Jul
10
2008
Pit bulls have a bad reputation for being unpredictable and aggressive. In most dog attack stories you read, the dog doing the attacking is a pit bull. But not all pit bulls are bad.
When my husband brought our pit bull, Lady Bird, home several years ago I was very leery. We had other much smaller dogs and I was afraid she would turn on them.
In her time with us, Lady has been the sweetest, most obedient dog we’ve had. She loves nothing more than to play with the other dogs. She acts like a puppy even though she’s now about 8 years old. Her best friend is Itty, a beautiful 7-year-old dachshund mix. They even share the same bed!
My husband found Lady almost starved to death and brought her home to get her back to health. We estimated that she was about a year old. She had had a litter of puppies and appeared to still be nursing them. We ran an ad in the paper to see if she belonged to anyone and after no one responded, we decided to get her healthy and then find her a good home. Because of her sweet disposition and gentle nature, we fell in love with her and made her part of our family.
I believe that dogs react to the way they are treated. If a dog is mistreated or abused then it will have a tendency to act out aggressively. I think that’s why some breeds, especially pit bulls, get a bad reputation. Once that reputation is in place, it’s hard to overcome.
I’m not advocating that you run out and get a pit bull because this breed is not for everyone. If you have children, you should be extra watchful of them when they are around any dog, not just pit bulls. Never leave your child unattended with any dog, even a family pet.
May
19
2008
I remember visiting my grandmother and her sister in South Texas as a youngster. These visits usually took place around Christmas and in the summer during family vacations. The thing I remember most about these visits was a herd of tiny Chihuahuas owned by my great-aunt.
Even as a child I loved dogs. I had no fear of these tiny little creatures. They were so darned cute.
I swear my great-aunt Anita had about seven or eight Chihuahuas and they were very possessive of her. I could walk by and just look at one of them and they would charge at me and chase me throughout the house. These little dogs had big attitudes and were not afraid to show it.
There was one in particular, Droopy. He weighed all of three pounds but was a real terror on paws. I would touch him when he was asleep and start running because I knew he would be at my heels in seconds. I outran him many times. It was so much fun!
I guess it’s no surprise now that I own three Chihuahuas, all of whom think they own me! One of them really belongs to my 3-year-old son, Cody. I hope my son has his own fond memories of growing up with his “Tiny” Chihuahua, whose bark is much bigger than her bite.
May
12
2008
My 3-year-old son Cody has his own dog, Tiny, a spunky 18-month-old Chihuahua. She follows Cody everywhere he goes, usually to see if he drops any food on the floor. If he goes outside to play, Tiny is right beside him. When she wanders off, Cody just calls her and she comes right back to him.
It was not my idea to give my son a dog at such a young age but my Dad — Cody’s Pepaw — insisted that if Cody wanted the little puppy so badly, then he should have it. Every boy needs a dog, he said. Thanks Dad, Tiny really is Cody’s best friend.
It’s been almost a year and a half since we got Tiny so she and Cody are growing up together. They love to play together and usually both get in trouble together too.
It is a blessing to see my precious son sound asleep at night with his trusted best friend Tiny right next to him.
