My Long Absence

I know it's been quite a long time since I've posted. Though I'm not going to explain the entire reasons and circumstances just now, I wanted to chime in and let readers know I'm still here and I'll still be writing this blog.

However, it's been very difficult for me because on June 1st my husband and I had to put our beloved Concobar "to sleep". The hole she's left in my life has made it too difficult for me to write about, and has even made it hard for me to visit my own blog.

I'll be back, and I'll share my story with everyone when I am. I believe there is a few good lessons to be learned from my baby girl's untimely death, and I'll be discussing those when I finally do post.

Until then, take care of yourselves and your pets.

Peace, love, and pit bulls!

A Great Video from Animalist on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalistNetwork/videos/625580204251807/

Check out this video! It's packed with great information, not to mention adorable dogs!

A Pittie Gets Even With His Owner!

http://www.piitbull.net/when-the-pitbull-stays-at-home-alone/

Another Wonderful Article

http://www.caninejournal.com/pit-bull-facts/

This article was brought to my attention by another bully advocate named Mozy-S. This is further proof that we are turning the tide! Please share this article so we can keep that momentum strong and vital. Together, we can make the difference.

One of the things I liked best about this piece was the way the author addressed how much the media has influenced the publics perception of so called "pit bulls" . The truth of that influence is just one of the reasons we Pitbull Parents have to stay positive, committed, and passionate about the breed we love. Let's be as loyal to our bullies as they are to us!

I thank each of you, but only for reading this blog, but for being a voice for the voiceless. You are all amazing!

A Video Worth Sharing

So I was browsing through Facebook this evening and I came across a post that one of my daughter's shared from a Funniest Vine. Now normally I don't watch videos that are more than 5 seconds long, but this particular Vine caught my heart immediately, so much so that I knew I had to share it with all of you.

The link for this Vine is https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=344535579086914&id=254986661375140&refid=12&__tn__=H

It's a truly amazing story about the bond and love that can develop between humans and dogs. Trust me, you won't regret following that link!

Thanks for reading my blog,  keep spreading the word about how lovable, loyal, and wonderful pit bulls truly are!

I'm Still Here...

Hi Pit Bull Parents and Friends!

I just want to let my wonderful readers know I'm still here and I'm still writing this blog. 

Not only have I been swamped with school, family commitments, and work, I've had two head colds and the stomach flu, all in two short weeks!

I'll be posting a new article soon. In particular, I'm excited to share with all of you a website I found that will make you a custom t-shirt with your dog's (or any) picture on it! The owner of the site is a pit bull supporter, and besides doing custom work, keeps his prices affordable. He also sells hard to find sizes. But more on that later!

So keep an eye out, I'll be back soon with a fresh and exciting new post in a jiff! 

Remember to be a Breed Ambassador and spread the word about our favorite furry friend!

Con likes to watch T.V. upside down!

Turning the Tide

Before I begin chatting away about today's topic, I'd like to get something out of the way.

Sadly, it's been a while since I've posted any meaningful articles. For that, I am sorry. But it means that I have LOTS of new things to share with all of you wonderful readers, so expect several new posts in the next few weeks or so. 

A couple days ago I opened my email and spent several minutes scrolling through the muck that builds up if I don't check in every 5 minutes. One of the emails was from Goggle+, and it listed some of the posts I've missed since I last checked in. One of those posts was shared by a wonderful Google+ member named The Blueminator and it included a link to an online article. 

Roscoe, one of the dogs featured in Madden's article

The article, written by Emily Madden and titled, "Pit bull owners share the softer side of 'bully breeds'", shares the account of different pit bull owners who live in a town called Newark (not sure if that's Jersey or not, it wasn't specific!) which imposes strict restrictions on the owners of "bully breeds". Most of the dog owners choose to keep their dogs regardless of those restrictions, which I find to be wonderful and terrible at the same time. Wonderful because the owners are refusing to give up their cherished pets, and terrible that they are required to maneuver through so much bureaucracy in order to do so. 

I found myself having a great deal of mixed feeling over this article. The reporting, in itself, was wonderful. Ms. Madden does an excellent job of describing the breed, from their origins in the old country to their eventual stigmatizing use as fighting dogs. I wanted to stand up and cheer when Ms. Madden mentions how critical the negative media hype has been in demonizing our beloved breed of dog. 

