For the love of bullies!
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Pitbull Temperament
Pitbull temperament has been the subject of much debate over the past few years in light of a lot of negative press on pitbull breed dogs. While the media would like to fear bomb you into believing that all pitbulls are unstable killers that can snap at any moment, nothing could be further from the truth. When bred properly, trained using positive reinforcement and in the hands of experienced owners, pitbulls have proven time and time again that they are well mannered, stable, friendly and loyal family companions. (more…)
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First They Came for Pit Bulls
BSL or Breed Specific Legislation is a threat to ALL dogs, not just Pit Bulls or other “dangerous breeds”. Basically, BSL looks at the breed of a certain dog instead of the behavior of one specific animal. An analogy for BSL in humans would be racial profiling, due to the fact that it does not look at the characteristics of the individual, instead generalizing them to be true for an entire breed or race. Think BSL doesn’t affect you because you only own labradors or golden retrievers? Wrong. If the knee-jerk reaction of BSL catches on in the way that many supporters of BSL hope it will, people will then see that once all of the Pit Bulls are gone, issues related to dog bites will still exist. The proponents of BSL will then move onto the next breed, and so on, until BSL does affect you. (more…)
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Misunderstood; The Perspective of a Pit Bull Owner
After spending some time browsing the pets section on Craiglist, I want to lay with my pit bulls and cry. It is incomprehensibly saddening to see the things people do to this misunderstood breed. Area shelters across the US are jam-packed with pit bulls. Backyard breeders with no regard for the welfare of these dogs continue to sell off dogs with their eyes locked on the bottom line. Ignorant breed “lovers” continue to perpetuate the numerous false rumors including their incredible locking jaws, rarity of certain colors, and inherently aggressive nature. So many dogs need homes, and so many dogs will never get that chance. (more…)
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PETA Sets New Record for Killing Animals
PETA, the “animal rights” organization that supports breed specific bans, and an end to ownership of animals as companions (for more information see the post – PETA’s Pit Bull and Companion Animal Policies) set a new record for 2008. Documents published on the website PETA Kills Animals show that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals killed about 95 percent of the pets placed into their care during 2008, which translates into roughly 5-6 animals euthanized each day. The public records available through the VA Department of Agriculture and Consumer services show PETA killed 2,124 pets in 2008, placing only 7 in adoptive homes. Over the past 10 years PETA has slaughtered over 20,000 dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, and other pets. (more…)
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Help a US Soldier Save Dog Adopted in Iraq
**UPDATE 1/17/09**
Ratchet has been reunited with his owner, Army Specialist Gwen Beberg in Minnesota. Below is a video of Ratchet greeting Gwen upon her arrival in the US.
While serving our country, a US soldier came upon a malnourished, homeless puppy, whom she adopted and named Rachet. She has nursed the dog back to health, and he has grown from a scared little furball into a playful, loving, young dog. She has been stationed in Baghdad for 15 months longer than her initial deployment was supposed to last, and Ratchet is one of the only things during those months that have helped keep her grounded. As you can imagine, there are numerous obstacles to transporting an Iraqi dog back to the states. There is, however, one organization that provides medical care, clearance and transport for the animals U.S. soldiers have come to love during deployment in the Middle East, called Baghdad Pups. (more…)
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Pit Bulls in Time
Once upon a time, the American Pit Bull Terrier was a highly revered war hero and respected family pet. In an effort to get back to the ‘glory days’ of these dogs, I have compiled an album of some great historical photos showing Pit Bulls of the past. Enjoy your trip and looking at these vintage Pit Bull photos. (more…)
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Xylitol is Not Safe for Dogs
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is quickly gaining popularity in the US as a sugar substitute due to its tooth- and diabetic-friendly nature. Xylitol can be found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, including berries, corn husks, mushrooms, and oats, or extracted from corn fiber, corn, plums, and raspberries. Xylitol can most commonly be found in chewing gum, mouthwashes, and toothpaste, and use has increased in foods containing sugar like cookie mixes, Jell-O, energy bars, candies, and even ice cream. (more…)
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Anal Gland Expression in Dogs
It is now time to touch on one of the more unpleasant aspects of dog ownership – expressing your dog’s anal glands. All dogs have two anal glands or sacs; 1 gland on each side of the anus. These glands are occasionally refereed to as “scent glands”, because they enable the dog to mark its territory and to identify each other; this explains why dog sniff one another’s rears to see if they know another dog. (more…)
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Dog Tore Off Dew Claw
Help, My Dog Ripped His Dew Claw!
I had no idea how common of an injury a torn dew claw is in dogs until it happened to my American Bulldog last week. I ran into the Post Office for literally 2 minutes, only to return to find that Tucker was standing in the front seat of the car holding up a bloody paw. At first I was unsure where all of the blood was coming from, but then I noticed his dew claw was bent in a way that it was actually pointing out from his body, and realized he had torn his dew claw almost all the way off. (more…)
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Reasons Why Sarah Palin is NOT a Pit Bull
I am sure you have heard the comparisons in the media likening McCain’s vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, to a ‘Pit Bull’. Palin herself even made reference to this when accepting the Republican nomination for vice president, saying that her lipstick is only thing that separates a hockey mom like her from a pit bull. I think I can speak for the Pit Bulls on this one when I say that they are outraged at any comparisons even mentioning their breed and this woman in the same sentence. To even imply that Sarah Palin has even a few of the outstanding characteristics that describe Pit Bulls is utterly preposterous. (more…)
