Posts from the ‘pit bulls’ Category

May 16

Stuff Your Dogs Should Wear If…

I like to put stuff on dogs. I try to find real reasons to put stuff on them, but sometimes, I just like to wrap them in a towel and put their paws in my husband’s Doc Martins. So sue me. My favorite stuff-on-a-dog site is Gator the Deaf Circus Pittie’s Facebook page. Please enjoy it here.

All silliness aside, there are some really helpful things to put on your dogs.

So, in no particular order, here’s a list of Stuff Your Dog Should Wear If…

They have a lot of energy: Backpack

If your dog is high energy and healthy enough to carry some weight, consider a backpack. Wearing a properly fitted backpack, loaded with a couple of soup cans (and by soup, I might mean beer), will help your uber energetic dog work twice as hard on the same stretch of terrain. That means you don’t have to work any harder, but your dog does. Nifty, eh? If you have one of those never, ever tired pups, the added weight will help them burn more steam and tire them out faster during your regular walks. Make sure to start off slow – introduce the backpack first, then add the weight gradually and top out at 25-30% of their body weight. Backpacks are also helpful: if your dog is calmer when they’re wearing their “working” gear, for turning your dog into a sherpa on hikes, and for carrying around litters of hitchhiking kittens.

They need a confidence boost: Thundershirt

If your dog is afraid of thunderstorms then a Thundershirt makes a lot of sense, no? But these slim-cut tops are also good for helping dogs feel more secure, which makes them helpful for some reactive, anxious, and fearful dogs. So don’t keep the shirt on hold for storms and fireworks, go on and bust it out for daily dog walks too. Thundershirts are also helpful: if your dog needs some help during vet visits, for dogs that need barf bags during car trips, and for creating a svelte silhouette for dogs who are self-conscious about their pooch.

They need skin protection: T-shirt

If your dog sunburns easily, try covering them with a t-shirt (in addition to dog sunscreen) to give them some extra skin protection. Or if your dog has environmental allergies, consider putting them in a t-shirt for their trips outside. When you go back inside, take off their t-shirt and you’re taking off the pollen or whatever else they’re allergic to with the shirt (wipe them down with a damp cloth too). If your dog is really itchy or has a skin infection, try putting them in a t-shirt to protect their skin from their teeth or nails. Healing skin needs air too, so be sure to take it off and let them be nudists on the regular. T-shirts are also helpful for: telling people to back off, covering up big nips on mama dogs, and hiding a bad hair day.

They are your co-pilot: Doggles

If your dog likes to hang their head out of your car window, Doggles will protect their eyes from flying debris. That pretty much sums it up. Doggles are also helpful for: dogs that ride in side cars, dogs that are blind and walk into things (it protect their eyeballs), and for any dog that likes attracting a lot of attention at stop lights.

They are scratching themselves raw: Baby Socks

If your dog has bad allergies and they’re scratching themselves to pieces, try covering their paws with baby socks. Allergies can take a really long time to sort out (both the cause and the solution) and dogs who are itchy will sometimes scratch their skin into ribbons, causing secondary skin infections. Try covering their paws with baby socks (size 0-3 months with sticky tread on the bottom usually works), then secure the socks to their ankles with no-stick vet tape. They’ll still scratch, but their covered nails won’t cause so much damage. Baby Socks are also helpful for: dogs that chew their paws, broken toe nails that are healing, and for dogs that can’t stop reenacting that scene from Risky Business.

They just had surgery: Pro Collars

If you have a dog that is recovering from surgery, the vet may send you home with the plastic e-cone of shame, but most dogs can’t stand them. It messes with their peripheral vision, scrapes against things, and freaks them out in general. Plus, it’s cheap plastic that probably smells and feels yucky. If your dog will need to wear a cone for a bit, like after ACL surgery, buy a Pro Collar. It looks like a hemorrhoid cushion or a neck rest for travelling (are those the same things?) but it works. The best part is that your dogs can still see in every direction, they can pick up toys and food, and it’s comfy for them to rest their heads on while they sleep. For dogs that are afraid of a regular cone, this is much less scary. Pro Collars are also helpful for: dogs that have rashes they shouldn’t be licking, little dogs that squeeze through fences, and dogs with hemorrhoids who need a soft cushion to sit on.

