Dedicated to all of the men and women who have served our country for the preservation of the freedom of the American people. We honor the memories of those who didn’t make it home to their families and celebrate the lives of those who did. Thank you, veterans and soldiers.
It’s hard to believe that nine years ago today, the most beautiful being to grace my life was born in the filth of an impoverished home that didn’t want her there. The runt of the litter became the light of my life and has been my canine soul mate for the last many years.
She entered my life at the tender age of 4.5 weeks old. She was riddled with what seemed to be every parasite known to man. Her little wormy belly and sad pathetic eyes let me know that pulling her out of that situation was the best possible thing for both of us. She grew like a weed (once we took care of those nutrient sucking parasites) into the phenomenal little girl I’ve loved and shared my life with.
Even at nine years old, Luna continues to go above and beyond what you’d expect for a dog her age. She rules the roost in our house over four other dogs. She continues her career as a sport dog by weight pulling, dock diving, obedience and dabbling in agility – even with an injury at two years having threatened to end her career before it began.
I would have never believed that the tiny puppy who rode on my lap for months would become the dog who held my heart in her little paw. The dog who helped me live when I thought my world would end so many times. She is my heart. She is my soul. She is the rock and the bond that has held my soon-to-be husband and I together.
We love you Luna. Here is to many, many more years.
It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. Here’s to many more! Thank you for visiting, dear readers!
I often get asked a ton of questions when people find out I own pit bulls. The questions typically range from “Oh, my God! You own baby killers? Aren’t you afraid they will hurt your kids?” to “Oh, how awesome! Do you breed and can I get one of your puppies?”. (Truth be told, I absolutely hate both of those example questions, but I get them both all too frequently!)
I filter through the questions now like a pro. I almost have to at this point since Luna will be nine years old in a few short weeks. I stay honest and try to keep my answers to the point and void of emotion. Why do I do that? Well, let’s face it…we all love our dogs, but people who own pit bulls need to realize that the breed has developed a bit of a problem because of its popularity and because of that popularity there and the problems associated with it, there are people who abhor the breed with a passion. There are far too many hands in the cookie jar when it comes to these dogs – breeder, rescuer, and pet owner…we all play a part in the problem and we need to play a part in the solution.
The question that I get asked the most is one that still makes me think long and hard on an answer for. Well, I’ll start with the tale of the first time I was asked the infamous question, “Why did you pick the pit bull as your breed of choice?”
We were at the Novi Pet Expo and Ryker was just a youngster at the time. We’d gotten him one of the silly clown collars to wear to keep him occupied trying to capture and also to look bloody cute. He succeeded at the latter, but not so much the former. While he was busy rolling around on the ground and looking like a nerd we had woman came up to our booth and looked over the pseudo barriers at the silly looking puppy rolling around on the floor. She had scars all over her arms and a couple on her face and she was apprehensive near the dogs.
She asked me that fateful question after relaxing a bit realizing neither Luna nor Ryker had even the slightest bit of bad body language toward her. I don’t remember exactly how I answered her in a way that made her feel comfortable telling me she had been attacked by one nearly three years prior by a dog that looked similar to the wiggling, brindle idiot on the floor next to me. It made me sad and angry knowing these facts – going through all of that by a breed I love and cherish. This woman, through all of this, didn’t hate the breed. She blamed the dog that did it and the owner…not the breed as a whole. She was still rightfully scared of them but not so much that she asked to pet Ryker who willingly threw himself at her and presented his belly.
It was truly an eye opener that despite all of the bad examples showing up in the newspaper nearly every single day that there is still reason to work to salvation the breed’s reputation. Now, to get back on the topic since I rambled off a bit. Why did I pick the pit bull as my breed of choice?
To this day, I can honestly say that I never pictured myself owning the breed. They weren’t even on my radar.
I saw myself owning a Malamute or a Siberian Husky truthfully. Those two breeds reminded me of wolves and the closer to my favorite totem animal and I drooled over having one. I realized that I was absolutely out of my mind after doing research on both breeds that neither was suited for me or my lifestyle.
