The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was a breed which was developed in the early days by crossing the bulldog with the terriers of the day. This produced a dog with a tenacious bite and seemingly limitless endurance for punishment. As early as the 1500s bull baiting and bear baiting was a "sport" in the British Isles. In modern times this has been abolished, but unscrupulous persons still participate in "pit fights" where dogs are pitted against each other and bets are placed. This is still going on in many parts of the world, even though the participants in most places are subject to heavy fines and jail terms.