Video du Jour

For more about Stella's story, see:
http://caspca.blogspot.com/2011/12/her-spca-given-name-was-stella.html

For a fantastic article that'll help you think clearly through the hysteria and sensationalism that surrounds pit bulls, read this :
http://gardenandgun.com/article/licked-death-pit-bull

For more indepth information about life with pit bull type dogs, see :
http://badrap.org/rescue/index.html
http://animalfarmfoundation.org/

For more about the benefits of adopting an older dog, see :
http://www.srdogs.com/

Are you an artist (photographer, painter, sculptor, film maker, craftsman, etc., etc)? Know someone who is? Have a look at http://www.heartsspeak.org to see how your work can help in the fight to get shelter animals out of shelters.

Elsie the Artist

Despite surviving abandonment and breast cancer,

Elsie expresses nothing but joy in her singular pit bull art

By Tanya Turgeon, first posted on Dec. 5, 2011 and updated on Sept. 25, 2012
(Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

Elsie’s story began in a way that is, sadly, not unfamiliar for many pit bulls in New York City. In 2006, she was picked up off the streets by Animal Care and Control in Manhattan, where she quickly became the staff favorite, but also ended up on the euthanasia list as so many of pit bull type dogs do. Thankfully, they reached out on Elsie’s behalf and were able to find her a foster home before she found her forever home a few weeks later with me.

Elsie’s “mug shot” is the only clue to her first few years of her life. When they picked her up, she had obviously just given birth to a litter of puppies. Where she had them or where they ended up we’ll never know. Elsie was most likely used as a breeder dog and then simply discarded, an all too common practice.

A rough beginning has turned into a love affair. Elsie and I are best friends, roommates, couch coddlers, bed buddies, walking partners and so much more. This made it all the more devastating when in 2009, after only three years together, Elsie had a tumor removed that turned out to be breast cancer. Research has revealed that simply spaying female dogs before their first heat can prevent breast cancer completely.

Thankfully, we caught it early and a partial mastectomy has kept Elsie cancer free. In 2010, Elsie ended up with aural hematomas in both ears, and in 2011 she was diagnosed with a leiomyoma at the base of her tail – a kind of benign tumor. Although Elsie has been spirited through all of her six surgeries over the last three years, I did not fair so well. Each surgery was a brutal reminder of her mortality, and as I found myself pulled towards depression, I realized what we needed was a project, something unique to do together. It had to be something positive and fun, something that maybe we could even share with others.

With a bit of paint, a few treats and some dog shampoo standing nearby, Elsie and I decided to create art – but not just any art. We use pink paint (dog-safe, of course) to represent her breast cancer survival. Elsie uses her paws, her tail and whatever else she can get on the canvas to leave her mark as a pit bull that is so happy that she wants to share the love with everyone.

With the help of fellow pit bull lover, Leila Nelson, Elsie’s art has blossomed into a full-fledged website, Something Elsie, featuring Elsie’s art and other fun things she does as a cute, friendly and well-respected member of the community. Elsie puts a smile on the face of every single person she meets – and she meets a lot! She loves stuffed animals, sitting on laps or feet, and despite what people did to her early in her life, what she loves most is making every person feel like they are the most special person in the world. Elsie is an exquisite example of a pit bull’s strength of character marked by the ability to forgive.

Update by Tanya:
Thanks to our first appearance on StubbyDog, Elsie’s artwork has made its way to 10 different states and even across the sea to Germany! We’ve been able to make regular donations from a portion of the proceeds to the Humane Society of NY (whose amazing medical team has taken such good care of Elsie all these years at an affordable cost) and plan to also contribute to the rescue groups working tirelessly to save the lives of pit bulls from Manhattan Animal Care and Control, where Elsie originally came from and where I started volunteering this summer.

 

Elsie has acquired her own Facebook fan page where she features her new art, silly pictures of herself, and updates on her life, including surgery number seven which happened in March and resulted in the loss of a toe. But all is well and Elsie simply celebrated her three-toed foot with some new paintings showing off her now very unique paw print.

 

 

 

At 10 years old, Elsie’s hearing is a bit wonky, her naps are longer, her walks shorter, and her face whiter, but her zest for life and love for every person she meets is still going strong. Through her art she continues to promote the message that every dog deserves a warm and loving home and should never be judged by breed or appearance but by their spirit.

Together We Can Make a Big Difference

Arm yourself with accurate information and a good attitude to make every encounter a positive one

By Barbara Telesmanic (Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

Being selected to participate in the StubbyDog Elite Superhero Squad with my dog Buddy has been a dream come true for a multitude of reasons. As advocates we have an excellent opportunity to communicate to the public an accurate interpretation of pit bulls and address the discrimination their guardians face every day. It allows us an opportunity to change those stigmas and perceptions.

As a nurse working in the healthcare field, we make decisions centered on evidence-based practice (EBP). Some changes are actually super easy; for instance, did you know that something as simple as hand washing compliance by healthcare providers can eliminate 10 percent of all acquired infections, save 3 billion dollars and save 10,000 lives yearly! Simple changes can have a significant impact. On a day to day basis, pit bull owners are met with contempt, doubt and fabricated stories based on fear, hate and misinformation. Simple changes in the way we communicate our perspective can make considerable changes on how our dogs are received.

How do we change public misconception? If there is science backing our position, nationally recognized animal organizations behind us, facts disproving myths, then how and why are we still meeting such resistance? Partly because pit bull adopters are sometimes unclear of accurate information, and we are somehow apologetic with our rationale. It can be so difficult for us not to become immediately defensive when someone insults or disparages our dogs, but we need to rise above and be smarter than our naysayers. We need to create a new culture by raising the bar and communicating more effectively by imparting simple changes.

When educating the public, focus on creating an environment that negates anger, conflict, assumptions and blame; becoming defensive will only cut off the lines of communication. A positive attitude and receptive rapport will encourage an open dialogue and discourage hateful rhetoric. Don’t overreact, take a 10 second pause and perhaps say, “I’m sorry to hear that, I’d be interested in hearing why you feel that way.” This should open up an avenue for respectful communication.

 

Presenting facts and accurate statistics from reputable, highly regarded organizations has a greater impact on the receiver than passionate opinions. We need to encourage pit bull adopters to be role models, good communicators, be a positive influence on their community and inspire tolerant behaviors. Historically, as mentioned earlier, we have been prone to apologize for having pit bulls; I’ve even read that we are irresponsible for wanting “such dogs.” How we manage our response is critical if we want to create a new culture of positivism and pride. Studies show that to avoid conflict, we need to collaborate, communicate and be open-minded when defending our point. Defensive interactions decrease the opportunity to increase awareness.

 

The media has demonized these dogs for decades, so trying to undo perceptions is not easy. Together we are better. Use resources like those on StubbyDog’s resource page and know where and how people can get correct information. Become very familiar with your rebuttal and anticipate your response. Behavior impacts change. For example, if my behavior is abrasive, the impact is being tuned out and ultimately not changing minds. Accountability reduces anxiety … if you are knowledgeable, clear and offer comprehensible data, you will be better received.

The time has come for responsible pit bull adopters to be heard. Our say is just as important as anyone else’s. When talking about your dog or any pit bull-type dog, be enthusiastic, energetic and engaged. Encourage questions and open communication. Only 25 percent of what is heard will be remembered, and non-verbal cues are just as important; present yourself and your dog in a positive light. We all want to live in a safe environment – let’s help create that. By being a competent advocate you will exceed expectations and help build the next generation of pit bull leaders.

