1. You don’t like cuddling.
I grew up with shelties who didn’t even like sleeping on dog beds – they preferred the hard, cold floor. Umm, let’s just say these pibbles know what’s what when it comes to comfort.
2. You want to carry your dog around in your purse.
Not happening unless your purse = duffle bag and you = superman.
3. You think dog clothes are lame.
Let’s face it, unless you live in San Diego and never stray, your pit bull may need a coat. Maybe even boots and a hat, possibly a scarf if you live within 500 miles of me.
4. Your nose is stuck so high in the air (or somewhere else) and you think pit bulls are “mean” and “vicious”.
A certain meme comes to mind…
5. You don’t like proving people wrong.
I mean…you don’t? Really? Where are you from?
6. You only buy from a breeder (and they must be pure bred).
In which you would not be adopting and saving an innocent life. I’ve also had friends tell me that before they knew better, they always thought there was ‘something wrong’ with the dogs available for adoption through rescues and shelters. Hmmm….see #10.
7. You can resist faces like this…
and this…
8. You want a hunting dog.
I take that back. Lola would love to go squirrel hunting with you. And others have been trained to hunt.
9. You can resist butts like this…
That’s Lola’s boyfur-iend, yes, I said it. His name is Tater Tot, he is doing some awesome things in this world over here.
and this…
(That’s another Tator Tot, he’s really good at saving lives and stuff like that.)
1o. You judge based off of the negative things you’ve heard in the media and elsewhere vs. judging an animal as an individual. You aren’t willing to accept the most loving dogs I have ever met, which are all of the pit bulls you have seen in this post.
*Follow Lola The Pitty on Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest!*
On a different note, you can also check out my recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats.
Chessies don’t like to cuddle, well except for Freighter. He almost wants to cuddle too much. lol I would like to hear more about the hunting Pitties. Any do upland or waterfowl? Do they swim to retrieve? Curious. 🙂
Haha, yeah Rio sounds like Freighter! He HAS to be touching a person at all times if it was up to him, lol. I know some pit bulls can herd cattle and some are used as hunting dogs (according to the ASPCA) – as far as upland or waterfowl/specifics, no idea, lol. I have a friend whose pit loves to swim and retrieve!
Cool on the swimming and retrieving. I have seen videos of some pitties doing some nice retrieving. 🙂
If they love to swim, they sure can!
Doesn’t matter what the breed is as long as they love it! 🙂
Okay maybe not bulldogs since apparently it’s impossible for them to swim LOL
My TATAAA! Lol, yea…maybe not so much the bulldogs! 🙂
all of these are not true my dog is lovable, and he loves to cuddle
all of these make no point compared to my dog
No their head and chest are to big and all you will see is bottoms up.
LOVE!!!
I have had many friends along the way who owned wonderful pit bulls, and this summer we had the honor of adopting our own Lola (literally). We had two black labs before Lola, and hands-down this is the best dog we’ve not only ever owned, but known as well. She was removed from her first home at 3 month old due to neglect. WTF? How do you take a puppy from it’s warm mother, and neglect it enough to have the county come take it away? There are bad bad creatures in this world, and while many people would quickly name a pittbull, I can honestly tell you it’s man. Thank you for spreading the world about the true nature of pibbles, and how the majority of owners feel about them!
Jen
Hi Jen (and Lola)! Thanks for saving this sweet baby…and I totally agree with you. The problem is not the dogs, it’s mankind. Cheers 🙂
My pit is a farm dog. I ride my horse and he will be beside me. Watching each other so as not to hurt each other. Him and my mare are very close and he will even go in the pasture with me to help bring her out. He never hurts them. He will even help keep the others away while I catch her. More of a walking around thing than what you would see of a herder. Best farm dog I have had. My border collie used to chase the horses. My Akita just laid there and the husky couldn’t even get off the chain or he would run off. The German Shepard puppy I am training now. Uses my pit for an example. But still working on the barn cats for him.
Awe! Love this story 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Bee!
Sorry, not trying to offend anyone, but my experience has taught me a different lesson: Growing up, my best friend had a pit bull and it was raised in a very loving and responsible manner. It was part of their family and and was a great dog for several years. One day it growled at my friend and the next day it attacked their grandfather. It was absolutely inexplicable.
