Thinking Out Loud

Because Mommy and I have seen a LOT of people looking for new dogs, giving up their dogs (any pet really) lately on our county FB group... some thoughts have been brewing. So putting them to the internet for safekeeping ;)

When considering bringing a new pet into your home, there are many things you MUST take into consideration.

1. While you be able to keep this animal for it's ENTIRE lifetime.

Entire lifetime of whichever pet could last up to 15 or more years. Please consider that giving your animal away will cause the pet distress, anxiety, and grief. If you give a pet away because you are
A. Expecting/Just had a new baby
B. Are moving
or
C. Anything other than your own life-threatening illness, disability, or sudden loss of ability to walk, feed, and care for you pet

then just know-- the rest of us DO NOT understand, and we likely think you are scum. You brought the animal into your home to be part of the family. If you wouldn't leave behind your human child when moving or give your new baby up for adoption because you wouldn't have time for it-- then why is it okay to do so with a dog?
  Saying that you "did not expect" your puppy to grow up into a large dog really just makes you look ignorant . Really? You didn't expect your German Shepherd puppy to grow into a 70+ pound dog? If you can't handle a larger dog, there are PLENTY of smaller breeds out there.
  Cats have a need to claw things. If you think your couch/drapes/chairs are more important-- then PLEASE, do not get a cat. If you have an aversion to scooping litter, do not get a cat.

Allergies do not just go away-- don't get a pet if you or anyone that lives in your home is allergic to that type of animal. Medicines will not make it go away, and you are just setting yourself and the pet up for forever home failure.
Pets are EXPENSIVE. Please look into vets, cost of food, and other pet-related expenses. Accidents happen as well-- pets get sick, need medicine or extra care. Being prepared is part of responsible pet ownership, especially if you are getting a puppy! Having extra money set aside for puppy illnesses and accidents is a GREAT idea, because you want to be sure you have that cushion to fall back on just in case.

2. Picking a pet based on looks is a horrible idea. You might think you want a.... Husky, for example. But most Huskys are escape artists, prey driven, and they shed a whole awful lot! Please look into whatever pet you want to get, do some research, talk to other owners. Honestly, we never thought about owning a Mini Poodle in this household... but after some researching, we found that Bruce is pretty much perfect for our family! You know what kind of dog I can admit Mommy can't handle? The answer might surprise you! Jack Russell Terrier! Surprised? ;) Even though they are a small dog, Mommy can't handle them. A GREAT way to determine whether you can handle a breed is to physically lay hands on one and spend time with it. Again, talking to other owners of the breed will be a great help, regardless-- because they live with one, they know the ins and outs, and can give you an honest look into what it's like to own one.

:) That's all for now.

Just A Little Rant...

