Xena the Warrior Puppy: Survivor and Best Friend

Every year the American Humane Society hosts the "Hero Dog Awards" Ceremony to recognize and award dogs in 8 different classes: “Law Enforcement Dogs; Arson Dogs; Service Dogs; Therapy Dogs; Military Dogs; Guide & Hearing Dogs; Search and Rescue Dogs; and Emerging Hero Dogs (for ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things or are just heroes to us)”. There are 24 semi finalists and one will be crowned as the American Hero Dog of 2014.

 

This year Trupanion is the "Emerging Hero Dog" Category's Sponsor and a very special dog has won this title. Her name is Xena and she is a warrior in more ways than one.

 

Xena was found on September 15 2012 by a rescue group, “Friends of DeKalb Animals” in DeKalb County Georgia, extremely emaciated and showing signs of severe abuse. “I’ve been doing rescue probably for about 12 years, and I had never seen a dog that young in that sort of condition,” said Chrissy Kaczynski, an animal rescue worker. Xena was about 4 months old, weighed about 5.6 lbs and was declared a Staffordshire Terrier mix that had most likely been caged, neglected, and starved to a point of near death. Had she not been found, that is exactly what would've happened.

 

The animal rescue group started a Facebook page to show Xena's amazing journey of recovery and that is where Linda Hickey first heard of this amazing dog. "I fell in love with a dog on the Internet," she told Today. The mother of two, residing in Georgia, took her family to a fundraiser in November of 2012 to meet Xena and decided to adopt her after seeing her son Jonny interact with her. “We were literally there for four minutes, and Xena ran right up to Jonny and my husband,” Linda said. “I already loved this dog, and after I met her, I really loved this dog.”

 

 

On March 25 2013, Xena was adopted by the Hickey family. Jonny is autistic and before Xena came into his life he was closed off and silent but since she's come into his life he is full of life, singing and talking to his best friend Xena all the time.  “Jonny has a very limited vocabulary…but since Xena came into our home, Jonny has not stopped talking. He talks to her all the way home from school, during homework and afterwards he plays with her until dinner.” Linda Hickey stated. “He is the happiest child that I’ve ever seen him be in eight years.”

 

It is truly amazing that this puppy overcame all odds and just so happened to be adopted by the perfect family and was able to help Jonny come out of his shell. A puppy that was left for dead is now an 8 year old boy's best friend and reason for having brighter days. This just goes to show that animals do in fact change our lives in positive ways. Hopefully sharing this message will show those who put down dogs, especially Pit Bull type breeds, will think twice before casting judgement.

 

 

Watch the video below for more information!

This video was produced by the ASPCA and was debuted at the Awards Ceremony on Nov. 21 2013....Xena! ASPCA Dog of the Year!

 

 

Make sure to tune in to the Hallmark Channel on October 30th at 8pm EST to watch the 2014 American Hero Dog be crowned. (We hope Xena wins!)

 

 

 

May the dogs be with you,

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The 45 Absolute Cutest Pit Bull Puppies on Instagram!

I've scoured all over Instagram to bring to you some of the cutest Pit Bull puppy pictures ever and I've compiled a long list of adorable pups. If you already love Pit Bulls you will fall in love all over again and if you don't, well it will be impossible to not crack a smile after peering into the eyes of these tiny heart breakers.