They need to get adopted: Tutu

If you have a foster dog or a shelter dog that isn’t getting a lot of interest from adopters, put a tutu on them and take them out on the town. Ridiculous though it may be, that dog is about to get more attention in one walk than it has in a month of “adopt me” vest outings. Be sure to bring business cards with your dog’s photo and info to hand out to anyone who stops to swoon over your pup. Yes, this is for boy dogs too (who cares about gender? this is about getting attention!). Tutus are also helpful for: dogs in parades, dogs doing humane education work with kids, and dogs that dream of starring in the Black Swan remake.

And that’s not all! There are muzzles, wigs, boots, sweaters, and plenty of other stuff dogs can wear. I already feel a Stuff Dogs Should Wear If (Part 2) coming on…

What stuff does your dog wear? I want to see photos of them wearing their favorite stuff, so post photos over on the DINOS Facebook page for me to squeal at. Please?!

Apr 27

9 Comments

Teaching Your Mom About Pit Bulls

Remember when, no matter how many times your lovely pit bull tried to cozy up to your mom, she said “Get that dog away from me - pit bulls are no good!” And you kept saying to her, “Mom. Just look at the dog in front of you and forget all the crazy stuff you keep hearing from your friend who has a cousin who used to live next to a guy that overheard someone talking about dog fighting in the checkout line at the supermarket that one time and now he thinks he’s the expert on pit bulls. Please just look at my dog. She loves you.”

But mom still couldn’t do it. And you busted out all the facts and showed your mom your dog’s CGC certificate and all that jazz, but she wouldn’t budge. She kept telling you that you were nuts and she was scared.

So you sat her down at your computer and said, “I’m not the only one Mom. There are millions of us who share our lives with pit bulls. All you hear about it the tiny minority that make the news. No one is telling you about all the pit bulls who just hang out with their families at home, sleeping and snacking and snuggling. All you know is the sensational stuff. No one is telling you the everyday good news about pit bulls. But it’s there and you need to see it.”

You clicked on StubbyDog.org and told your mom to just flip through the stories. There was no specific link she had to follow or section you had to direct her to view. All she had to do was read. Page after page was filled with stories from people who used to be afraid of pit bulls, except by some strange twist of fate, they wound up living with one. And now they’re in love.

On StubbyDog your mom spends hours reading dozens and dozens of stories about pit bulls who are certified therapy dogs, volunteering in hospitals, nursing homes, and in schools. Your mom reads about pit bulls that are just regular family dogs, sharing their lives with bouncy kids and dogs of all shapes and sizes. Your mom reads interviews with animal welfare experts that explain, in regular language, why pit bulls are good dogs, just like any other dog.

Your mom sees thousands of photos of happy, regular people with their arms around their pit bulls. And thousands of photos of smiling pit bulls, living the good life with people who love them and treat them like family.

Marvin the pit bull provides support to his mom who has MS

It doesn’t make all her fears disappear all together, but it’s opened a crack that wasn’t there before. That crack, where the bright light shines in, allows her to see your pit bull dog, the one that’s been snoring at her feet while she reads these stories, in a new way. StubbyDog is helping her rediscover the pit bull.

There are countless resources for pit bull families out there on the web. Amazing, well written, helpful websites that we all use on a daily basis. But there’s only one website built for moms who just want to find out if their grownup kid is safe with a pit bull sleeping under the covers with them at night. There’s only one place you’d send the nice guy who cleans your teeth or the girl you work with everyday, when you want them to see what you see in pit bulls. It’s StubbyDog.

Honey the pit bull, a certified Therapy Dog, lovingly shares her home with foster dogs

I’m telling you all this because for almost two years I was a full-time volunteer with StubbyDog. And today, StubbyDog, this incredible non-profit resource for pit bull lovers, is still being run 100% by volunteers. It’s a massive job to run an online magazine, publishing multiple new articles every single day, and the amazing team at StubbyDog does it all for free and on top of their regular jobs. They can’t do it without your support.

They just launched a fun photo contest today as a capital campaign fundraiser. It’s the perfect way to support this super group.

Vote for your Fave Photos at: https://www.360photocontest.com/131

But maybe you prefer to send donations to organizations that have physical shelters, doing hands on care for dogs. I get it.

While StubbyDog isn’t pulling dogs from shelters (although many of the volunteers at StubbyDog do that in their “free” time), the work that StubbyDog does supports every single pit bull in every single shelter and rescue and home. Through their unique website, they’re helping to change the minds of moms and girlfriends and husbands and aunties and coworkers.

The dream is that by helping all of these folks rediscover the pit bull, more pit bulls will get adopted from shelters, more families will bond over their pit bulls (rather than arguing about them), and the perceptions of our dogs will shift so that one day, everyone will see pit bulls as dogs. Just dogs. It’s a dream we all have and they’re helping us get there, with our moms in tow.

