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Monday, July 27, 2015

Pit Bull Mom

Pit Bull Mom

I recently read a great post "What's it like to own a Pit Bull?" by, Good Karma Canine.
And I felt the need to chime in.

My Pit Bulls, are just dogs. They are wonderful, slobbery, big babies who love to sit on your lap. They have short hair that feels like velvet when they are clean, big block heads, gentle mouths, soft floppy ears, and big wet noses perfect for kissing. They are unique, have differing personalities, and a sense of humor.

"Honest mom, I am a lap dog."


They are not evil monsters, they don't eat children, they don't fight with each other/rip apart other dogs for fun/attack anything that moves, they don't randomly one day decide to eat your face off, and they are not naturally aggressive.
(Common Pit Bull Myths HERE)

It has nothing to do with how they were raised, it has EVERYTHING to do with how we personally treat them, right now, in this moment. If dogs can sense cancer, and seizures doesn't it makes sense that they can sense your emotions, hormones, and intentions as well? They know if you like them, and they know if you are behaving in a suspicious manner.

Last week we had a repair man come to the house, since it was getting kind of late and to be courteous to the repair man (not knowing if he likes dogs), we put Jack and Ziva in their crates and had Dante go sit in his spot.

When the repairman arrived Dante greeted him but would not stop "boofing" at the poor guy, his hackles were up and we couldn't get him to be polite so we ended up putting Dante in the backyard. Jack growled the whole time, so - backyard again... Ziva my little princess I thought for sure would help us to break the ice with the boys and show them the repairman was nice. Nope, she barked in his face and kept circling around like a little shark - so she too was banished to the outside. While hubby was calming the dogs outside, I was inside speaking to our repair guy, turns out the he is not a Pit Bull person, he thinks they are unpredictable, and can turn on you at any moment.

Sadly I was not able to change his mind about Pit Bulls, and it certainly didn't help that mine were not being good breed ambassadors on this particular evening. He was however surprised to hear that we have two indoor kitties that the dogs get along great with.

I'm thinking that they guy was putting off some weird vibes, they are used to having people just love them on contact and it might have been a bit off putting to the dogs that he was a bit hesitant around them.

**Author's Note 7/31/15 - 
The wonderful repairman came back and installed the part we had to order. Turns out he's a really nice guy! Seemed a bit hesitant around my big dogs but we were able to have a wonderful doggy conversation, followed with lots of wiggles and love from Dante and Ziva. Hooray! Way to go Breed Ambassadors! It just took a follow up, cheese, and patience but we were able to have a lovely interaction that ended on a positive note. And of course Dante wanting the nice guy to play with him. **



Abused dogs, *cough* Pit Bulls, can be rehabilitated and make for great loving family pets with training, time, love, and patience. You don't have to know their background or where they came from, dogs live in the moment and let go of the past easier than humans do.

My dogs are well socialized, trained, regularly given tasks/taught new things, and exercised. If my dogs aren't welcome, then I probably won't be going or I'll end up leaving early because I time how long I leave them at home alone.

Visit Cjiro at www.RescueStrong.com to support local non-profit rescues.
I am always amazed when someone I've known for a long time makes a comment like, 

"Don't you ever worry? You know...about their breed?"

My neighbor said this last night, she is a nice little old lady who is always out walking, she loves my dogs and always walks past us making nice comments about their manners and how happy they look. I had no idea she was concerned about "their breed."

On a good note we had a very long and positive conversation regarding dogs, why do dogs behave the way they do, do "pit bulls" turn, do they have locking jaws, do I worry about my dogs around kids, etc.. I think we were able to reach her, which makes my heart warm. Dante and Jack were with me and were perfect gentlemen, they laid on the sidewalk next to use while we chatted. Turns out she isn't a fan of Miniature Pinschers, using this piece of knowledge I was able to dive into the world of differences in dog breeds and what different breeds were bred for. 

Right before we were leaving one of the neighbor kids ran a up, a little boy who is a favorite of Dante's. All wiggles and kisses the dogs greeted him, as I looked back, she was smiling.

 I'm hoping she'll look at dogs differently now, pit bull type dogs, and Min Pins alike.



