Pitbulls: Ups and Downs

This is the text of a speech I gave in Toastmasters this morning. 

 

Stop me if you heard this own before: There are two types of people in the world…I’m sure you’ve heard speakers make that pronouncement before. .  I think there are two types of people in the world: those who think there are two types of people in the world and those who know things aren’t that simple. However, if I had to separate people, I’d do it this way: there are dog people and cat people.

                     Don’t worry, I’m not here to tease or insult cat people. They have enough problems, bless their hearts. I’m here to talk about dogs, or really, one specific dog, mine. I own—or I should say my husband owns and I take care of—a brindle Staffordshire pitbull terrier.  Because we don’t really know our dog’s origins, we call her a pitbull mix. Yes. A pit bull. That word, I have learned, strikes fear in the hearts of some, and fierce devotion in the hearts of others. I’d like to address the ups and downs of owning a pit bull. Actually, I’m going to talk about the ups; the downs are minimal.

                     Our dog’s name is Nala. Right off the bat, people think we are big fans of the Lion King, since that was the name of Simba’s little girl friend lioness.  No, not really. Two little girls that lived next door to us named her. That’s because their mother found Nala in a ditch, abandoned at a few months old, with a sibling.  The sibling puppy had been adopted already, and our neighbor wheedled my husband into our adopting Nala, against my better judgment at the time. Since she’d been named, we kept it. Abandonment had not been good for Nala, so we had to deal with a pretty strong dislike or distrust of all men (except my husband) and some nutritional issues. It wasn’t long though until she was healthy and ours in spirit as well as financially. We got her fixed as soon as we could (priority for me).

                     So what are the ups of Nala the pitbull. She is very smart. My husband says she’s the smartest dog he’s ever known. I can’t disagree.  She understands many words and communicates in other ways when that doesn’t work. I tell two stories. Once I was ignoring her, engrossed in some writing or grading or something. She wanted me to do something. I shushed her away. She came into my home office carrying her water dish in her mouth and set it down by me. Message received. I walk her every day, and I’m not talking around the block or just for a potty break. We hike in the Battlefield park frequently. Early on I got—well turned around after coming out of a trail. I turned right on the highway to find the car. She stopped, not interested in following me.  She looked at me with a “what are you doing look” and pulled me in another direction. She was of course right; the car was to our left, not the right. I would have walked a long time in the wrong direction before I figured it out.

                 She is also as a pitbull very strong. At 59 lbs, she is all muscle, even at 9 years old. If she is determined to pull one way, she can hold up my entire weight, and I’m not a small person. With strength comes hardheadedness. In fact, the term pit bull really makes sense for Nala. The name comes from the fact that the early breeders took bull dogs and bred them for fighting bulls. That led to some negative traits. She is bull headed. She has a tensile strength 15-inch tale that can do some damage when she’s excited. I call her a pit bull in  a china shop. And then there’s the other word we use with bull that I won’t use here. I’m never seen a dog that can create as many, well, piles.  I call her Princess Poops a lot.

                 With her hard headedness and strength, she is devoted and determined. She shows love all the time. Her love language is treats, and because she’s so smart she’s terribly manipulative about getting treats. She knows if she goes outside to potty she’ll get one, so she pretends to need to potty. Their devotion is why the breed was called nanny dogs in the early 1900s because they were so protective of children that they were used as babysitters. She shows affection and never leaves my side when I come home.  Owners of pitbulls are just as devoted to their dogs, because they feel they have to protect them from public misconceptions, which brings me to the downsides.

                 One, they are active dogs and must be exercised. A lot. We’re not talking a stroll around the yard so they can do their business. I mean lengthy walks or free running. These are big, strong, muscular dogs.  Second, they are still considered among the most dangerous breeds, in terms of attacking others. They are more likely to attack other dogs than people. Statistically, it’s rare, but it happens, and they are euthanized far more than other breeds. In fact, according to PETA, they are the most abused and neglected dogs; the most likely to be put in a shelter, and least likely to be rescued. Over one million of them are euthanized every year. For that reason, I keep Nala away from children and other dogs. I’ve had to say many times to a child, “No, you can’t pet her, she’s not a good dog.” Other dogs go wild around her, and Nala usually just wants to play, but I’m not risking anything.

Third, because she’s bigger, I don’t think she’ll live as long, and that makes me sad to think about.  Fourth, I’ve been criticized and yelled at for having a pitbull, which I don’t appreciate. But more, I’ve been told she’s beautiful, and she is. However, I don’t want her to get the big head, so I tell her she’s ugly. She just licks me and loves me anyway.

                     Having a dog that is not considered a “safe” dog, even though I don’t believe Nala would hurt a child or adult, has taught me quite a bit, and made me stronger in my convictions about dog ownership. One, get them fixed. Where I live in Northwest Georgia, there is a dog overpopulation problem due to the failure to have them altered, causing a humanitarian and public health situation. Second, consider a shelter dog rather than an expensively bred one. Third,  make sure you can give them emotional attention and companionship and don't leave them alone for long periods; dogs are social animals. Four, be sure you can exercise them as they need. Fifth, parents need to train their children not to approach strange dogs; and six, don’t inflict your dog on others, no matter if they are safe or scary. Let people see your dog is your best friend without your having to tell them. 

                 I’m Barbara, and I’m the owner of a Nala the pitbull. Some people may want to shame me, but I’m proud of her.