I know this could happen with other breeds and I know this doesn’t happen with all pit bulls, but being as physically capable as they are, my kids will never be exposed.
That really sucks that you had that experience. However will you avoid all cars because one was in an accident? Will you avoid all people because one was mean to you? Are you able to correctly even identify a pitbull? The prejudice and stereotyping is exactly what we are trying to prevent. I think we can all agree that not all DOGS are angels. But I have been bitten by the resident JRT but not the pittie, it doesn’t mean I hate all Jack Russells. Education is the key, there were likely causes or reaction that no one knew to look for that cause this to happen. Subtle…not everyone (human or animal) have transparent feelings. If a pitbull is not a dog for you, we understand, but please don’t assume all are bad because of one.
agreed.
I’m loving Lola the Pitty’s page here, thank you! Yeah, I imagine that a dog that growled one day and bit the next after years of normal behavior was probably experiencing some sort of pain, possibly even having neurological symptoms (tumors, tinnitus, neuralgia, etc) that are hard to pick up on, but still not the dog’s fault.
I tend to be a lot more wary of small dogs, mini and toy breeds especially. I can understand why they tend to be so high-strung, but I don’t care for the yelling (yapping) and I don’t think it’s fair to the little dogs to breed for “cute” but then have so many genetic problems. Even though it would obviously hurt a lot more to be bitten by a large breed, I’d just as soon avoid being bitten by the breeds that seem to do the most of it! (You don’t hear them called “ankle-biters” for nothing; and on the flip side, I’ve never heard a pitt-bull called a thigh-biter or a Great Dane termed a neck-biter.) My experiences with pitt-bulls have pretty much all been positive.
of course someone here has to be some asshole on here trying to ruin it. dogs are WILD ANIMALS, any dog is capable of doing this and any dog is physically capable of tearing your children apart, i have had only pitbulls and they have all been incredibly protective of my children and never harmed a hair on their head
and millions of them are just like ours 😉 – it’s not just a coincidence.
Sorry that happened to your friend growing up. The trouble is a lot of times people think they have a pit bull, or that they see a pit bull attack someone but there are so many breeds that people think are pitties that aren’t. Not saying that’s the case with your friend, just a point I wanted to make. Also, more to your point, you probably shouldn’t expose your kids to any dogs then because they’re all capable of doing some damage. I’ve met some NASTY labs in my day (volunteered then worked a county shelter for 7 years). I’ve been bitten by a rottie, a Chesapeake bay retriever mix and a dalmation. Cocker spaniels are the most likely breed to bite someone. Not saying that all pit bulls are sweet as pie, but not all dogs are sweet as pie, that’s for sure. Kids and dogs should always be supervised, no matter how well you know your dog. Most people can’t read a dogs subtle signs when they ask you to back off, especially not kids. I have to remind my little sister constantly to stay out of my mini doxies face, because I can see he’s uncomfortable, but she can’t.
well said, Kristin. 🙂
I understand your statement on how one pitbull has done this to a friend in thepast but one pit bulls negative actions shouldn’t have negative effects on your entire life i have had a pitbull for 9 years she’s the best I ever had I wouldn’t change that for the world have you ever thought maybe there was something wrong with the specific pitbull I have a friend who had a large breed dogs for years and one day she snapped and that was all due to a brain tumor so sometimes there is something wrong with the animal itself you can’t blame all pitbulls because of this one’s actions I’ve been around pit bulls that word mean doesn’t mean I think anything less of that specific breed I think less of the person who own them or that there might be something wrong with that animal as an individual just like people one person can have a mental problem or issue and not show it for most of their lives in step one day that doesn’t mean that I think all people are bad just bad things happen
Allen, I completely get what you’re saying and it is most certainly your prerogative not to have your children around a particular breed of dog.
But I will tell you that I’m a victim of a story very similar to the one you told, only in my case it was a Cocker Spaniel. A friend’s dog that had never shown any aggression at all started acting cranky and testy around people AND other animals, and a few days later it killed a cat. It also attacked my friend’s father when he tried to break up the fight with the cat.