Handsome Dan and his little sister (Photo by Aleksandra G Modern Portraiture)

Where would you send your mom if StubbyDog wasn’t here?

If you’re like me and you send everyone who has doubts about pit bulls to StubbyDog, please consider donating to support this 501c3 volunteer organization. I’d love to see them hire their first staffer this year, so that I can count on StubbyDog being around for moms for years to come.

Thanks for reading everyone. This one is close to my heart.

Apr 14

3 Comments

Boom Chicka Boom Boom

I’ve had the pleasure of spending the last couple of days getting to know the squishest gal at Animal Farm Foundation. We went for a walk together this morning and though she’s still working on her dog-dog skills (she’s a DINOS while she’s in training, but is fast improving), she was a pleasure to go exploring with on a sunny Spring day. And did I mention this monkey is up for adoption?

Meet Chicka Boom!

How can you not fall in love with that face?

She’s ready to spend summer with a family. Scoop this sweet mama up, will you?

Just get in touch with the folks at Animal Farm Foundation (they’re in the Hudson Valley region of NY State) and go meet her: info@animalfarmfoundation.org

p.s. Anyone going to the New England Federation of Humane Societies conference this weekend? I am! You can catch me on Sunday at the Animal Farm Foundation table and on Monday, where I’ll be listening in on the AFF and Bad Rap seminars. Stop by and give me a Team DINOS Solidarity fist bump, ok?

Jan 27

13 Comments

Big Red Ball: A Love Story

Throughout the years, there has only been one toy Boogie hasn’t eventually destroyed. Today we’re sad to report that this toy, the Almost Indestructible Ball, is no longer available at most stores. We’re tipping our forties in its honor.

Luckily, he doesn’t need a new one just yet, since they last Boogie a few years, but one day it’ll be so beat up that he’ll need a replacement. Sigh. Then we’ll have to go in search of a new lover ball.

There’s the pretty good Jolly Ball (but Boogie ate the handle right off), and a couple of new ones to try, like the Boomer Ball (good enough for hippos at the zoo!) and a new Indestructible Ball. But it won’t be the same to Boogie.

He’s feeling kind of blue about this, so he wrote a poem.

Ode to My Big Red Ball

By Boogie “The Nudge” Dolce

Today it snowed.

Mom will release you

from your Home Depot Bucket.

The one with the lid

I cannot get off.

They hide you from me because

I forget to poop when you are near me.

No matter how long I am outside

I don’t go.

I would never leave your side

To make a stinky number two.

There you are

Big Red Ball!

Thump!

My chest bumps you along the ground.

Boom!

I slam you into the deck.

Wack!

I crack you against the trees.

My paws try to pull you closer,

then they spaz

out of control,

Pushing you away.

I didn’t mean it -

Come back!

Mom calls me inside,

I cannot hear her

over my love for thee.

You make me squeal

like a crazy chicken-piglet.

I want to lie down and

chew you into pieces so bad.

But you taught me the meaning of

Tough love.

My Almost Indestructible Ball.

Jan 16

2 Comments

How to Exercise Your Dog Without Leaving the House

Some days, you just don’t want to walk your DINOS.

Maybe it’s because the weather is terrible, like the freezing rain we had here in Maine last week, or it might be because your neighborhood is filled with off leash dogs that terrorize you on your walks. Most of the time, we still grab our leashes and hit the streets, but there are some days we could all use a break.

So whether you’re looking for a safe way to exercise your DINOS without running into other dogs or you just want to avoid extreme weather, here’s a bunch of great ideas for indoor fun from Team DINOS on Facebook!

To get us started, here are some of my favorite ways to wear out dogs inside the house:

Treadmills: They can be total lifesavers for DINOS. With a treadmill you can safely exercise your DINOS in your home, with no other dogs to contend with, whenever your dog needs it. You can use the treadmill you already have, purchase a used one for cheap off of Craig’s List, or a buy treadmill specifically designed for dogs. Here’s some advice from Bad Rap for getting started with a dog-powered (no motor) treadmill.

Puppy Push Ups: Sit, down, sit, down, sit, down. Easiest “trick” in the book. It helps burn off a little energy, even if your dog only knows two commands!

Feeding all Meals from Frozen Kongs: If your dog has a lot of energy, I would suggest chucking your dog bowls all together and only feeding from dog puzzles. Firecracker Dogs has some great articles on this and a store filled with puzzles that are worth checking out. If you’re using Kongs, try freezing them, since it’ll take much longer for your dogs to work out their meal, burning more mental and physical energy in the process.