     A lot of people in our county have been on our pet rehoming group lately. A lot of them are looking for Pit Bull puppies. Mommy really has to bite her tongue, because honestly, most of the "Pit Bull" puppies that end up on that site are deliberately bred, do not have papers, are not worked, just ARE NOT WORTHY OF BEING BRED. We see a lot of "Purebred Red Nose", "Purebred Blue Nose", etc... even if the puppies do not have that color nose.... ugh. I'm going to address a few things that really irritate me here.
   I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret. Red/Blue/Black...those are just colors. They are not lines, separate breeds, or anything special. Red nosed dogs have red noses, blue nosed dogs have blue noses. I have a black nose! So? It doesn't make me a different breed than.... any red nosed Pit Bull. Or blue nosed for that matter. 
   Also, "UKC PR" doesn't mean anything very special either. UKC registered, Purple Ribbon. The purple ribbon status means that the dogs comes from registered stock that has been registered for a certain amount of generations. But it doesn't necessarily guarantee that you are getting a true Pit Bull either. The UKC dogs are bred as show dogs, and are generally Pitterstaff crosses or American Bullies that have been dual- registered with two registries.  
   Did you know that the average size for APBT's is 35-60 pounds? We aren't large dogs. APBT's generally do not have a lot of bulky muscle, big heads, or weigh all that much. We're slim, sleekly muscled, average sized dogs. If you see someone bragging about head size, weight, stuff like that... chances are, they either have a mutt or an American Bully and were told it was an APBT. The UKC still registers Am Bully's as APBT's! 
   APBT's are working dogs. We excel at many sports, including--but not limited to-- agility, dock diving, weight pull, and Frisbee. We also can make wonderful running companions... but we have a lot of energy that NEEDS to be worked out. We need physical stimulation, as well as mental stimulation. While every dog is an individual... most APBT's are NOT couch potatoes, and cannot be happy without plenty of exercise, both for our bodies and minds. Once our needs for stimulation have been met, we will happily collapse on the sofa and cuddle or snooze! 
  Too many people seem to be pushing this generality that "Pit Bulls" are just like any other dog. To me, this is so silly, I can not even begin to understand the meaning behind it. No breed of dog is the same as another. *I* would not be a good herding dog, while my sister Jezabel would not be a good dock diving dog! Caesar (RIP) would not have been a good match to be a Therapy Dog. Brucie is too soft to be a hunting dog! No breed is the same. It's like comparing apples and oranges... yes, they are both fruit....but they do not have the same flavor or texture. The same goes for dogs. Each breed has it's own specific physical and personality traits, and within that...each dog has it's own unique quirks and personality. To me, generalizing a breed like this would be the same as saying that EVERY breed is a good match for every family.... which I'm sure we can all agree is not true by any stretch of the imagination. :) 
   Research is necessary before you bring any dog into your home. Spur of the moment decisions happen-- I totally get that, BOL! I was a spur of the moment decision for Mommy and Daddy. But they came home, did a ton of research and have worked hard to make sure I get all of the stimulation and exercise I need to keep me happy. The research really never ends, because Mommy and Daddy have already decided that another Pit Bull is in their future (at some point wayyy into the future!). But it's really something that upsets us... seeing people bring a dog into their home and then want to give it up because of something that is NORMAL for the breed. Like shedding in a German Shepherd. (We called Caesar a "German Shedder") Or dog aggression in a Pit Bull.... or herding behaviors in a Border Collie. 
   Okay, I think I have ranted enough for now, haha :)
/end rant

Sometimes, I am just as clueless as Mommy....

Well, now I've gone and done it. 
Of all the things for me to forget, this was one I could have sworn I'd never do! Well, not so much FORGET, as overshot the date, but the fact remains that I missed my boyfriends Barkday. What a horrible girlfriend I am. 
Did you even know I have a boyfriend? We tend to keep it low key-- we aren't super sappy like some Facebook couples. So it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't know I have a boyfriend. I should tell you all about him then, shouldn't I? 
If you haven't met him, you should! He's got a great sense of humor, good looks, and he can be quite the romantic! 
You can see his page here: 
Charm's BOL Of The Day 


Here is a picture of my happy Heeler man: 

Isn't he just the most handsome??? And those eyes??? *Swoon!* 

He's tall, dark, and handsome-- just my type! 

For our first date, we went to a nice park and had fun running, swimming, and barking with each other. Ahhh, the good old days, when Facebook was not quite so hard to deal with! 

You should definitely meet him-- he makes me happy :) He would make you happy too! <3

Social Media!

Hey y'all! So most of you will have seen now that I have a Google+ account in addition to my Dogster profile, Facebook profile, and the forums Mommy belongs to. Don't worry, I have no plans to leave Facebook-- I just like being able to stay in touch all over and keep up with everypawdy! If you would like to follow along on all the media that we are on here are links!
Facebook: Facebook
Dogster: Dogster!
Beast Boards Forum: Beast Boards
Gopitbull Forum: Gopitbull
Google+: Google+

Again-- I am NOT leaving Facebook!! I just like being able to have multiple places for people to keep in touch.
Anywho... in other news.
My new sister came home on June 3rd at midnight, BOL! She has been doing really well, and she is getting used to being here with us. She is a sweetheart-- unless you mess with her when she wants to be alone ;)
She chases Mommy around, but if I try to play with her, she is NOT having any of it! But I don't mind! I love her anyways!