So without further ado - Voila! I introduce to you in no particular order,

 

The 45 Absolute Cutest Pit Bull Puppies on Instagram: 

 

 

1.  CAN I SKATE WITH YOU?

2. SWEET DREAMS

3. RASTA LIFE

4. UPSIDE DOWN CLOWN

5. PEEK-A-BOO 

6. MY FAVORITE SHIRT

7. SPOTS OF LOVE

8. LIFE IS RUFF

9. BIG WORLD, LITTLE PIT

10. CAN YOU PLAY WIF ME?

11. THE BEST PRESENT EVER

12. LAID OUT

13. TAKE ME EVERYWHERE MA

14. TINY DANCER

15. "I'M SO FANCY"

16. SO YOU SAID WE'RE GOING TO THE DOG PARK RIGHT?

17. WHATCHA DOIN' ?

18. CAN MY FWIEND COME WITH ME?

19. I JUST SAW A FISH IN DERE !

20. SWEATER WEATHER

21. SLEEPING BEAUTY

22. WEEEEEEEEEEEEE !

23. TECH SAVVY 

24. CUDDLE BUDDIES

25. CAN'T SLEEP WITHOUT MY PENGUIN

26. DO I HAVE SOMETHING IN MY TEEF?

27. HI THERE

28. BEST DAY EVER!

29. MY FAVORITE PLACE TO FALL ASLEEP 

30. NAVIGATING THROUGH THE BRUSH 

31. CELEBRATING GRADUATING PUPPY SCHOOL WITH A NAP

32. BABY BLUES

33. A STROLL IN A STROLLER

34. I MUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION

35. READ ME THE BEDTIME STORY ABOUT THE PIT BULL AGAIN

36. THE  HUMANS WILL NEVER FIND ME DOWN HERE

37. DID YOU SAY "WALK" ?

38. PITTIE PRINCESS PARTY

39. LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!

40. WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

41. WEIGHING IN AT : ADORABLE!

42. TONGUE OUT TUESDAY

43. A CHARIOT FIT FOR A KING

44. OH HEY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE

45. PINT SIZED CUTIE

 

 

 

Now that was quite a list! Hope you enjoyed the profound cuteness of these little ones. If you would like to share your Pit Bull Puppy with us please email us a picture and a sentence as to why your dog is special to you to : MyPitBullFriend@gmail.com

 

If you would like some tips on how to train your Pit Bull puppy click here : 7 Tips For Training Your New Pit Bull Puppy 

 

 

Until Next Time,

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7 Tips For Training Your New Pit Bull Puppy

My brother just rescued two of the cutest little Pit mix puppy siblings, more specifically Pitweiler puppies (half Pit Bull half Rottweiler). They've been spending a lot of time with Bentley and I had forgotten how much really goes in to training a puppy since Bentley is now 2 ½ years old. The constant peeing and pooping all over the place, whining and barking, ankle biting, teething... the list goes on. This brought back some memories of when Bentley was a puppy. Let me tell you though, she is a very well behaved dog now and knows a lot of tricks and commands but she was a rambunctious little thing as a puppy. I remember her chewing up everything she could get her tiny teeth on. One day I came home to a half eaten mattress and I mean this thing was literally half way chewed up. My jaw dropped and stayed like that until I spotted Bentley coming from around the back of the bed wagging her tail with a piece of mattress in her mouth. I started laughing because I couldn't believe that this small 9 week old puppy had done this. Those days of disaster are gone now though, thank heavens.

                                                       Here are the 2 little Pitweilers -Sophie and Romeo&nbs…

                                                       Here are the 2 little Pitweilers -Sophie and Romeo 

 

I thought that I would go ahead and compile a list of the tips that got me through puppy-hood with Bentley that may help you with your new addition to the family.

 

  1. Do not lose your cool.

    This is the most important tip. I can understand that it may be frustrating to come home to a house full of pee and poo or things chewed up and to get angry but do not scream and hit your puppy. He doesn't know any better, he's just doing what comes naturally. Don't worry, with time things will improve.

  2. Start training from day one.

    Teach your puppy that you are the leader. A good way is with feeding time. Before you feed your puppy hold his filled food bowl in your hand and tell him to “sit” (Puppies usually go crazy during feeding time). Once he calms down and sits, put the bowl down and say “good”. This will teach him that you are in control and the more you do this the sooner he will learn the word “sit” and a plus will be that he will be calm during feeding time in the future.

