Why a Pitbull?

I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about what I would share in this post. In the end, I realized that, while I've shared some really important information with my readers, I've never really gotten personal about my feelings on pitbulls.

I do believe I mentioned in Pitbulls 101 that I, at one point, was one of those people who believed the negative hype about pitbulls. I'd heard stories, a friend of a friend knew someone who had their face mauled, and the like. I'm sure each of you can relate your own similar story. 

So because of what I'd heard, mind you, heard, I decided I didn't like pitbulls. I just knew they were dangerous, killer dogs who would turn on any person who was stupid enough to love them. 

Then I started dating my husband. He is what some of you would call a "hood rat", possibly a reformed "thug". He lived in the part of Milwaukee where you would expect to find pitbulls, and dog fighting rings. And indeed, he did know people who did horrible things to their dogs, including training them to fight, and once they were ready, to participate in fights. He did, however, also know people who had pitbulls as loving pets, and through him I met Spudz.

Yes, Spudz, just like Spudz McKenzie. Spudz belonged to a couple friend of my husbands, and she was the first real pitbull I ever became acquainted with. Spudz was white, with a brown spot on her right shoulder, and she was about four years old. One of the things I remember vividly about Spudz was that she had puppies shortly after I first met her. 

So one would think, a pitbull mom with brand new puppies, STAY AWAY, right? No. Complete opposite! It was almost like Spudz was thrilled to share her little miracles with the world, and with any human who showed an interest. 

After Spudz had her litter, I started to try and get to know her a little better. Attempting to conquer my own personal fear of a notoriously mean breed of dog wasn't easy for me, but my husband and his friends encouraged me to try and connect with Spudz. They really wanted to show me that Spudz was a loving dog. Especially because my husband's friends had a two year old, and I was pretty darn judgemental about that. (I know, boo me later!)

So I slowly began sitting by Spudz, letting her rest her head on my lap. I would sit and just rub her belly while my husband would visit with his friends. And I quickly began to realize that Spudz was just a lover, a wonderful dog who would get that glazed look in her eye if you rubbed her in the right spot. It got to the point where I'd beg my husband to visit his friends just so I could visit with their dog.

I got to the point where I started to wonder what all the fuss was about pitbulls.

When I think back to all the negative things I thought about pitbulls, and people who would own one, I'm ashamed. And I've come to realize how easy it is for people to believe something wholeheartedly even though they have no personal knowledge on the subject. I was, after all, one of those people.  

We've lost touch over the years with Spudz owners, but they, along with the loving dog they owned, helped to open my eyes about pitbulls. My husband most of all deserves credit for exposing me to a breed I had closed my mind about. He forced me to look at them as individual dogs, and dog owners, instead of a lumped together group of ferocious beasts and horrible people.

So when people ask me, Why a pitbull? Can't you get another breed of dog? I ask them, Why should I? What's wrong with a pitbull? I love pitbulls. They are loving, loyal companions, just like many other breeds of dogs. 

I didn't really start to educate myself about the breed until my husband brought me home a pitbull puppy who was going to be drowned by her owner. He knew by that time I was ready to own one, and the sad story was the clincher. But I never would have been open to owning a pitbull if it hadn't been for his friends, and their dog, Spudz. 

BSL: What Is It and Why Should You Care?

Some of you may have heard of Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) and wondered what it was, but never seriously looked into exactly what it is. Others reading this may already be advocates to ending BSL. And if anyone reading this is in favor of BSL, I hope this article can help persuade you towards changing your mind.

BSL is a form of legislation that bans, or restricts, certain types of dog based on their appearance, those which are generally characterized as a “dangerous” looking breed.  These bans, or restrictions, are typically applied to dogs that look to be part of the pit bull, shepherd, or Rottweiler families.

The website stopbsl.org gives readers a wonderful overview on what, exactly, BSL is. If you’re not 100% up on the facts of BSL, you should give this website a once-over to beef up your knowledge.

Some people might think, “hey, let’s get rid of every dog that we think could be dangerous to ourselves and our children”. What a great idea! Let’s keep the neighborhood safe!

In response to that great idea I would have to ask a few questions. Who gets to decide what dogs are dangerous? I think Chihuahuas are vicious little beasts, does that mean I get to ban them from my neighborhood? What happens to the responsible dog owners who already own Chihuahuas? Do they have to put their dogs down in order to stay in this neighborhood? What do we do about a vicious dog who may not meet the BSL requirements? Does that dog get to stay while other, more well behaved dogs have to go?

Those are just a few holes that can be poked into BSL. I’m sure those of you reading this could come up with quite a few more. If so, please post them in the comments section, I’d love to read them!

Communities across the US should know the facts about BSL before they consider enacting it. Much independent research has been done on Breed Specific Legislation, and it all points towards one glaring fact: It just doesn’t work! And as that fact is slowly gaining momentum, neighborhoods across America are throwing out their BSL restrictions and bans.

The ASPCA, The American Humane Society, and The Humane Society of the United States have all come out against BSL, recognizing that it is an ineffective tool when dealing with dangerous dogs.

Recently, even President Obama made public comments against BSL, stating that, “it’s a bad idea”, and a “waste of public resources”.