Rile/Recovery work with a Flirt Pole: You can go the homemade route or buy a premade “chase it” toy, but either way, if you have a dog that loves chasing stuff (and has healthy joints), this giant cat toy will rock their world and burn a ton of energy. What’s key to this? Your dog must know basic commands such as: sit, down, wait, take it and drop it for this to be a safe, fun game. If you want to do this inside, get a smaller 2-3 foot flirt pole, for outside, you can go big! Before you try it, take a look at this video from Bad Rap.

Heavy Duty Chew Toys and Bones: Some dogs can work out an incredible amount of energy through chewing on toys and bones. Particularly helpful for barkers, to wear out those overactive jabber jaws.

Those are some of my faves, but don’t stop here, check out all the great suggestions from the rest of the group (keep in mind that all dogs are individuals and what works for some, may not be the best choice for others):

Heather Masch Nosework is a great activity to do indoors.

Juli Thompson Casey and I play hide and seek. She has to sit and stay while I go into another room, or closet, maybe hide behind a curtain. When I yell “come,” she has to follow my voice to find me. Body and brain both get exercised, and it reinforces “come,” which is still a problem command for us.

Lori Fricks I throw a tennis ball up the stairs, Marshall chases up after it and brings it back down for another go! We also play tug until my arms go numb!

Jo Maisey I do some clicker training to tire out their brains.

Ashley Oslund Laser light in small doses!

Kim Kusznir Odin likes to jump in the air and pop bubbles!

Alexis Bywater Laser pointer!! Keep “dot” sessions short and sweet! 10 minutes with the laser pointer can be a great workout (I combine obedience work with laser play which is a great way to proof commands on a really amped up dog).

Kristel Smart I live on the fourth floor of an apartment building and our stairs are indoors and carpeted. The stairway tends to be pretty deserted (most people prefer the elevator) so I practice send-aways and emergency stops and downs while I have Murphy run up and down the stairs (he has great hips and he’s young). When he’s tired out I let him relax with a good rib-bone.

Kelsey Gidley We play the box game, dinner from puzzle toys and lots and lots of tug.

Suzan Toscano Tug toys & balls thrown down the hall to be retrieved.

Julie Parker Rmdt We play “tag” in the living room. We also like the Kong Wobblers for mental stimulation.

Kathie McDermid Dierk Throw the ball, throw the ball, throw the ball…and then maybe “find it” (he sits in another room, I take a treat, hide it (like in a drawer or something) and then release him to “search”)

Kendra Roering Treadmill!

Grace Hoyt Holland A laser light. Watch out!

Jennifer Whitton-Trujillo We throw the ball (or whatever other toy Colby brings), but I love throwing it down the stairwell, so he has to run up and down stairs. Wears him out much better than just tossing it down the hall!

Jessie Copeland We play fetch in our kitchen with light plastic balls or a Kong frisbee, trying to continue basic drop, sit, stay, and other commands. Dash LOVES this game!

Judy Michaels Living Room Rally! My fave: One dog becomes a post, and a little yellow cone the other. Great way to work on Figure 8s and distraction work!

Barbara Lewis I don’t have stairs, so I set up a makeshift agility jump (broom held up about 6 inches off the ground by stacked books or whatever else) – then I toss pieces of dog food across the room so she has to run and jump over the hurdle to get it. It’s sort of ridiculous, but it works!

Laurie James Buchele Puzzle toys, brain games, tricks.

Laura Pescador Misha has the big egg-shaped FitPaws ball for strength and stretching, nosework, recall games with one human holding her and the other hiding, the big box home improvement store up the street still allows dogs (early on a weekday before work there aren’t a lot of other dogs), lots of training games like calling heel from anywhere in the house.

Brooke Palmer Lots of puzzles and messing around with the clicker to see what I can try to get my dog to do.

Violet Elder Run her up and down the stairway.

Celeste Schmidt We’ve had an oddly warm winter this year, but usually good ol’ tug, some shaping, nosework, and treadmill are what help. I’ve also had to jog in circles inside the house, usually I’ll have the dogs come along with me.

Michelle Doram K9 Nose Work!

A Better Life with Your Dog with Fernando Camacho I have done a number of sessions with dogs that become obsessive shadow chasers because of laser pointers, so my favorite indoor fun is bubbles. My dog will jump and pop them for hours. Great exercise!

Laura Elizabeth Mine loves to play tug game, so we play tug of war and some fetch inside.