A member of the media declaring the media has played a large role in misrepresenting pit bulls? Can you say, "Score for Team Pit Bull?"!!! Whooo-Hooo!!

But back to my mixed feelings. I most definitely felt angry and sad for those dog owners in Newark (and in every county that has enacted BSL) who are forced to spend time, money, and an overt amount of effort to own the type of dog they want to own. But at the same time, I started getting this burning feeling of hope and victory in the pit of my stomach.

Hope? Victory? Many of you are probably wondering how in the world I could possibly feel these things when I was reading yet another story about pit bull owners being punished for owning pit bulls. 

The reason is simple, really. Overall, this article was about how loving pit bulls are, and what great pets they make.

WE ARE TURNING THE TIDE!!! The voices, like ours, that are telling the world all the wonderful things about the breed known as pit bulls are being heard!! Want proof? Google pit bulls. The amount of articles, websites. and blogs in support of the breed are beginning to out-number the negative websites and articles. Pit bull lovers are everywhere. Each time I try and use PitbullMama or PitbullParent as a username somewhere, it's taken. (Along with just about every other pit bull related name I could think of!). Celebrities are speaking out and sharing their personal stories of pit bull ownership. And more importantly, everyday people like you and me are spreading the word. 

Granted, we in the pit bull community have a long way to go. There are still far too many close minded individuals out there who believe that pit bulls are dangerous and vicious dogs. But minds and hearts are being changed every day. The data keeps coming in that proves the BSL isn't an effective way to manage dog attacks and more and more communities will continue to vote No on BSL. 

So keep on spreading the word! Use your Breed Ambassador to change those hearts and minds. And use your knowledge and experience to educate someone who may have only heard negative things about pit bulls. I'm often surprised by how easy it is to change someone's mind about pit bulls when they have no personal experience with the dogs and have gotten all of their "information" from media hype. A few minutes of petting Con, a few facts from me, and usually those individuals leave our encounter bewildered, wondering why they ever thought pit bulls were dangerous. 

Let's keep on fighting the good fight for our four legged best friends. Let's keep turning the tide. 

An Article Worth Sharing

Even though National Pit Bull Awareness Month is officially over, I was still trolling around the internet, reading articles about the month long celebration, looking for ideas for this blog. I'm happy to report, I found several sources of inspiration for new posts, so more in-depth, lengthy posts shall be arriving soon.

For now, I have to give a huge shout out to Ms. Arin Greenwood, from the HuffingtonPost.com. She is the author of this amazing article,
10 Stereotypes About Pit Bulls That Are Just. Dead. Wrong. It is one of the most well written, informative, and emotionally stirring articles I've come across in a long time when it comes to pit bulls and their unjust reputation. 

The next time you have 10 or 15 minutes, please give this article a read, and pass it on. 

I learned some new things from this piece, such as the American Humane Association's Hero Dog of 2013 was a pit bull. Her name is Elle, and and she is a therapy dog.  It warms my heart to know that there are good people out there who are willing to give good dogs a chance, no matter what their breed. 

Concobar, half asleep but still loves the camera!

Thanks to you all for reading this blog. Thanks to all the advocates who give their time, money, dedication, expertise, and passion to the pit bull breed. And thanks to writers like Ms. Greenwood, who publicly share their personal stories of pit bull love in order to change some minds and save some lives. 

Cuddly Bunny pit bull, dressed up for Halloween

Peaceful Pit Bull Walk

For anyone in the Milwaukee area, here's an event put on by the BCBC (Brew City Bullies Club). Come on out and celebrate Pit Bull Awareness Month!

Happy Pit Bull Awarness Month

Happy Pit Bull Awareness Month!!!

I'm so happy to wish you all a happy Pit Bull Awareness Month. That's right, October is the month we officially celebrate our lovable breed of pit bulls. 

There are many things you can do to actively celebrate this special month. Here are some ideas:

• Take your pit bull for a walk around the neighborhood and show off your Breed Ambassador!
• Donate some time to a local shelter that specializes in adopting out pit bulls
• Sign at least one petition against BSL
• Share as many positive Pit Bull posts as you can on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and other social media sites
• Attend local Pit Bull Awareness Month events in your area

Have a safe and happy October with your best pal! I'll be back in a few weeks with a post on my experience in my first training class. 

The Queen Strikes Again!

Once again, Concobar earns her misnomer, "The Queen of Comfort"!

We Should All Be This Happy!