 

Please support the vision and mission of StubbyDog and its Superhero Squad by donating today and creating a “world where every pit bull has the right to a good life.”

2013 Pinups For Pitbulls Calendar Shoot

Join Celeste and her team as they photograph the cover of the Pinups For Pitbulls 2013 Calendar cover featuring founder Deirdre 'Little Darling' Franklin. For this year's annual fund-raising calendar, they chose to celebrate the human-canine bond with a tribute to the famous Saturday Evening Post covers by Norman Rockwell.

The 2013 calendar features 16 stunning photos by Celeste Giuliano Photography and all the proceeds support Pinups for Pitbulls. To purchase a calendar or learn more about Pinups for Pitbulls, please visit: www.pinupsforpitbulls.org

Become a fan of Celeste Giuliano Photography: www.facebook.com/celestegiulianophotography

BSL: Which Side Are You On?

You may have heard by now that Cynosport, the annual national event held by the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA), happened over the weekend. The USDAA is, according to their website, “the world’s largest independent authority for the sport of dog agility, with more than 25,000 registered competitors and more than 200 different breeds of dogs, including mix breeds.”

And yet, they chose to hold this national event in Commerce City, Colorado – a town with a breed ban (otherwise referred to as Breed Specific Legislation or BSL). They were fully aware of the ban.

It got us thinking: Why would any dog group voluntarily bring their event and therefore a ton of money, to a town that bans and kills dogs based on their physical appearance?

You’re either against BSL – and take your business elsewhere – or you support it. Choosing to hold an event in places like Commerce City is a passive way of condoning bans that are tearing families apart. There’s no free pass on this sort of choice.

So why would any dog group or animal welfare organization purposely choose to do business in an area that discriminates against dogs and their families?

It must be because they think BSL doesn’t affect them.

If that’s the case, then we’ve got some work to do.

There must be a disconnect within the dog community (and perhaps the larger animal welfare community as a whole) if large, national groups think that BSL isn’t something they need to be concerned about or take a stand against.

BSL affects us all, no matter what kind of dog we have. In fact, it affects everyone, whether or not they even own a pet.

While it’s true that BSL discriminates against certain dogs and certain owners, it does one thing across the board: BSL jeopardizes everyone’s safety equally.

BSL is not a “pit bull” dog issue. It’s not something that only affects “pit bull” dogs and their families. BSL denies all of us the opportunity to live in a safe, humane community.

So why are “pit bull” dog advocates often alone at the plate, standing up against BSL so that everyone will benefit from fair and equal policies?

Why are they the only ones boycotting events like the USDAA’s Cynosport? Where’s the group outrage?

Perhaps it’s time to get clear on how BSL fails all of us and why we all need to step up to the plate together:

• BSL is ineffective and expensive (your tax dollars are being wasted). It has never been proven to increase public safety. Learn more about how BSL fails here.

• BSL is time-consuming and nearly impossible to enforce. Animal control officers must spend time and resources seizing and destroying family dogs, based only on their physical appearances, rather than focusing their efforts on protecting the community from truly dangerous animals.

• BSL doesn’t treat all citizens equally. Every citizen deserves to be protected from ALL reckless dog owners, regardless of what kind of dog they own. BSL only targets certain breeds or breed mixes, based only on how they look and not based on how a dog actually behaves. Every dog owner should be held equally accountable.

• BSL has targeted more than 30 different breeds of dogs – from Boston Terriers and Chihuahuas to Siberian Huskies and Great Danes, plus countless mixed breed dogs. Think your dog is safe? BSL is a slippery slope and your dog might be the next victim. See what happened when one woman’s mixed breed dog was reported to be a “pit bull” dog.

• BSL and “no kill” are incompatible. Cities can’t claim to be “no kill” if a breed ban is in place. Euthanizing any dog identified as a banned breed, regardless of the dog’s individual temperament, is incompatible with the “no kill” philosophy. Forward thinking animal welfare policies don’t allow for discrimination.

• BSL creates an atmosphere of fear. Families who can’t move to other towns wind up hiding their dogs. Neighbors get the message that “those dogs” aren’t safe and look at their neighbor’s dogs differently. Myths, lies, and hype take the place of facts, truth, and personal experiences. Fear replaces logic.

• BSL perpetuates myths. BSL suggests we can accurately identify a dog’s breed based on their looks and that a dog’s breed is an accurate predictor of behavior. Science, like this analysis from the AVMA, has repeatedly shown that both of these concepts are false. We cannot accurately i.d. a dog based only on their physical appearance. And we cannot predict or assume to know how a dog will act in the future, based only on their breed.

Breed Specific Legislation fails us and our communities. Clearly, it’s not just “pit bull” dogs that benefit from putting an end to BSL. Everyone benefits when breed neutral laws, that hold ALL reckless dog owners accountable for their actions, are in place. It’s in all of our best interests to defeat BSL.

Defeating BSL makes the world a better, safer, more humane place for ALL dogs and all humans. Those of us with “pit bull” dogs can’t get there without the help and support of the wider dog community.

So all of us, especially dog lovers involved in pet related businesses, dog sporting associations, and animal welfare groups, need to take a stand against BSL and say: We want safe, humane communities and we won’t stand for or support this discrimination.

If you believe that all dogs should be treated fairly and equally, please stand with us.

Here’s how:

• Boycott towns that have BSL: don’t hold conferences, competitions, or events in these towns. Take your money to places that don’t discriminate. Money talks.

• Be informed. Know your local and state laws. Watch our presentation to better understand BSL.

• Don’t be silent. It could be your dogs next. Help us stop the cycle of discrimination now, so that no other group of dog owners ever has to take up this fight again. Join “pit bull” dog families in your town and demand fair and effective breed neutral polices. Let your policy makers know that you won’t stand for discrimination and ineffective laws that compromise everyone’s well being.

“Pit bull” dog families and advocates can’t defeat BSL without your help.

Please help us stand up for all dogs.

You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution.

To download a copy of this poster, please visit:http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/pages/Posters

 

 

 

About Animal Farm Foundation

Animal Farm Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, dedicated to securing equal treatment and opportunity for "pit bull" dogs. For more information, visit: www.animalfarmfoundation.org

 

 

 http://animalfarmfoundation.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/bsl-which-side-are-you-on/

 

 

 

“Pit Bull” Dog Families: Stepping Into the Spotlight

Earlier this week, Kelly Ripa, a popular morning talk show host, in an interview with a guest, made a comment that set the “pit bull” dog community into a minor tailspin. For those that missed the show, Ms. Ripa said to her guest, in reference to his character’s dog, “But the gangster’s dog is uh, I mean if it’s a gangster it would have to be a dangerous, uh, Pit Bull kind of dog, right?”

The blowback has been swift – the “pit bull” dog owning public does not want to be mischaracterized as a bunch of gangsters. We agree.

Ms. Ripa relied on stereotypes and myths when she made the choice to characterize the dog as a “pit bull”. The public perception continues to be that only criminals own “pit bull” dogs, despite the fact that they are the overwhelming majority of “pit bull” dogs live completely wonderfully unremarkable lives as everyday pets in everyday families. We have a lot of work to do to change the deeply ingrained stereotype that led Ms. Ripa to think otherwise.

What we’re working to help the public understand – including lawmakers – is that problematic “pit bull” dog owners, like “gangsters”, are the chronic fringe of the population of people who own dogs.

