on chains and beat!
i think prople who do this stupid dog fights should be in jail for ever i have pit bull nd hes very gentle and nice never ever bite even he stay wth my cat and all the time the cat who really domain nd win so its not the pit bull its all about the life we give them i love my pit bull i love my pit bull i looooveee myy pit bullll
I am from the uk and would like people to realise what a pitbull is!!! There are 3 breeds that come under the pit bull type and they are the american pit bull terrier, american staffordshire bull terrier and the staffordshire bull terrier! People need to do their research before blabbing about things they know nothing about. I own four dogs, a staffordshire bull cross rottweiler, Bullmastiff, Labrador and jack russell. All live happily together but i am not naive!!! I research and have researched dogs for over 10 years and have a hell of a lot of experience. Certain breeds were bred for certain things and so have a natural, genetic pre disposition toward certain behaviours – FACT! Pitbulls(staffs) are prone to dog NOT HUMAN aggression unless it is corrected from an early age. Surprisingly this is because they were bred for bull baiting and DOGFIGHTING! I always see people out with their Rotties and staffs with the beginning signs of dominance which will lead to aggression and yet they do NOTHING to CORRECT it! Only certain people should be allowed to own certain breeds namely the ones that were bred to do damage and are capable of easily killing an adult human! My dogs are all very similar in nature now they are adults but as puppies i saw the blatant traits that go with each breed, the jack russell wanted to eat my rabbit but with the right corrections ( as well as a lot of exercise and mental stimulation) he has grown up to be fine around the rabbit and other small animals. I wish people would use common sense! There would not be different breeds if they were not born with certain traits – otherwise we would breed small, medium and large dogs and train them to do what we wanted! I do not dislike any breed but know for a fact that the bigger powerful guarding and fighting breeds are more likely and capable of doing serious damage if not given the correct upbringing and by that i do not mean just a loving home. I mean a knowledgeable, loving and firm handed home!