  3. Introduce your puppy to everyone and everything.

    Seriously! Take your puppy with you everywhere possibly you can. Introduce him to people, children dogs, cats, squirrels, whatever, just get him to be social. The more you do this, the better your dog will be in different situations. A well socialized dog is a better behaved dog in many circumstances. They do not get overly excited, nervous, anxious, or aggressive like dogs that are not socialized.

  4. Take your puppy on walks.

    A dog doesn't automatically know how to walk on a leash. Many older dogs still don't know. By taking your puppy on walks from day one not only are you exercising him and getting out some of that energy that might instead be spent tearing something apart, you are also teaching him how to follow your lead and get comfortable on a leash. If your puppy doesn't like the leash at first then just walk him with a collar and hold the leash in your hand. He will follow you on your walk. Keep practicing until he is comfortable going on walks with a leash on. Teach your puppy not to pull by stopping every time he does and only starting up again when he follows your lead. You may use the word “heal” when you do this.

  5. Play with your puppy.

    Just like walking your dog gets rid of build up energy, so does playing fetch for 10 minutes. Your puppy is full of energy and curiosity. You will be doing wonders playing with him and he will look forward t o play time and see it as a reward and once again you will tire him out and help stop bad behavior that stems from boredom and lack of stimulation, like destroying the couch cushions.

  6. Get some toys.

    Chew toys, ropes, squeaky stuffed animals, balls...These will hopefully keep the little one entertained for long enough so that he doesn't chew up the legs of your table while you're away at the grocery store.

  7. Enjoy the small things.

    Literally, enjoy your puppy being small because one day in the coming months he will be huge and you might not be able to carry him anymore and he might think he's a lap dog and jump on you while you're watching tv and it might hurt... a lot.

 

Good luck with your new puppy and please don't get mad about those shoes, they are replaceable. If you feel that a puppy might be too much work, there are many wonderful dogs that are waiting be rescued that are already trained. Don't be fooled thinking a puppy is the only way to go. Do your research and share your knowledge!

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

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Shelter Chic: Coming Soon to NY

 

I absolutely love meeting young, innovative people with a desire to serve the less fortunate. I have recently made the acquaintance of just that. A beautiful young woman named Brittany Feldman with a bright idea to help animals in need with a neat concept and a fantastic name – “Shelter Chic”.

 

Shelter Chic is a completely different type of shelter experience than what we are all used to. The main goal is to attract the public to shelters as opposed to buying pets from breeders or pet stores and also to make it a positive experience, not a sad one. How many times have you been to an animal shelter and felt depressed by the whole thing? Staring into the eyes of a sad dog in a dreary looking cage can put quite the damper on your mood. Shelter Chic will change that entirely. One of the main components to making the experience unique is a boutique that will be located at the front of the shelter which will carry an array of products for animals and humans as well making an emphasis on products that do not test on animals. The proceeds from the boutique will go towards maintaining the shelter.

As soon as you walk in to Shelter Chic you will feel happy because of the funky atmosphere. Leopard print litter boxes, quirky t-shirts for the employees and the best part is that the animals will all be dressed to impress. Tutus, bow ties - the whole nine, because well animals can have style too! How can you not smile when you see a dog in a tutu? Exactly! This shelter will leave you with a sense of happiness and joy not sadness.               

(This is the logo for Shelter Chic, cute isn't it?)

 

Upon first hearing about this I was extremely happy to find that such a young woman had such an amazing vision and it is all in the name of helping animals. I wanted to delve a little deeper and ask Brittany a few questions.

 

When did you know you wanted to help animals?