I just have to share these happy dogs with all of you! 

An Inspiring Story

Whenever a person is involved in any advocacy type of program, there's usually more sad and terrible stories than good. This is a depressing reality of fighting for a cause.

However, every once in a while an uplifting story comes along that reminds us all why we keep on going against seemingly insurmountable odds.

As I was paging through my Readers Digest issue from June, I came across a story titled, "I Carried Him Down the Mountain", written by Melody Warnick (2014).  Since the picture included with the article featured a woman hugging a pit bull, I quickly began to read.

The heroine of the story, Andi Davis, was hiking one day and came across an injured pit bull slightly off the trail. Andi described herself as, "a sucker for strays" (RD June.2014) but, having recognized the dog as a pit bull, she was hesitant to approach it because her families German Shepherd had been attacked by two pit bulls recently.

But Andi just couldn't leave a dog there to die, so she gathered her courage and carried the injured animal all the way down the mountain. Carrying the fifty pound dog, it took her an hour to reach the bottom, where her husband and daughter were waiting for her. From there they rushed to do in for treatment, where they discovered it had been shot and left there to die.

Andi and her family adopted that pit bull, and he's become a loving, vital part of their household.

This story made me cry for a few different reasons. Thinking about what that poor dog must have went through made me very sad, but the biggest reasons I turned on the waterworks was because; one, I was touched beyond belief at the kindness this family showed towards an injured and abandoned dog. It would have been easy for them to say, it's a pit bull, our dog was attacked by that breed, so we want nothing to do with it. Instead, they opened their hearts and home and brought the dog into their family.

And two, Andi and her family once believed pit bulls were dangerous dogs who could attack viciously for no reason. I'm happy to say that this experience changed their perception radically. The Davis family is now all too happy to correct those who buy into all the negative stereotypes about pit bulls, and help spread the message that it's not the breed that is dangerous, but the humans who manipulate these dogs into displaying aggressive behaviors.

Included is a link to a YouTube video that features a brief interview with Andi and her daughter talking about what happened that day, and how things have gone since then. I urge you to take a few minutes and watch it. I would also suggest you to find the article in the Readers Digest June issue and read it for yourself.

For me, I know anytime I'm feeling overwhelmed by the odds pit bull advocates face, I'll remember Andi and her family. By doing so, I can remind myself that progress IS being made and that there are many, many people out there who care. It also serves as one of the best examples of how people can change their minds about pit bulls once they are able to have a positive interaction with one. 

This is how we'll make a difference. One dog, one family at a time. 

An Award? Really? Wow.....

In the second week of July I received an amazing email saying that this blog had been nominated for an award.

WHAT????

Okay, that was my first response. I seriously couldn't believe it!! As I continued to read, I learned that the award I had been nominated for is called the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. I had been nominated to receive it by a wonderful writer and pit bull lover named Sabrina, who not only helped to found the organization Pits4Peace, but also runs a blog titled Books and Bark over at WordPress. 

Needless to say, I'm honored beyond words that Sabrina thinks this blog is not only award worthy, but inspiring as well. I started this blog with a very specific goal, which was to have a dedicated place of information, resources, training tips, all with a little bit of fun thrown in, for pit bull owners and admirers. Above all, I wanted this blog to be seen in a positive, happy, and friendly light, which is why I do not feature abuse, rescue, or adoption stories.

Being nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award tells me that I've achieved that goal, and that means more to me than words can say.

Now, this nomination did come with a few rules. And here they are!

• The nominee shall display the Very Inspiring Blogger logo on his/her blog, and link to the blog they got nominated from.

• The nominee shall nominate fifteen (15) he/she admires, by linking to their blogs and informing them about it. 

Sadly, I do not follow anywhere close to fifteen (15) different blogs, I just don't have the time to do so. Therefore, I am going to nominate the blogs I do follow that I believe are inspiring. This may disqualify me, but it's the best I can do!

So, on to the blogs I find inspiring!

