Ask Annie (March 4, 2013)

Have you guys heard the weather forecast for this week?  My mom says it's my dad's fault that we are going to get snow because yesterday he told her winter was over.  I love him to pieces (and he loves me back), and he really is a genious, but I really don't think he can make a blizzard!  That's just me talking, though!

I love it that I have so many readers, and I'm glad to hear you're sharing my thoughts about how good it is to be treated like "just a dog."

Here's the question I picked to share and answer this week and I hope you like it:

Dear Annie:

It's so easy to find things in the news about the bad things that pit-type dog breeds are involved in, but do you have any "good stuff" about pitties to share with your readers?

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Why yes, and I am glad you asked!  (Of course, right?)

The dogs that are included in the pit bull-type breeds have been famous for a long time for doing good things.  They are soldiers, police dogs, search and rescue dogs, actors, TV personalities, seeing-eye dogs and celebrity pets.  Nipper and Petey were the dogs on Little Rascals.  Helen Keller had a pittie named "Sir Thomas."  Buster Brown used to advertise shoes with a cute little pittie like me.  Sir Walter Scott had "Wasp," and President Teddy Roosevelt had a beloved pittie named "Pete."  A brave pittie named "Jack Brutus" served for Company K, the First Connecticut Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. 

Bravery runs in our blood.  There is a pittie named Weela who in 1994 helped save 32 people, 29 dogs, 3 horses and 1 cat.  Popsicle is a 5-month-old pittie originally found nearly dead in a freezer, but grew up to become one of the most important police dogs in the U.S.  A pittie named Norton was placed in the Purina Animal Hall of Fame after he rescued his owner from a really bad reaction to a spider bit.  I am proud to share my breed with Titan who rescued his owner's wife who would have otherwise died from an aneurysm, and last but not least in my list of heroes for the day is D-Boy, who took 3 bullets to save his family from an intrude with a gun.


It's amazing that 20 years ago humans used the same words to describe Pitties as they now use to describe Golden Retrievers.  Gentle, smart, brave, loyal, affectionate, loves kids -- all words that still describe most dogs in general, as long as they have not been neglected, abused, forced to fight in exchange for big reward.

My advise for the day -- get to know a dog as an individual.  Regardless of breed.  If she has been well-socialized and made to feel a part of your family in every way, and if you have listened and watched for what her individual needs are, then you've got yourself a true best friend.  And if someone wants to know what kind of dog you have, you can just answer "a very good one."