Jill Michalski Hide n’ Seek, “Find it”, Kong Wobbler, and sometimes a bit of “doggie boot camp” practicing sit/downs (like doing pushups), stay, wait, place, etc.

Carol Sue Eklund My dog goes absolutely crazy over a red laser dot. She knows where we keep it, and begs for us to take it out! She gets more exercise that way than any other way!

Jennene Lausier My dog loves our treadmill! It’s his favorite!

Kris Hopkins My last German Shepherd police K9 was the “diggiest dog”. To channel it in non-destructive ways I bought him a small, thin heavy-duty crate bed and let him scratch it from one end of the room to the other. He was totally winded scratching at that scratchy pad for hours! When we could go outside, he got a sand box and it was the “dig patch”. All other areas were off-limits for digging or scratching. It worked and his front legs were unbelievably strong!

Jackie Hall-Reigle I had bought a treadmill for him and surprisingly he got right on it! He loves it, and when he hears it start, he comes running to get on it.

Sarah Power We hide toys while she waits in another room. We put the toy in a taped up box so she has to get it open, also bring out the agility tunnel to jump over and hide stuff under laundry baskets. Mental stimulation goes a long way, she doesn’t get tired without it.

Anne Davidson Indoors treiball (learn to get it out of corners); jump over boxes, legs both directions for fetch a toy. Sit and watch me hide toys (in sight at this point), then go fetch and put each one in the box. Boxes within boxes; prize inside smallest.

Jessica Healy We play fetch and chase up and down the stairs and also brain games.

Bonnie N. Davis Leo’s still too reactive to play inside, but has a mega thick coat, so he gets lots of trips outside during the day. But when he comes in or if it’s too frigid for him to stay out, he gets a huge bone or toy to chew.

Heather Staas Indoor frisbee with lids!

Lynda McLellan Susan Garrett’s Recallers (online classes) is all about games and most can be played in doors. Teaches self-control and focus while having lots of fun. I also use a Kong wobbler and hide and seek, which my son loves to play with the dogs along with Recaller games.

Danielle Cyr Nose works! Only need one room and my household junk! We also do small space shaping for competitions like retrieves, positions, rear end awareness. Keeps their brains warm!

Martha Knowles For some indoor thinking games and great ways to bond with your dog Playtime for Your Dog: Keep Him Busy Throughout the Day by Christina Sondermann

Jill Petro After tossing a toy or ball for a while, my dog is placed on a stay in another room while I hide the toy. Then I ask him to find it. Makes him use his brain!

Chris Jones We play hide ‘n’ go seek. I put my dog on stay and go hide then I call him. Sometimes he can’t find me and is extra overjoyed when finds me.

Cheryl Copenhagen Set up jumps or the tunnel and throw Kirby’s toys so that he has to jump over or go through!

Nicole De La Perrelle I pull out a couple of books and try to teach something new! Kyra Sundance’s books are good for this, so the other week (when it was hot here in Australia- over 40 degrees Celsius), I put treats in a few cups of a muffin pan and then put a tennis ball into each cup of the pan, so the dogs have to sniff out the treats, then use their nose or paw to push the ball out to get the treat. We also play “fishing” by hooking up a toy on a string to a stick and then flicking it around, getting the dog to chase it, try to catch it etc. You can buy toys like that or use a cat toy (Max loves the feather boa on a stick type of cat toy) or make your own. We also play “rev up and calm down” as part of the inside games. We get the dogs really excited about the game, but then ask for a sit or a drop and wait for a bit of calm before continuing. This stops the games from getting too intense and the dogs from getting too excited. It’s really hard work so wears them out more!

Virginia HappyGirl Johnson We run up and down the stairs. She made up that game when she got the “zoomies” one night, and we’ve played it ever since.

Alison Garfat On the rare day we don’t get at least a bit of outside time, Monty gets to learn a new trick – over the last couple of stretches of bad weather he’s learned “back up”, opening a cupboard door (“open”) and closing a cupboard door (“push”). Luckily he’s too short to reach the cookie cupboard! Playing “find it” is also a bad weather staple.

Thanks for sharing everyone!

Jan 9

1 Comment

Safe Communities Begin with Responsible People

Note: I originally wrote this for StubbyDog to educate the public about the failings of breed bans, which are frequently proposed after a human has been seriously hurt or killed by a dog.

Breed bans lead to a false sense of security, because it’s impossible to accurately determine how safe a dog is (or will be) based solely on looks or breed. The real cause behind dangerous dogs? People. It’s always the people.