What a couple of months. Ugh.

Well, these past couple of months have....sucked. I lost my big brother to cancer unexpectedly, then lost my baby sister to a heart defect unexpectedly.
So, yeah... it's been rough. I am doing my best to keep Mommy and Daddy happy, and Bruce is a comfort too! It's been a crazy couple of months... but we're holding on.
I have been working out a lot lately.. being outside is easier for Mommy then being inside and seeing all the places Caesar and Mei Li liked to sleep, play, and snuggle. SO outside we go! We tug, and run, and I chase Bruce, let him chase me... OMD it's so much fun! We also are working on my commands with hand signals. I already know sit, come, up, down, and kiss with signals!! We are working on "stay" now. It's going.... slowly BOL!
I also have developed a passion for peanut butter. ANY thing with peanut butter, I smell it a mile away and will zoooooooom over and sit pretty to beg for it! :D
I also stole an almost empty jar of peanut butter from the trash and cleaned it out! BOL!

In other news... well... ya'll know it all. :)

My Favorite Things!

My top ten favorite things!
(These are in no particular order!)

1. Ropie toys!

2. Running! 

3. My Brother and Sister!

4. Eating!

5. My super handsome boyfriend, Charm!

6. My Facebook friends! 

7. My Marilyn!

8. My kitties!

9. My MOMMY!

10. Antlers!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!
This is a great Easter song, by the way: 

Hmmm.... what about...
"Here comes Keira Cottontail, bouncing down the Pitty trail. Hip-Pitty Hop-Pitty, Easter's on it's way!" BOL!
Have a safe and happy Easter everybody!

Ahhh, vacation!

 Mommy and Daddy decided we couldn't afford our trip to Florida after all, seeing as we had some surprise vet bills the last couple of months. Between Caesar's final costs, and the puppies' vet bills....well, money was a bit more tight than we had expected for Spring Break. The humans went to the Georgia Aquarium, and the next day, the REAL fun started! 
    We went down to my buddy Moki's house for two WHOLE DAYS! OMD it was sooo much fun! There were lots of doggies there for me to meet! These are all the doggies that were there: 

                                                                         Sadie

Moki

Dakota

Pimp C

And itty bitty
Dewey

There was also another girl doggy named Anna, but she usually doesn't like other doggies, so she stayed in the house or in the backyard where we could still be separated. 

    Moki and I had a few zoomies, but she is a very serious girl! I adored her though, and she seemed to like me a whole lot too! Actually, the whole family is just amazing, and I think a few hearts were won on both sides. Mommy is in love with Moki and Dewey, Daddy had a bigggg soft spot for Moki, Brianna fell head over heels for Dakota, and Jack ignored all the dogs, but kind of liked Pimp C.
    Moki's Daddy fell in love with little Mei Li. She is such a prissy little princess... but Moki's Mommy told my Mommy that Moki's Daddy said he wants a Shih Tzu now, BOL! (He can't have Mei Mei!! Mommy would DIEEEEEEE!) 

    The first day was awesome, but the next day was even better! Moki and I got to meet our friend Ripley... and would you believe that she and Sadie are all but twins?! I kid you not, they look JUST alike! Look!

Ripley is the one in the back! (In case you couldn't tell!) All in all, a very satisfactory trip! I can't wait to do it again!!

 

Breedism is Alive and Well

Yesterday, Mommy was added to a group about dogs. She posted a few pictures, including this one of me with the babies:

Today, on that post she got this comment: 

She was defended by a friend, and then she responded with: 

We thought it would have been over with that, but sadly... no. This was the next installment:

Mommy even showed her how sweet I was with a picture of my and Marilyn! She commented "And??" on the picture. Sadly, a lot of people seem to feel this way about my breed. Since "Miss Genius" (as I am now referring to her) wanted to bring up statistics, that's what I'm going to address.
Since most dogs that bite can not be correctly identified, making up statistics for "dogs that bite" is pretty much impossible. Most people can not correctly identify more than a handful of breeds. Even some mixed breeds (like some of y'all on the Pet Pages) look like some breeds and are actually other breeds entirely!
Here are some statistics I feel comfortable slinging around.
According to the American Temperament Test Society:
As of March 2012, the following well-known breeds scored as follows:
American Pit Bull Terrier: 86.8%
Golden Retriever: 85.2%
Shih Tzu: 76.2%
Yorkshire Terrier: 82.5%

As far as bite statistics, there is no perfect measurement of which breed bites more. The CDC has this plainly stated on their website:
" A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998 ). It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill. "
It can be read here: CDC Dog Bite Fact Sheet

It is sad in this day and age, with so much information available, that someone would still believe these outdated and obviously false ideas. How often do you see a "Killer" dog running around?
Just really needed to get this off my chest. Thanks for reading!

Puppies! AHHHHHH!

Ohhh my DOG. Puppies are fun, but SUCH hard work! I'm not saying that I don't enjoy having my babies here, but they keep trying to trip Mommy, and they chew on my ears. (Hmmph!) 
Oh well, they are super cute! 


We are working really hard on the sit and stay commands right now, because those silly babies run ALL over the place! Brucie does really well at sit, and even does it on his own if Mommy is preparing our food or if he thinks he will get a treat. Mei Li is smaller and younger so she still forgets, BOL! She knows that if Mommy is holding a treat though, and she plants her little booty on the floor! :) 

I'm telling you though-- little puppies are hard work! Mommy said I was much easier... although that is probably because I was an only puppy ;)
She also said that I am a good Mama to the babies. I let them beat up on me and I grin while they do it. I can't get enough of Brucie's playful wrestling and Mei Li's nuzzles! What can I say? I was born to adopt babies! First my Marilyn, now the babies! 

Day 14

Today is Day 14. I wasn't even thinking about Caesar, and then it hit us all... 2 weeks. The time has been rough, bittersweet, and has shown us that we can and will rise up and keep going.
  As his sister though, I feel a little ashamed that the video, the LAST video of Caesar was mainly focused on me. But Mommy couldn't have known that 2 days later he would be leaving us. He was so happy!

But life has kept going, and Brucie has been keeping me on my toes! I think Caesar would like him. He's very like Caesar in personality, like a tiny, extra fluffy version. Without the dog aggression, of course. Mommy is working hard on training him and making him learn to be a good doggy, like she did with me! He knows to sit when he is waiting for his food, and he will sit for a treat, but he gets crazy excited sometimes and has a hard time focusing.
   All in good time. :)

On another note, Mommy got a package yesterday from my boyfriend's Mom. It was so perfect, so thoughtful....Mommy cried a little bit. We want to share it with you all.

They are so perfect. Mommy hasn't decided where to put them yet, but they will be together.
Thanks for reading!

Had to collect my thoughts...

    I wanted to post a few days ago, but I couldn't put all of my thoughts together coherently. We forgot how much WORK new puppies are! We were also still working through the absence of our 100 pound love, Caesar.  Sometimes it still hits Mommy in the heart, and the pain of the hole in our home is palpable.  The little yaps and squeaks from my new brother are a far cry from the deep, from the diaphragm full fledged ROARS that came from Caesar. The growls that sounded like they came from a lion rather than a dog... It's a big change, but we're getting used to it. 
    So by now, I'm assuming that those of you reading this also follow me on Facebook. If you don't then you have't heard our news! Well, I have a baby brother! You want the story? BOL! I bet you do!
    Well, Mommy and Daddy (mostly Mommy) decided that sitting around crying over Caesar wasn't doing any of us much good, and since we had ALL that love just wasting away, that we should adopt a new furbaby. Mommy lives by this rule: Everything will work out. Maybe not the way you planned it, but it will. Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes the reason surprises you. 
    Daddy laid some ground rules. Nothing over 3 years old, nothing over 25 pounds-ish fully grown, and preferably male. It didn't HAVE to be male, but he would prefer it. They went on Monday, March 12th to not one, but TWO shelters. There was nothing to Daddy's specifications. They gave up for the day, and went to lunch. 
   But fate had something in store!