• Pits4Peace: This organization served as the main influence in creating my blog. Their dedication to pit bulls, and pit bull type breeds, is beyond amazing. Their mission to educate, and advocate, for the breed is inspirational indeed. 
• Bad Rap: This blog is one of the best resources for pit bull lovers out there. They have some of the best information available, if you have a question, they probably have the answer! They actually have two different blogs, each one with it's own focus. Each blog is worthy of this nomination, so I'm not going pick just one! Bad Rap is very active in their community which is crucial in the quest for spreading the word about pit bulls. Way to go, Bad Rap, you've created an amazing place for pit bull fans!
• Reflections of a Book Addict: This is a blog I recently started following, but as an enormous book lover, it quickly became a much visited site. The writer of the blog, Kimberly Denny-Ryder, does an excellent job of not only providing detailed, dead on book reviews, she keeps her readers interested with witty, fun language. I've always been the type of reader who sticks to a small list of known authors, but after discovering Ms. Denny-Ryder's blog, I've branched out and stumbled upon some wonderful new authors. 

As I said, nowhere near fifteen! Either way, Sabrina at Books and Bark has made my year just by nominating me for this award. The blogs I mention above are truly inspiring, and hopefully you will all think so, as well. 

Thank you, everyone, for reading! I will continue to use my voice in advocacy of pit bulls, and as long as I have one reader, I'll keep on posting. 

Live happy and love dogs!  

July: The Month of Terror

For those of us that live with my pittie, Concobar, July is a distressing month. For those of you who are wondering why, two words sum up the answer; thunder and fireworks. 

Ever since Con was a pup, thunderstorms have scared her. She shakes, sometimes uncontrollably, whines, follows me everywhere, getting underfoot and making me trip, and finally squeezes herself into a half sitting, half laying position in between my feet. 

As I'm sure you can imagine, or have experienced yourself, that situation is bad enough. Then along came the month of July, and with it, the festivity of fireworks. 

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy fireworks as much as the next American. Or I did. Now, I spend the entire month of July running on two or three hours of sleep per day, with a pit bull perpetually glued to my feet. It makes for interesting dinner conversation. Especially if we try and eat out. 

But really, this is a huge problem. And sadly, one I don't know how to solve. 

The first dog expert I asked, a man named Frank who owns and operates Rock's Positive K-9 Training in my town, told me I was the problem. That my coddling of Con made her too vulnerable to outside stimuli, and I was turning her into a scardy-pit. Since Frank is an expert dog trainer who's dealt with thousands of dogs, and because I couldn't have that, I took his advice and began to ignore Con whenever she displayed signs of fear. No petting, cooing, or reassurances whatsoever. This seemed to work fairly well, so I enrolled my entire family in the "No Comfort" plan, and soon Con became more accustomed to thunderstorms.  

All was well in McCormack land for a time. Then I made a fatal mistake. I took Con for a walk. 

The fatal walk began as an ordinary stroll around the neighborhood. Con was trotting happily along on her Weiss Walkie, I had my plastic poop baggie and a pair of headphones. I certainly wasn't expecting the neighborhood children to begin throwing firecrackers into the street directly in front of us. As I'm sure you can imagine, neither was Con.

I'll admit, I don't remember every detail of that horrible walk. I remember the incredibly loud popping of the fireworks, and Con's instant and terrified reaction to that popping. She turned and bolted for home. Now, when I say bolted, I mean she almost ripped my arm out of it's socket. I don't believe that's an exaggeration. It felt like my arm was being ripped off. Somehow I managed to hang onto the Walkie, though my wrist was red and swollen for a couple of days afterwards. 

That innocent walk set the tone for Con's reaction to fireworks to this day. Sadly, the progress we had made during thunderstorms was lost, as well. I still abstain from comforting Concobar during thunderstorms or fireworks, although sometimes it's pretty hard to maintain that tough position. But I know it's for her own good, so I stay strong. 

In my neighborhood, fireworks begin the first week of July and continue pretty much through the whole month. I've come to dread July even though it's full of family birthdays, including my own and my twin daughters' (which is on the same day!). 

So, dear readers, I'm turning the tables with this post and asking all of you for some advice. I'm open to any and all suggestions with the exception of the thunder shirt. We've tried that with very poor results. I'm hoping with all of your combined experiences and insights I can begin to give Con a little peace when thunder strikes and July comes around. Her human friends could use a little of that peace, as well! 

Why I Do What I Do

A few months ago, I came across this website, http://besttop10tip.com/top-10-dangerous-dog-breeds/. It's a Top Ten List of  the Most Dangerous Dogs. I'll give you three guesses which breed the writer of this column brands as the Number One Most Dangerous. I'm betting you'll only need one of those three guesses. 

This website, and the subsequent comments, were a vibrant reminder for me. A reminder on the reasons why I write this blog, and why I've dedicated myself to spreading the word regarding the truth about Pitbulls.