Since childhood I have been a crazy animal lover (I used to play with insects and considered the ants in our backyard my pets). But a few years ago I started watching Pit Bulls and Parolees on Animal Planet and it had an enormous impact on me. I started sponsoring pit bulls from Villalobos Rescue Center and planned a trip to New Orleans to visit them. After meeting the dogs and seeing what they had been through, I quickly saw the resiliency, ability to forgive, and the overwhelming love the pit bull breed has to give. The people working at Villalobos were dedicated, passionate, and devote their lives 24 hours a day 7 days a week to saving animals. I knew I wanted to be a part of that. I became friends with one of the employees, telling him my desire to help, and he said "you know, you don't need to come to New Orleans to help, you can get involved in NY" And that's when I started volunteering at a shelter in Manhattan.I always knew I wanted to help animals, but Villalobos made me want to take action. After getting involved in the rescue world and seeing that there were still so many people buying animals from pet stores and breeders, I came up with Shelter Chic, a fancified and funkified shelter meant to attract the non-shelter crowd. I sat on this dream of mine for over two years, when finally this past May I told one of my closest friends Amanda Folk about the idea. She loves animals and works in business and finance, and it was clear she would be the perfect business partner. She couldn't wait to put her knowledge and expertise to such a good cause. We've been working together ever since.




How did you come up with the name?


I was talking about the idea with a friend in May and he just blurted out "Shelter Chic". I originally wanted to name it Bally's Bitches (Bally is my childhood family nickname) and I wanted to go for that edge. After discussing it with Amanda, we realized that the name Shelter Chic would appeal perfectly to the crowd we were aiming at, those that tend to have a stigma against shelters. The juxtaposition of the two words works against this stigma. I love the name, I think it explains what we're about perfectly.



Do you have any rescues of your own?


I have a cat named Harris that I fostered and soon after adopted from the shelter that I used to work at. He was found alone in a box in a park and brought to us. I bought my dog Georgie from a pet store when
I was in college in 2006. I didn't know about puppy mills or the importance of adoption at the time. Georgie and Harris are best friends, it is adorable. They are the loves of my life.



When could we expect Shelter Chic to open it's doors?


Realistically we are aiming to be open by Summer 2015, although we hope it will be sooner (our paperwork is in process but there is a waiting period while it is still under review). In the meantime we are raising awareness about our cause and beginning to fundraise. We are currently looking for a space in lower Manhattan, which is very exciting!


What message would you like to give to anyone who doesn't want to adopt from a shelter?

 

When you adopt from a shelter, you save a life. Animals from shelters come from all different places. Some animals in shelters are former strays, some are rescued from abusive situations, and some are purebred dogs and cats that wind up in shelters after being
surrendered by their owner for various reasons. There are kittens and puppies in shelters, too. You can find any type of dog or cat in a shelter, if you look. It is heartbreaking to see homeless animals in cages, but if you truly love animals and want to welcome one into your family, why not save one? They might just end up saving you, too.

 

 

We need more people like this, who truly care about the well being of animals. Cheers to you Brittany! Keep up the good work and I will be looking forward to taking my first trip to NYC when Shelter Chic opens its doors. 

 

 

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Get Well Soon Christy Mack

 

I've been a fan of Christy Mack for some time now especially after discovering that she is a huge Pit Bull lover and advocate and completely gorgeous, might I add. I recently reached out to Christy Mack because I wanted to write a feature story about her and her 2 Pit Bulls, Pitrick Swayzee and Cleopitra, and it is with great sadness that I am instead compelled to write this story about the vicious attack that she barely managed to escape from.

 

Christy had been dating MMA fighter “War Machine”, aka Jon Koppenhaver, and the two split up in May of 2014. On Monday August 8th 2014, Christy was at her Las Vegas, NV home with a friend when Jon came over unannounced and beat her and her friend.

 

She tweeted that she suffered from:

 

"18 broken bones around my eyes, my nose is broken in 2 places, I am missing teeth and several more are broken. I am unable to chew, or see out of my left eye. My speech is slurred from my swelling and lack of teeth. I have a fractured rib and severely ruptured liver from a kick to my side. My leg is so badly injured I have not been able to walk on my own. I also attained several lesions from a knife he got from my kitchen. He pushed the knife into me in some areas such as my hand, ear, and head. He also sawed much of my hair off with this dull knife. After some time, the knife broke off of the handle and he continued to threaten me with the blade. I believed I was going to die. He has beaten me many times before, but never this badly."