Any dog can attack. Did you hear the story of the dog fight last weekend between a boxer and a cocker spaniel that resulted in a man’s death? Because of their wild nature, they are definitely unpredictable, to a degree, regardless of breed. It is therefore up to us as the more intelligent species to educate ourselves and others.
Any dog can attack, and a lot of the time it’s due to people not understanding the signs the dog is giving off. When I was five I was attacked by our families Great Dane breeding bitch, because I was arrogant and didn’t listen when I was told not to go near her or her pups. I had grown up with this dog and I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t allowed near her and why I couldn’t see the puppies, so I went in to see her any way. She was a very protective mother, and my mothers boyfriend was the only one who could go near her when she had pups, so when I went in to see her she turned on me. She was much larger then me and her mouth wrapped around my head, causing two punctures in my skull (can still to this day feel the holes on the top of my head and the scar on my right eyebrow). If it wasn’t for our stud dog, a big male Great Dane who was overly protective of me, hearing my cry of pain and running into the room to chase the female off me, I probably would have died.
This was not her fault, I even lied when I came out of the room crying with blood running down my face and told everyone that I had fallen and hit my head so that I wouldn’t get the dog into trouble (and so that I wouldn’t get into trouble for not listening). When I got to hospital though and the doctors said that I had puncture wounds in my skull, I was forced to cough up the truth. After a couple of weeks, when the pups had grown more, our Great Dane bitch was fine with me going near her pups, and she never batted an eye at me ever again.
So many people have asked my how I’m not terrified of dogs, and I don’t have an answer for them, but I do know that it was not the dogs fault that I was attacked, it was my own. I could not read the signs of aggression as I entered the room and walked straight towards her, I was just a kid who didn’t know any better. So moral of the story, don’t judge any soul breed on attacking, all dogs have their personalities and most of the time it’s the humans fault that they were attacked or a medical reason with the dog.
OMG, I love this post! I’ll be sharing it on my FB page today!
Happy New Year pretty Lola and Momma! <3
Thanks, Christina! I was hesitant for the reaction it would draw so I had the draft written for about 3 days and finally hit “publish”…! And the reaction – awesome! 🙂
Hello, I came across your site on Pinterest and printed out some of your recipes for my babies. I have 2 boys that are my absolute Loves named Zeus & Atlas (Greek Gods in this house lol) – I am so glad I came across you and your site and absolutely love the stories being shared. I am originally from the East Coast but am currently across the world in the West – and let me tell you I have come across some seriously ignorant people not just about Pitt Bulls but dogs in general. I am a dog lover, have to of my own and 2 cats (go figure) and the worse thing I think I heard and was how they had no idea they can be sick, feel or even have diseases like we humans do….. How about that for size??? I was dumbfounded and shocked and it took me a minute to respond. But nonetheless, I agree with you and how educated one can and must be and not judge. See in my opinion we humans and animals alike bleed red – and to me if you speak to them and show them to sit and give you high five like my oldest does and they both can understand the terms in English and Spanish, what makes you think they do not feel, expect, remember or retain with their emotions. I love my boys and that along with my family are my priority. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts – I will definitely keep an eye on your sight and look forward to the amazing things you will be posting. Thank you!
Hi Faith – thank you so very much for the comment. I hope you continue to enjoy the posts & glad you found this site :). Have a great weekend.
I love the pitties I have rescued and taken in. Not all are friendly, some require you making them friendly. I think they are excellent dogs, and down here in Texas a lot of people use them to hunt hogs. However, I do not condone that. Mine would be killed, because they wouldn’t know what to do! Mine prefer hugs, yes both paws on my shoulders. Sleeping on my head, and as much attention as is humanly possible. Pitbulls are a mutt breed, usually a combination of many bully breeds combined or other breeds mixed with bully breeds. Love them all though. AND people are so misinformed. I hate people, and I love dogs.
That’s awesome!
Haha, thanks Emily!
I like Pitt butts, and I cannot lie…
Haha, I need to create a meme with this on it!
I love love love this post!!!
Thank you so much, Kim!
