By Jason J. Row
First off, I’d like to express gratitude to the people at Taylor Blue’s Kennel for turning us onto the wonderful world of Pit Bulls and the Pit Bull culture. And I’d also like to thank them for allowing me to be a contributor to their blog dedicated to the world of American Blue Pit Bulls.
I am a long time dog owner with one Dalmatian / Pointer named Pixel and a Terrier mutt mix named Navajo. I, like many people, have always upheld and adhered to the current, negative stereotype of Pit Bulls. I’ve never been drawn to them and have even left dog parks when one would show up. However, due to circumstances in the town I have moved too, I decided I needed a good companion dog who doubles as a watch dog and be a deterrent to anyone who should decide to invade my property and protect my wife when I travel.
After much research on the web and talking with some owners of the Pit Bull breed; getting one was the obvious choice for three reasons:
1. Deterrent: Let’s face it, Pit Bulls make the news more often than not for sensationalism purposes. One never hears about the standard Poodle who bites the neighbors kid. But, when a Pit Bull does the same thing it becomes a “mauling” and is headline news in small and even larger communities around the United States. From my research, this is an American phenomenon and is not reported in the international community. Also because of illegal dog fighting rings, Pit Bulls have become front page news as “bred to be killers” when it’s obvious if you read between the lines that the owners have trained them to be attack dogs. There is no official database for tracking Pit Bull attacks, so national statistics are difficult to quantify. Please read the article in the Detroit Free Press for more on this subject and please take the poll: “Companion or Killers”.
Because of their current bad press I have decided to get one to be a deterrent, even though I do not believe that they are a vicious dog by nature. I think they are trained to be just like any other dog can be trained to be. My grandma had a “vicious” miniature-Poodle when I was growing up. It would not let anyone near her when it was in the room. My sister still has the scar on her brow to prove it.
2. Protection: As with most dogs, temperament should be considered. My research has found that American Pit Bulls are courageous, full of energy, and loyal. As with most loyal dogs, they are protective when they sense danger. That is the second trait that attracted me to the Pit Bull. I wanted a dog that would protect my wife should she be endangered. Prior to our marriage she was the victim of a home invasion and I am 100% sure this invasion would never have taken place if a Pit Bull was guarding the home and property that she and her ex-husband lived on. I hope now that she will sleep better at night knowing that our little shark, Tiburón (name derives from the Spanish word tiburón, which means “shark“), is patrolling the waters outside our home. I don’t wish harm to anyone, but, should someone decide to come onto our property uninvited I know I will sleep better during my travels knowing that Tiburón is on guard duty at home. I will soon be posting signs to warn uninvited persons that there is a Pit Bull on guard duty and I have already been walking the puppy around the neighborhood introducing him to the locals so they know he’s here and to socialize him with people in a positive way, especially children.
3. Companionship: Pit Bull lovers say the dogs are the most loyal, intelligent and friendly dogs when raised correctly. They say rogue owners ruin the dogs’ reputation by abusing them and raising them to fight. “They’re just like any other dog,” says breeder Rob Watson, 29, of Warren, Michigan. “It all comes down to the owner.” “In my opinion, Pit Bulls are probably the most popular dog in the history of the United States,” said Adam Goldfarb, issues specialist for the Humane Society of the United States in Gaithersburg, MD. “When I say popular, I don’t mean well-liked. I mean numerous.”
My feeling on this is in America, the American Pit Bull has flourished. It was one of the most popular breeds, highly prized by a wide variety of people. The Pit Bull was used to represent the US in WWI artwork; popular companies like RCA and the Buster Brown Shoe Company used the breed as their mascots. A Pit Bull named Petie starred in the popular children’s television series, Our Gang; a Pit Bull mix named Stubby became a decorated WWI hero. Pit Bulls accompanied pioneer families on their explorations. Laura Ingalls Wilder of the popular Little House books owned a working Pit Bulldog named Jack. Famous individuals like Theodore Roosevelt and Helen Keller owned the breed. It was during this time that the Pit Bull truly became America’s sweetheart breed, admired, respected and loved.
It’s for these historical reasons and other research I did that I figured that despite its breeds current “bad rap,” how bad can this breed really be? We’ll find out. Please check back often to this blog for more updates on Tiburon’s progress as a pet companion, deterrent and protector!!
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