 

Christy barely managed to escape and get help from a neighbor who took her to the hospital where she remains and has released this photo of the aftermath of the atrocious attack via her Twitter @ChristyMack.

"War Machine" is currently on the run and avoiding the police. There is a $10,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest. Call Crime Stoppers at (720)385-5555. I hope that he surrenders himself soon and deals with the repercussions of his actions.

 

There is also a website available to those who wish to donate towards Christy's staggering medical expenses which amount to $100,000:

 

Christy Mack's Medical Expense Fund 

 

 

I am reminded of why I wanted to interview Christy in the first place. She sees the beauty in Pit Bulls and is not afraid to show the world. She stands up for the breed and is an avid supporter. These dogs go through some horrifying things in the hands of others and now Christy, this gorgeous woman has herself gone through a horrifying experience in the hands of someone who didn't know how to love her. Someone who used brute force on a defenseless being. Beating a human or animal senseless is an act of a sick person. I was going to ask her this question:

 

"What message do you have for those that beat their dogs?"

 

 

Christy, I am so sorry that you had to endure this monstrous experience and I hope that you keep your strength in this trying time. Having been through physically abusive relationships myself, I feel for you and wish you a speedy recovery. I send you all my love and support and I hope that you are surrounded by those that love you. You may feel alone at this time but just know that you have many people that care about your well being at this time. I look forward to seeing pictures of you smiling with your pups soon. 

 

 

 

With Love,

 

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Babies and Pit Bulls: From the Experts Themselves, Parents!

Pit Bulls and Babies. This is a topic that tends to raise eyebrows, especially those of people that do not own Pit Bulls. As a proud Pit Bull owner and a first time parent to my now 2 month old daughter Camille Wynter, I've heard it all from “Oh my gosh! You let that thing around your baby?" to “Wow you must have 911 on speed dial!”  to the all time classic “Aren't you scared your baby will get attacked?”  and of course "Are you nuts?"  Well no in fact, I am not nuts and neither are the other vast amount of parents, first timers and the well seasoned alike, who choose to raise their children with a Pit Bull in the home.

 

After repeatedly defending my personal choices and my beautiful Pit Bull Bentley, I started to wonder if seeing a Pit Bull around a baby really was such a rare and shock provoking incidence or if it was just that these certain people lived with a rather negative view of these amazing dogs. Then I started wondering how people who were planning on having children felt about the subject and also how people who already had children and Pit Bulls felt. All of the negative comments have pushed me to prove to the skeptics that no, just because you have a Pit Bull around a baby or young child, it does not mean that he will rip their face off. So where do you go when you need help on a specific topic? You go to the source of course.

 

Welcome to Parenting with a Pit Bull 101

As a parent you always have concerns about the well being of your children. If indeed you are expecting your first child you must be overwhelmed with emotion. There is a tiny person growing inside of you (or your significant other) and it is your duty to provide them with a safe environment filled with love and comfort. Millions of thoughts must be going through your head as it is but then comes the question every dog owner faces: “How will my dog react to my baby?”. You now start thinking about every possible scenario that could happen. You've heard about dogs attacking children and then you look at your own and say “No, he would never hurt a fly.”  Well this is very often the case.

 

The majority of dogs do especially well with children, if, and this is important, if you have a trained dog. It does not matter if it is a Pit Bull, a Golden Retriever, a Poodle, a Cocker Spaniel, or a Jack Russell Terrier. Any dog is capable of mauling a child, any. Do not think for once that any breed has a pre determined tendency to do so over another. There are people who get attacked by Chihuahuas all the time (of course these little guys can't cause too much harm now could they?). You want to be sure that you are fulfilling your role as a parent to protect your cub. I personally did not have any concern about my Pit Bull, Bentley, being aggressive since she has never shown any signs of aggression towards anyone, human or animal. Of course I am just one example.