Re making pits into hunting dogs: When my pitgirl was training for her therapy licensure, I said to the trainer, “I would really love it if you could help me get her to retrieve. She’ll happily take the ball, but she won’t give it back.” The trainer looked at me then looked at Rose, and said, “Ma’am, there is not one ounce of retriever in that dog.” Oh well, she passed the test anyway and now works with children who have been abused. Love my beautiful girl!!
That’s great that she is doing therapy! Even though ours are not trained for therapy, they help me every single day.
Chloe is our first Pibble. We rescued her from the SPCA in Lancaster, Pa. three years ago this week. She was probably 2-3 years old then and discarded after delivering and nursing a litter of pups. Our granddaughters love her and she is good with them too. She’s bright, gentle and very loving. Chloe is the best dog that has ever owned us.
Awe! Thanks for sharing your positive experience, John.
Love this article! Would also love to see something similar about GerSheps. I adore my GSD. 🙂
Thank you, Mary!!! A GSD one would be fun also, but luckily they don’t get quite as bad of a rap as the pitties :).
Tina, Kristen, & Christina,
Thank all three of you for your sincere and thoughtful replies. I have and will continue to take all into consideration.
Tina:
I would definitely avoid cars and people if that were an option. 🙂 In some matters I have choices, in some I don’t.
Identification of the breed wasn’t a guess. He was Certified APBT(if that’s how it’s correctly stated).
Kristen:
Uh, yes. Couldn’t agree more. 🙂
Christina:
Thank you. Agreed. Point below reinforced..
Look, I know it sounds so, but I’m not trying to ruin a happy fuzzy post/article, and I’m really not picking on Pit Bulls. It just worries me when ownership of any physically capable breed is sugar-coated and potential new and uneducated owners are lead to believe that a dog’s behavior will always hinder upon the manner in which it nurtured. Of course, all potential owners of any breed should educate themselves, but unfortunately, it’s not required. It should be..
Gianna: Asshole? Because I’m concerned for uneducated owners of any physically capable breed?
I doubt my two toys poodles are “physical capable of tearing my children apart,” as you so eloquently stated. I’m guessing you should be one of the first owners tested for suitability…
Hi Allen,
thank you for your reply and clarification. I agree with you 100% that uneducated/irresponsible owners of any breed are typically our biggest problem. -Sarah
Oh, and Melissa. Thanks for your comment!
And Sarah, it is a great post. Please, not trying to take anything away. Thank you
Sarah,
Not only is this a great post, but it’s a great site. You’re clearly a loving, responsible, and educated advocate, and I’ll continue to visit this site to educate myself and recommend it to others
-Allen
Thank you very much for your support and for keeping an open mind! -Sarah & Lola
Great post lol. I rescued and adopted mine, he is named Cyan. He loves to go up and lick everyone. Cyan was a bait dog, starved and beaten, he now has a page where he collects items for his furiends that are in need. Cyan doesn’t have an actual voice, so he still doesn’t really bark. He has made some noises and we heard an almost full bark twice. We also have an Amercian Bulldog and I love putting them together to show people the difference in what they look like. Yes My girl was mistaken as a pit by get this … an SCPA dog handler/catcher/”trainer”. pfftthahaha. Pitbulls are amazing.
Haha, that is great! Thanks for your support and for rescuing!!! Cyan is such a cute name!!! You said he has a page? A facebook page? If so, come by and say hi: facebook.com/lolathepitty 🙂
-Sarah
I was so against pits. Have had Dobermans boston terrier boxers and many mutts-when we adopted our Gyp-c a rescued pit was a lot neverous–it took less than a week that this wonderful pit showed us what the love of a dog is all about she is about the most perfect animal I have ever been around–but like any dog or cat we took our time to get to know her–we have 6 year old granddaughters and I trust her with them but she is still a dog and like any dog they could trun you must be sinsiable.
,
just adopted from a shelter a 6 yr black and white beautiful boy he’s amazing. Did some research as to re-homing an older dog and about pitties in general— have had other dogs and what is a pit bull but a canine-so why is there even any ? about their dispositions-it’s people who are the assholes and use the numb brains to execute such horrific shit upon those whom they can control. and that’s the issue, power sickness and control -humans suck, most of them. just my opinion. ya know!
Hi there! Thanks for saving a life! I agree, it is most commonly the owner that is the real problem!