Sometimes it's a good thing to get that reminder. It helps reignite that passion, that fire inside each of us that drives the need to share, to educate, and to reaffirm to any and all that animals like pitbulls are the victims. It also gives everyone an opportunity to spread the simple happiness that loving a dog of any breed can bring.

It's also a reminder that WE have to be the voices for this targeted breed, our beloved pitbulls.

I try not to engage in arguments with anonymous people on these types of websites. It serves no purpose and does nothing to further our cause. I simply try to point out facts and get some real, educated information out there so that other visitors to these sites have a positive angle to balance out the negative. 

I encourage all of you wonderful pitbull lovers to do the same. The more our voices are shared, the more people we can reach! Let's change some minds so we can change some lives! 

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. 

To Fix or Not to Fix?

The topic of today's blog is one I've been thinking about for a while now. It's a fairly serious subject, and it's one that, I believe, should be considered by every pet owner.

Spaying and/or neutering your pets.

Some of you might cringe at the notion (particularly those of you reading who are males), but it's an important topic that has consequences beyond your own particular pet.

Spaying or neutering your pets has quite a few benefits to your companions health. The ASPCA's website details a few of the reasons why it's important for pets health. Some of those reasons include:

• It will help your pet live a longer, healthier life because fixing your pet helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer. These diseases are fatal in 50%of dogs and 90% of cats. 
• By neutering your male companion by the age of six months,you can actually prevent your companion from getting testicular cancer.
• By spaying your female companion, you stop the animals heat cycle, preventing her from leaving blood spots all over your house!
• A male dog who isn't neutered will do just about anything to find a willing mate, including running away from home. By neutering your male, the chances of him roaming away from home are reduced drastically. 

There are other reasons for spaying/neutering your pets, and you can go to multiple websites to go over those reasons before you make a final decision. 

But this blog is focused on pitbulls, and I believe pitbull owners should have an entirely different reason for spaying or neutering their pits.

Pitbulls are currently the most bred dog in the country. The website, The Truth About Pitbulls, tells us that there are approximately 3 million pitbulls now living in the United States, but only 1 out of every 600 of those pitbulls will have a "forever home", meaning they won't end up in a shelter, or euthanized.

All across the country, there are shelters, some that are designated no kill, but most of them not, that are overflowing with pitbulls who are in need of a good home. Pitbulls can be especially hard to adopt out because of the undeserved stereotype that follows them. As a result, the breed known as pitbull fills animal shelters more than any other breed of dog. An example of this can be found on the website, Pawnation, which tells us that in Chicago, pitbulls make up 40% of the animal shelter population, the breed also represents 2/3's of the dogs that are euthanized each year. These are troubling numbers, and that's only in one city.

In other cities in the U.S., still more pitbulls are euthanized. Every year about 3.4 million animals will be euthanized at shelters in the US, and of those, 1 million of them are pitbulls.

There are shelters that are designated as no kill shelters, where they do not euthanize the animals in their care. Such places are expensive to run, and space is extremely limited. It can be very hard to get a dog into a no kill shelter.  While most shelters are well run by people who care deeply about animals, there are shelters that do not take great care of the animals in their custody, and some pitbulls live in places where they are hungry, cold, and starved for affection.

In either case, whether a dog is in a well run shelter with people who care or not, animals deserve to be in a home, with a loving family. But when there's an overabundance of dogs, like we have now with pitbulls, the chances of that happening start to get slim. 

I stated on my About page that this blog was not going to focus on abuse/adoption stories, and I still feel that way. However, given this topic, I will share that my Concobar is a rescue. I'm sure that many of you readers also rescued your dogs. We know how easily our pitties could have had a worse fate. 

Responsible pitbull parents should be dedicated to making sure no more pitbulls end up in shelters. We can do this by spaying and neutering our pitbulls so there's no chance they can reproduce and make more puppies. Puppies that can end up in shelters instead of homes.  

I realize cost can be a factor in whether some dog owners fix their pets, or not. If you are in a situation where you cannot afford to take your dog to the vet, I encourage you to do some research. There are organizations all over the country that have established programs so that low-income families can get their pets spayed or neutered. I live close to Milwaukee, WI, and a group called The Brew City Bullies Club, or BCBC, has such a program. They also offer training, socialization, and several other resources for pitbull owners in their area.