   At lunch, they ran into Mommy's former co-worker who:
A. Had heard about Caesar.
B. Had puppies from an accidental litter, that were in our size range even fully grown.
C. Offered us a free puppy.


The other weird factoid was that the puppies turned 8 weeks old on the day Caesar had to be put to sleep. They agreed to meet the puppies. Well, Daddy has never been a fan of Poodles, and these puppies were purebred (unpapered-- remember, oops litter!) Miniature Poodles. Mommy felt for sure that Daddy would say no. But one pup of the 3 decided that Daddy looked like a good bed. He toddled over and climbed right up and fell fast asleep. Daddy spent a while just staring at him before even petting him. When he finally put his hand on him, it was love. Pure and unadulterated LOVE.
   You had better believe that we couldn't leave without that puppy! We took him straight to Petsmart for a bath and trim (Well, Mommy did... Daddy went to pick up Brianna at school!) and called the vet to tell them about the new puppy! 
   Brianna was pleasantly surprised when she, Daddy, and Jack came back to get Mommy and.... OMD Mommy was holding a PUPPY! A POODLE puppy! Brianna has long fantasized about having a Poodle, it's her favorite breed of dog, and she just adores them. She held him all the way home, well sort of BOL! He slept next to her! 

    He's a rascally little guy though! When I finally met him, he grrrr'd at me and bit me a whole lot. We figure he was probably only around his siblings and his Mama, and she was a whole lot smaller than I am, so he was probably reacting out of fear. I took it like a champ though, I let him bite me without even a whimper, and I ignored his grrrs and barks. (Even though he really DOES sound like a squeaky toy) 

       See the biting? Mommy said I was suchhhh a good girl for not reacting! I want to be his Mommy soooo bad, like I am with Marilyn, but to be honest...he would much rather have a person Mommy than me. So I let Mommy and Daddy do all the parenting, and I get the fun stuff. Mommy said I do need to be a little more gentle, I try to wrestle... and even though he likes it, Mommy is worried he'll get hurt. Mostly we play tag. I chase him, then he chases me. It's a pretty funny sight, seeing me run away from a teeny Poodle puppy...  but I like it! 
   All in all, it's been a good week. Brucie is fitting in well. I'm happy. Family is happy. And Caesar should be coming home soon (his ashes). I think it will be easier when he's back with us.

Until next time... MWAH! Love and Pibble kisses to you all!

Rest In Peace Caesar

On June 9th, 2011 Mommy was browsing Craigslist. She ran across an ad that was for a German Shepherd Free to Good Home. She felt compelled to email the owner and see why he was giving his dog up, and see what she could do to help. Needless to say, Caesar desperately needed a home, or he was going to the shelter. Mommy and Daddy took me with them a couple of hours later to get him. The plan was to foster him before they met him, but they fell in love.
This was the picture they saw of him before they adopted him:

I was happy to accept him, and from that first night, we were inseparable.

Oh Caesar.... 8 months to the day. That's how long you were with us. I just hope it was long enough for you to know just how MUCH we all love you. And love you, we did. All your mannerisms, your quirks, we're going to miss them all. Especially your famous break-your-neck head tilt. Oh gosh, how we're going to miss that. 
But above all, remember how much your boy loved you. You had so many adventures together. He is going to miss you, and when he gets sad, I promise to kiss away his tears, and snuggle him for you. It won't be the same, but hopefully it will help. 

One day, I know I will have a new brother or sister.... they won't be my big ol' clumsy Sheppy Bear brother, but I know you will guide us to the right one. Stay close to Daddy, he wasn't ready to let go.
None of us were.

I love you Caesar. Run free at the Bridge, buddy.

Hamster or Puppy? I leave that decision to you!