How does this tie in with DINOS? Because we all suffer when people fail to act responsibly. Everyone with a DINOS has had negative encounters with unfamiliar, uncontrolled dogs. It’s almost always due to the irresponsible actions of another person who is not properly managing their dogs.

Sometimes it’s minor: a friendly, loose dog that chases another dog with no contact. And sometimes it’s major: an abused, starved dog is chained in their neighborhood and gets loose, seriously injuring a person.

The most effective way to create a safe community, and prevent negative encounters with dogs (major and minor), is not by banning dogs based on looks or breeds or labels – it’s by creating and enforcing breed neutral laws that hold humans accountable for their dogs.

People acting more responsibly would be pretty awesome for all of us.

Checklist for a Dangerous Dog
By Jessica Dolce

Originally posted on StubbyDog

Photos by Melissa Lipani

Are you a politician or resident in an area where a dog-related injury or fatality has recently occurred? If so, you’re probably working to determine the best way to prevent this sort of tragedy from happening again. Right now it may feel like dogs are posing a large threat to your community, but what you’re experiencing is actually quite rare. Dog bites are at historic lows in our country and, as a whole, we’ve never been safer. But there are certain criteria that are consistently present in regards to dog-related injuries, so as you look at the details of the tragic events in your community, here’s a reference checklist for the ingredients that, when mixed together, have the potential to create dangerous dogs.

First, take a look at the function of the dog. Is the dog a member of the family? Keep in mind that just because a dog lives with a family doesn’t mean it’s a family dog. Determine why the family owns this dog. What purpose did they intend for the dog to serve?

Was the dog used for:
_Fighting and gambling?
_Protection of property or other people?
_Intimidation or status?
_Backyard breeding?

If you’ve checked any of the above, you’ve determined that the dog is not a family member. Now it’s time to look at the conditions the dog was living in. Family dogs are provided with basic care, such as food and water, regular vet visits, and time inside a home where they can socialize with their human family members. Take a look at the dog’s daily life.

Was the dog:
_Starving?
_Isolated?
_Chained?
_Suffering from untreated medical problems or injuries?
_Intact (and not being shown or bred responsibly)?
_Not vaccinated?
_Living outside or in a garage full time?
_Abused or neglected?

What did you discover? If you checked any of the above, then you know that the dog was not provided basic care and may, in some cases, have been physically abused. These are further indications that the dog was not a family dog and was the victim of mistreatment.

Next, examine the people involved. The actions of a dog are always directly related to how they are managed by humans. Did the dog owner act in a reckless manner by creating scenarios where a dog, confronted with situations without proper management by humans, is likely fail?

Did the owner:
_Allow the dog to roam freely?
_Fail to supervise the dog around children?
_Fail to socialize the dog with people?
_Have multiple unsocialized dogs?

If you’ve checked any of the above items, then you’ve determined that the dog was not properly managed by its owner. The human set the dog up to fail.

Lastly, look at the history of the dog owner. When tragedy strikes, most people are slow to take responsibility for how their actions contributed to the problem. They may say they’ve done nothing wrong, but since you’ve looked deeply into their daily life with the dog(s) involved in the incident, now you can trace their history. It’s likely that this isn’t the first time the owner or their dogs have encountered trouble.

Does the owner:
_Have a history of criminal behavior?
_Have past citations with animal control?
_Not have a current license for their dog?
_Have a history of training their dog to be aggressive?

If you checked any of the above, then you’ve determined there was a history of reckless behavior on the part of the owner and a failure of law enforcement and/or animal control to follow up on a known problem.

Every one of the items in this article is a warning sign that went unchecked for some time until a serious incident occurred. Luckily, the overwhelming majority of dogs that are victims of one or more of the criteria listed here still do not cause harm. We are safer now than ever before.

So, what’s missing from the list? The breed of the dog is not a checklist item. That’s because any dog, of any breed or breed mix, can become dangerous in the hands of a reckless, irresponsible owner. Sadly, in the last few decades, abusive and neglectful humans have gravitated towards pit bull type dogs because false information and sensationalized myths, from various sources, have glamorized pit bull type dogs as status symbols for criminals.

Just like any other dog, if pit bulls are not treated as family dogs, then they become canine victims, set up to fail by humans that care little about their health, training, or for that matter, the law. If you choose to ban pit bull type dogs in an attempt to make your community safer, these reckless humans will move on to another breed (like they did earlier this century when they chose to own German Shepherds or Dobermans) or it will simply push their pit bulls further underground, hiding from the law, where they will go without medical care and proper socialization.