I absolutely loved this. Every single point brought a smile to my face!
Awe! Thank you so much – it was fun to write 🙂
I have adopted all 3 of our Boston Terriers from kill shelters. When we considered adding a pitty our home owner’s insurance would not allow it.
I hate the way they are discriminated against.
Btw, I enjoyed your article.
Hi Denise,
Thank you for saving your babies! And yes the discrimination is really everywhere. Insurance, associations, etc. It’s really too bad. Thanks for commenting 🙂
I would have loved to have a pit or/and amstaf, but infortunatly, they are illigal ni Norway…. 🙁
a few years back the police and politicans was made aware of the fact that there were dog-fights in Norway, so instead of using money to find the people responsible, they banned the ” dangerous” breed….
wolf-hybreids are also illigal if one does not have a spesial permit, but there I have no problem, as these dogs, really are not for moste people…..
I think you clearly missed Sign Number 11…. “You are not into slobber/puppy kisses”. 😉 I’ve met a lot of pitties… very happy, cheerful, friendly pitties… all of whom insisted on offering puppy kisses and being friends.
I bred these awesome animals for over 20 yrs and I have researched and interviewed people, they are ignorant of any animal, let alone a pitt, my pitts slept on my babys bed if she wanted to, I had confidence in my daughter, not th dogs, because, you see, I taught her to understand the animal, how they would react in the wild as G-D intended them, yes I “trained” my child nurture, respect and love, I didn’t need to train my dogs! Unfortunately the media has made animals out as humans, so we treat them in wrong manner, we need to get to basics.
For several years I have volunteered at a shelter that typically hais over 50% pitties at any given time. I have really grown to love the breed. The only time I have gotten bit was by a hound and a toy breed. As for the “bad dogs” that come in, they are likely to be any breed, shape, size. Most of our dogs are strays and we have no background on them. As for adopting an adult pit out to a home with small children, we use the same rules as with any other dog. If a dog is indifferent or backing away fom children, it is a definite no. If the child is fearful, it is also a definite no. On the other hand, some very fearful dogs that we say no children, tend to be the ones that surprise us as they see children go by, and totally come out of their shell (obviously feel safe with them, not adults). If a dog is showing more interest in playing/interacting with the children, than adults, typically, it is showing they have been with little ones and are comfortable with this. We require that all family members, especially kids, meet and interact with the dog. Also, an overly excited, high energy, lovey-in-your-face dog shouldn’t be going home with small kids. Some unfortunately do not know how to contain themselves in their happiness, and can cause damage, with all the weight/muscle behind them. Broken glasses, pulled earrings, stubbed fingers, knocked chins, fat lips, etc. I mean this in the best way, but speak from experience, and love every minute of it. 🙂
Hi Karen, it sounds like a great shelter that you volunteer at. I’m really glad to hear that pitties get the same opportunity to be adopted as every other dog and that there is a thorough meet-and-greet conducted. Thanks for commenting!
3 – I happen to think dog clothes are lame. But I’m not embarrassed to throw a coat on Tommy or Dev (Staffordshire Bull Terrier and APBT, respectively) if it dips below a reasonable temperature (which, let’s face it, is unlikely to happen often in Santa Barbara…)
Haha, I *used* to think dog clothes were lame, then I guess I became lame ;). But we do live in Minnesota…Thanks for commenting.
My cousin owned a pit bull that he trained so well that he could stick his face in her bowl and shove her out of it and she just sat down and waited. My aunt more or less stole the dog from him (visited often, left her with them when he took trips, etc) and when my grandmother was living with them, that dog was her best friend. She would sit down with Grandmom and enjoy chips fed to her while my Grandmom had her afternoon whiskey. 🙂
Hi there, Sarah…. I found an abandoned pit bull on the streets last week… he has no fur and was starved…. He is the sweetest thing, but seems agressive towards other animals (I have four other rescued dogs and a few cats)…. my family is afraid because pit bulls are not “trustworthy”… I can’t seem to find anyone that will keep him and I just don’t know what to do… after googling pit bulls I myself started to be a little scared too… they say you need to meet the animals parents and train and socialize him since he is little, but I got him from the street and he is a little over a year old…. should I be afraid of keeping him? What I am really afraid of is him hurting my other animals…. can you help me with any suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for contacting me. Poor dog! Where is the animal, what state do you live in? Of course, with ANY dog, you must be cautious and do slow introductions to other dogs. But if you don’t have much experience doing this (and especially being that he appears to be in bad health), I would keep him separate from your animals. If he has been a stray for a while too, he’s most likely been in “survival mode”. I would look up rescue groups in your area as *hopefully* they can take him into rescue and find a home for him! If he’s in MN, I can help find placement, but otherwise just search for animal rescues in your city and start contacting them (take pictures of him!). Keep me posted – fingers crossed for you.
