bindy fry's itty bitty brain basket

that’s their nature

21 Feb 2012 4 Comments

by bindi warrior princess in pit-bull terriers Tags: pit-bulls

sgt. stubby was a remarkable pit-bull. one of the many remarkable pit-bull terriers. an actual sergeant who was covered in medals, he has saved lives & helped countless others.

“When the Yankee Division headed for the front lines in France, Stubby was given special orders allowing him to accompany the Division to the front lines as their official mascot. The 102nd Infantry reached the front lines on the 5 February 1918. Stubby soon became accustomed to the loud rifles and heavy artillery fire. His first battle injury occurred from gas exposure; he was taken to a nearby field hospital and nursed back to health. The injury left him sensitive to the tiniest trace of gas. When the Division was attacked in an early morning gas launch, most of the troops were asleep. Stubby recognized the gas and ran through the trench barking and biting at the soldiers, rousing them to sound the gas alarm, saving many from injury.
Stubby also had a talent for locating wounded men between the trenches of the opposing armies; he would listen for the sound of English and then go to the location, barking until paramedics arrived or leading the lost soldiers back to the safety of the trenches. He even caught a German soldier mapping out the layout of the Allied trenches. The soldier called to Stubby, but he put his ears back and began to bark. As the German ran, Stubby bit him on the legs, causing the soldier to trip and fall. He continued to attack the man until the American soldiers arrived. For capturing an enemy spy, Stubby was put in for a promotion to the rank of Sergeant by the commander of the 102nd Infantry. He became the first dog to be given rank in the United States Armed Forces.”-wiki

the pit-bull, because of the dramatic world media, is a misunderstood animal. today it was thailand-a ruined reputation from the bangkok post in which it starts here-

“A series of dog attacks, some fatal, by pit bulls on people have raised questions about the safety of keeping these so-called ferocious canines as pets. With their massive skulls and strong jaws, pit bulls make many people feel unsafe when they encounter this creature in public places, such as parks or walkways.
One woman told Life she feels that her safety is compromised whenever she sees this type of dog at the park _ and not even the presence of its owner holding onto a strong leash helps.
“I was so scared [when I saw the pit bull] I walked in another direction as fast as I could ,” she said.
“Pit bulls are too powerful for the average person to handle. And if the dog is let loose and jumps on anyone, I’m sure you can guess what happens,” she said.
“More importantly, we don’t know if the dog is well trained or not. I would feel a lot safer if the dog was muzzled.”
The pit bull horror stories have resulted in some owners abandoning their pets, giving them up at dog shelters.
Should we be scared of pit bulls?”

and ends, thankfully, here-

”It’s the irresponsible owners who cause public hatred for this dog breed. They have no respect for how their actions affect the rest of society, particularly the true pit bull lovers. You know, our neighbours give us a cold look whenever they see us because they think our dogs hinder the neighbourhood’s quality of life.”

it has been a really weird trip having a pit-bull pup. uma is 11 weeks now. after 3 short weeks i’m getting used to the discipline required to properly raise a puppy. any kind of puppy. i’m lucky she is so young because it’s wise to get her trained as early as possible before bad habits develop. it’s much harder to change a habit in a dog once it is established.

uma, to me, is the same as any other breed. i don’t see her breed. i see uma.

fortunately & unfortunately, that’s what most other people see. depending on who it is, the reaction varies. i’ve been reading up on training & a source told me to socialize her with 100 people/animals before she is 12 weeks. so she gets used to all kinds touching her so she will never freak out. never bite. it’s going well. it’s fun, because doris & i are getting more exercise, & meeting more people & dogs. in my surrounding hood pit-bulls don’t seem to be feared all that much. a lot of people respect her. she is a status symbol in some cultures. children, homeless, elderly, crossing guards, housewives, can collectors, garbage men, & teenagers all seem to love her. so much i was told to be extra cautious when allowing someone to kneel down & pet her. she is a target for theft. they just unsnap her leash & run with her. i was stunned to hear that. unfortunately pits are used & abused. the actions of a few are being paid for by tens of thousands of beautiful pit-bulls.

it’s free to get her spayed at the anti-cruelty society because of her breed. i’ve had countless arguments in online social networks. i have a friend who comes over a couple of times a week who is breed-phobic, convinced she will one day snap, bite my face or neck, & leave me for dead because that’s their nature.

like everything else, pit-bulls are known only for their potential aggressive behavior. the media sure loves to exaggerate this. pit-bulls are illegal in some states. a man who had a disability & used a help pit moved to iowa-a state that banned pits. they confiscated his dog.

cesar milan has a good article-how did pit bulls get a bad rap? about this. he also has an awesome gallery of famous pit-bulls. remember these?

petey! nipper!

and of course….Sergeant Stubby!!!