Tragedy in the Colby Pit Bull Yard – 1909
On February 2, 1909, John P. Colby’s family was visited by his sister and her two-year-old son, Bert Leadbetter. While the adults were talking, the child wandered into the area where Colby kept his American Pit Bull Terriers. In a moment of excitement, one of the dogs failed to recognize the boy and attacked, inflicting severe wounds to his neck.
Colby sprang into action, separating the dog and carrying the child inside, but the injuries at the base of his neck and a fractured cervical vertebra proved fatal. The little boy died just minutes later.
The incident was a devastating blow to Colby, who told authorities that his own three-year-old son regularly played in that same yard without incident and that his dogs had never shown aggression toward children. Nevertheless, detractors seized upon this tragedy to fuel the narrative that all pit bulls were inherently dangerous—a claim Colby and other reputable breeders always refuted.
In the years that followed, Colby and fellow dogmen insisted that properly bred and conditioned pit bull game dogs pose no threat to humans, while warning that no large dog should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
True dogmen have always selected pit bull game dogs with zero human aggression—a characteristic that still defines the American Pit Bull Terrier today. For real-world examples and deeper insights, see these articles:
Understanding the Pitbull’s Temperament Through APBT History
All About the Colby Legacy | Complete Archive of Colby Pit Bull History
Explore the most comprehensive collection of historical records, articles, pedigrees, and rare insights into the Colby family and their legendary American Pit Bull Terriers. This section brings together everything you need to understand the origins, evolution, and impact of the Colby PitBull bloodline, from John P. Colby’s first imports in 1889 to Louis B. Colby’s preservation of the Game Dog line across 20 generations.
Colby PitBull | The Dynasty That Shaped American Pit Bull Terrier History
JOHN P COLBY | the American PIT BULL terrier origin
LOUIS B. COLBY | The Guardian of the Colby pitbull Legacy
Colby pit bull |Maintaining Purity Across 20 Generations of American pit bull terrier
From the Colby Pit Bull Line to the Staffordshire Terrier: The True Protagonist - Colby’s Primo
Tragedy in the Colby Pit Bull Yard – 1909
Colby's Noiseless Treadmills
COLBY'S pitbull dog harnesses and collar
Colby pit bull dogfighting history book
A Must-Have for American Pit Bull Terrier Enthusiasts! If you're a devoted fan of the PIT BULL GAME DOG and want to delve deeper into its rich history, legacy, and care, this pitbull book is a treasure that deserves a place in your collection.
Originally published in 1936 by Joseph L. Colby, Colby's Fighting Dogs History not only documents the roots of Pit Bull Game Dogs but also shares invaluable insights into breeding, health, and training, accompanied by fascinating anecdotes and historical accounts. This book has been widely regarded as an essential reference for understanding this remarkable game breed.
Origin and history of the American Pit Bull Terrier, All Brown, J.M. Corrington, Pete Donovan, Ham Morris, Colby's Pincher, Mexico's CH Sordito vs Exchave's Jeff, Miller's Buddy vs Breeding's Tom, Treadmill conditioning, Gameness and the pit dog...
Furthermore, the images and mentions of legendary game dogs, stories and iconic breeders make this work a unique and invaluable resource.
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