They are not the majority (not even close to it) and yet this small group has a disproportionate effect on how the dogs are perceived and treated.

The real majority is made up of everyday, average “pit bull” dog families. It’s an unremarkable bunch. They follow the law, care about their dogs well-being, want to live in safe communities, and are, overwhelmingly, just like any other dog owner.

The news cameras aren’t lining up to cover the millions of law-abiding, good neighbors and just plain boring “pit bull” dog families, but they are, WE ARE, indeed, the majority:

Banfield Pet Hospitals, the largest general veterinary practice in the world, reports that the percentage of “pit bull” dogs visiting their clinics in the U.S. has increased by 47% over the past decade. Not only are “pit bull” dogs popular, but they’re owned by people who are responsible enough to take them to the vet.

And a recent survey by Vetstreet concluded that dogs identified as “pit bulls” are one of the most popular family dogs in this country.

It’s not easy to come up with a flashy stereotype for responsible “pit bull” dog owners. There’s no hook in the mundane, everyday lives of responsible ”pit bull” dog families who hang out on the couch with their dogs. But it’s the truth.

To download this poster, please visit: http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/pages/Posters

This not-so-exciting truth needs a lot of help to be pushed back into the spotlight, in order to crowd out the fringe minority that, with their powerful stereotype and hysteria-inducing headlines, have taken center stage away from everyday families.

Which means that as “pit bull” dog advocates, we have work to do – on ourselves. We need to be mindful of the language we use when we discuss our dogs, the messages we send to our community, our behavior when we speak up in defense of our dogs, and the stereotypes we ourselves buy into.

Because, make no mistake about it, the animal welfare world relies on some of the same stereotypes that Ms. Ripa rubbed up against in her interview.

Here are a few examples:

STEREOTYPE: “Good Families Don’t Want “Pit Bull” Dogs”: We frequently hear from shelter executives who, as justification for NOT adopting out “pit bull” dogs, tell us that ”good” families don’t come to shelters to adopt ”pit bull” dogs. They tell us, over and over, that only people in “baggy pants” want to adopt “pit bull” dogs and in order to keep the dogs safe, they don’t place them for adoption or they place heavy restrictions on “pit bull” dog adoptions.

This kind of rational winds up causing damage on two levels: it’s an unfair policy that prevents good dogs the chance to go home with adopters and it sends a message to the larger community that only criminals want “pit bull” dogs. This perpetuates the stereotype and solidifies, in the minds of the public, that somethings is different about “those” dogs.

STEREOTYPE: “Our Shelter is Flooded with Unwanted “Pit Bull” Dogs”: Another way animal welfare advocates feed the stereotype is by declaring that their shelters are “flooded with unwanted pit bulls.” Once again, the message to the public is that no one wants these dogs.

While the intentions behind the statement may be good – “please adopt a pit bull!” – the message the public receives is different. It tells the average person that there must be a reason no one want these dogs. And, using the power of stereotyping and myth, they can only infer that the reason the unwanted dogs are flooding the shelter is that there must be something is wrong with the dogs themselves.

STEREOTYPE: “If a Dog Has Cropped Ears, It Was Probably Fought”: When we speculate about a dog’s past, particularly those with an unknown history, and we guess that dogs with cropped ears, scars, or fearful behavior are victims of dog fighting or other criminal activity, we burden the dogs with labels that may or may not be true and, more importantly, have little relevance to their future.

This type of speculation does two damaging things: it distracts us from seeing the dogs as they are, in the present. And it further solidifies the stereotype: “pit bull” dogs are criminal’s dogs.

So, let’s face it: the animal welfare world is guilty of reinforcing stereotypes too. It’s not an easy habit to break, but we must, if we want to help the dogs.

To download this ebook,
please visit our website

Rather than perpetuating the idea that “pit bull” dogs are unwanted, except by gangsters and dog fighters, we’re asking animal advocates to help everyday “pit bull” dog owners to step into the spotlight and take the starring role as stereotypical “pit bull” dogs owners.

We can do this by:

 

Speaking positively and accurately on behalf of the dogs and adopters, rather than speculating about their past, assuming no one wants them, and stereotyping the adopters that want to adopt “pit bull” dogs.

Highlighting successful adoptions in our communities, rather than relaying the message that no one cares. Let the public know that millions of “pit bull” dogs are family pets. Tell the public that ”pit bull” dogs are wanted, adopted, and cared for by loving, responsible, diverse families that live right next door.

It’s time that we get serious about helping average families step into the spotlight, so that they have a chance to push the old stereotype off of center stage.

And maybe one day, Ms. Ripa, in searching for a good stereotype, might say, ”But the neighbor’s dog is, I mean if it’s your neighbor it would have to be a family pet, a Pit Bull kind of dog, right?”

Want to learn more about this topic? Please see our website section: Labels and Language.

p.s. Kudos to Will Wheaton for using social media to remind us all of this very point (via a quote from Caesar Milan). It’s up to all of us to help the public see the dogs and their owners in a whole new light.

 

About Animal Farm Foundation

Animal Farm Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, dedicated to securing equal treatment and opportunity for "pit bull" dogs. For more information, visit: www.animalfarmfoundation.org

http://animalfarmfoundation.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/pit-bull-dog-families-spotlight/

‘It Was Meant to Be’

Petey the pit bull terrier finds the perfect home thanks to the

County of San Diego Department of Animal Services Pit Crew

A star pupil has found himself a forever home, all because he showed off his skills as the perfect gentleman, impressing potential adopters.

Arti was the first dog Joela and Bret Calhoun met when they went looking for a pit bull terrier at the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services shelter in Carlsbad, California. Arti is now named Petey.

Now named Petey, this Pit Crew graduate is now one happy dog with his new family.

And that’s not the only first. “This is my husband’s first experience with a dog — he’s never had one before — and every day I see him falling in love with Petey,” Joela says.

She had a pit bull terrier named Rocky who died from a brain tumor 12 years earlier, and she always wanted another one. But she and her husband were waiting until he graduated from college and landed a job before they adopted. That day came, so after learning that the Carlsbad shelter has a good selection of pit bull terriers and mixes, they headed there and found Petey. “I’ve been waiting for another Rocky all these years,” Joela says.

The couple recently took their new companion to a friend’s backyard barbecue, and he was the hit of the party. “There was food everywhere and he didn’t beg at all,” she says. “Our friends have an English bulldog, and the dogs played for hours until they couldn’t play anymore. They had so much fun.”

Joela and Petey jog before work on a trail next to their neighborhood. And when her husband gets home from work, he takes Petey for another walk. And when Joela gets home, they go on another walk.

“When we take him out, everybody comments on how cute and sweet he is,” she says.

It is no accident that Petey is a crowd pleaser with good manners. He went through Best Friends’ Shelter Partners for Pit Bulls’ training component and came out of it the gentleman dog he is today.

This is one loved pup!

At the shelter when the couple met him, “Petey put the side of his head against the kennel and his ear stuck out,” Joela says. “My husband pet his ear and Petey gave him his paw.”

That was all it took. “It was meant to be,” she says. “Petey is the dog for us.”

To prepare Petey for adoption, he spent serious time with dog trainers and a Pit Crew made up of volunteers who are part of the Shelter Partners for Pit Bulls program made possible in five cities, including Carlsbad, through a grant from PetSmart Charities.

Trainer Nan Arthur, who runs Whole Dog Training, says the work her training team does with the pit bull terriers in Carlsbad is geared toward giving them the skills they need in a sometimes stressful shelter environment as well as prepare them for homes.

