[nagdu] Dog Breeds

[lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com]

Hi Jenine,
I've known several Pit Bulls over the years. Their bad rap comes from the 
ones the drug dealers breed and train to fight - like that football player. 
These people would kill the nice Pit Bulls!

These dogs, like all dogs, MUST be socialized since puppyhood to curb dog 
aggression.  You have to get puppies from the nice breeding stock.  The ones 
who aren't aggressive.

Last year, Landon got to play with my niece's boyfriend's Pit Bull. That dog 
raised up her hair and tried to act intimidating towards Landon.  Landon was 
like, "OK you want to be boss, that's fine with me".  The two dogs then 
raced around the yard at top speed and had a blast together.

Take care,

Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 5:05 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog Breeds


> In our old neighborhood there was a family who had a very well trained, 
> well
> behaved Pit. He looked very much like Spuds McKenzie from the old beer
> commercials.
>
> One day I was walking past their house and noticed this dog walking beside
> us. The man came out and introduced himself and the dog, not telling me 
> his
> breed. I patted him and he was very sweet. Then the man told me about the
> dog, how they really tried not to tell people his breed because they 
> freaked
> out, but how well trained he was. I could see this. He and my big Golden
> licked each other and were quite happy to sit there while we talked.
>
> The dog's name was Rocky. Every time we came by and Rocky was out, he'd 
> come
> and walk with us, at perfect guiding position on my right side, from one 
> end
> of his property to the other along the side walk. Once there was a toy in
> the middle and as my dog moved me to the left around it, Rocky stepped out
> in front as if to lead us around. His owner found this not unusual for 
> him.
> Rocky liked to do jobs. The man had taught him to fetch tools, climb a
> ladder and bring them to him, then climb back down. We joked that Rocky 
> was
> about the size of my little Labs and he'd probably make a fine guide dog.
> I'd seen him around rowdy neighborhood dogs and he just stood there. He 
> had
> his friends he liked to play with but he didn't go in with the rowdy ones.
> The man said Rocky also would stand and block their baby who was just
> learning to crawl, from going onto the sidewalk.
>
> I think I worry more about the neglected pet spaniel or Golden than a Pit
> necessarily, depending on the area of town.
>
> I've also heard people who work boxers as guides say that their dogs are
> often mistaken for Pits. My first dog was a very odd Lab mix of some sort.
> She certainly wasn't a pure bred Lab. She had a large head with small ears
> set further back than most Labs and small eyes with a shorter muzzle. She
> was also very muscular, and pure black. She was mistaken for a Pit many
> times in one particular area I went in to work. This was fine given the
> area. If they only knew how unstable her temperament was. <grin> She would
> have embarrassed the Pit breed. Not the ideal first dog unfortunately.
>
>
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