Loving Pit bulls

The pitbull loping along, on a leash strikes fear into society. I’m sure you would have seen one and thought.

“I hope that leash is secure?”

“I won’t make eye-contact.”

I’m a dog lover. I grew up with a three-legged black Labrador. What happened to the other leg? She chased cats over the fence (or they lured her over) and got her leg caught in wire. Dad told me. Must have been quite bad, to amputate the leg.

I only ever knew Nina as the three-legged pet. In my adulthood I purchased a husky. The journey of my life! My best friend. She passed at 16.

Walking with her, Sabre one day. We passed two adult pit bulls on the back of a Ute tied with very, very, very, very short, strong chains. They were leaping and snarling, rearing up and generally going mental. At Sabre.

Pit bull attacks child. Pit bull attacks grandmother and kills her. These are facts.

I’ve seen the news. I’ve seen them in public.

But here’s the twist. I’ve come to be a part-time foster parent of one.

Buddy.

The all caramel one toned pit bull.

As a puppy, he walked in. Puppies are cute. Aren’t they! Baby crocodiles are cute, even baby hyenas. All babies are cute.

BUDDY WAS NOT SMALL FOR LONG.

But the thing is. Inside that powerful, growing-very-fast-body is still the mental mind of a puppy.

It’s, I’ve learned, the pit bulls shere strength, the power. Coming in for a hug, he is! I brace the ground with my feet like a Kung fu master getting ready. At ease, at ease!

That’s the whole factor. These dogs are strong, intelligent and loyal. It is a tragedy that ill-minded folk think to train that quality for the Dark Side Of The Force. They are so loving. Buddy inches closer and closer to the heater in winter, sunning himself in full warmth. Looking doey and content. Not the actions of a killer. Buddy chases the bubbles I blow, outside, for him. Buddy cries when one of us leaves the room. He has a toddler gate. He could clamber over it, but he sits. This big beast looking and crying. They need good solid training. To sit, for Buddy is important like, all dogs. Because a jumping, happy, loving, pit bull could be seen by an outsider as “LOOMING and IMPENDING death.”

He has to learn not to nip. Many puppies nip, many human toddlers nip. It’s a learned behaviour.

Everyone loves Buddy. He is a lot of energy. Why shouldn’t he be? He’s a healthy, growing canine. That energy needs to be matched with effort. Play, walks, lessons.

I saw an article on a leashed pit bull, mouth covered in blood. As two on the run, mischievous, small dogs went in for him.

One dog died, in the attack. And no, not the pitbull. Because of petitions, which I signed. The pit bull did not get put-down. There are no winners. An owner watching their dog get mauled is horrific. But this pit bull was defending its family, was the real victim of an attack. He was leashed. That is the important fact, here. Responsible dog owners leash dogs that they know others are scared of. There’s nothing worse than the cherry confidence of a dog owner on the beach saying.

“My dog’s O.K. Don’t worry.”

Mean time, the said dog has done something unpredictable or predictable, depending on one’s views.

Pit bulls are loving. They love to love. Buddy sits on my knee like he’s a tea-cup dog. Not the size of a buffalo. See that’s the thing. Tea-cup designer dogs, poodle, labradoodle. These names are cute. Made for doing very little. Pug? Have you seen images of their skulls. Designer dogs for moddlykoddling and giggling at.

Fundamentally dogs are for action, fun, running, work. All in positive ways.

I walk Buddy and people scurry away. He is crying abit of the time. He’s such a sook! He sees a dog across the street and is keen to play. I know the owner thinks

“He’s trying to get here, to kill him! And me!”

I can’t ignore society image and history. It’s iresponsible to do so. He’s always on a leash. His strength is his curse. His “coming in to hug you so very much.” Is misinterpreted.

He’s overwhelmingly alive! Why not. People are just lazy. Dogs don’t know that. They are just themselves. Doing what dogs do. Making their owners happy. It’s the owner who determines their behaviours.

I love pit bulls. They are pure form of doggy energy. They are intelligent. The floppy ears are my favourite feature. Why create dogs to be living teddy bears for our amusement??

Buddy looking over his toddler gate with golden eyes and missing me already, is a sight because he could jump over this gate. Missing me .... or waiting for me to be out of sight to jump up on the couch and curl up.

I’m not saying Love pit bulls. But don’t hate them. They really don’t hate you.