Now that you’ve looked at the checklist, it’s plain to see how those circumstances, exacerbated by a breed ban, could create a dangerous dog. It is time to move away from fixating on the breed if you want to create safe, humane communities. Instead, focus attention on the elements present in this checklist, since it’s the cocktail of human-related criteria listed here that is to blame.

By addressing these items through the creation and enforcement of breed-neutral dangerous dog laws which address reckless owners, you’ll be creating truly safe communities, without punishing the millions of families with pit bull type dogs that are loving, law abiding guardians of family dogs.

Sources:
Bad Rap
listing out warning signs – a media first?
StubbyDog
When Dogs Bite
The Cruel Cost of Breed Specific Legislation
Animal Farm Foundation
Resident Dog vs. Family Dog – What’s the Difference?
A Community Model For Responsible Pet Ownership
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Dangerous Dog/Reckless Owner Laws
National Canine Research Council (NCRC)
What is a dog bite?

Download the PDF

Jan 2

3 Comments

A New Year’s Eve Treat for Shelter Dogs

Meet Handsome Dan (I like to call him Handy). He’s one of my favorite long-distance dog crushes. Handy and his fabulous family held a Bully Stick Drive at the end of 2011.

Their goal was to collect enough treats so that every dog in their local animal shelter in Rhode Island would have something special to snack on this Christmas. Handy’s mom, Heather, had her fingers crossed that they’d receive 100+ bully sticks.

But people are generous. Really generous. They received 600+ bully sticks.

Heather and Handy knew right away that they wanted to share the loot and so, after the dogs of Rhode Island were all taken care of, the remaining bully sticks were shipped across the country. Some went to Animal Farm Foundation in NY. A lot went to Philly and the dogs at the PSPCA. A whole bunch went to Austin, Tex as.

And just in time for New Year’s Eve, a package from Handy arrived at my door in Maine.

As the shelter was closing for the holiday, and the dogs were returning from their final New Year’s Eve walk in the cold rain, I arrived at the Animal Refuge League with Handy’s special care package.

The very first recipient, was the beautiful 11-year-old elderbull, Mariah, who gave the bully sticks a proper inspection (right).

It was the very best way to finish out the year: together with my friend Jen, who works so hard and so fearlessly as the shelter’s kennel manager, visiting each and every dog, delivering a little bit of yummy love.

Thank you to everyone who donated to Handsome Dan – your generosity was felt across the country this holiday season. And thank you to Handy and Heather for shipping a little box of heaven up here for Maine’s homeless dogs. It was a gift to me to give out your donation.

If you’re feeling inspired, there are never enough bully sticks or Kongs or soft blankets at shelters. Hold a drive, raid your closet, go on a shopping spree at a pet store, then spread a little slice of love among the homeless dogs in your town. You won’t regret it.

Happy New Year Everyone!

p.s. Adopt Mariah!

Dec 22

7 Comments

The Big DNA Reveal: Boogie

The guesses for Boogie were really interesting and Boogie was particularly flattered that some of you think he’s a pretty handsome dude. He’s been bugging me for his own Facebook page, ever since I let him read your comments.

Before I reveal Boogie’s DNA results, which are far more complicated than Birdie’s results, I thought I’d share what Boogie’s dad and I thought he was, based on behavior and physical characteristics.

Boogie is muscular, but slender compared to the average pit bull. Also, his fur is much longer and his tail is much thicker. So it was clear to us that he was a mix.

Completely obsessed with playing ball, Boogie reminds us of a Lab. He was a stray dog found in the backwoods of Maine, so it also made sense that he might be a Lab mix because (you may not know this if you’re from away) Mainers are required, by law, to own Black Labs. Ok, maybe it’s not a law, but they’re the state dog, no doubt about it.

So our guess was Lab mix. And we weren’t sure if there would be any pit bull markers in the results at all.

Or he might be a pure bred DINOS:

So what did Boogie turn out to be? Here are the results!

Boogie's DNA results

What’s the deal with all those mixed breeds in there, you ask?

Here are the five other breeds that they report are present in his DNA panel:

Boogie's DNA results

So what does this mean for Boogie? It means he’s not a Lab! It also means he’s, in all likelihood, a pit bull.