“Studies that have been done in shelters have shown that stress can be reduced with training and human contact,” Nan says. With that, she continues, “We strive to help the dogs cope better during their stay at the shelter and to present better when people are interested in meeting them.”

Petey received plenty of training prior to being adopted.

Jamie Healy, who manages the Shelter Partners for Pit Bulls program for Best Friends, applauds the investment in Petey and other dogs who are getting similar one-on-one time. “The pre-adoption training work in our shelter partner locations has been instrumental in preparing adoptable dogs for success in their future homes,” she says. “The dogs are learning and being rewarded for good behavior, which can only translate to happier and healthier adoption matches.”

She adds, “It provides the dogs with enrichment and an outlet while they're waiting for homes, as we all know that pit bull terriers characteristically experience a longer length of stay in shelters. Volunteers and trainers work side by side, instilling positive behavior and interactions to help better the dogs’ chances of adoption.”

“And that, ultimately,” Jamie says, “is what it's all about — working together to save more lives.”

Mike Harmon, who heads Best Friends’ Community Training Partners program, which enlists the trainers, could not agree more.

“With the Carlsbad project, up until recently our focus has been providing the shelter with pre-adoption support by developing a structured program that trains volunteers how to work with dogs in the shelter environment to help make them more adoptable and better prepared for home life. We just recently started providing post-adoption support.”

Petey has the distinction of being the first dog in the program to get that post-training support in his new home. And Joela is taking advantage of it. “I want to know how he was trained so I can continue it,” she says.

Petey is a an excellent example, says Cordelia Mendoza, Best Friends’ coordinator in San Diego for the program, of how training is helping shelter dogs land forever homes: “Working with and placing at-risk dogs like Petey in homes, one at a time, is helping toward our goal of No More Homeless Pets.”

Everyone in the Calhoun family is all smiles.

In large part because of that work, Cordelia says, “Petey is so sociable. At the shelter, he was regularly selected for training playgroups and interactions, and he gets along beautifully with dogs and people. Everyone is thrilled he found such a wonderful family and that they found one terrific companion.”

Joela cannot say enough about the work the trainers, Pit Crew and shelter staff did with Petey.

“Thank you, everybody, and all the people at the shelter for taking such good care of him,” she says. “Your patience and love is evident. Bret and I promise all of you that Petey is and will be forever loved. He is a gift, and I am glad he found us at the shelter.”

Read more about the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services Pit Crew on Facebook.

Best Friends Animal Society is working throughout the country to help pit bull terriers, who are battling everything from a media-driven bad reputation to legislation designed to bring about their extinction. Best Friends hopes to end discrimination against all dogs. Dogs are individuals and should be treated as individuals. Read more about Best Friends’ pit bull terrier initiatives.

By Cathy Scott, Best Friends staff writer

Photos by Amy Mansfield Photography
http://network.bestfriends.org/initiatives/pitbulls/17670/news.aspx?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Imagine%20It,%20Achieve%20It%20-%20general&mid=247881284&ml=21683527

Kids, Books and Peaches … Oh My!

Peaches the therapy dog helps children gain confidence and reading skills with her sensitive and engaging nature

                             By Emily Douglas (Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

Not quite two years ago, I found myself sitting on the hallway floor in Abbott Elementary School in Ann Arbor, Mich. – waiting. I was invited by our dog trainer to serve as a demo-dog team for orientation night for one of her obedience classes. I arrived at the front door of the school and realized we might have a problem. The “we” being the other half of my team, my 18-month-old therapy-dog-in-training, Peaches. And the “problem” being the carpeted entryway to the school abruptly transitioning to oh-so-dreadful tile floor. We reached the end of the carpeting and, sure enough, Peaches came to a halt, her eyes pleading with me to turn around and head back. No amount of coaxing or treat luring was moving this gal. So, I sat. For 10 minutes we sat on the floor at the edge of the tile, waiting. And sure enough, eventually, opportunity knocked: kids.

Through the school doors came a mother and her two young children, at which point Peaches’ subdued wiggle-butt promptly began wiggling again. Just as they passed us, I hopped up off the floor and said in my best casual training voice, “Let’s go!” And off we went down the terrifying tile hallway after the little people who, in Peaches’ world, must be made of sunshine and cheese because as long as they were there, that tile floor was the last thing on her mind.

Team Peaches

With her one-year anniversary as a registered therapy dog with Therapy Dogs Incorporated and a Reading Education Assistance Dog with Intermountain Therapy Animals approaching, not to mention her 3rd birthday in July, Peaches is still a relatively young therapy dog with plenty of maturing left to do. And yet I often forget this, given how far she’s come. Every dog has that special carrot they love working for when training.

For Peaches it has always been interaction with people, particularly kids. Children are quite often the only variable that make an otherwise scary place for Peaches not just tolerable for her, but enjoyable. Which is why we feel so incredibly fortunate to have found that special place with kids to visit as part of her therapy dog work.

After several months of successful visits to our local hospital, we were offered the opportunity to volunteer as a R.E.A.D. team at Ann Arbor Open School in Ann Arbor, Mich. With a background in education and a dog infatuated with all things children, I jumped at the chance to add a school to our visitation roster. The big question mark remaining for me, however, was how Peaches would really do with the R.E.A.D. program. All those pictures and videos I had seen of big, snuggly dogs lying calmly on the floor with kids lounging on them like pillows kept playing in the back of my mind. Peaches isn’t that kind of dog. She’s a stand-and-stare-at-you-while-smiling-and-wiggling-her-butt dog, not a lounge around on command dog. How was this going to work?

Luckily for Team Peaches, we hit the jackpot with Ann Arbor Open because it has since proven to be the perfect combination of supportive, open-minded staff and easygoing, enthusiastic students that any successful R.E.A.D. team would love to have. I often think about Kris Butler, in her book “Therapy Dogs Today,” noting how strangely common it is for people in the therapy dog world to value high levels of skill in dogs over a genuine and demonstrated “desire to engage.” And I often think about this oddity in relation to Peaches who is the epitome of an engagement-centered therapy dog, rarely performing much more than an occasional down, kiss or place it (placing her head on someone’s lap) on command during visits. She may not roll over on her back for a belly rub, let alone perform fabulous tricks, but she will proactively hold eye contact with, smile at and welcome prolonged body-to-body contact with any and all strangers – the last of which is a rarity in most dogs. And it is this level of engagement that both the staff and students at Ann Arbor Open School have come to admire and appreciate.

Christine Deucher, the school’s library media specialist responsible for welcoming us into the program, had previously worked at another school that utilized a reading program dog. She was already an enthusiastic supporter of R.E.A.D. But before our first visit, I worried she might expect Peaches to lie down and maintain that lovely, Zen-like state that some of the other dogs she’d worked with in the past had probably done. As it turned out, similar to how she thinks about her students, Christine avoids preconceived notions of what a therapy dog should or shouldn’t be and simply values Peaches for who she is and what she has to offer the students. “I am a believer in the power of dogs – for reading or any other activity,” Christine told me. “They’re a sort of healing balm for all of our anxious souls. That we can provide positive feedback about pit bull type dogs is a great way to say thank you to the Peach for all that she has done for our students.”

