When I was 5 years old, I was attacked and bitten by a German Sheppard cross. I needed stitches above my left eye. I used to walk to a friend's place after getting off the bus and it was there that I was bitten. It is this incident that created in me an underlying fear of dogs. ‘They were unpredictable’, my young mind concluded, no doubt to keep me safe.
We had outside mutts when I was growing up. Kinch was black with white markings and long furry hair. He was a dog. I was never much of a "dog person".
As I got older and started dating, I dated a guy who had a Pit Bull. I had heard stories of their ability to lock their jaw and what that meant to its’ prey. I never thought to research the validity of the information I just blindly believed it because it fit with my earlier conclusion about the unpredictability of dogs. The guy I was dating recalled all kinds of vicious stories as if it somehow made him intimidating. It didn't.
I wouldn't come into contact with another pit bull until I met my husband (I’m sensing a pattern here). I had heard stories about them killing and mauling humans. These stories coupled with my already underlying fear didn't help me any dealing with dogs.
Jamie, my husband, owned a red nose pit bull named was Ruby and she was truly beautiful. I didn't notice how muscular Ruby was until she went after a skunk in the yard. She had grown two sizes with muscles bulging everywhere. I really wanted to be close to her like my husband was but I still scared and reluctant to leave her alone with my children. She never pushed me, you know how some dogs sense you don't like them and they are all over you, but not Ruby. So as time went by I came to trust her. I still had that feeling in the back always gnawing at me, but Ruby’s actions were always contradicting my feelings.
During our walks on a country road, Ruby always walked alongside our youngest daughter acting as a buffer between her and the traffic. When the kids got on the bus, Ruby stood on guard sniffing out potential danger. Once safely on the bus, she was in the house relaxing until 3:30ish, then it was back outside to walk the children home. When the kids played outside, Ruby would be ready to pull a child back onto the grass should they stray passed the grass onto the lane way. No one taught Ruby to do that, she did it instinctively.
She also protected our smaller children from our bigger children. Our oldest son thought he would a push his youngest sister only to be jumped on and pushed back by Ruby. She didn't hurt him, by any means, but the message was loud and clear, no messing with her kids.
Sadly, Ruby passed away from heart disease. It's a terrible disease that could have been avoided had we known. We weren't educated. We miss her dearly even to this day. Ruby opened the door for me to open my heart to this amazing breed. Her intelligence and gentleness was who she was, and how she will always be remembered.I don't have a picture of Ruby to share because my old computer's hard drive was damaged and I lost a great deal of data and thus pictures. But Jax is my first pit bull, that is all mine, I have had many dogs in my life but Jax is my dog.
BOB WAS A PIT BULL
By Ryan S Browning
Bob was a Pit Bull. He was my best friend.
Dad brought him home when he was twelve weeks old.
He came from a list of Grand Champions.
His daddy used to win a lot of shows.
As Bob grew older some neighbors got scared.
They said Bob would bite someone.
My friends all play with Bob.
When he grabs their pants leg, they don't care.
They know he is just hav'in fun.
I like to take him for walks and train him with treats
and at night he sleeps under the covers, right by my feet.
Bob stays at home while I am at school.
That is mom and dad's rule.
Dad said to never let Bob run loose
and mom never forgot about Bob eating her shoes.
The man on TV said all the Pit Bulls have to leave.
He wanted to take them all, and have them put to sleep.
He said a little boy was killed by a Pit Bull tied up
in his neighbour's backyard and all Pit Bulls are mean.
If that Pit Bull was tied up, maybe his life was hard
and he didn't have anyone to love him like Bob has me.
Every day after school we like to play and we have a lot of fun.
People said he would turn on me, but Bob didn't want to hurt anyone.
He could climb a tree and hang there all day.
He likes to chase me around the yard,
I even taught him to sit and stay.
Please God, why did you let them take Bob away.
They passed some kind of law, it's called BSL,
because they believe a Pit Bull is bred to attack.
Bob never hurt anyone;
but, Dad said, Bob may have to leave and never come back.
We can't afford to move, because of his job and the money.
Mommy gave me a hug and cried and said I'm sorry honey.
I ran to my room with Bob at my heels.
I made him a promise as a pup I would love him for years.
As I lay crying on my bed, Bob kissed away the tears.
Then the day came and they took him away.
I vowed then and there, he would never be replaced.
Dad and Mom said they would get me a new dog.
One not deemed vicious, by some stupid law.
I told them, no dog could make up for Bob!
Why did they listen to that man on TV?
Bob was a gentle friend, who would never hurt a flea!
That man was wrong! Bob would never turn on me!