In an explanation of the various breeds that are present in his results, here’s what Wisdom has to say about DNA testing for pit bulls:

“The term “Pitbull” does not refer to a single or recognized breed of dog, but rather to a genetically diverse group of breeds. Pit bull type dogs have historically been bred by combining guarding type breeds with terriers for certain desired characteristics – and as such they may retain many genetic similarities to the likely progenitor breeds and other closely related breeds. If a pit bull type dog were tested, we might anticipate that the Wisdom Panel test might detect and report moderate to trace amounts of one or more distantly related breeds to those used to breed the dog, it is possible that one or more of the following breeds might be detected at moderate to trace amounts: the American Staffordshire terrier, Boston terrier, Bull terrier, Staffordshire Bull terrier, Mastiff, Bullmastiff Boxer, Bulldog and various small terriers like the Parson Russell. These breeds would be detected because some markers in these breeds have genetic identity at a minority of the markers the Wisdom Panel test uses to the breeds in our database.

Mars Veterinary’s analysis of the many Pitbull type breeds, which are known to be closely related, indicates that this diverse group of dogs could be one or a mixture of American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull terrier, Boston Terrier and some Bulldog. Due to the genetic diversity of this group, we cannot build a DNA profile for the Pitbull. Any Pitbull type breed tested using Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed Breed Analysis is likely to reveal a combination of several breeds. For example, a Pitbull type breed might show up as 25% Boston Terrier, 25% American Staffordshire Terrier and 50% unknown.”

Since all of those breeds showed up in his DNA results, it turns out Boogie is probably a pit bull after all. Well, sort of, since he’s also got a little bit of Brittany and Irish Setter in there too. Does anyone else find this confusing?

On a serious note: pit bull type dogs are banned and discriminated against around the world, based not on their individual actions, but because of the way they look.

So, in the eyes of the law: is Boogie a pit bull? If so, is it because of the way he looks? Or because his DNA test list breeds that are historically related to pit bull type dogs?

Does it matter what he is? Can anyone determine how safe (or worthy of compassion) a dog is by his appearance or his DNA results? Of course not.

No matter what Boogie’s breed mix is, he is just a dog. He loves to play ball and I love him. He’s a treasured member of our family: he’s Birdie’s brother, a play thing for our cats, and my husband’s best friend.

I have every right to share my life with my pit bull.

Or my Irish Setter mix…

You know what I mean.

Dec 19

21 Comments

All I Want for Christmas is Dog DNA

I have a confession to make. Along with reading piles of magazines, taking quizzes is one of my favorite guilty pleasures in life. I’ll take short, silly quizzes (If I were a loaf of bread, what kind of bread would I be?) and long, involved personality tests, like the Myers Briggs. I take them for fun or to help me figure out my strengths and weaknesses. I’ve taken countless career assessment tests, all of which tell me I should be a therapist, a teacher, or a minister. I may not listen to the results, but I really like taking the tests.

So when I discovered that I could do a cheek swab DNA test at home on my two dogs, Birdie and Boogie, I was powerless to resist. I didn’t care what the results were (I love them no matter what). I didn’t care if the tests were 100% accurate. I just wanted to give my mixed breed dogs the ultimate quiz! So as a Hanukkah and Christmas gift to myself, I ordered two DNA test kits from Wisdom. Last month I swabbed their cheeks, sent the kits back to the lab, and have been patiently waiting for the results to come back.

Side Note: For any of you interested in doing this, swabbing the inside of a dog’s cheek turned out to be a little trickier than I thought it would be. Birdie wanted to eat the swab and then I fumbled it on the way out of her mouth, causing it to rub against the palm of my hand. Luckily, they give you two swabs per dog, so I got a second chance to do it right. I sent both swabs back, per the instructions, and figured if Birdie’s DNA results came back as a Jewish Beagle from New Jersey, this kit was legit.

I just got the test results back and I’m dying to share, but before I do, here’s a little quiz for you. Take a look at their photos below and, in the comments section, give me your best guesses on what breed mix you think they might be. I’ll reveal the actual results later this week!

Birdie is 40 pounds and she was listed as a “Beagle Mix” on her adoption paperwork.

Boogie is 50 pounds and he was labeled a “Pit Bull” on his adoption paperwork.

(DNA test info: Because Boogie has been labeled a pit bull, I should share that Wisdom cannot test for the breed ”pit bull”, due to the genetic diversity of dogs within this group. However other dog breeds, that were historically related to the American Pit Bull Terrier, often show up in DNA tests - for instance: American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, and the Boston Terrier. If you’d like to read more, Wisdom explains it here.)

Let the guessing begin!

Dec 14

18 Comments

Living with DINOS™: A Resource Guide

Living with DINOS isn’t always easy, but you’re not alone and there is help! Check out the tools, classes, and techniques that have made a difference for the DINOS community…