Pit Bulls - A True Companion

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not." - Marley and Me

Many of you know my dog Peanut. She's loveable, loyal, friendly and fun....and she's a Pit Bull!! When people hear the word pit bull, they tend to cringe. "Why would you get a pit bull?" is a question I'm often asked. "Has she bitten you?", "Has she bitten anybody?", those are some other famous questions. Or often, I see people walking away from her due to fear. It's sad how the media has constructed a bad rap against this breed. Turn on the news and you'll hear about people being mauled by pit bulls. They just love to show kids being bit in the face also. California is trying to pass a law to ban the pit bull breed. Why? Again because of bad media and irresponsible owners. Let me educate you about pit bulls before you past judgement again about the breed:

1. Pit Bulls are commonly used as therapy dogs. Whether they are visiting a senior care facility or helping someone recover from an emotional accident, Pit Bulls are making a mark as outstanding therapy dogs.

2. Pit Bulls are used in Search and Rescue work. One example of well known SAR Pit Bulls is Kris Crawford and her dogs. Kris and her dogs have helped save the lives of many people during their efforts. http://www.ForPitsSake.org

3. Pit Bulls serve as narcotic and bomb sniffing dogs. One Pit Bull, Popsicle (named that because he was found in an old freezer) has the largest recorded single drug find in Texas history. Read more about Popsicle here. Including how he found over 3,000 lbs of cocaine in Hildago, Texas.

4. Pit Bulls are great with kids. They weren't referred to as the "nanny's dog" for nothing that's for sure.

5. Pit Bulls are not human aggressive. The American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed is not human aggressive. In fact, quite the opposite is true of the breed. They are gentle and loving dogs. Like any dog individuals can be unsound and have behavior problems.

6. The Pit Bull was so popular in the early 1900's they were our mascot not only in World War One, but World War Two as well. They were featured on recruiting and propoganda posters during this time period.

7. Sgt. Stubby. A Pit Bull war hero. Stubby was wounded in action twice, he saved his entire platoon by warning them of a poison gas attack and he single handedly captured a German spy.

8. Pete the Pup on the orginal Little Rascals was a Pit Bull.

9. Pit Bulls score an 83.4% passing rate with the American Temperament Test Society. That's better than the popular Border Collie (a breed who scores 79.6%). View the ATTS stats here.

10. They are dogs not killing machines.

I know that some of the people out there are still not convinced. You can't blame stupidity I guess.

No matter what people say or think, I believe I have one of the greatest dogs in the world. Peanut brings fun and joy in our lives. She always knows when we are down and tends to always bring smiles to me and my wife. Not only does she bring joy to us, but also to our other family members and friends. Peanut is a young pup. She has a lot to learn. One day she'll be CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certified with the UKC (United Kennel Club). My goal is to have her become a therapy dog and a good abassador of the breed.
Peanut was rescued by my wife and I back in March of 2009 from the Los Angeles Harbor Animal Shelter. When my wife seen her, she immediatly fell in love. I will admit that I didn't. I didn't want a big dog, yet alone a pit bull. Yes I was misinformed too. After we adopted her, she grew on me immediatly. The first week was stressful. We had to get used to dog proofing the house and the socialization between Peanut and Coco (our cat) was pretty bad. Coco doesn't like Peanut. We thought it would be the other way around, but in this situation, Coco is the agressor (old man cat!!). After resucing her and learning to live with her, life was great. She's easily trainable and loves to just play!! We enjoy walks and playing tug-o-war and fetch. She still needs to work on her drop-toy command :-p. Overall she's a great dog. I can't imagine life without her now. I love taking her with me when I have to run errands and our monthly visit to the pet shop.
Even though there are some people that are scared of her, there are a ton of people who LOVE HER!! When we're crusing in my car and her head is sticking out, I gaurentee that there's somebody waving or calling her. When we go to the dog beach people always approach her and she lets them pet her. We always get compliments on how a pretty dog she is.
I think there is hope for this breed. It just takes some education and responsible owners to help spread the word about how great pit bulls can be. Take your time and read up on them. Then come and visit Peanut and me and I'll show you how great of an animal they are.