Misunderstood Like Humans

Here we go again!  How many dog breeds become BSL targets in the past are there?  Off the top of my head:  Dobermans, Rottweillers, German Shepherds, to name just three.  Now the pit bull (also known to their owners as pibbles due to the bad connotation of the term pit bull) is targeted.

 Last April, I rescued from negligence a four-month-old pibble.  I do my very best to observe all the leash laws.  As a dog, my pibble occasionally escapes.  He is young and full of energy.  His crimes?  Wandering into a neighbor's open garage door to say Hi and see if there was any food available.  My fiancee was searching for him at the time, when said neighbor dragged my dog out of the garage by his collar and began a loud tirade that was uncalled for.  Any moron can see that my pibble is so vicious that he may lick someone to death and knock over children in his excitement.  My fiancee, and ultimately I, apologized to the moon and back about it.  Relations were very strained for a while.

One other time he slipped out, he did a #2 on another neighbor's lawn.  It was cleaned up immediately and the 'offender' taken back into custody by me.  Several days later, I got an ambiguous form letter (I guess so I wouldn't think I was a 'breed' specific target) from the condo association stating that dogs must be leashed 100% of the time.  Duh, like I didn't know that.  We then became hypervigilant at that point.

 Complete strangers come to my home and are always attacked with kisses, not even a bark.  Just a big, goofy grin.  I'm working on teaching him not to jump on people, but it isn't going too well.  I will persevere though.  I had a crew of workmen here all day on Monday.  After greeting them with exuberance, he left them alone as far as his curiosity would allow.  Whoever stated that 'curiosity killed the cat' never met my pibble!  The team just loved him.

I take my pibble to our local dog park as much as I can to run his energy out, just like a young child.  My son exercises him daily with walks.  He is very socialized with other dogs and has made 'friends' there, too.

 What is my point in all this?  ANY dog can turn without warning!  I've seen it happen and I too was terrified by a K9 German Shepherd when I was 16.  His cop owner allowed him the run of an unfenced field.  I was trapped for at least an hour, terrified to move.  I finally caught a break.  Then I was punished for breaking curfew.  Do I now not trust all GS's?  Of course not!  I always ask an owner if I may pet their dog.

One hundred years ago, pibbles were called 'nanny dogs' for watching over children.  A pibble was the breed of dog in the 'Our Gang' series.  There are many stories on the Internet about pibbles.  Here's just one link:  http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=676

 As is stated in the article, 'man bitten by Lhasa Apso' just ISN'T exciting news, right?

Thank you in particular, Michael Vick, big shot football player, for making national headlines because of his dog fighting ring.  Most of his pibbles were rehabilitated and adopted.  He is now allowed to own one dog again.  I feel he should NEVER be allowed to own ANY dog again.  Thank you, media, for continually digging up any negative story about pibbles that you can in order to sell newspapers, etc.  ANY dog can turn!  I have a scar on my hand given me by my former dog, a min pin.