 

With all the questions people ask me about the topic I wanted to know how others felt. I wanted to ask Pit Bull owners and parents specifically about their experiences and share what I have found so that others could see that it is not just a rare scenario, that Pit Bulls do not “eat babies” or any other nonsense you've heard. So I came to you the public asking for complete honesty. I asked if I could share your pictures and your stories and you so graciously responded. Here is what you, the experts, Parents and Pit Bull owners, had to say.

I asked the following:

 

 “How did you introduce your Pit Bull to your baby?”

 

"I came home and had my boyfriend keep the baby with him for an hour or so so I could spend quality time with Haze because we missed each other a LOT and I wanted to make sure he knew he was still super important. Then I let him sniff clothes and blankets the baby used at the hospital. His tail didn't stop wagging. He knew exactly what was going on and kept whining and pacing. Then we brought the baby in, he instantly laid down next to the baby and fell asleep with his nose touching him and they were the best friends ever since." - samanthacarmen9712

"My pit, #nachothepit, was a rescue at 5 months old. He has always been the most mild mannered dog I have ever owned so when my husband and I found out we were pregnant, we weren't worried! We had him stay with my in-laws while we were in the hospital and gave him a blanket that our son had been laying on. Once we were all home together, we let him come up and smell him (the baby) and he has been so gentle and adorable with him ever since!" - mommy_lemmons

"I was in my car seat and my parents put me down in the middle of the room. My dogs got love from our parents and then came up to meet me. They did it all on their own. They smelled me and ran around my car seat, then they moved on to laying around and getting love from everyone in the room. We all love each other." - mikiyahandherprince

"When we first brought our baby home, I let my 2 pits smell his blanket and onesie he wore. Once their tails started wagging we praised them. Then we brought our baby out and they fell completely in love. Now they play together, nap together, and our baby is the safest baby out there because our dogs are so protective over kids, all kids actually."  - mrsmariothebarber

"I first had someone bring a baby blanket home for him to sniff. When I came home I gave him attention since I had been gone for so long. Then I showed him the baby and for the next few weeks I made sure he knew he wasn't replaced by letting him cuddle with me and the baby and now he just loves her!"  - morgan_ss

"I adopted my pit mix when he was over a year old. They picked him up wandering around after a family abandoned him. I brought my baby along with me to the shelter so we could bond with him together. Once I had seen his temperament, I rolled her in the stroller and watched carefully. He went over, licked her feet, laid down and stayed there with her until we left. He has some anxiety that we work with but it just makes him more cuddly. He is so good with all three of my kids. He plays with the boys and gives gentle kisses for my girl." - tweetyburd87

"We just brought our daughter home in the car seat and put it down in the middle of the room and let our dog go check it out for himself. We had absolutely no doubt he would be fine with her. We were right, he's spent over three years looking out for her since!!!" - jsessbrown

"We were going to do so many thing and then life got in the way so we agreed to just do our best and "wing it". First we let the pits sniff the swaddled baby whenever they calmly approached out of curiosity. We also went out of our way to hold  the baby while giving extra pets and love to the dogs (that way they would know that we still loved them). We welcomed them to sniff and sit with us and be "involved" as much as possible. All while still being EXTREMELY cautious. No matter how much you trust your dogs you never want to leave children unattended. Slowly we would allow  them to lick her feet and then at about 4 or 5 months she would lean over to allow them to lick her face. It was the sweetest thing." - panamhunter