They said because of mean and cruel people, all Pit Bulls like Bob,
must go to jail where they are given a shot to put them to sleep.
Then an Angel would come and take them to heaven for God to keep.
I cried all night for the loss of my best friend.
How could the man on TV be so heartless to small kids like me?
I know in my heart Bob is now gone.
I feel him watching and waiting to be by my side.
He can't see the real problem, can someone tell me why?
It's not kids or people like me,
who miss their dog while at school,
or the ones who use dogs like Bob, for search and rescues.
It's people who torture them, starve them,
beat them, that's what must end!
They are the reason my dog is dead Mr. Bryant;
But, instead, you killed my best friend!
Just because some people don't look after their animals,
I had to lose my one and only companion.
The one I loved with all my heart.
Why don't you go after the ones who are mean?
If you want to help, that's where to start!
Stop killing innocent puppies, sending them to heaven's gate.
Stop bullying the innocent.
Quit throwing around your weight!
Instead do what most government people have forgotten how to do,
do the right thing, look at the truth!
Pit Bulls like Bob, are not the threat,
for the threat lies in ignorant people like you!
by Ryan S Browning
Dedicated to Diezel / Hali also to all the dogs stuck in research facilities and who have lost their lives due to Breed Specific Legislation.
Why I love my Pit Bull
Dedicated to Diezel / Hali also to all the dogs stuck in research facilities and who have lost their lives due to Breed Specific Legislation.
Why I love my Pit Bull
When I was five, I was attacked by a dog. At the time, I would have said it was
completely unprovoked. I know now that,
that dog gave me ample opportunity to make another choice. That one bad experience erased any positive prior
experiences and tainted any future meetings.
It was the patience of a red nose Pit Bull that helped me overcome my
fear of dogs.
I grew up not afraid of dogs but not trusting them
100%. When I was 17 I met Cleo, a red
nose pit bull, with whom I had positive experiences with but I didn’t give her
100% trust. I could feel the underlying fear preventing me from truly getting
to know her. It didn’t help that her
owner, although he treated her well, liked to scare people with the “locking
jaw myth”. His intentions were to scare
people so they wouldn’t get any funny ideas about stealing from him. That was
back in the proverbial day.
The next time I come into contact with a pit bull is 22
years later when I meet my future ex-husband.
He had a red nose pit bull named Ruby.
By that time I’ve read the newspapers, I’ve seen the T.V. shows, so now
I’m really scared. I like this guy, so I
have to put my fear aside because he loves his dog. Ruby went everywhere with him, she even knew
enough to go to the window at Tim Horton’s because she always scored a
treat.
I don’t try very hard with her, because I have this “feeling”
whenever the kids are playing with her. She
has yet to do a single thing to invoke any fear in me, but I feel it. I hear the stories, I know what other people
think. My family is afraid for my
children so I have them whispering in my ear, but they have to trust me, and I
have to trust my partner. As the days
turn into weeks and the weeks into months, I have no doubt Ruby knows I am
afraid. But she doesn’t let on.
As my fear subsides I notice little things, like, in the
mornings when the children are waiting for the school bus, Ruby is standing
guard looking out into the fields and scanning the area. At the end of the day she’s standing at the
end of the laneway, waiting for the bus, she waits and watches. The children get off the bus and she walks
behind them all the way to the house. When
we go for walks, she stays with the baby, never lets her out of her
sights. I could go on but I think you
get the picture.
Ruby passed away from cancer a couple years later. It was a sad day and it took almost two years
to find another dog. Ruby didn’t jump
all over me trying to get me to like her, her quiet confidence was reassuring
as me made our way through the world.
The kids treated her like a jungle gym and still she remained calm. I know all dogs aren’t like that not even
Pits, but she was, she was exactly what I needed at the time.
To make a long story short, we now have four Pits – Buster,
Jax, Luna and Lady. They are smart,
loyal, and I love them because they are who they are, and that’s why I love
Pits. They helped me to overcome my fear
of dogs by being themselves. Their stoic
and clever demeanor makes them easy to love and easy to be around.Celebrities that love their Pit Bulls
Cesar Millan is an obvious choice when thinking about celebrities and pits, however, his pits are famous in their own right. Daddy and Junior, two wonderful ambassadors that are a true reflection of what happens when you properly care for a dog. Millan says Daddy was wonderful at handling aggressive dogs due to his mild temper. He says the empathy, compassion and intuition of his pit bull has always amazed him (ecorazzi.com).