My first on-my-own, real experience with a pit bull in my adult life made me fall head over heels for the breed. Angel was a deaf, solid white girl with bright green eyes. She needed a place to rest and heal before being placed and I was apparently the ‘perfect’ place. I didn’t know she was a pit bull at first and once I found out I was enthralled and, admittedly, a little scared at the time. She wasn’t with me long but I knew at that time I found my breed. The stability, the temperament, the energy level, the avenues I could pursue with them was endless like my imagination. I couldn’t stop thinking of all the things I could do with my very own pit bull.
Sure, I knew the horror stories about the baby killers and people maulers. I also knew the realities in the breed. These dogs are NOT for everyone and they have their flaws – like the fact that a good portion of these dogs do not prefer the company of other canines or small and fuzzy creatures. Let’s face the facts – these dogs ultimately became the best dog-on-dog combat animals bred by man, but that same selective breeding allowed for human stability unmatched – when properly selected FOR that temperament.
That being said, there are far too many people that I see and hear about with these dogs that makes me want to cringe. They don’t deserve these dogs. Only about 60% of those who own, breed or rescue these dogs need to be doing that in my opinion. That number may be higher or lower, but far too many people get these dogs as an ego extension and don’t realize the hard work that goes into making a good bully breed ambassador.
There is far too much greed in breeders (not all, but many). Sadly, it isn’t just the BYBs trying to make a living. Some ‘responsible’ and well known breeders have fallen off the wagon by producing too many or subpar dogs. They have put aside health testing or even titling their dogs. It’s a shame really because people should look at the ethics of a responsible breeder and know they truly want to improve and help the breed and not just keep reproducing the same crap over and over again.
Many rescuers are just as guilty as the breeders they abhor. I’m sure everyone has heard the same mantra: ‘Don’t Breed or Buy While Shelter Animals Die’. The want to believe that the ‘No Kill’ philosophy means saving every animal that graces their doors. The reality is so much more different that it’s sad.
Since the ‘No Kill’ philosophy is based on saving animals that are adoptable dogs that are shy, fearful, aggressive toward people or children, unmanaged aggression toward other animals (the kind of unmanaged that may mean a re-direct or inability to change the dog’s direction through focusing on something other than the other animal/dog) shouldn’t be on the list considered adoptable – especially with pit bulls and their mixes.
Many rescuers see a sad face and want to save the animal, but the reality is that if it isn’t safe, is scared to death of the world around it (which may likely mean a fear biter) or too sick to treat, the kindest option is humane euthanization. It sucks, but rescuers are the cleanup crew for the stupid pet owners and of the world and they need to be strong and save only the best knowing that stable dog may die if they save the dog cowering in the back of the kennel.
Pet owners are the final problem and in many cases, the biggest one. Far too many people go out and get a dog and don’t research the breed and this isn’t any different for new pit bull owners. They go to the pound a local rescue group or even a breeder and expect this magical creature that they’ve been told about only to learn that there is a lot of work that goes into these dogs – training, socialization, exercise, etc. – and more often than not, it causes new owners to get into a bit of trouble for their lack of research (or sometimes media reaching trouble if they didn’t pick out a stable dog).
This isn’t to say that there aren’t pet owners who don’t do a ton of research and many who do some research but learn and continue to grow over time (I can name a good many I know who continue to learn and grow even after minimal research), however the alarming number of media stories happening because of a ‘pit bull attack’ needs to stop and until people face the realization that the pit bull might not be for them then we’ll continue to have this issue.
I am no expert in the breed and I’m continually learning, reading and schooling myself to better the lives of my dogs, however I ultimately chose this breed because I wanted a dog that could do everything (and researched, and researched…and researched some more) – a phenomenal sport dog and family companion. I’ve succeeded with the dogs I have now and gone above and beyond my expectations and work to set new goals and tasks to keep their minds busy and me learning new things and couldn’t ask for a better breed for my lifestyle and what I want to accomplish in life.