Once a week, Peaches and I visit the school for an hour and read with three or four different pairs of students for 15 – 20 minutes each. Typically the student pairs consist of a struggling reader and a high-achieving reader who work well together, and each student takes a turn reading from a book of their choice. Interestingly, it wasn’t until I spoke with one of the teachers after our third or fourth visit that I learned that several of the students reading with us were intensely shy or reluctant to read on their own in class. And the reason I had no idea was because they all read without hesitation to Peaches. Tucked away in our private reading corner in the library, I become a neutral, if not invisible presence at the end of the leash, while Peaches quietly encourages reticent students with her wiggles and smiles.

Now, with a few months of reading visits under her collar, Peaches has become a popular gal at school. We get mobbed in the hallway by students on their way out to recess and are accompanied by hollers and shouts of “Bye Peaches!” as we head across the parking lot back to our car after visits. Each time a student reads with Peaches, they get a smiling Peach sticker, bookmark or trading card to keep. Often when students arrive to read now, they’ve specifically selected books they think Peaches might enjoy, such as books about training service dogs or even a Gerald and Piggy series book because they know that Peaches’ nickname is “Piglet.”

A Superhero

Looking ahead, I know better than to speculate on the future of Peaches’ potential as a therapy dog because, realistically, she may not be one forever. Peaches is a sensitive dog, and it’s that sensitivity that allows her to engage with people of all types and ages at the level that she does. But sensitivity also has a price in the working dog world, and as the responsible half of our team, I am constantly aware of the stimulation and stress involved with therapy visits and know there may come a day when it will be time to let the visits go and let Peaches just be Peaches, sans the therapy dog label.

In the meantime though, I am forever grateful to have found a place for Peaches bursting with the children she loves and oozing with support for the dog that she is and the nature of the work she does. Finding facilities and staff members interested in having a therapy dog visit is one thing, but finding a place that genuinely understands that even therapy dogs are individuals and have their own special gifts and needs is quite another. The experience is perhaps best summed up by the following words from Lori Hayes, one of the student’s teachers: “When the kids finish reading to Peaches, they all return to class excited, happy and confident. Peaches makes a difference. Peaches should be wearing a superhero cape! She’s our hero at Ann Arbor Open.”


About Peaches: Peaches lives in Chelsea, Mich., with our family, which includes her other rescued canine brothers, Charlie, Hudson and Buster, and the love of her life, a black cat named Mose. Peaches was one of a litter of seven orphaned puppies rescued near Detroit, Mich., in July 2009 by the Buster Foundation Pit Bull Rescue. We brought her home as a foster at 6 weeks of age and adopted her because we couldn’t imagine life without her. You can find more fun facts, photos and updates on Peaches the Pit Bull’s Facebook page. We are forever indebted to Michelle McCarthy of K9 Homeschooling who is not only responsible for facilitating Peaches’ therapy dog preparation and training, but also for the countless volunteer opportunities we have been given in the southeast Michigan community. Thanks to Michelle and the wonderful students and staff at Ann Arbor Open, life is just peachy for the Peach, who just happens to be a “pit.”

How to Plan a Pit Bull Awareness Day Event

So, you want to show the public that pit bulls are good dogs. Well, you’re in luck! The National Pit Bull Awareness Campaign is a nationwide effort to bring positive recognition and attention to the American Pit Bull Terrier. The heart of the campaign is National Pit Bull Awareness Day (NPBAD), which was founded in 2007 by Jodi Preis of Bless the Bullys.

NPBAD is an excellent opportunity to be a positive role model for responsible dog ownership, and to introduce the truth about pit bulls in the communities where we live with our dogs. Since the beginning, NPBAD has been extremely successful thanks to the pit bull advocates across the nation who are determined and dedicated to making a positive difference for pit bulls.

If you’re part of a rescue group, breed club, animal shelter or other dog-related organization, you may have some event planning experience. Even if you aren’t part of a formal group, you can still host a NPBAD event! The first step is to pick a date. Ideally you would host the event on the actual NPBAD; in 2012 it will be on Saturday, October 27, but if that’s not possible that’s ok, too. No matter which date you pick, be sure to allow enough time to advertise and spread the word about your event! You want to make sure people know about it and plan to attend!

There are lots of possibilities for events. For example, if you’re not part of a formal group, ask your local pet store if you can set up a table with information about pit bulls. PBRC has educational materials available for download and distribution at this link: http://www.pbrc.net/flyers.html Take your own breed ambassador pit bull with you! (If you aren’t sure if your dog is considered a breed ambassador, read the information at this link: http://www.pbrc.net/breedambassador.html.) Be sure to bring along the “Find the Pit Bull” flyer. It’s a great conversation starter and a perfect way to show one of the major problems with breed-specific legislation (BSL): identifying which dogs are pit bulls.

Here are some other ideas for events:

Bully Rally

Pit Bull Adoption or Spay/Neuter Event

Pit Bull Parade

Weight Pull

Dog Wash Event (which can double as a fund raiser for a local pit bull rescue)

Canine Costume Contest (since it’s so close to Howl-O-Ween!)

Kiss-a-Bull kissing booth

Canine Good Citizen Testing

 

                                            Lenox, a 10 yr old pit bull mix working a kissing booth

These are all great ideas, but you will likely need funds. You may need funds to secure permits for a park in which to host your event, or you may need to rent a venue. You may also need funds to print fliers or take out an ad to publicize your event. Consider approaching local pet stores, veterinarian offices, dog trainers, groomers and pet food companies to see if they would like to get involved by offering funds (or products for a raffle or silent auction) in exchange for having their company name listed on the promotional materials for the event.

Atlanta Underdog Initiative, located in Atlanta, GA, has been celebrating NPBAD since 2007 by hosting the Atlanta Bully Rally. The very first event consisted of about 30 people in a small Atlanta park. Since then, it has grown into a large and much-anticipated NPBAD event, featuring special celebrity guests, an amateur weight pull, educational presentations on topics that affect pit bulls and their owners, a pit bull kissing booth, the opportunity to showcase local rescue groups and their adoptable animals, a raffle with fantastic prizes, and free dog food and collars to pets in need. In order to plan your own Bully Rally, Atlanta Underdog Initiative offers the following tips:

-Secure a venue! A public park is usually a great choice!

-Invite other pit bull specific rescues as well as local animal control to bring 1-2 dogs each so people can see the types of pit bulls that end up in rescue and in the shelters. By including other organizations, you also increase your attendance because they tell their supporters.

-Recruit people to speak on various topics such as spay/neuter, unchaining, training, and BSL. Try to find people who can connect with your target audience.

-Give out free dog food, collars and leashes. More dog owners are likely to come if the flyer says “Free Pet Food”. Post flyers all over the neighborhoods where your target audience lives.

-For the sake of safety, consider offering a “waiting area” of crates where dogs can be crated while their owners walk around and talk to people and look at the rescue dogs. It allows people to bring dogs with controllable dog-reactivity to the event so that they get the educational info but still provides a way to keep those dogs contained if they get over stimulated. Also have “dog security” volunteers who keep an eye on the dogs’ behavior and the owners to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Atlanta Underdog Initiative hosts a LugNuts weight pull at the Bully Rally. This has proven to be very popular. They offer cash prizes for 1st ($50), 2nd ($35) and 3rd place ($20). The prize amount doubles if the dog is already spayed or neutered or if the owners allow the organization to spay or neuter the dog within 2 weeks. On the sign-up form is a field where owners of the winning dog can opt to forfeit the prize so that the funds can be put back toward rescue or spay/neuter. For info on Lugnuts visit this link: http://www.suesternberg.com//03programs/04lugnuts.html

                                         LugNuts weight pull contestant at the 2011 Atlanta Bully Rally

For further information on how to plan a Bully Rally, contact Atlanta Underdog Initiative. Contact information is available on the group’s website at www.atlantaunderdog.com. The Atlanta Bully Rally website is www.atlantabullrally.com.