"The day we brought the baby home, my older daughter and husband took my pit bull Carrie and my other 2 dogs Romeo and Booga for a walk so when they returned I was already inside and in my room with the baby. My husband and daughter let the dogs sniff the baby's blanket and told them NO. I had a gate in the doorway to my room allowing them to see and hear the baby. After a few hours of them patiently waiting by the door, we allowed them in the room. I picked up the baby and allowed all three dogs to sniff her. Carrie, my pit, is the one that showed more interest, we even let her lick the baby's feet. After that day, every time time my baby cries, Carrie is there wanting to help. Carrie likes to sleep near the bassinet, she is our gentle giant." - msevilyn

"We had no problems at all with our pit bull. He was a very friendly dog to start with so I guess that helped. When we brought Hallie home, we let him have a smell of her, then we made sure not to exclude him from anything that he used to be part of. He was allowed near her and he was just his usual self, no strange behavior at all. She is now 16 months and they love each other. I'd have no hesitation leaving the room while they are alone together. We've also adopted another pit bull who is very sweet and have had no trouble with her either. My daughter can crawl all over her without a problem. I guess it all depends on the dog. A good dog will always be a good dog, if you know what I mean." - jasonsteer

 

 

After receiving so many wonderful pictures and stories of how parents introduced their Pit Bulls to their babies, you can clearly see that there are different techniques that each parent uses. Each of them knows their own dogs and their behaviors and therefore were able to devise a plan of action that made them comfortable, and that's the most important thing to remember. You have to know what you are comfortable with and what will work for your unique situation. What may work for someone else may not work for you and it is your decision to make. Some parents use the blanket technique while others go down the slow and gradual path.

 

What all these parents, as well as the numerous others who answered, have in common is that not one of them had a negative experience. With a combination of a well behaved dog that you trust, no matter the breed, and adult supervision, you should not have a problem. It is obviously a process that you must get comfortable with first and of course it is a case by case basis.

 

 Hearing about all the successful baby introductions conjured up another question. I wanted to know how many parents trusted their Pit Bull 100% around their children, so I asked: "Do you fully trust your Pit Bull around your child?" This question received so many positive responses, even Pit Bull owners who did not yet have children of their own answered. Out of about 100 people that voluntarily answered, the outcome was once again all positive with everyone answering YES, that they did trust their Pit Bull around children. Below are just a few of the responses given.

 

​"Yes I definetly trust my year and a half old pittie around my 8 month old little boy. She loves to give him kisses and when he's crawling around on the floor she lays beside him! She's definetly his shadow." - a.doberman.and.pitbull.life

" Absolutely! Our almost 6 month old gets nothing but kisses and cuddles from our 2 year old pit. He just adores our daughter and is always laying near her to keep an eye on her." - brande_kramer

"YES 100%. My dog and my daughter are born on the same day. They believe they are siblings...I guess they kind of are." - discoveringranchlife

 

"Yes I trust them completely around my children. Just as my kids are a reflection of me, so are my pits. I raised them right to respect everyone. The kids know to respect everyone. The kids know to respect the pits and vice versa. Any dog, if raised to be mean and aggressive and treated bad, will be exactly that. There is nothing wrong with Pit Bulls or bully breeds. It's just a stereotype." - nisee_baby87

 

"I trust my boys (8 and 3) around any child, any age. Supervised with little ones because my guys are pretty big (over 100 lbs), I don't want anyone to get stepped on or pushed over. Some children I don't trust to be nice to my boys, so they (the children) get supervised." - jaketheamstaff

 

"Yes I do. However, it took some time. He came as a foster from someone we knew well. We'd been around him quite a bit but I still wanted to really get to know him and any triggers he may have. Does he take food gently? Does he jump on people? Is he food aggressive? How dog social? etc... His only issue is too much affection and not knowing when to stop. We're working on it but he's much better now." - pamddavidson

 

This last response is a great answer because no matter how big or small, or how much you trust your dog, at the end of the day he is still an animal and caution must always be exercised when caring for young children and babies especially. Such tiny, delicate humans need us, their parents to ensure their safety and be good role models. By teaching your children from an early age how to and how not to interact with a dog you are instilling in them the proper ways to behave around any dog, which may be the leading factor in an avoidable circumstance.