Public Service Announcement [to all who think I’m hating on these dogs or those who hate these dogs]: I am pro-APBT, but I am also pro-reality and pro-responsibility. I am all for promoting these dogs in a positive light, but unfortunately, there are individuals who are doing more damage than good even with their angelic intentions.
There has been an incredible rise in the popularity of pit bull-type dogs as service animals for individuals with physical or mental impairments. The rise has been so drastic that it has caught the attention of anti-bully breed aficionados as well. Is this rise in popularity for the good and betterment of the breed? Personally, I’m really for it and I own and utilize an APBT for this very purpose and have done so for nearly seven years now (not a very common fact to many people unless they know me personally as I’m not always keen on talking about it).
The APBT and other cross breeds and commonly labeled ‘pit bull’ breeds are in a league of their own. They are loyal, hard working dogs. They have all of the qualities and then some that would make them phenomenal service dogs for a variety of uses. They do, however, have their downfalls. It is, unfortunately, one of the biggest things that pro-APBT service dog people would rather be swept under the carpet to continue to promote this breed.
Now, I’m not saying that these downfalls lessen the ability of these dogs to do work, but it requires that the person searching for the dog in question be realistic in realizing that breed traits may not always surface until the dog is well on the way to being trained and have to ‘change careers’ and retire from being a potential service dog. Not all dogs are meant to be service dog material and this is definitely not the exception for pit bulls either.
One of my own personal reasons for being concerned for this breed’s rise in popularity in the service dog industry is that people are using this label to escape the consequences of having a banned breed in a BSL-ridden area. Some of these dogs aren’t being properly evaluated for the actual work being done, are being taught basic manners to respond in public and are not extensively worked specifically for servicing a disabled handler and for people to continually do this is a shame for the service dog community. Service dogs are supposed to be held to the highest level of responsibility and having a breed that doesn’t have the most phenomenal reputation means you take that reputation and double it.
Ultimately, finding a pit bull-type dog that has all the aptitudes necessary for being a quality service animal is a rare find (and I know this from personal experience as my partner is going to be nine and we’ve finally branched out into looking at other breeds if we cannot find another pit bull-type dog). Does it mean they’re not out there? Absolutely not. They could be sitting in your local shelter or be the product of a responsibly bred litter. The main thing is, don’t get a pit bull to be a service dog because the dog ‘looks cool’ or whatever reason you want that is more ego-based than reason-based. When looking for a service dog, get a breed that fulfills your needs for independence and quality of life.
**Warning: Post gets incredibly vivid on descriptions and may not sit well with sensitive stomachs.**
You never know how your life is going to change when you get involved in what I affectionately call “the Dog World.” Little did I know what lay in store for me getting into showing and (quite possibly) breeding purebred dogs. The trials and the tribulations involved in having intact animals in my home and the quandaries associated with them. Such was the case just a little over two weeks ago when what I thought was going to be a routine vet visit for a urinary tract infection or bladder infection on my darling little pistol, Lyric, turned out to be so much more.
I took Lyric to my phenomenal vet, Hoover Road Animal Hospital, on Tuesday, March 6th. She’d urinated in her crate three times in the span of about an hour and a half. [Note: We crate and rotate due to compatibility issues with a couple of the dogs – makes life simpler when they’re not crabbing at one another and it was another dog’s turn.] The first time she did it, I wasn’t incredibly concerned because she’s always been a dirty dog and not had a problem urinating in her crate but after the 2nd (and eventual 3rd that happened not even 20 minutes after changing out her blankets and cleaning out her crate one more time!) I was incredibly alarmed. The first time, her urine smelled fine. It smelled like normal dog pee (yes, I know…weirdo knows what their dog’s urine smells like) but the final two times before we made the end of day trip to see our vet, her urine smelled off. Pungent and almost infection-smelling – but it wasn’t watery, it was heavily concentrated. Quite honestly, it was gross smelling and I had a hard time handling the smell. (It quickly became one of a handful of smells I can’t stand and almost make me want to vomit.)