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18 comments:

  1. I had to laugh when you mentioned your dogs getting you out of social engagements, lol! I'm guilty of that too sometimes. After all, I'm not lying when I say that I need to get home to feed the dog, right? :)

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    1. Hahaha! Nope no lying here! They need their dinner, potty time, and to be put to bed. :-) LoL

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  2. I like your post. Our aussies are very in tune to the emotions or thoughts that people are putting off. If a person is relaxed and kind, they know. If a person is angry, impatient, or otherwise unpleasant, they know as well and behave accordingly. They know not to attack but they will definitely have their hackles up.

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    1. Aussies are soo smart, I had a border collie growing up that was the same way. When we were out running (I used to jog alot) he was in his working mind set, and unless he knew you he wouldn't let you approach me. That was a trait I just loved when I was in high school, but he was also smart enough to know when I said it was "ok".
      I love dogs, and always pay attention if they are telling me they don't like someone. It's kind of their job, which is why I always hike with Dante or Ziva. :-) They don't attack people but they don't like getting snuck up on, and if i'm tense that also feeds into how they feel about someone. They always know a dog lover though and that makes it tough sometimes to keep them from jumping, they get soo excited.

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  3. Aw, I love that illustration! Adorable! I hear this crap all the time. I am from a small town in Iowa where, unfortunately, pit bulls are usually owned by people who...don't exactly want them to be nice dogs, you know what I mean? So the bad reputation this breed has is multiplied in my area. I have never owned one myself, but I am around them all the time working in rescue - they're one of my favorite breeds of all time, and I have NEVER come across an aggressive pittie in the more than five years I've been in rescue.

    It's really tough to talk people out of their prejudices...but all we can do is try. Usually, though, once someone gets their heart stolen by a pit bull, they are won over for life :)

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    1. That's too bad about your area, but sadly it's a true fact. :-(
      But you're right! We've been able to steal a few hearts in our area, Dante is such a lover and who can seriously hate little Ziva? She's just so darn cute. :-)

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  4. Wonderful post. Having had Rottweilers at the height of hysteria about that breed, and now having Cane Corsos, I feel your pain. You have done a wonderful job training them and all PB owners should be as thorough as you and your husband. We can only do our best. Bravo ((applauding)).

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    1. Thanks Shannon! You are also a wonderful bully owner. :-) *wags & kisses from Dante and Ziva!!*

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  5. Dogs do pick up on vibes. Wouldn't you love to peek inside the mind of that repairman?

    I feel like the prejudice people feel about bully breeds echos the fear many people have toward young African American men in our country.

    People are people and dogs are dogs. And most of the things people think are dangerous aren't. And things people don't worry about are what we should most watch out for.

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    1. I wish I could reach in people's minds and rewire them sometimes. It's soo silly some of the ignorant and uninformed things that people choose to believe. Should have seen my neighbor's face when I told her my pitties are just dogs, their skull, and jaw structure is exactly the same as any other dog.

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  6. We LOVE Pit Bulls! They are wonderful dogs and get a bum rap. We do hate though when owners get the dog's ears cut. It is so cruel. Love Dolly

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    1. Personally i'm fond of floppy ears too. :-) *wags and kisses!*

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  7. You know nowadays I find myself more afraid of people than dogs. Perhaps it's those same "people" who have that energy (like your repairman) who shouldn't be trusted. We just haven't been blessed with the talent (like your dogs) to sense the difference. I like your posts - keep writing. You're winning people (like your neighbor) over one person at a time.

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    1. Thanks Groovy Doodles!
      I always listen when my dogs won't be settled around someone, since it is such a rare occurrence I think it is important to take notice and trust their instincts. :-)

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  8. I'm pretty shocked that there are still people who think there's something inherently wrong with pit bulls. It's one thing if you're afraid of all dogs... people are so breedist! I love pitties.

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    1. I know, it makes me sad when anyone vilifies any type of dog breed.
      Thanks for the love!!

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  9. There are a lot of people out there who can't formulate their own opinion properly. Instead they take what the media feeds them, and often the media is trying to point people into the wrong direction or away from something else. A co-worker of mine believe pit bulls had locking jaws until I told her that they don't.

    Over here in Canada people seem to keep their own opinion to themselves when they see Bain, unless they are complimenting him. I'm always up for answering questions and educating others, though sometimes I just want to slap the shit out of some people.

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    1. Hahahahaha! I feel the same way sometimes. :-)
      I bet you get people asking all the time whether or not Bain is a giant pit bull.

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