Desmond

Does this look like a face that would harm anyone?  I'm going to go on the tirade of Pit Bulls, and Pit mixes get a bad wrap.  Desmond is 5 years old.  My husband and I got him from our local shelter when he was just 11 weeks old.  He and all 10 of his siblings were left in a box with their mom on the side of a local highway.  Mom was loose and got hit and killed by a car.  Luckily, a good citizen stopped to see if she was still alive and found the pups.

Des is labeled as a border collie mix....excuse me?  While Mom apparently looked like a border collie, Desmond, certainly does NOT!  He's got the brindle coat, and a mouth full of teeth that go back further than you can see.  While he has the smaller stature of a border collie, he's got some pit in there too.

People are actually afraid of my handsome man, and will move off of a sidewalk to avoid us when we're walking.  In the meantime, Des is wagging his tail and just wanting to lick them to death.

I've been reading a lot of stories in the news lately about cities and towns banning these types and breeds from being owned.  Thousands of them are being "humanely" euthanized each month, and while there are a lot of activist out there fighting for these breeds, there are not enough.  I think it's time as a society that we start taking responsibility for the behavior that some of the bully breeds exhibit. After all, we learn from what we live with!

You cannot expect an abused Pit Bull to be adopted within a month and act like a normal dog, particularly if they were used in a fighting ring in some way, whether as the aggressor, or the bait. These dogs need time, just like people, to be rehabilitated, and to be shown that there are good things in this world.  Any breed of dog has the opportunity to be aggressive if abused and mistreated.  And we, as people, as the higher species, need to start recognizing this, and saying, it's not the dogs fault, it's the owner.

Desmond was fortunate enough to be treated fairly after he was abandon.  He was bottle fed and kept with his siblings until they were all ready to be adopted.  The handling and care at this young age is extremely important when it comes to raising a dog.  Desmond did not even bark for the entire first year that my husband and I had him, we thought he was mute!  Border Collies and Pit Bulls are known for being vocal, so we're not sure where his silence came from.  He does bark now, but it's more of a bark/howl.  I feel 100% safe with this boy, and I think if we were in danger, yes that aggressive nature would come out, but he really just wants loving and snacks.

He's turning out to be a wonderful dog, and ever since Marlo has come into the picture, he's been by her side watching, making sure she's alright.  I never hesitate when it comes to those two playing together, and while I do keep an eye on them, mostly to save Desmond from toddler harm, it wouldn't cross my mind that he would ever bite or attack Marlo, mostly because of the respect and the hierarchy we've created in our household from the very beginning.  It's like raising a child, you have to set expectations and rules, and also allow them to be part of the family.  Des was our first "baby" in a sense, allowing us to care and raise something into a valuable member of the family, and of society. (He's somewhat of a local celebrity)

Lets take a step forward, and start taking responsibility for the actions we like to blame others for!

***I apologize for the serious post today***