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Human-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of humans, sicking of a dog on a human opponent. Occasions of these fights were depicted in 19th Century accounts. Fighting of this sort between animals and humans is illegal in jurisdictions such as South Carolina.

Gentleman and the Bull Dog

Gentleman and the Bulldog (circa 1801)

The Sporting Magazine vol. XVIII, documented a fight between the 'Gentlemen and the Bull Dog'. The Sporting Times 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.

A fight between a man and Bull Dog took place some time ago to settle a bet. With its first charge the Bull Dog already succeeded in throwing and pinning its opponent. Although the dog's jaws were nearly closed by a muzzle, it succeeded in sinking its teeth into the man's body. Had the dog not been pulled away immediately, it would have disembowelled the man.

In the Potteries

Physic and Brummy, An Evening at Hanley

On 6 July 1874 the Daily Telegraph 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, in the chapter called In the Potteries.

The fighter, named 'Brummy', was a middle-aged dwarf about 4.5 feet (1.4 m) tall, with oversized features, and bowed legs. He faced a white bulldog named Physic. Held by its guardian, the dog apparently did not bark, but was excited to the point where tears ran from its eyes.

The bait occurred at an old inn at Hanley, Staffordshire, in a large guest room, with a ring cordoned off by a line. The 50 spectators were mostly coal miners, with some gentlemen from higher social classes, each eagerly awaiting the fight. The floor was covered with sawdust, from the ceiling hung an oil lamp and all the windows were closed and carefully covered, with the only ventilation through the fireplace. Thick smoke from cigars and pipes filled the room, with perspiration from the crowd making the room hot and sticky.

Brummy had agreed to fight the dog for a wager, on his theory that no dog, not even a Bulldog, "could lick a man". The conditions were no weapons and he could only wear his trousers. The combat rules provided that both 'beasts' should be chained to the wall opposite and facing each other and the man was to assume and continue the position on all fours throughout the fight. During the fight Brummy was bitten deeply several times on the arms and the Bulldog was dealt several heavy blows to the head and ribs from sledge hammer fists.

By the end of round ten the Bulldog's head was swollen beyond its accustomed size, it had lost two teeth and one of its eyes was entirely shut up; while as for the dwarf, his fists and arms were reeking and his hideous face was ghastly pale with rage and despair. The fight lasted until round eleven when Brummy dealt the Bulldog a tremendous blow under the chin and with such effect that the dog was dashed against the wall, where despite all its master could do for it, for the space of one minute it lay still and Brummy was declared the winner.

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 report published from those times.

"An arbite (man and dog fight) took place in an East End Club. The match was that James Oxley, a man well known in the neighbourhood of Shoreditch, would stall off for thirty-minutes a fighting dog called 'Crib' owned by Robert Green. The match came off not many yards from the Britannia Theatre, Hoxton and excited considerable interest amongst those in the know. Some of the prominent people, who brought about this sickening match, when interviewed, stated that for twenty-one minutes Oxley kept the dog off by using his fists. But, at one moment, the dog made a desperate effort to get past the man's guard and did and jumped over his left shoulder, wheeled round and fastened on the man's right ear, and dragged him to the ground. As soon as it was possible, the dog was choked off, but the upper part of Oxley's ear had disappeared."¹

References

• Fleig, D. (1996). History of Fighting Dogs. pg 119 - 124 T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0-7938-0498-1
• ^Note 1 : Homan, M. (2000). A Complete History of Fighting Dogs. pg 101 - 104 Howell Book House Inc. ISBN 1-58245-128-1

Further reading

• Sporting magazine: or, monthly calendar of the transactions of, vol. 10, Rogerson & Tuxford, 1822, pp. 64, 292