The Big Bang Theory actress Kaley Cuoco owns three pit bulls and is frequently engaged in advocacy programs such as Angel City Pits dot com. Kaley loves talking about her adorable pets and how misconceptions about the breed are unfair. She says they are the ‘greatest dogs in the world’. Her love for pit bulls has been very vocal, so much so, that she tweeted saying she was heartbroken when Kelly Ripa misspoke against pit bulls (ecorazzi.com).
Torrey Smith, the wide receiver for Baltimore Ravens is another pit bull lover, who spends a lot of time with his dogs. Prince and Mama were adopted from the Baltimore Animal Care and Rescue Shelter. He helped launch a prevention of animal cruelty campaign called ‘Show your soft side’ to illustrate that hurting animals doesn’t make people look hard.
The TV actress Lake Bell from Boston Legal, No Strings Attached, and Children’s Hospital loves her pit bulls. Her dogs Texas, and Margaret were ‘dogs of honour’ at her wedding to Scott Campbell.
Danny Trejo, the action hero found that while on a drive with his wife, drivers were swerving on purpose in a truck with a pit bull to purposefully injure the dog, he and his wife made them stop and took them to animal control. Trejo has zero tolerance for animal abuse and owns a pit bull himself.
Jennifer Aniston owns a pit bull she rescued from Best Friends Animal Society, involved in rescuing the animals from the Vick’s case. She named her pit bull Sophie, because it felt like Sophie’s choice, having to leave so many other pups behind and choose one.
Josh Hutcherson of “The Hunger Games”, wanted to adopt a puppy, not just any but the most ‘beautiful’ and he managed to rescue one that was to be euthanized that day. He advocates adopting dogs from shelters, saying so many beautiful animals are being put down while people choose to get new pets rather than adopt.
Jessica Biel is very open and expressive about her love for her pit bulls. She calls her pit bull Tina and tweets regularly about her pet through #Tuesdays with Tina, she affectionately calls her dog a 55 pound blanket.
Pit bulls inspire people to do better, what other dog does that?
5 Excellent reasons why Pits make great dogs
In the 1800’s, when farming was a way of
life, many families benefited from owning a pit bull because the pit bull was
so good with children. They were able to
work the fields knowing their children were in very capable paws. At that time, the pit bull was known as the nanny dog because they were so good with children and trustworthy. The pit bull is the ultimate
family pet for an experienced family.
1. Companionship – The pit bull is a loyal
companion who provides all of the affection you need. They enjoy cuddling as
you watch television, rest or read a book. Going for a walk can be an
especially rewarding bonding experience for you and your pit bull. Please see Cesar Millan’s Mastering theWalk.
2 2. Good with Children – For a dog to get the reputation of Nanny Dog (don't forget to come back) it only stands to
reason that they are good with children.
One reason may be pit bulls have a high tolerance for pain, thus they
are capable of enduring children’s rough play without overreacting.
3 3. Athletic Ability – Keeping up with children’s energy levels is no easy task. This power breed benefits from all forms of
exercise. They are always on alert and
up for a game of tag or hide and seek. Both
games can easily be taught to the pit bull.
4 4. Eagerness to Please – All dogs have an eagerness to please, the pit bull’s need to please
his owner is what makes him so trainable.
This eagerness to please is actually what made the pit bull a target for
dog fighting. A pit bull in his eagerness to please his
human go against his natural instinct and fight another dog beyond the
hierarchy.
5 5. Easy to Care for – Their short coat allows them to be low maintenance and they can be
quickly bathed at home. Their hair is
short enough that nothing really sticks to it and shedding really isn’t an
issue as long as they are brushed regularly.
Nail trimming and ear cleaning can be done at home, however, it may be a
good idea to have the vet show you how it’s done if it’s new too you.
There are many great reasons to own a pit
bull companionship, great with children, athletic, eagerness to please and easy
to care are just five, this list is by no means exhaustive. Caring for any pet is a full time commitment;
the pit bull is no exception. Pit Bulls make good therapy dogs
A dog as a therapist makes sense; dogs do not disrupt the mood by
talking and asking questions. They don’t
push you, they don’t judge you, even unwittingly. Certain dogs make great therapy dogs because
of innate qualities and temperament. The
pit bull is such a dog. He was bred to fight, yes that’s true. However, he wasn’t bred to fight humans; he
was bred to love humans.
Therapy dogs are,
“social
interactive dogs trained to work for a handler to provide service and comfort
to other people, such as in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes,
schools, libraries, rehabilitation units, for children with learning
disabilities or difficulty with literacy, or they may be trained to support
people in stressful situations, such as disaster sites. One thing that all therapy dogs must have in
common is temperament.” (Canadian Service Dog Foundation)
Kay Beard, a
mental therapist, explains in her article, Why
pit bulls make the best therapy dogs, why she chose pit bulls to be a
“co-therapist. She explains, in her
experience, the pit bull has the “emotional and mental stamina” to do the
job. She goes on to say their “level of
empathy and ability to work” makes them perfect candidates for such spirited
work.