The ASPCA has a tool on their website that will search for such a program in your area. 

Getting your companion fixed can be a big decision for some, and if you're not sure if it's the right thing for your dog, you should definitely do some research, call a vets office and ask questions, and talk to other dog owners who've had their pets spayed/neutered. In the end, I hope that you make the choice that's not only right for you, but also for your dog, and it's breed, as well. 

Failing the Well Behaved Dog Guidelines and Why it Doesn't Matter

I have heard from many different experts that dog owners should not treat their dogs like children. That seems like sound advice, and relatively easy to follow, as well. And It makes sense, your dog is your pet, not your flesh and blood, right?

However, if any of you lovely readers are like me, your dog is kind of like your baby. You're bonded to him/her almost as intimately as you are to your own children. Your dogs mood affects you; if your dog is happy, playful, and smiley, you become happy, playful, and smiley. And your moods seem to be reflected in your canine buddy. I know when I'm sad and weepy, Con comes to me and snuggles, and it makes me feel better.

So in the opinion of many dog experts, some famous, some not, my pittie fails, in an extraordinary way, their well behaved dog guidelines.

Those guidelines include things like:

• Not allowing the dog onto the living room furniture

Con loves, loves, loves laying on the couches! She's so spoiled about comfort that she, literally, will not lay on the floor without some sort of cushion. She's been known to drag a blanket off the couch, and work it with her paws until she's satisfied with the comfy lump she's formed on the floor. Then she lays on it and takes a nap. 

Con, the Queen of Comfort, sleeping on top of pillows on the couch. 

• Not allowing the dog to sleep in the bed with you

Again, the Queen of Comfort, as I affectionately call Con, loves her soft and comfy bed, A.K.A. my bed. While she usually won't go lay on the bed until I call it a night, she races me up the stairs and is waiting, not so patiently, for me when I reach my bedroom. Her favorite place is underneath the covers, so I spend a portion of my night  holding the covers up as she goes back and forth between going under the blankets, and laying on top of the blankets. I think she gets a little toasty under there after a while and needs to come up for air!

• Not allowing the dog to play tug-of-war

Yeah, tug is the only game Con really likes to play, and during the winter months it can be the only exercise she gets. Without regular exercise my pitbull turns into an explosive bundle of energy that drives me crazy. So I think tug stays.

• Not allowing the dog to lay on your lap

This no-no actually makes sense to me. The theory is that your dog is claiming ownership of you when he/she lays on top of you, therefore stopping anyone else from getting too close. Since Concobar gets a tiny bit jealous when anyone, and I do mean anyone, tries to hug or kiss me, I can see the truth in this theory.

That being said, I still let Con lay on my lap. We have cuddle time. I like it. Sue me!

• No "baby talk" allowed when interacting with the dog

While I don't really use the cutesy baby talk tone when I talk to my pittie, I do find myself saying, "Who's my good girl? Con's my good girl! Yes she is!" I think she likes it, I think it makes her feel special. Okay, maybe that's me projecting on my dog, but does it hurt her? No, then baby talk continues! 

The point of all this is simple. My co-worker and friend, Cheryl, really put this into words for me one day while we were discussing this topic. Her comment was, "It's all about what YOU find acceptable. If it doesn't bother you, then what your dog is doing is just fine." 

Wow. Imagine that! All those experts, and it comes down to what I want? Now there's a new concept! 

But Cheryl was right. If you don't mind your dog being on the furniture, then let him/her on the furniture! If your dog is as well behaved as you want, then you've done a good job. If he/she listens to you when you order them off the couch, then all is well in doggie/pitbull parent land. Being happy with your dog is what matters. That's the beauty of being the owner, you get to decide what you're going to train your dog to do. If you don't want your dog sleeping in your bed, then don't let him/her in the bed. Done deal. 

Still Seeking Your Companions

I'm still looking for pictures of your dogs to add to my Pitbull Parents Showcase. If I get enough pictures, I'll spotlight a different dog each week, accompanied by a story you'd like to share about your favorite companion!

Blogger has added a great new gadget, a contact form. If you'd like to see your dogs pictures on this blog, please use that form to let me know! I think this could add a fun, and personal, element to my blog, and give all of you wonderful readers a chance to show off your best bud.

Goofy Pictures

Pictures your dog wishes you wouldn't share!

Sweet pictures

Pictures that'll make others laugh

I want them all!