It's Time For A Dog

It has been almost 2 years since Barney, our beloved pit bull/dashaund/bassett mix passed away. Ron and I have decided that the time is right to bring another dog into our home. My first reaction was to see what's up for adoption. I went to several of the many web sites advertising dogs that are in search of their forever homes. What I noticed immediately is that more than half of the dogs were pit bulls or pit bull mixes. There were also a large number of chihuahua or chihuahua

mixes. I loved my pit bull mix probably more than any other dog I have owned, but I had some reservations about adopting another one, due to public opinion. I decided to check out the pit bull rescue in San Diego and read more about the breed.

The pit bull rescue exists because "being persecuted is the pits". When I told some friends at the Y this morning that I was considering rescuing a pit bull, they all exhibited a look of shock. Why? Because they believed the many myths out there about this wonderful breed. Here are some of the myths.

Pit bulls are inherently vicious. Nothing could be further from the truth. A well-bred and well-adjusted pit bull is a wonderful addition to any family. A dog that has been neglected and mistreated cannot be considered a true representation of the breed. According to the Temperment Test Association, more than 84% of pit bulls passed the tempermanent test, which is higher than golden retrievers (83.8%), Border collies (79.6%), and beagles (78.2%). The test involves putting the dogs through a series of confrontational situations. If the dog reacts aggressively or fearfully, it fails.

Pit bulls make great guard dogs. Actually, they're completely useless, because of their love of all things human, they will consider strangers as friends.

Pit bulls bite more than any other breed. Again, untrue. Many other breeds are confused with pit bulls, and bite statistics are notoriously unreliable, because so many go unreported.

There are many other myths about pit bulls that have made them one of the most feared breeds on the planet. Many communities have tried to ban ownership of pit bulls. Denver is one such community. Legislation is underway in many areas to ban specific breeds. (BSL-breed specific legislation).

A lot is wrong with BSL, in my opinion. It is a knee jerk reaction, often to one specific incident. Banning breeds doesn't work. Far better than breed specific bans are strict laws to control aggressive dogs of any breed or mix. People are ultimately responsible for their dogs, and aggressive dogs should be confined to protect the public. It's not just pit bulls. Chow chows, rottweilers, german shepherds, akitas and dobermans are also considered dangerous. If you ban the pit bull, owners looking for agressive dogs will take another breed and teach them to be aggressive.

"First they came for the pit bulls and they banned them and killed them and their owners cried out in horror but I did not object because I did not own pit bulls. Then they came for the rottweilers and they banned them and muzzled them and their owners cried out in protes but I did not object because I did not own rottweilers. Today they have come for my dogs and they will ban them and take them from me as I cry out in outrage and anger and no objects because they do not own my dogs". Sound familiar?

All this being said, I decided to go with a small, friendly dog. I don't need to add more stress to my life, and taking a pitbull out in public is always stressful. If something goes wrong at the dog park, it's always the pit bull's fault, regardless. So I now have an adorable 15 pound schnauzer/poodle mix named Pepper. He is about 1 1/2 years old, very affectionate. He's a real cuddler. But he's also a little Houdini, escaping from the yard several times already. I've got to fatten him up a little so he can't get through the fence. Oh, how I've missed a dog. He is such a pleasure to have around, and adds great joy to our lives. I found him at the Escondido Humane Shelter, a no kill, non profit center. They are manned by a few paid workers, and many volunteers. Our volunteer, Elizabeth, was wonderful. They could not exist were it not for the tireless work of their many volunteers. Thank you to all the wonderful people at the Escondido Human Shelter, and all the other shelters and rescue organizations, that he homeless dogs have some quality of life.

Did you know that there are over 185,000 dogs in San Diego, looking for a home? Purebred or mutt, adopting is the way to go for me. Save a life and in return you'll receive more love and affection than you can imagine.

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