Qualities
Pit bulls innately
possess the qualities that are needed to become a certified therapy dog. When treated properly they love people and are
accepting of strangers. They are
intelligent, friendly, calm, obedient and confident.
Additional
qualities required for certification;
ü
ability to sit for a long
period of time in one spot,
ü
staying focused despite
distractions,
ü
remaining calm in crowds and around
loud noises,
ü
feeling comfortable and easily
adjust to new environments,
ü
easily taught,
Due to the pit
bulls intelligence and love of people, acquiring additional skills makes them
that much more capable.
Temperament
A therapy dog
needs the right temperament before they will even be considered for such
important work. Lydia Zaidman, pit bull
advocate, states, “in general their temperament test very high, they really
love people, they like to be around people so they do really well (as a therapy
dog). She goes on to say, “…in
responsible hands they make wonderful dogs and they make wonderful therapy
dogs.”
According the
ATTS, American Temperament Testing Society, pit bulls score above passing
percentages. When trained properly a pit
bull is capable of undergoing anything that should come their way during a
therapy session. It is this temperament
that makes them such great therapy dogs.
Unfortunately, statistically
pit bulls are the most abused dog of any breed or hybrid. Despite this fact, experts agree that it
takes a great deal of hardship for a pit bull to turn on any human. Possessing both the qualities and temperament
is what makes the pit bull a great service therapy dog.
No one disagrees
that the American Pit Bull Terrier is determined and in the wrong hands that
determination is dangerous, however, in the right hands that same determination
is nothing short of humane.
The truth about Pit Bulls
The truth about Pit Bulls
Temperament
The American Temperate Testing Society,
“The ATTS Temperament Test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog’s instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat.”
There are ten sub-set tests that provide insight into how any given dog reacts to various stimuli, the cumulative average from 1977 is 83% since February 14, 2014. The American Pit Bull Terrier scores above average at 87%, while the Bearded Collie scored an alarming 54% and the Boxer scored 83%. A dog fails a test if they show aggression without reason, extreme shyness or avoidance and heightened excitement or panic without being able to recover. A pit bull’s ability to assess any given situation is what makes him so trainable. Cesar Millan has stated many times, a dog mirrors his owners, thus if a pit bull is fearful, insecure or aggressive it is because a human has taught him to behave that way.
This video shows an ATTS test in progress;
Heroes, not Aggressive Fighters
There have been many documented occurrences where a pit bull has rescued or helped their owner or family from experiencing harm. In July of 2014 a family pit bull alerted a 13-year old deaf boy out of his sleep by licking his face. The boy was staying home alone and was sleeping when a house fire ravaged the home. The boy and the dog were able to escape from the house with no injuries thanks to the lovable pit bull.
Another recent incident involved a 15-year old girl who was walking her family pit bull on a bike path near her home. A man suddenly appeared and grabbed the girl by the arms, dragging her to his truck that was located nearby. Her loyal pit bull lunged and bit the abductor on the arm causing him to lose grip of the girl and allowing her to run away safely.
An extraordinary story of the heroism and loyalty of pit bulls is regarding a family pet pit bull that pulled her owner off of train tracks to safety. A woman was walking home near train tracks from a friend’s house with her pet pit bull when she fell and became unconscious. She landed extremely close to the train tracks. The pit bull saw the train coming towards her owner and witnesses said the dog exhibited extraordinary strength as she used her mouth and pulled her owner away from the train tracks to safety. Unfortunately, the dog was struck by the train and sustained major injuries, but witnesses said the dog who was covered in blood stood by her owner until the paramedics arrived. The owner was fine and the dog was nursed back to health.
The truth about pit bulls
The truth about pit bulls is that if horrifically abused, as many are, SOME become distrustful of ALL humans and are capable of attacking to cause harm or death. Isn’t that true of humans as well. Humans will attack out of love, just ask Jeffry Dahmer.
The truth about pit bulls is human idiots teach them to fight other dogs and reward them for killing other dogs. The truth about pit bulls is they only fights to please their owner. Honestly, we as a society allow dog fighting; Humans who participate in such a savage endeavor should be banned from earth.
The truth about pit bulls is they are loyal, loving and intelligent animals who when given the proper care are trustworthy protectors and companions. Ask the Ontario Vets Medical Association, Humane Societies, Cesar Millan and the American Temperament Society what the truth about pit bulls is.
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