 

All of the responses have left me with a sense of pride in the fact that so many of you out there are wonderful parents and you feel confident raising your children with a Pit Bull. A Pit Bull is just a dog. He wants to lick you, love you, receive praise from you and live a normal life with his pack, you, his family.

I've read of unfortunate circumstances where a dog has in fact attacked a child and you know what the most common reasons are? 

 

1) The dog was left unsupervised  with the child.

2) The child aggravated the dog by pulling on his tail or any such behavior.

3) The dog was not trained.

 

These three things are imperative in the protection of your young. Obviously the first should come as no surprise. Now the second reason is the avoidable one that was stated earlier. Any and every dog owner should do a little research and get to know the mannerisms of a dog. You should know what behaviors to look for in a dog to tell if he is angry or getting aggravated. Some dogs don't mind having their tail or ears pulled while this may cause another dog to growl or even snap. Some dogs are food aggressive, some don't like to release their toys or treats to you. If you know what bothers your own dog you can teach your child and if you generally know the early warning signs or body language a dog gives off, you can avoid a mishap with a stranger's dog. Since dogs do not speak, their body language is an instant indicator of their mood. So please, do you research. While the following is just a short list of what to look for, it may be all you need.

Here are just a few warning signs of a dog in an aggressive state:

 

1) Retracking of the lips and showing teeth ( may be accompanied by growling)

2) Ears pulled completely back

3) "Flagging of the tail" (raising the tail making it high and rigid and moving it back and forth)

4) "Whale Eye" (when a dog doesn't look directly at you but from the corner of his eyes and you see more of the whites of his eyes)

 

The third reason is extremely important. Some people decide to get a cute little puppy but either do not know how to train a dog or just do not follow through with any training. That right there is losing the battle when it comes to Pit Bull owners especially.

 

If you are planning on owning a Pit Bull, or already do, and you haven't trained him or decide that you don't want to bother with it then you are the problem and you should not be allowed to own any dog. You are the reason why these dogs are under such extreme prejudice, like Breed Specific Legislation, which has caused the death or removal of so many dogs and has caused heartbreak for families all around the world. Having a dog in your backyard that doesn't have any social skills and doesn't know any commands is a recipe for disaster.

Dogs like this develop aggression and a strong desire to guard their territory from any and everyone. Many of these types of dogs are the reason that attacks happen, so please, please, please train your dog! It is not that hard, it just takes repetition. There are classes you can take your dog to, videos, articles, books, dog trainers... there's NO excuse! You wouldn't want an untrained dog around your baby would you? Well neither does anyone else and you definitely wouldn't want to be the reason for someone else's heartbreak. 

 

Now that you are armed with reassurance from so many responsible parents and Pit Bull owners and know a few warning signs of an aggressive dog and the key factor (training), it is up to you to put the pieces of the puzzle together. If you choose that you want to add a dog, Pit Bull, or any other breed at that, into your home, if you are expecting a child or already have children, do you research. Pit Bulls make amazing companions and everyone that I have encountered that has one is over the moon with them. It is pretty much guaranteed that with a trained and friendly Pit Bull that you have greatly socialized from day one, you will be a happy Mommy or Daddy knowing your child will get to experience the joys of growing up with a great dog. After all, there is a reason the dog is called man's best friend.

 

Now If anyone is still a skeptic about having a baby and a Pit Bull in the same home, maybe you should take a look at some more adorable pictures of babies with their Pit Bulls and if you still feel nothing, then maybe, just maybe, you are a robot. Seriously though, have a look at some more cute pictures of little humans interacting with their best buds.

 

 

THE CUTEST BABY AND PIT BULL PICTURES EVER!

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

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Would you consider adding a Pit Bull into your home after reading this article?