Regardless of your location, please choose an activity to participate in on October 27, 2012, to promote and celebrate responsible pit bull ownership with other caring individuals. Visit the Bless the Bullys website (www.blessthebullys.com) to find NPBAD events in your area or to register your own.

Let’s make our voices heard across the nation on October 27, 2012!

By Pit Bull Rescue Central
http://pitbullrescuecentral.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-plan-pit-bull-awareness-day-event.html

Video du Jour

 

StubbyDog Superhero Squad

Introducing the StubbyDog Superhero Squad!
Making the world a better place

You’ve heard of Superman.
You’ve heard of Captain America.
You might have even heard of Underdog.

Never before have you seen the amazing, the tail-wagging wonder of the greatest group of caped crusaders ever to be assembled … the StubbyDog Superhero Squad!

This extraordinary crew of certified therapy dogs are on a mission to win hearts and change minds.

These superheroes are determined to help make the world a better place for people and dogs. Whether they are out fighting discrimination, educating on responsible dog guardianship, assisting their canine friends to find forever homes, or just clowning around with a big goofy smile on their face…they will help change public perceptions!

These otherwise ordinary dogs have taken on the bold responsibility of donning the StubbyDog cape and dedicating themselves to helping both humans and fellow dogs.

BOOM, POW, WOW! Check out the Squad’s Action-Packed Superhero Duties:

Therapy. Squad members will perform their work as therapy dogs by visiting hospitals, schools, assisted living facilities and anywhere else in need of smiles. They’ll be equipped with a special StubbyDog Superhero ‘Power Packet’ to share.

Events. Want to get up close and personal with a superhero? These events will give fans that chance! It’s a fact: nothing beats a positive, real-life experience to win someone’s heart. Whether through leading surprise events (doggy flash mob), attending events (puppy prom), or helping local rescues (adoption fiestas, spay/neuter hoedowns), this super squad is always ready to help the cause.

Media. Ah the paparazzi! Our superheroes love working and playing with the media. Not only are these caped crusaders buzz worthy, but they’re also equipped with a super-powered PR plan to ensure the world knows all about their amazing feats (as well as those of the millions of everyday ‘superhero’ family dogs across the land). By leveraging current events, hot topics and even celebrity news, these superheroes will make sure to remain center stage.

Personalities. Squad members will feature their adventures in a webisode series. Just like Petey from “The Little Rascals,” Victor the RCA dog, and Buster Brown’s dog Tige captured the hearts and minds of people across the social strata, our Superheroes will be poised to emerge as the next canine “household names.” Cartoons, merchandise, fan clubs and much more … watch out Kardashians.

A Community of Superpower!

Although our elite squad of Superheroes is set to do amazing things, here at StubbyDog we believe every dog, regardless of shape, size, color, or origin can be a superhero. That’s why the StubbyDog Superhero Program has three levels of participation, all playing an equally important role.

The Superhero Squad will be joined by the council of:

Superheroes in Training: These are dogs that meet all the criteria for the elite squad, but either do no have their therapy dog registration yet OR they need a bit more experience and training before they are ready to be full-time superheroes. This program will work to support and prepare dog and human teams for the therapy test (if needed), and help improve their advocacy skills and effectiveness.

Super-bassadors: These aren’t your everyday advocates. These animals and humans are a group of super-passionate, super-motivated and super-dedicated ambassadors. They’re ready and excited to be extremely active and effective in their advocacy and will be able to work closely with StubbyDog on improving their super advocacy skills and power. The most exciting part? This group is open to animals of every species (even humans!), breed, type, nationality, religion and culture.

Superhero, Superhero in Training or Super-bassador: each role plays an extremely important part in the StubbyDog super community.

Together this “super” community is on a mission, specifically to:

Place 5,000 dogs in need of good homes
Reach 25,000 different media outlets
Educate 100,000 on responsible dog guardianship
Inspire 1,000,000 “rediscoveries”

… and motivate an infinite number of smiles!

Our goal is simple: for people to no longer view pit bulls as a special category of dog – but, instead, as individual dogs.

Ready to become a superhero? Apply today!!

Download the StubbyDog Superhero Squad Application

Need something to help you pass the time while you anxiously wait to see who your 2012 StubbyDog Superheroes are going to be????

Head on over to Crowdrise and start helping us fund this exciting new program

For questions or more information contact Laura Petrolino at laurap@stubbydog.org
(photos by Melissa Lipani)


To download this for your Facebook timeline cover, just click on the photo and the photo will appear in another tab, then right click to save it to your computer!

One Group Out To Prove Pit Bulls Are Man's Best Friend

As the sun started to set on Memorial Park Sunday afternoon, a group of muscle-bound pit bulls was ready for a walk.

A few whined. A couple slobbered. Max, age 5, with a massive jaw and muscles rippling under his short fur, tried to lick anyone who came within a 10-foot radius.

“We call him the kisser,” Vicki Gramm said with a laugh. She rescued Max after he was returned to the humane society three times.

The four pit bulls and two golden retrievers met at the park for the first organized “bully walk” by Southern Colorado Pit Bull Advocates. The group of owners keeps in touch online and decided to meet up Sunday to show the world that pit bulls can be good dogs.

“Once people see them, they see that they’re just like any other dog,” Gramm said. Unfortunately, she added, people only hear about pit bulls when a rare one acts up and bites someone.

Jackie Cotton said she understands some of the fear.

“Of course some people are afraid, wouldn’t you be?” she questioned, and then looked at her brown and white pit bull Luna. “I mean look at the muscle on that baby.”

While they waited to start, a few kids ran up to the dogs for a kiss, which Max was ready and willing to provide. A couple of people intentionally walked around the group.

“You stay away. You’ll be their snack,” one woman warned her tiny dog as they stepped off the sidewalk to walk around.

Holly O’Brien said she often sees people cross the street to avoid her 3-year-old pit bull Zurie.

“They will cross the street just so they don’t have to be close,” she said.

Don Middleton said he used to be one of those people. As a child he was attacked by dogs and, as a runner, he’s had several bad run-ins with dogs. He was uneasy when his wife, Christy, wanted to foster a pit bull.

“I was always worried that I’d get attacked,” he said. After fostering the dog though, he said he fell in love.

“She was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. We helped her and she helped us.”


By MARIA ST.LOUIS-SANCHEZ
Photos by Susannah Kay, The Gazette
http://www.gazette.com/articles/bulls-142759-pit-group.html#ixzz27rWmFGUu

Five Dogs Who Defy Stereotypes

I first got to know pit bulls when I volunteered as a dog walker at a shelter in upstate New York. Dangerous dogs don’t make it to the adoption floor, so the ones I met were friendly, though typically more interested in the great outdoors than the person at the other end of the leash.

My perception of pit bulls has been shaped by my personal experience with them then and since — not as “four-legged time bombs,” as a columnist for the Baltimore Sun recently called them, but as spirited survivors and beloved family members.

Fernando Camacho, the author of yesterday’s guest post, said that most people who think pit bulls are bad dogs have never met one. So as a follow-up, I’d like to introduce you to five dogs who fall under the “pit bull” umbrella, and the people who care about them:

ROCKY AND MARCY:

I’ve always loved dogs — as a species in general, they have so many awesome qualities. They’re loyal and willing to do so much for people they love.

