The Talk

Shortly after mama adopted me, she sat me down for a talk. I see myself as just a regular (although stunningly beautiful) doggo. Apparently, there are all different kinds of doggos though. Hoomans call them “breeds”. Turns out I am a special breed called a “pitbull”. Actually, I am a Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix, but doggos like me, along with American Pit Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, and American Staffordshire Terriers, are lumped into the general term of pitbull. Did you know I am supposed to be really scary? BAHAHAHA! Sorry, I had to chuckle over that. Does this look scary?

Anyway, back to the talk mama had with me. She said because I am a pitbull, I had to be extra careful to be loving out in public. This is not a hardship for me.

 Pitbulls have been seen as a “dangerous breed” for decades. In 1976, the Animal Welfare Act made dogfighting illegal, which was a good thing to do, ‘cause fighting is bad, unless I am play-wrestling with my furiends. Sometimes, when something becomes a ‘bad thing”, people think it’s fun to do a bad thing and not get caught being bad. (Like when I try to get on the kitchen counter to reach the treat bag and I know I’m not supposed to ‘cause I am a good dog.)

So, ‘cause of some hoomans being bad, a lots and lots of us pitbulls were made, and most of those bad people didn’t care how we were made or where we ended up. This is why mama had a talk with me. I was made to be a good dog – like all dogs are made – and mama takes me places so people know that pitbulls can be good dogs too. Mama says I am a good ambassador for the breed. I just think I am a good doggo. And cute. Don’t forget cute. 

Mama’s note: for more information on the history pitbull-type dogs, the demonization of the breed, and the subsequent push to end the stigma, please read this article which is concise but also fairly thorough:  http://love-a-bull.org/resources/the-history-of-pit-bulls/