Adopting a Pitbull

Hot on the heels of the purchase of our new home, my husband and I are looking to adopt one of the world's most controversial dogs: the American Pit Bull Terrier.

 

Some of you may be wondering why I would voluntarily bring such a 'dangerous' animal into my heart and home, and I will explain it simply: A properly raised APBT is one of the most loyal, goofy, loving dogs you will ever own.  Part of their charm is their willingness to please their owners no matter the task.  They will go above and beyond to ensure that they please their masters. Unfortunately, the stories you hear in the media are often stories with unhappy endings.

 

However, did you know...

 

♦ Dogs in the media are often misidentified.  Very commonly, any dog with a large head and stout body is automatically labeled as a "pitbull," whether or not they actually are.  This means mixed breed dogs with the "bully look," even if they're crosses of generally accepted dogs, will still be labeled as "pitbulls," which further harms the breed's reputation.

 

♦ Dogs with a 'tough' look are often purchased as cheap security systems, usually by drug dealers, fugitives, and gangsters.  They are tied/chained up in the yard, left half starved and encouraged to bite or bark at strangers.  Due to the dog's intense desire to please its masters, if it is praised for exhibiting aggression toward other humans and dogs, it will continue this behavior in order to continue earning praise.

 

♦ Those who purchase dogs for their tough look in addition to their aggression toward humans are also usually the ones who breed the dogs carelessly, or fail to spay/neuter their animals, resulting in unwanted litters.  These dogs generally pass on human and dog aggression to their offspring.

 

♦ A properly raised American Pit Bull Terrier should be friendly to a fault.  He should approach strangers cheerfully, with a wiggly butt and downright happiness.  He should be high energy, intelligent, quick-learning and agile.  He should also consider himself to be a lap dog, regardless of his size (sometimes upwards of 80 pounds!).  He should exhibit a desire to care for young creatures, and indeed used to be referred to as the "Nanny Dog" in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

 

♦ The pit bull terrier was originally bred to help his master in hunting, who would willingly take on a bear if he thought his master was in danger, but who could reliably be handled and brought into the home without fear of harm to children or other family members.

 

♦ Pit bull terriers can be trained to be search and rescue dogs, police dogs, drug sniffing dogs, therapy dogs, service dogs, weight pulling dogs, show dogs (in the United Kennel Club), agility dogs.

 

This information is nothing new to me.  My family used to breed and raise American Pit Bull Terriers when I was younger.  We showed them in the UKC and we competed in pulling trials.  Our stud could pull 700 pounds and was the best dog I've ever owned.  He died when I was 12, but I remember him well to this day.  I can remember going to visit my dad over the summers and how happy that dog would be to see us.  He'd be beside himself with glee, wiggling all over and hardly able to contain himself.  And he'd be absolutely heartbroken every time we had to leave.  He knew when we were leaving to go back to Mom's, too, and not just going out for dinner or a trip to the movies.  He'd sit at the door and cry, so upset that it would nearly have ME in tears.  He alerted my mother to an intruder in the house and scared the man off, he would let us dress him in clothes, sit on him, tug his ears and tail.  And you know what?  We were NEVER, EVER bitten, growled at, scratched - nothing.

 

We plan on adopting a dog from a local pit bull rescue group.  I hope that through continued public education on this breed, through the testimony of other pit bull owners and through calling out the media's misinformation and hype, we can restore this breed to its former glory.

 

Please, stay tuned for updates and information.  It is my goal to help the public learn the real truth about these dogs as best as I am able.  If I educate even one person, I'll consider it a success.