p.s. the problem with many animals, is the humans that have had major influence on them and this poor guy doesn’t sound like he’s doing too good. Being that he’s been starved, I wouldn’t be surprised if he (or any dog) would have some fear/anger with food.
Also, please don’t believe everything you have read on the internet about ‘pit bulls’. Just use your gut and be safe with any stray animal. I’m assuming he has no fur because of lack of nutrition and/or mange. Many types of mange are NOT contagious (some are), but it would probably be best for him to stay away from other animals and see a vet asap. You could also ask your vet if they know of any rescues or could foster him. If you say he seems sweet, I doubt he would “turn on you”. 🙂
At my local shelter there was the cutest little girl about a year old. A white pitbull with blotches of black and a little sliver-moon shape above her eye. Bailey, our dog we have, doesn’t like other dogs unless she meets them a few times, even more time for big dogs. She would hate having a big jumpy pit tie around the house, but hey, that’s her say, not mine!!! Haha
I SOOO agree I love my pitbull and would die for here!
I love my pitbull so much I would die for her I meant!
I’m glad I read this mom and I have been looking online at shelter pit bull terriers (they didn’t have any flat out pit bull mixes) and this helped a lot. But we have to find a cat friendly dog
Thank you for this awesome site!! Very interested in natural paw care..I live in WA state and we just lived thru a week of our world encased in a sheet of ice. I use natural kitty litter to make trails where we walk and then it’s a game to stay on the “trail”. Oh, I haven’t yet said that I am proudly owned by an American Staffordshire Terrier. Her name is Tasha aka Miss Poopy… She’s a big lover girl who befriends all who will allow it. Including a flock of chickens she saved one at a time by carrying them gently home to me in her big bully mouth after a weasel killed their mama! She is a glorious happy beast and I absolutely adore her!!! Sincerely, Pamela
I found my pittie abandoned on a street. She is a serious licker. Don’t get a pit if you don’t like being licked. Lol. She’s also the 2nd pittie, I know, who loves to carry around a heavy-duty metal bowl. Had to get her another water bowl since she loved the first one so much she’d empty out the water just to play with it.
When I heard that I was getting a pitbull, I was absolutely terrified… But when I got her, she was (and still is) the sweetest thing ever. 😀 I love her so much. Infact, she is sleeping right next to me with one paw on my arm. I don’t know why people want to ban these poor innocent creatures. It’s the owners fault not the dog’s fault.
We have two pits. One we got as a pup from a friend whom had an accidental litter, the other we found abandoned at a gas station and was clearly older. We took the found grown put in and she is just as cuddly and loving as the pup we had gotten. Their names are Basil and Bodega. Literally the sweetest cuddling dogs ever, I hate the negative connotations about them because they are just so goofy and loving.
All this told me is I should definitely get one.? That being said I already planned on getting one.?
I have a lab pittie rescue. She’s absolutely the goofiest dog I’ve ever had. She makes weird noises, does a dead cockroach impression for tummy rubs, eats like a pig, and is obsessed with the squirrel in the back yard. She wants to be petted All. The. Time. Loves everybody, people, doggos, cats, doesn’t matter. If I tell people she’s a lab mix, they’ll pet her. If I tell people she’s a pittie mix, some will pet and some will back off. Those people have no idea what they’re missing. I call her my purebred goofball. Because she’s purely goofy. And no, her name isn’t Goofy! It’s Kona, my companion, my riding and walking buddy, and my bestie.
You should not have shown those dogs’ anuses