I understand that some people harbor a fear of certain animals. But instead of trying to ban those animals, perhaps they should attempt to understand them instead.

It wasn’t too long ago that some people feared other cultures, and their perceived effect on our society. If we had allowed that line of thinking to dominate our country, our world would be a much different place today.

Let’s stop that fear from turning our communities into a place where poor legislation punishes responsible dog owners. It’s up to people like us, those who understand and love the breeds that BSL targets, to educate as many people as we can about BSL and why it’s not right for our neighborhoods, or any neighborhood in America. Let’s get our voices out there. Together we WILL be heard!

Being a Pitbull Ambassador

One of the many things that pitbull owners have to deal with is prejudice against the breed, and towards the people who promote the breed.

How many people see pitbulls

Some of you who are not already pitbull parents may question that statement, they haven’t yet felt the hatred, ignorance, and prejudice some people have for an innocent dog, and for those of us who love them.

For those of you who are pitbull parents, you’ve likely experienced:

• stinging, and untrue, remarks about how “vicious” your dog is
• the warning that, “One day your dog will “turn” on you!”
• people crossing to the other side of the street to avoid you and your dog on a walk
• endless lectures on how wrong you are about the breed and how right “they” are about it
• horror stories of a friend of a friend who had a pitbull and was attacked by it

How to deal with these prejudices is one of the things that can make you and your dog ambassadors for the breed. Being polite and friendly is an important part of responding to people who have such prejudices.
But the best way to become a breed ambassador is to make sure your pitbull is up to the challenge. Well trained and well socialized dogs make the best statement on what a great breed pitbulls are. The website, Bad Rap has a wonderful list of things you can do to make sure you and your dog are breed ambassadors. 

   

Socializing your dog is a great way to become a breed ambassador!

 Remember, for every person out there who displays a prejudice for pitbulls and their owners, there are people like you and me who are ready and willing to educate them on how wrong they are! It’s important for us to keep spreading the word on what great pets pitbulls make.

If anyone would like to share their experience with prejudice, and how you handled it, or a time when you were able to change someone's mind about the breed, I'd love to hear about it! Let's teach others how to be wonderful Breed Ambassadors!

Pitbull Service Dogs Make Great Breed Ambassadors

Pitbulls 101

Welcome! This first post will give you a brief introduction to the breed of dog generally known as pitbulls. For a more overview of what you'll find on this site, visit my About page.

So, what is a pitbull? One of the first things I learned as a pitbull parent was the the term pitbull refers to several different dogs, including the:

• American Pitbull Terrier
• Staffordshire Pitbull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Pitbull Terrier

And most recently, the

• American Bully

Another commonly asked question is, "where do pitbulls come from"? The most accepted theory goes back to mid-9th century England, where butchers used a dog call bullenbeissers to latch onto a bulls nose in order to subdue it so the butcher could regain control. This practice morphed into a "sport" call bull-baiting. Dogs were put into pits with a riled up bull and spectators would put bets on how long a dog could last and whether it would take the bull down, or not. This is where we get the terms pitbull and bull dog.

Around the 19th century, England wised up and banned bull-baiting. Sadly, this pushed dogfighting underground in the U.K., and English immigrants brought this "sport" with them to America. However, as the immigrants began to spread, the original intent of the breed was brought back into play, and bullies became favorites on farms across the country (Facts taken from Cesar's Way).

In the early half of the century pitbulls were America's favorite dogs. They were:

• featured on Army recruiting posters
• included in advertising campaigns
• stars in Hollywood movies and televisions shows

Petey from The Little Rascals was a pitbull

Many people have fond memories of Petey, the lovable dog from the television show, "The Little Rascals". I wonder how many of those fans know that Petey was a pitbull?

In fact, pitbulls were nicknamed "the nanny dog" during this period because of their gentle touch with children. Parents found that the dogs made excellent companions for their small children. There are numerous pictures on the internet from this time frame showcasing pitbulls and their young charges.

From the 1900's to the early 1980's there was exactly one pitbull attack to make national headlines, and it involved a man who sicced a pack of 26 dogs on one woman (Cesar's Way).

Unfortunately, dogfighting made a large comeback in the 1980's, and the pitbull became the dog of choice for their strength, speed, and unwavering desire to please their masters. Pitbulls also became popular guard dogs for drug dealers and gang members, and these dogs were trained to be vicious. This training contributed to the myth that all pitbulls are aggressive and dangerous. A great quote I found on Cesar's Way sums up the issue of pitbull attacks, "(M)any of the pit bull attacks are due to a skyrocketing number of poorly bred and badly trained dogs raised by backyard breeders, who are trying to cash in on the pit bull's growing reputation as a cheap, but deadly effective guard dog, particularly in urban areas."

So there's a brief history lesson on the dogs we call pitbulls. For a great overview on pitbulls check out Hello Bully's website. It features a terrific slideshow that shares a ton of information on our favorite breed of dog! If anyone believes I left out anything important, please fell free to comment. Also, if there's an area you and your dog are struggling in and would like me to write about, or if there's something you'd like more info on, please let me know. I'm open to suggestions! Now, go forth and spread the word about what great pet's pitbulls make!