For pit bulls, I’d say I look at them like any other dog: They have those qualities. But they’re also extremely intelligent and so, so eager to please. I’ve never had a smarter, more trainable dog than our two.

Both of them are very affectionate and like people. Our old dog (great dog, don’t get me wrong) was not really that into people. They’d try and pet him, and he wouldn’t be interested. Rocky and Marcy really like people — they want to say hi.

I’m doing the Canine Good Citizen class with Marcy now, and she’s doing great. I think most of the pit bull stereotype has more to do with owners than with the dogs.

– Gillian Scott, journalist (Schenectady, N.Y.)

KEARA:

From the first time I met Keara at the SPCA, she and I were in love. I entered her enclosure, and when another family walked past us, she protected me from them. That was amazing to me, as I’d never known another dog (who didn’t know me) to do that.

She practically raised my older boys. Through her, I was able to teach them about pack mentality and having respect and love for pit bulls and all other breeds.

Her smile. It’s HUGE, and it’s contagious. When I had only had her for about a month, we were taking a walk. I had grown used to people crossing the street to get away from us, an act that crushed my spirit every time.

On this one particular day, however, a couple crossed the street to come to us, so that they could meet the beautiful red-nose pit with the big smile and even bigger heart. I still cry when I think of that moment and what it meant to us. That one small action fueled me for years of advocating for pits.

– Laura Riker, Dansko sales representative (Ithaca, N.Y.)

KITKA:

It’s not so much that we love our pit bull as much as we just love our DOGS. Humans have such a need to classify everything — “Oh, you have a dog? What kind?” — and then follow it up with a horrible generalization.

We care about them because they are misunderstood, and victims of ignorance and bias. It isn’t my quote, but “When people judge pit bulls, usually they are looking at the wrong end of the leash.”

– Karen McNary, co-owner of The Serendipitous Dog (Syracuse, N.Y.)

PIGGY:

When I worked for a veterinary hospital in Troy, N.Y., a city that sees mostly pit bulls, we had a contract for five years with the city’s animal control. I saw a lot of heartbreaking situations, to say the least.

Piggy came in with her femur bone shattered in half, probably from being abused due to her being deaf. My boss pinned her leg, and I adopted her.

She is an AKC Canine Good Citizen. Despite her disability, she is one of the smartest dogs I know.

– Carrie Moak, vet tech and foster parent for Out of the Pits (Albany, N.Y.)

by Naomi Seldin Ramirez
http://blog.northjersey.com/jerseydog/6513/five-dogs-that-defy-the-pit-bull-stereotype/

Why I Care About Pit Bulls

Fernando Camacho, founder of the FernDog Rescue Foundation, gets some love from Hayley.

 

Have you ever crossed the street to avoid a person with a pit bull? Or met someone who assumed your pet was dangerous because of their breed, not their behavior?

Fernando Camacho, a North Jersey dog trainer recently honored for his rescue work at Pets & Heroes, has been there. I asked him if he’d write a guest post about breed discrimination and pit bulls based on his personal and professional experience. So read on, then share your own opinion here or on Facebook:

About seven years ago, something happened that really surprised me. I was walking my dog, Hayley, through the park by my house on a beautiful summer day. Tons of families were out enjoying the day together, and kids were running and playing everywhere.

It wasn’t long before some of the kids spotted Hayley and ran over to us in excitement. They were all very polite and asked if they could pet her. Hayley is always up for making new friends, so I invited all the kids to come over and give her some love.

In an instant, Hayley was swarmed by a small pack of little people. Five boys and girls patted her head, stroked her neck and hugged her belly. Hayley tolerated all the aggressive petting as she always did, with a calm and quiet tolerance.

Soon, Hayley’s allure died down, and the kids began to disperse back into the park to play. As the children were leaving Hayley’s side, a new little girl approached with her mom in tow and asked if she, too, could pet my dog.

“Of course,” I said. The little girl began stroking Hayley’s head as I exchanged smiles with her mom.

After a moment, the mom asked, “What kind of dog is she?”

I happily replied, “She’s a pit bull.”

In an instant, her smile transformed into a shocked grimace and she quickly yanked her daughter away from Hayley. Her daughter’s questioning of why she was being taken away from this nice dog went unanswered as the pair backpedaled away.

That was the first of many experiences I would have with the misconceptions of pit bulls. Back then, I wasn’t a dog trainer and actually knew very little about the breed. All I knew was that I fell in love with Hayley the moment I met her, and that she’s a truly amazingly loving dog.

Years later, after many other similar encounters with people who have let media hype and hearsay — not personal experience and facts — shape their beliefs, I have realized that if any animal needs a hero, it’s pit bulls.

What really gets me fired up over the bad perception people have of pits is that most of these people have never, ever had any kind of face-to-face encounter with one. If you’re afraid of something you’ve never had experience with, it’s considered an irrational fear. And making decisions when you’re irrational is never a good idea.

The problem with listening to the media for information is that in addition to being sensationalized, it’s being reported on by people who have little or no knowledge of dogs. Go ask any dog behavior professional, and you’ll get some educated information to base your beliefs on. I have yet to meet a dog trainer who thought pit bulls were bad.
 

                                           Petey, far right, was part of the "Our Gang" family.

 

Pit bulls are an amazing breed that were originally known as the “nanny dog” because of their great affinity for children. Unfortunately, as of late they have been bred by some stupid people to be dog aggressive (but never aggressive toward people), so depending upon the individual dog’s genetics, they can be inclined to be grumpy toward other pooches.

Physically, they are built like tanks and are incredibly strong. Because of this, they are equipped to do more damage than most other breeds. So if they do bite, they can cause much more damage.

But take it from someone who has worked with hundreds of dogs and been bitten more than a few times: Pits are not the ones doing most of the biting. They’re just the only breed newsworthy enough to make headlines. For some reason “Dachshund Attacks Ankle” never makes the ten o’clock news (Dachshunds, by the way, statistically bite more people and dogs than any other breed). According to the American Temperament Test Society, pit bulls actually score about the same as golden retrievers and standard poodles on temperament tests.

This is no surprise to me and other dog professionals — we have the ankles scars to prove this.

So here’s the deal: Pit bulls are no more dangerous then any other breed. Any dog can be trained to be a well-behaved lover of life, and any dog can be trained (intentionally or inadvertently) to be aggressive. Pits are just designed to do more damage when things go bad.

That’s why I believe that having a pit bull comes with a great responsibility to train them well and to show the world the real dog — the ultimate family dog that loves everyone with tongue-dripping enthusiasm.

All I really ask is that you don’t generalize and make assumptions of dogs you don’t know. Keep an open mind, stop watching the news and start meeting some pits. If you can do that, I guarantee you’ll have your kids hanging off my dog the next time I bump into you in the park.

Fernando Camacho (aka Fern) is certified in dog behavior and training, and owner and operator of his own training company, FernDog LLC. In addition to his private training and consultations, Fern teaches group dog classes, and conducts seminars throughout New Jersey and New York. He is an AKC Certified Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator, a Training Partner with the Best Friends Animal Society, created his own mentoring program where he instructs aspiring dog trainers, and this year launched his own online program to become a dog trainer, called Make Dogs Your Life. Fern is also involved in animal rescue and is the founder and director of the FernDog Rescue Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to aiding animal shelters and rescue groups. He is the author of two books: a dog behavior book, and a novel inspired by his own pit bull.

by Naomi Seldin Ramirez
http://blog.northjersey.com/jerseydog/6544/why-i-care-about-pit-bulls/

Overcoming Stereotypes

A psychology professor explains how stereotypes come about and how pit bull owners can help change them.

