In the meantime, I was hoping some of you could help me out. This year I'm participating in Strut Your Mutt, a fundraiser for homeless pets. I'm supporting Angel City Pit Bulls because my own beautiful pit, Lilly, was a shelter dog. The day we brought her home we looked at four other pit bulls who we had to leave behind, quite possibly to be euthanized. If we hadn't decided to go to the shelter that day, our own wonderful dog might no longer be alive.
So if you love dogs even a little bit as much as I love dogs, consider helping us out. Pit bull breeds are the most common dogs in most shelters, largely because of backyard breeders and an unjustified reputation. If you ever met any pit bulls, you would know that the vast majority of them are very friendly dogs. They love to lick your face.
If you have any questions about pit bulls feel free to ask me, because it is a favorite topic of mine. Much of what you hear is wrong, and I love correcting misinformation. This chart is an excellent source of factual information if you'd like to know the basics.
If you'd like to give a dollar or two to help save homeless pets, you can visit my fundraising page. And feel free to come out to Woodley Park on September 15 for a parade of happy dogs.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI'm a cat person [and, I think dogs know this:) ], but that's a
heartbreaking story about those 4 you had to leave behind.
If I had $ to give, I would.
QUESTION:
How can you, quickly, assess a Pit Bull's
personality?
You assess a pit the same way you asses any other dog, really. Look for signs of stress vs play. If a dog wants to play it bows, wags its tail, has relaxed ears. It will lick your or another dog's mouth to show friendliness.
ReplyDeleteIf it licks its lips frequently or turns its head away or puts its tail between its legs or gives what's called a "whale eye" it is stressed. If it's REALLY stressed it will display teeth and/or hunch really low - not as a bow, but as almost a coiled position.
Then it's a question of how it respond to other dogs, to other people, to children, to being on leash... Some dogs are great with people but terrible with other dogs. Some dogs are great second pets but very picky about people. Some are iffy about grown-ups but love kids. Some are terrified of children but loving around adults. You just have to pay attention to the messages the dog is sending. It is extremely rare for a dog of any breed to give no warning signs. most people simply don't know how to read them.
This video is a perfect example of what to watch for. These people are incredibly lucky the dog did not attack the toddler because he was giving off signals left and right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaxCYgqh2ao
EMILY!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this EDUCATIONAL answer.
And, the video shows that a well raised PIT BULL can make a good judgement call. :)
I'm glad it was helpful. But the dog in the video is actually a rottweiler. But yes, he has the patience of Job, for one reason or another. But any dog can have a reaction in those kinds of circumstances, no matter how it is raised or bred.
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