I don’t have anything against any breed of dog, or at least, I didn’t until about two years ago. The pit bull breed has always gotten a bad rap -and I have always done my best to stay away from choosing sides. But two years ago I dog sat two pit bulls and vowed never to do it again. It was the worst two weeks of my life. The money I made was not worth it. I am all about following through with my jobs, but this was one job I actually threatened to leave. I’m not entirely sure what was wrong with them -I just knew I would never watch a pit bull again.
Fast forward a few years. A few weeks ago I got a phone call from someone asking if I would watch their dog. I said yes then asked the breed. A bull dog, she told me. A sweet bull dog.
It wasn’t until she showed up to drop her off did I realize this was no bull dog. This was a pit bull. I couldn’t exactly back out, so I bit my tongue and braced myself for a hard month and ½. It hasn’t been as difficult as the last time -but it still has been a challenge and one that has made me agree more than ever that I will never watch a pit bull again. I don’t mean it to sound mean -it’s just how they are. They destroy everything in their path and don’t think about anything else. They were bred for fighting and as much as you try to take it out of them, I find that they always go back to their instincts. Which is to fight.
I figured however, that since I am going to be watching this bull dog, er, pit bull -for over a month that I would buckle down and try to do some training. While it hasn’t gone well -it has gone ok. Which is more than I could have hoped for. I make her sit before getting her leash on or off. I make her wait before going in the door and I make her wait before eating her food. We are still working on “Be quiet.” I’m not sure that will ever happen. It might not sound like a lot -but believe me. It is a lot.
She is a sweet girl.
As a bonus -Yoshi, who doesn’t get along with ANYONE has taken a liking to her. They enjoy playing in the snow and chasing each other around.
Introducing, Harper, the ‘bull dog.’
It was all fun and games until Harper stole Yoshi’s snowball.
Tangled Thoughts 