By Dana Litt, Ph.D. (Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

As a pit bull lover and owner, I am well aware of the many negative stereotypes we face on a daily basis and the potential consequences they have on our lives. Before understanding how to combat these negative stereotypes, it is first important to understand what they are, where they come from and how they become deeply engrained in society.

What are Stereotypes?

A stereotype is a generalized belief about the qualities or characteristics of a particular group. Although stereotypes can be positive or negative, a negative stereotype about a group often leads to prejudice (a negative judgment or unequal treatment towards a member of the stereotyped group). Although there are several theories that attempt to explain how stereotypes are formed, most psychologists will agree that people develop perceptions about how a typical “person” (or in our case, dog) in a marginalized group looks, thinks or behaves. Consequently, they form stereotypes of the group as a whole and apply them widely.

The Pit Bull and Pit Bull Owner Stereotype

Of particular importance to StubbyDog readers are the negative stereotypes associated with both pit bulls themselves, as well as stereotypes about the “type” of person who owns a pit bull. Most of us are sadly familiar with the stereotypes surrounding our dogs – that they are “evil, bloodthirsty beasts” or “unpredictable wild animals,” or “unpredictable and uncontrollable.” In addition, pit bull owners have been the target of negative stereotypes. On Internet message boards, in news articles and in political speeches, pit bull owners are routinely disparaged as nothing more than criminals, drug dealers, trailer trash, thugs, gang members or social deviants. Politicians and community members alike routinely state they don’t want “people like us” in their communities. These stereotypes are pervasive and by making both owners and the dogs seem abnormal, frightening and even dangerous, society easily endorses inhuman policies like breed-discriminatory legislation and other forms of discrimination.

 

Why do These Stereotypes Persist?

In psychology, the confirmation bias is the process by which a person forms a theory and then searches for things that prove their theory while ignoring things that are contradictory. This process allows stereotypes to both form and grow and become even more deeply engrained. With each event that confirms the stereotype, it continues to grow and take hold, while events that refute the stereotype are minimized or rejected.

We can apply the confirmation bias to the stereotypes of pit bulls and pit bull owners. Events which confirm that a pit bull is a killing machine are counted and recalled over and over, while hundreds of thousands of normal, sweet, friendly pit bulls are completely ignored. Events involving a heroic pit bull are difficult to find coverage of and even when they exist in mainstream media, they are usually brief and may not mention the breed specifically, whereas any story shining negative light on pit bulls is front page news. The repeated exposure to such messages only further confirms peoples’ preconceived notions about pit bulls.

However, it’s not just selective interpretation of pit bull related events that leads to stereotyping. Much of the hatred and discrimination toward others stems in part from a lack of familiarity. People who are unfamiliar with pit bull owners are reacting to the stereotype, not reality. Some individuals’ only exposure to pit bull owners has been in a negative sense and for many, has not been a personal experience but rather something they heard or saw on the news. Once these stereotype seeds are planted, most individuals can be very difficult to persuade that what they are familiar with is neither normal nor acceptable among responsible pit bull owners, due in part to the confirmation bias.

How to Fight the Negative Pit Bull Stereotype

Clearly, many commonly held stereotypes have negative consequences in terms of unequal perceptions and unequal treatment of different groups. To address this, some researchers have devoted their work to studying how to change or extinguish people’s stereotypes. Although there are several hypotheses about how this might occur, researchers generally agree that the best known way to change people’s stereotypes is to continually provide new information in different ways that contradict the stereotype. For example, if a person believes that pit bulls are vicious and unstable dogs, the best way to change this belief is to provide many different examples of pit bulls that have proven themselves to be stable, social and friendly family pets. One valuable way of achieving this is to promote favorable interactions with pit bulls. This may provide the person with new information that does not typify the stereotype and may even contradict the stereotype completely.

This process takes a concerted and careful effort on the part of all pit bull owners and supporters. It is imperative that all pit bull owners take active steps to make their dog a breed ambassador. Do everything in your power to be the best dog owner you can possibly be. Because you own a highly stereotyped type of dog, you will have to work harder to overcome that handicap than you would with a more socially acceptable breed of dog. For example, with many breeds, people think that misbehavior is “cute” or tolerable. With pit bulls, the same behavior is considered “vicious” and “deadly.” Fair? Not at all. Reality? Yes. Keep your dog under control at all times, and make sure you have done plenty of socializing and training; seek help from a professional if necessary. If your pit bull goes out in public, he needs to have good manners.

My pit bull Teddy is not only an ambassador (ambassadog?) on walks around the neighborhood, but I’ve routinely utilized him during my teaching to both educate students on the pitfalls of stereotyping as well as to help promote positive interactions with a type of dog they may not know much about other than what they read in the papers. Each semester I devote an entire lecture to stereotyping and discrimination, and a popular class activity is to ask people to think about the typical stereotypes about various people, objects and groups. Naturally, I began including pit bulls and pit bull owners in this activity. After having volunteers list some of the traits they associate with each object in the list, I show a counter-image to challenge their stereotypes. For pit bulls however, I have had a friend walk Teddy into the classroom and do tricks for us. When they find out that he is my dog (a professor owning a pit bull?!), many students have been shocked, but after class is over, quite a few want to come up and meet Teddy and often tell me that this is the first time they’ve ever actually met a pit bull. Teddy has also been an eager participant in my lectures on learning, especially when it involves positive reinforcement in the form of cookies. By integrating Teddy into my teaching, I’ve been able to expose many college students to pit bulls in a positive light that counteracts the negative stereotypes they currently hold (or confirms the positive stereotypes of pit bulls being goofy and sweet for those that are already fans of pit bulls).

 

Although there is a lot we can do to ensure that our dogs are the best possible ambassadors for the breed, we must remember that we as pit bull owners are also unfairly stereotyped and that in order to counteract this, we must always be an outstanding and responsible dog owner. Learn and follow the laws, make friends with your neighbors, show interest in your local government, go to neighborhood meetings, and speak with maturity and wisdom. I realize this sounds like a tall order, but we owe it to our dogs to make a favorable impression on the people who hold negative stereotypes about the typical pit bull owner. You have to do your part to separate yourself from the stereotypical pit bull owner. Over time, with enough positive interactions with responsible pit bull owners, hopefully people will learn to adjust their original views and realize that pit bull owners come from all walks of life and are no longer a feared group of outsiders, but rather an integral part of the community.

By taking the appropriate steps to present both our dogs and ourselves in the best possible light, I do believe we can make a difference. Remember that every interaction counts and that the best way to fight a stereotype is to harness the sweet nature we all know our dogs have and share it with the world!

About the author: Dana Litt received her Ph.D. in applied social psychology in 2010 and is currently an assistant professor at the University of Washington. Growing up, Dana always had dogs, but it wasn’t until she adopted a little brown and red pit bull puppy named Teddy in 2008 that she found herself getting involved in animal welfare and breed advocacy. Between having a pit bull of her own, volunteering at a local animal shelter and being part of local Seattle pit bull groups, Dana is truly a champion for the breed.


Video from It’s the Pits that demonstrated Dana’s article