Doc took her temperature and it was incredibly high – like concernedly high. He gave her a fever reducing injection and we talked about our options. Since she’d urinated on their floor, she had no more urine left to give a sample, but he didn’t want to send us home without starting her on antibiotics simple because we couldn’t run an analysis. So, armed with a prescription for cephalexin we went home. There was concern that it wasn’t a bladder infection or UTI but I was told to come back if there were any changes – unfortunately, those concerns became incredibly valid not even 24 hours later.
We started her immediately on the medications after picking them up from the pharmacy (Yay for $4 generic prescriptions at Kroger for dogs now!). The following afternoon when we’d come home from work, I took her out on our potty run (we couldn’t see anything that morning since we leave for work at 4am most days) and she was oozing pus out of her vulva. We made the call to get her back in immediately and an eternity later and a bazillion worrying tests later (okay, so it wasn’t that many, but I never felt so worried in my life over this little hellhound) the determination was pyometra and the fix was an emergency spay.
My life and hers changed so quickly. Never would we have expected to have her show career cut off at the knees by Mother Nature, but I’m glad I still have my girl and she’s safe and sound and on the road to recovery. While Mother Nature had other plans for her, forcing us to drastically change ours, it also opened up so many more opportunities that wouldn’t have existed prior to that.
It is really true that when one door closes, another opens. I’m eternally grateful to everyone who has been so supportive of her and me during this entire ordeal. I would never wish this on anyone in a lifetime – it has become one of the scariest things I’ve gone through since making the decision to maintain intact dogs – and since we’ve had to walk through a new door and onto a new path in life we walk with uncertainty in our plans ahead but keeping in mind that we have each other and hundreds of new things to try, train, and excel at and a gratefulness that my little demon princess was not ripped from my arms and taken across the Rainbow Bridge before she’d had time to finish her reign of terrier terror on this plane. I ultimately learned to never distrust my senses in knowing that there wasn’t something quite right with my dog and her behaviors and am blessed to have such a phenomenal bond with her and the rest of the Wolf Moon pack.
To many, many more years of learning and living together, Lyric. I love you with all of my heart and while we may walk a new path, we will do it together into eternity.
Over the years I have been told that I need to get rid of my dogs to benefit my life. “take them to a shelter” or “sell them” have been the two phrases I’ve heard the most – and the most recent from a co-worker who has a dog and is facing the same work transfer as I am. Rehome? Sell? Give away? What are these terms to a person who is dedicated to a life with dogs? They’re meaningless drivel that holds no place in my heart, that’s for sure. I see the aftermath of people who bought into those phrases – like the 15 year old APBT, Big Boy, sitting in a shelter because his owners didn’t want him any more when he should be living a life of ease in his golden years.
The last nine years that I’ve dedicated my time, energy and money to my dogs – and the many years prior to rescuing and saving those who could not help themselves – I have received unlimited and unbridled love and loyalty. They have never looked upon me and said cruel words. They have never cared what I looked like and have never passed judgment on any stranger they met – those were always new friends they just hadn’t met. I’ve been blessed with countless hours, days, minutes and years of pure emotion and adoration. I wouldn’t change any of this for the world.
If I added up the countless hours and dollars I’ve spent chasing the dreams I had with my loyal, hard-working dogs I could probably be living a life of ease in a nice home free of dog hair, nose art, slobber and other canine delights. Would I? Absolutely not! While I may not be living this proverbial life of ease I have my wonderful companions. They don’t care if I have the newest iPhone or wear clothing from a thrift store, Walmart or Macy’s. As long as there is food in their bowl, a place on my bed and a place in my heart they are content.
My life has gone to the dogs and I’m loving every minute of it.
It’s official. Winter has set in in some places or it did a little bit yesterday. We’re back up to 45° again today for some reason. Mother Nature really can’t decide on what she wants to do. The dogs were glad for a bit of romp time in the chilly weather, though and I was able to take some fun photos of the kiddos in the snow. Enjoy!