See, a couple of months ago Mommy brought home this box. The box made whispery sounds that just freaked me out. THEN she put together this crate. The crate is red and has this odd round thing in it that squeaks. She took a squeaky out of the box (No offense Marilyn, you did look like a squeaky.) and put it in the cage. THEN Mommy put that crate in her room and shut the door. 24 agonizing hours later, she put the crate on the couch and told me to say hi. 


Excuse me crazy lady, I do NOT talk to toys.... much. O_o
Well, it went something like this: 

Okay, okay. I admit it. The little squeaky didn't much look like a squeaky after I saw it move. But I wanted a closer look!
"Not today, Baby", said Mommy. 

Well, the next day, Mommy held her (Her= Miss Marilyn Le Hamster.... y'know, if you hadn't figured that out already)

Anyways, Mommy held her in her hand and let me smell her. 

Pretty apparent there that I wasn't going to eat her ;)
What can I say? I have a pretty strong Mommy instinct. And Miss Marilyn was my first victim.
Over the next few days, it became apparent that I was most certainly NOT going to get tired of playing with Mar. I demanded my time with her every night. 

Since that first day in January, until now, I have played with Marilyn almost every single day. She doesn't run FROM me, she runs TOWARD me. It makes me all warm and fuzzy-wuzzy inside! 

I have decided that since I can't have any babies of my own (Thank you, super-responsible Mommy and Daddy!) that I will adopt Marilyn (and any other critter I can get my paws on, and mother them with all the love I have to give!

So here is my promise to Marilyn.

Dear Marilyn, 

     I may not be the one who gave birth to you, but I want to be your Mommy. I promise to love you, groom you, style your fur using my precious Pibble slobber, and allow you to walk all over me. I know I will outlive you, but I think it would totally be okay, since I will tell EVERYONE who will listen about the super-awesome hamster that loved a Pit Bull. Deal?
Love,
   Mama Pibble

So I think we should just forget she's a hamster. She's braver than ANY hamster I know of. 

Honorary Pit Bull?
Yes, I think so.

Til next time, my lovies! MWAH!

All the love and Pibble kisses in the world to you!

Just Over A Year!

I have been with my family for just over a year now!
It's kind of crazy how time flies by. March 4th, 2011 at roughly 1:30 PM marked the arrival of me in my new home. My only home! MY FOREVER HOME!

It seems like it was just yesterday, and now Mommy is a little nostalgic. I was a pretty tiny puppy, only 8 pounds. Now I weigh a full 55 pounds, and I am 21 inches tall. Since I came to my family (which included Mommy, Daddy, the 2 kiddos, POE, and Mav), our family has grown. We now have (in addition to the ones already listed), Willow, Marilyn, & Caesar! Our little family grew into a zoo! 


I am primarily a Princess. Mommy dotes on me, Daddy tells her she spoils me, and then he dotes on me too. I can't help being this cute! I like to run and play, especially play! Tug of war is my favorite game, but I am always ready for a good game of fetch! 


Snuggling is probably my second favorite. If I had a motto, it would probably be [PIBBLE KISSES!!!] because I can't hold my licker! ;)



My favorite food is probably chicken, but I will happily eat anything Mommy puts in front of me. 


I share my adopted hammie baby with Mommy, but Miss Marilyn Le Hamster is MINE! There, now there is a written evidence that I said that! MINE!!!


I share almost anything I have willingly (But I really don't like sharing my Ropey toys much)... 


I love to meet new people, new doggies, cats, hamsters...well, just everyone! :D


Now I am facing another year with my family and I have to say, it's pretty much awesome to think that I went from being an unwanted puppy to being the cherished-super awesome-happy baby- did I mention awesome?- Pit Bull that I am today! Defying stereotypes, educating the public, and raising awareness through my Facebook Page and meeting random people in my area. 


We are taking a vacation to Florida this April, and if you live in the Jacksonville area or St. Augustine area, we would be happy to meet you! Obviously the whole family cannot come-- kitties are going to be babysat, Caesar is being boarded, and Marilyn is being babysat. But I AM COMING! YAYYYYY! 



I would also just like to say:
I LOVE MY FANS!!!